Page 42 of Deranged Demons

“I’ve got you, princess,” Dante whispers, his voice softer than before, and there’s something about his tone. Something in the way he says it that has familiarity tickling the back of my mind.

“What?” I ask, my eyes snapping open. “What did you just say?” But he starts rubbing my clit with his thumb again, and I can’t stop myself. I fall over the edge, shattering in his hold as pleasure rips through me. Blinding, delicious, pleasure. But the moment the feeling starts to fade, I stiffen. Jerking my head down, fear makes my heart stutter as I stare at my arms, but there aren’t any golden marks like when I was with Kai.

Dante is still behind me, and my heart thrashes in my chest. “Dante,” I hiss, “I swear if you’re dead?—”

There’s a beat of silence, but then Dante’s voice isin my ear. “You’d what? Scour the shadow realm to find me?”

I clench my teeth to stop the noise of relief that threatens to slip out.Alive. He’s alive.

We both know once someone’s soul enters the shadow realm, there’s no way to return to the realms of the living. “I’d have to find a way to save you, just so I could kill you again myself,” I croak.

He lets out a barely audible laugh and kisses my cheek. “I don’t doubt that.” He removes his hand from my pants, but he doesn’t let go of me. “One of these nights you’re going to let me in completely, princess. I’m not afraid of you.”

I check my arms again to make sure they’re still bare. “Maybe you should be.”

But he keeps holding me, like he’s never planning on letting me go.

Chapter

Nineteen

~ Princess Blake ~

It’s not until Nate starts to make his way over again that Dante finally steps away. He reappears back at the campfire shortly after, visible, and with the biggest grin on his face, and I’m pretty sure the shifter and archangel quickly figure out what power the demon has. Neither of them comment, but the pair of them are extra irritable when we leave the demons and head back into the city streets.

Dante stays close to me as we walk, but I’m distracted as I stare at the surrounding buildings. Every so often, I detect the faint scent of chocolate, and I peer at the empty houses half expectingto find the Drozac assassin watching me, but all I see is shadows.

Nate prowls up on my other side. “Four mates are plenty to keep you busy, don’t you think, gorgeous?”

I know what he’s really asking. Have I found all my mates?

Another waft of chocolate reaches my nose, and I jerk my attention to a rundown building on my right that’s leaning to one side. Again, the only thing waiting for me is shadows, and I frown. “I don’t know...maybe?” Before we’d found Dante, I was so sure I had more mates out there, but now all I can think about is the fact that the assassin still hasn’t joined our group. The next logical thing to do is for us to all try and bond, and after my recent encounter with Dante, I’m feeling more hopeful that my mates will survive it. But going by Prince Callan’s hard expression, I don’t think he’s come around to the idea of bonding just yet.

I’m still trying to decide whether I think Ihavefound all my mates when a pool of darkness falls over us. I stop walking and crane my neck, peering up at the ancient temple now towering above us. The structure is crafted from white marble, its thick pillars charred and marked but still standing strong.

“Do you think King Dalton has left a nasty surprise in there?”Shade asks, hopping from one foot to the other on my shoulder.

“Dad wouldn’t have defiled theirtemple,” I reply, and it’s not until Nate looks at me strangely that I realize I’ve spoken out loud.

I clear my throat. “King Dalton might be ruthless, but he wouldn’t dishonor a sacred space. This is probably one of the few places we can be sure he hasn’t touched.”

“Well, that’s comfortin’” Nate responds sarcastically.

Ignoring him, I make my way up the cracked stone steps, striding between the central pillars and moving inside the structure. My mates follow behind me, and my eyes widen as I take in the concave ceiling high above us. Whatever used to be painted there looks as if it has been scratched off with giant claws, the deep marks digging into the marble. In the left corner, I spot a small blue eye that was somehow missed.

“Well, that’s…unusual,” Prince Callan comments as he strolls past me, moving to one of the eight pedestals around the temple. A metal plaque with strange symbols is fixed to each base, but the writing is undecipherable. Piled above the pedestals are handfuls of black stones. There’s nothing else in the temple, and I walk closer to another one of the pedestals.

“Do you think these were for their eight gods?” I ask, eyeing the pedestal that’s cracked down the center almost as if it has been struck by lightning.

Nate searches the temple like he’s hunting for treasure, his keen gaze taking everything in.

“Or eight kings and queens,” Prince Callan suggests.

I think about the temples we have back in Seral. They’re built to honor Lady Fate, but I know the giants of Rostof worship their royals as if they’re gods.

“Maybe they worshipped animals?”Shade adds.“Just like the Egyptians worshipped cats.”

“Wait, they thought cats were gods?” I say aloud in confusion.

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