* * *
Blinking, I peered up into Caim’s face. My heart hammered, and I reached out to cling onto his arm as the demon desperately tried to retake control of my body. She was really pissed off. She thought she’d gotten me. But then Caim had gazed into my eyes and said the one thing that could bring me back.
My breath whispered from my parted lips as our noses brushed. “Did you really mean all that, Caim?”
“Eva.” He sighed in relief and wrapped his arms around me so tightly that my breath popped from my throat. His scent enveloped me, a fiery musk that curled my toes. His heartbeat thundered against my ear, faster than my own. Hell, I swore even his arms were trembling. “Thank the Legion you came back to me. I was afraid...”
His voice wavered, and I gripped him tighter. I’d been afraid, too. Somehow, the demon had found a way to take such tight control of me that it had felt like I’d never break free. She’d been determined to complete the transformation and erase every last shred of humanity from my soul.
“Of course I meant every word,” he finally murmured as he pulled back to stare deeply into my eyes. “I’m just sorry I had to say it to you like this. I wanted it to be special.”
“How more special could it be than this?” I pushed up onto my toes and wound my arms around his neck. “Your words saved me.”
Smiling, he leaned down to drop a kiss on my lips, but the damn darkness crept into my vision again. I shuddered from the pain of it. Anger and rage burned like fire through my veins.
With a hiss, I scrambled back out of his arms, tears pouring down my cheeks. “She’s coming back again, Caim. She’s stronger than I am, and I don’t know how to fight back. I’m so sorry.”
22
Eva
“No, Eva.” He grabbed my hands and drew me back to his side. Determined fury whipped through his eyes like the shadows of the night. “You’re stronger than you think you are. You can fight against this. Don’t let her take control.”
The demon roared inside my head. I winced and slammed my hands over my ears as if that would block out the sound, but it was impossible. The screams weren’t coming from outside of me. They were coming from within.
“You don’t understand,” I whispered, practically clawing at my ears. “She’s stronger than I am.”
Far stronger.
His grip tightened around my hands, his forehead pressing against mine. “I understand far too well, Eva. Look at me. Look into my eyes and tell me you can’t see the demon raging inside me, desperate to get out.”
Slowly, agonizingly so, I peeled back my lids and peered up into his face. It took all my strength to do it. It felt like the second I didn’t focus on the demon inside of me, she’d take that chance to rip me to shreds.
Darkness churned in his eyes. Rage and anguish battled each other, swirling like a hundred writhing shadows. I sucked in a rattling breath as I watched him struggle for control. I didn’t understand how I could see so much. They were just eyes. But it was like they were a ticket to view the very depths of his soul.
Finally, I felt like I could breathe without an iron fist grabbing my lungs. Caim nodded, and then blinked. The demon retreated. For the moment.
“See, you’re the one who is in control,” he murmured.
Still, I shuddered. She’d given up for now, but that didn’t mean she would stop for long. Closing my eyes again, I sagged against him. He caught me in his arms and clutched me tight.
“She only went away because I’m with you,” I said, somehow knowing her thoughts, even if we were still two totally separate entities stuck inside one body. Kind of. It was like we were different, but...not fully. “She knows you give me the strength to hold on to the world. Next time we’re apart, she’ll come for me again.”
“Well,” he grunted, pressing his lips against the top of my head. The warmth of his breath soothed my bones. “I know a simple answer to that problem. I will handcuff you to me and never let you go.”
I snorted out a laugh, surprising us both. After tonight’s antics, I was shocked I could smile. Caim’s arms engulfed me. Without another word, he lifted me from the ground and pushed up into the air on powerful wings.
“Aren’t you worried about humans seeing you fly?” I asked as he soared away from Central Park. “And what about the others? Shouldn’t we tell them we’re leaving now?”
“The cat’s out of the bag where humans are concerned,” he said, his jaw flickering with tension. “And the others will catch our trail. They won’t be far behind.”
I closed my eyes, giving in to the call of exhaustion. It felt like I’d run an entire marathon. Hell, maybe even more. Every limb was aching. Every muscle pulsed. My bones even throbbed. I needed sleep. And a long bath. And maybe an entire pizza or two. My stomach rumbled like it had been five days since the last time I ate.
At some point, I managed to doze off, despite the fact we were suspended in the air a hundred feet above the Manhattan streets. The thunder of boots jostled me awake. Caim had landed on his rooftop and was striding straight toward the hidden door.
Caim carried me into the apartment. His strength somehow seeped into my bones, soothing away the pain. I closed my eyes and settled against his chest. His heartbeat was the pounding of a drum in my head, and it drove out the dark thoughts that had been pushing me to the brink of insanity.
“You’re safe,” he murmured. I heard the thump of his boot kicking the door, and then the click of the lock as it closed behind us. “The darkness is gone now, Eva. You don’t have to worry about it anymore.”
