Page 16 of Dreaming of Darkness

“The chairs,” Arafel said, nodding at the smaller chair we’d left unoccupied. “Or one of my winged brothers. We prefer the shorter backed chairs. For clearance reasons.”

My throat was dry. “Did you just read my mind?”

To my surprise, the demon laughed, “Hardly necessary, your nonverbals are quite loud.”

Traum snorted but stopped as I cut him a sharp look. “Are they really?”

“We can talk about this later,” Traum said softly, his hand settling over mine and pulling it onto his lap. The heavy, strong weight of his thigh was a comfort against my palm. I almost sighed in relief at the ability to touch him again.

“Agreed,” Arafel said, his eyes growing serious. “We have far more interesting things to discuss. Starting with, I believe, how exactly have you been traveling in between the most powerful and protected border in this world? Outside of the original border I guess.”

His comments caught me off guard for a moment, wondering what in the world the original border was. But that thought evaporated a moment later when the reality of the situation seeped into my skin. Traum’s claws made a tiny scratch on the tabletop. He’d figured it out too.

“I remain loyal to the Underworld and the Council,” Traum said, heat lacing his words. Something in the air changed, darkened and my heart began to race. A hand, no, not a hand, a shadow of one slipped over my form, coming to rest on my chin.

He–it–moved me until I was staring right into Arafel’s face. This time his eyes were glowing a vibrant, unworldly blue. I gasped but couldn’t look away. The shadow hands on my chin tightened their grip.

“Release her,” Traum said, his voice a growl.

“I must know if the bond is real.”

I couldn’t even blink, my mind whirling as a strange darkness dimmed my vision.

“It is real, it is true,” Traum said again.

Arafel’s smile was wide and full of fang. Adrenaline surged in my veins as he spoke again. “Prove it.”

Chapter Five

Traum

I had never feared the demon princes that ruled the Underworld. From what I could tell, they were only a danger to those who wanted to hurt their family. I made it a point to stay out of their way, and therefore had very little interaction with them. Even Arafel, who often called on my brother or grandmother for tribe business.

But now. Him here, smiling with those sharp white fangs at my mate. My temper was rising faster than my magic, and that was wicked fast. My shadows, different from his, slithered down my skin, desperate to shove him out of reach of her. To wrap her up in my magic, to tow her away somewhere safe.

Because this male, no matter how gracious he might be, was still the son of Lucifer. And I was no fool.

Somehow, I managed to get words out of my throat, the sound forced and ragged. “Prove it how?” I bit down into my tongue, trying to tame the demand for him to step the

fuck away from Bailey. “She does not wear my bite or my scent, we are new in this.” Arafel’s eyes moved over me, dark brows lowering as he took in my stiffened posture.

With a soft sigh, he leaned away, his magic releasing Bailey. “I have the mahr’s working on it.

But until we can prove that she is not working for an enemy, she must stay where I can get to

her.”

I snarled at those words and Arafel rose from the table. I followed suit, my magic filling my

veins, making my muscles expand, my fangs low as my voice hissed out. “Be careful with your

words, my Lord, my patience is wearing thin.”

Arafel growled, but I ignored him this time, the words falling free as my temper began to

unravel. “You have brought her here, my most prized possession into a world that quite

efficiently breaks down human lives. She is not marked or mated, and now she must stay here,

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