Page 57 of Bewitching Her Monsters

“For both of you,” he says, his tone even. “You know what your curse can do.”

“Jade is in real danger, but not from me,” I tell him.

“What do you mean?” Maxum’s voice is tight and strained. He doesn’t want to admit it, but he’s soft for our sweet witch.

“Her ex is a threat. I’m starting to believe that Rob might be a warlock.”

Calder throws his arms up in the air in exasperation. “Is she that dumb? How can she really be that ignorant of the supernatural world if she was fucking a warlock?”

I snarl again at the idea of that male’s hands on her.

After a deep breath, I suggest, “Maybe he was able to hide it from her just as we can?”

“But why?” Calder prods. “It makes no sense for a warlock to hide his nature, to be with a weak witch. Witches outnumber their male counterparts. He would have his pick. So either your witch is more powerful than you can perceive, or this wanker is nothing but a normal, everyday human dickhead.”

Maxum adds, “They’re a dime a dozen.”

I’ve been wondering what Rob’s angle was in all this. “Perhaps he used her for her mediumship skills? Or maybe she had more magic before he came into her life? We know some supes are able to drain magical beings of their magic.”

“Has he threatened her?” Maxum asks.

“Yeah, sort of. Rob sent Jade a message ‘to be careful who she dated’… after her date with you. Which means he was somehow watching. It also indicates to me he might have recognized who or what you are.”

“That doesn’t mean we have to get involved,” Calder huffs.

I notice the gargoyle is quiet. He’s a protector by nature, so he won’t like it if she’s in danger. If I can just get him on my side…

“So what the hell are you suggesting, lil’ doggie?” Maxum asks and crosses his arms, his classic demon move, closing me off before I can get out my idea.

“That we monitor her… like I’ve been doing.”

“You mean fucking her?” Maxum raises an eyebrow. “You know I can smell her scent all over you.”

“I didn’t fuck her,” I snarl.

“Yeah, I know.” Maxum grunts. “Because if you did, I’d smell her blood from you ripping her to shreds, since you can’t control your curse.”

The guys know what could happen if I have sex.

“If you’re going to kill her with your out-of-control dick, can we just get it over with?” Calder groans. “We have bigger fish to catch. We don’t have the resources for you to do your pet play kink.”

I growl at him.

The fucking phoenix shouldn’t be poking me right now. I’m riding the edge with all this talk about me walking away from Jade.

“Does she put a collar on you, then tell you to be a good boy and lick her cunt?” he jabs again.

Maxum laughs and says to Calder, “You’re just jealous, little bird.”

He’s probably not wrong. Calder hasn’t been able to be with someone in this incarnation. His last death really fucked him up. Before that? He was a bit of a player.

“Can we just check this guy Rob out to see if he’s got magic?” I hand Maxum the paper where I jotted down the information and the half-destroyed picture of Rob I pulled out of Jade’s trash. “If he’s a warlock, maybe you get to kill him for funsies.”

Maxum gives me a wry grin. “And take out your competition for you?” he jokes.

“And your competition,” I say to rile him up.

Maxum doesn’t want to want her, but I’m not as oblivious as Flint usually is.

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