“You've spent a lot of time here, huh?” Dimitri murmurs as he pokes around the room.
“Get out of her things,” I growl. “What are you doing here?”
“She sells plants? Using her witchy skills. Smart.” He spins around and smirks. “I already told you. Got the ole summons and here I am.”
“Well, no one summoned you. Clara is sleeping and has been for a while, and I certainly can't do that shit. So, go back.”
He winces and I brace myself. “Uh, I tried that. Didn't work. Not entirely surewhosummoned me, but I can't go back. Might work if your witch girlfriend did it. You want me to wake her up or…”
“She's not my girlfriend. You're not waking her up. It's five in the morning here and she didn't get to sleep until late. Just…crash here or something.”
“So you can go back to cuddling?” His gaze drops, reminding me I'm in only underwear, and he smirks. “Kind of cute how shewas all tucked into you. Been a while since I've been with a witch. How is it?”
I scrub my hands down my face and groan. “I haven't bedded her. And I don't plan on it. She's not my girlfriend and I wasn't cuddling. What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Me?” He plasters on an innocent face like I can't see right through him. “What's wrong withyou? She's been summoning you for weeks now, which most people would consider flirting, yet here you are missing all the many signs she's throwing out. Also, no one calls it bedding anymore. You really need to spend more time topside if this is going to work out.”
“I'm not doing this with you. Crash on the couch or go wander around until she's awake.”
“Why are you so against this?”
I stomp past him, but his hand snaps out and grabs me. “Let go.”
“Omen, we've known each other for centuries. Tell me what the fuck is wrong with you.”
I peel his fingers from my arm and round on him. “Did you ever think that not all of us are so cavalier with our relationships? Maybe we don't all just want to fuck, then fuck off.”
“Hey,” he says weakly.
I know I'm hurting him, but I can't stop. Everything I've kept inside, everything I've been avoiding, bubbles within me. He started this, forcing me to share shit I never wanted to even think about. He may not deserve it, but he opened this can of worms.
“And let's say I throw caution to the wind. What then? She's topside. She has a life here. She has fucking friends.” I jab my fingers at the photo hanging on her wall. “I'm a damn demon who lives in Hell. What exactly do you expect me to do? Kidnap her? Bring her down to Hell and force her to be there with me?Just hoping she'd eventually want to stay. Oh, and I'd either have to convince her to give up her mortality or watch her grow old at an expedited rate until she wastes away to nothing. Do I have that right or am I missing something?”
Shock splashed across Dimitri's face makes me pause. “You really went down the rabbit hole, didn't you? Fuck, Omen. I was just teasing. Not like I expected you to be soulbound to her.”
“Ludo would have my ass if I was,” I mutter.
I didn't even think about mating her. Binding her to me forever seems extreme, especially since we haven't even fucked yet.
“Well, whatever you do, you might want to figure it out quick. Your absence has been noted.”
“I'm not?—”
Dimitri vanishes in a puff of purple smoke, taking the light from the lamp with him. I tip my head back and sigh heavily. Ever since Clara summoned me, I've been off-kilter. My sleep schedule is the least of my concerns, but I'm convinced if I just crashed for a day or two, my mind wouldn't be as muddled. I could figure out everything else at that point.
“Omen?” Clara calls softly, and I turn. “I thought you were going to wake me when you left? Why does it smell like sulfur?”
Her messy dark hair creates a halo around her head. The moon has long since set, hiding from the sun's eventual coming. Despite the shadows, I swear her silhouette glows with an inner light I didn't notice before. I don't think she notices either. She rubs her hands up and down her arms, then grips her elbows. Her gaze skips around the room, never settling on me for long, and I realize I haven't answered her.
“I didn't leave. I thought I heard the cat.” I stroll close to her. “Turns out it was nothing. Let's go back to bed.”
She lets me lead her back to the bedroom. She doesn't question me about the sulfur again. I don't know why, but I'drather not mention Dimitri's visit. Regardless of why he was here, it has nothing to do with Clara. She slides between the sheets and blinks lazily at me. A question rests in her eyes and relief floods them when I slip in next to her. I'm playing a dangerous game with my restraint.
She doesn't hesitate to cuddle close to me and my arms wrap around her. Her heart thunders against my chest, giving her away. Soon, it slows and her muscles relax. When I think she's asleep, I roll onto my back, keeping my arm behind her back. I jolt when she huffs.
“Why are you lying to me?” she whispers.
“What do you think I lied about?”
