My chill intensified when the next flash revealed Corson’s hand enveloping the wraith’s throat. Then the spirit vanished once more, and it appeared as if Corson was trying to grasp air. I knew he still clasped the wraith when his muscles bulged and the veins in his forearms stood out. The crackle of his power vibrated the air around him as he drew strength from the spirit while inflicting sufferingonit.
While Corson fed, a distant sort of screaming sounded in my ears. I was certain it was from the wraith, but though the spirit was only feet away from me, it sounded as if the screams came frommilesaway.
I’d never wanted to get away from something so fast in my life, but I’d insisted on seeing this part of Corson’s life. Now that I had, I didn’t plan to ever see it again. It didn’t make me love him less, but it unsettled me. When that thought drifted through my mind, I also comprehended that not only did Corson keep tearing down my walls, but somehow I’d fallen in lovewithhim.
The realization jarred me, but once it hit, I couldn’t deny it. If he’d been human, I’d have thrown my arms around him and embraced the rest of our lives together. There would always be the concern that I could lose him. However, I would take every one of the seconds we’d have together until the inevitable end. My feelings for him as a mortal still would have terrified me, but our lives would have beenstraightforward.
Instead, I didn’t know where to go from here with him. If I werereallylucky, I would die from old age, while he remained youthful and immortal. There weren’t many bigger obstacles in arelationship.
I’d been adamant that I didn’t want to become a demon. However, I found myself watching Hawk for some sign he hated what he’d become; he never gave one. I contemplated asking him how he felt about being a demon, but whenever I opened my mouth to voice the question, it lodged in my throat. What if Hawk said he hated being a demon? What if he said he loved it? Or what if he was plainindifferent?
Until I was completely sure I could handle whatever answer he gave me, I couldn’t bring myself to ask—especially when I didn’t know what answer I hoped to hear from him. Could I become ademon?
Just weeks ago, that answer would have been a resoundingno, but I knew more about demons now and understood them better. Yes, demons had slaughtered my family and countless others over the years, but like humans, there was good and bad amongst them. I’d found the good withCorson.
Still, would I be able to feed on wraiths, have giant talons, and endure whatever else came with demonhood to be withCorson?
The idea of the wraiths made my stomach churn. However, a built-in weapon system sounded freaking fantastic, once I got used to having those talons. It would take some time, but guns, knives, and arrows had once been unnerving to me too, and now they were like an extension of me. The talons literallywould bean extension of me, and I’d witnessed Corson slicing and dicing things with them. They wereawesome.
But, I didn’t know what I would be like as a demon, if I would survive the transformation to become one, or even what had to be done to become one. Thankfully, I didn’t have to figure it out anytime soon. For the time being, I would enjoy this newfound happiness and sense of security I’d found with Corson. I’d worry about possible demonhood later, I decided as I glided through thewoods.
While I walked, my eyes scanned the trees in search of a good branch to settle on to hunt from. My head turned at the soft step behind me, and I spotted Corson making his way through the trees toward me. The sight of him caused my heart to lurch with joy, and I couldn’t stop myself fromsmiling.
Lovesick fool.That’s exactly what I was, and I was surprisingly okaywithit.
Corson smiled back at me as he stepped around a rock. My eyes fell to the black bow he held as he walked toward me. When I left the camp, he’d told me he had to grab something before he could meet me, but I’d never seen the bowbefore.
Stopping before me, he bent to kiss me. “Hello,lahala.”
“Demon,” I greeted and nipped at his lower lip before pulling away. If I wasn’t careful, I’d drag him to the ground and take him; it was that easy to become caught up in him. “What do you have there?” I waved a hand atthebow.
“Well, whatdoI have here?” His eyes twinkled with amusement as he drew the bow forward to hold it between us. “Why, it’sabow.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “You’reanass.”
“Yes, I am,” he admitted. “What do you thinkofit?”
When he held the bow out to me, I took it from him and rotated it in my hands. I ran my fingers over the smooth wood as I examined the exquisite craftsmanship of the weapon. Lifting it, I pulled back the string and brought it to my shoulder. Despite its length, the bow was lightweight but surprisingly sturdy. It would take a lot more than the weight of a deer tosnapit.
“It’s amazing.” I lowered the bow and held it out to him but he didn’t take it. “Where did yougetit?”
“Imadeit.”
“When did you have the time todothat?”
“While you were sleeping, or doing your own thing.” He gripped the end of my braid dangling against my breast and gave it a playful tug. “I am a man of many talents, mydearWren.”
“Obviously.”
I tried to hand the bow back to him again, but he pushed it back at me. “I made itforyou.”
The emotion that burst through me left me more shaken than a tree in a tornado. I didn’t know how to react or what to say. “For me?” I finallycroaked.
Using my braid, he tugged me forward a step. “Yes, for you.” His other hand fell on the bow slung over my shoulder. “This bow isn’t rightforyou.”
He was right about that. The bow had belonged to a male Wilder who died a few months ago. The weapon was too long and the string too tight. I had a difficult time drawing the string back, but I’d adapted to it. I’d never told him I’d had problems adjusting to the bow though; it was just another one of those things he’d learned bywatchingme.
“Demon,” I breathed as my gaze dropped to the exquisite bow once more. I studied the black wood it had been carved from and frowned. “What tree did you use tomakethis?”
