Page 46 of Hellish Witch

The incubus cleared his throat, sitting beside me while he watched the flames dance. Given the extreme heat of hell-fire, it was only a few minutes before Killian was pulling the roasted birds out. He handed me one with a small smile. “Here. I didn’t bring any seasoning when I came after you, but they’re pretty good plain, anyway.”

I smiled back, accepting his offering with a grateful nod. I gripped the base of the stick, still warm from the fire, eyeingthe golden-coloured delight it held. Crispy skin and a pleasant aroma reminded me of the deep-fried chicken I’d had in the human realm once.

“Do your pets want a snack too?” His lips twitched, and he raised the last two cooked birds to Alpha and Cookie in offering.

With a grouchy huff, Alpha stalked over, muzzle extended to sniff at the meat in Killian’s outstretched hand.

Cookie leaped through the fire with an excited yowl, snagged both birds between her giant fangs, and darted off into the bushes. Alpha barked and raced after her.

A small chuckle fell from my lips.

Killian peered after them. “Should we be worried?”

They might annoy each other as only a hellcat and a hellhound could, but they weren’t actually out to hurt each other. They’d fought the bone-kin together, and whatever uneasy truce they’d forged seemed intact.

I shook my head. “They’re just playing. Besides, your feline admirer can fend for herself.”

A light frown formed between his brows, and I could almost feel his curiosity around my new understanding of animals.

Before he could question me further, I bit into dinner. The warm poultry was delicious, with a lick of smoke from the hell-fire, and I took another bite with a pleased hum.

A hush descended as we finished our quails to the crackle of burning wood and the faint symphony of insects.

Killian chucked the speared remains into the fire, the lilac flames devouring the bones with a loud pop. “You need to learn to block before I take you to bed.”

“What are you talking about?” I almost choked on my last bite of food, but Killian didn’t seem to notice his word choice might give a girl a heart attack. I copied his movements, pushing my leftovers into the hungry bonfire that warmed us.

He rested his inked forearms on the scuffed leather at his knees. “If your magic is lashing out because you’re underfed, you can’t afford to leak so much, even to help me heal. It’s probably more potent than your other emotions because of your heritage.”

“It’s fine.” I pointedly ignored the squeaky quality to my voice, swiping back the scarlet curls determined to get into my mouth. “I always give off energy. Must be a mage thing.”

Killian shot me a knowing smirk, half his features cast into shadow by the eerie fire.

I wanted to punch his pretty face in.

Of course the stunning incubus found this amusing. He was used to demons lusting after him. Every unmated person in the kingdom wanted to fuck the guy.

I’d even seen a racist of pure blood linger a heated gaze on him.

He shrugged, shoulders and wings rising and falling as one. “Let’s try blocking anyway. More energy left to satisfy your hungry magic, then.”

The enforcer was always trying to look after me. It would be cute, but I knew he saw me as more of a kid in need of protection. To him, I was just his best friend’s bratty little sister.

“And how will you teach me to block?” I arched a brow, crossing my legs as I shifted on the bark, pricking me even through the drying fabric of my trousers.

He grinned, a heart-stopping smile that could liquefy the robes off a priest. “I’m going to seduce you, sweetness. And you’re going to shut that door in your mind until I can’t taste your drugging need on my tongue.”

Flaming. Hell-fires.

I somehow managed to unstick my mouth to cough out a word. “What?”

“A man could get lost in your big, innocent eyes. So eager to be corrupted, aren’t you? My pretty princess,” he purred, watching me with all the intensity of a predator cornering prey.

Yet his voice was like being wrapped in silk and stroked by claws.

The shiver that ran through me was nothing to do with the light breeze across my skin.

He cleared his throat, forked tongue tracing his lower lip. “Picture the front door of your house and slam it closed.”

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