Page 34 of Handcuffs and Hexes

“But then I started noticing that when Seth doesn’t have a clear goal in mind, his thoughts go south. Seth’s father did a number on him, and when he doesn’t have direction, it shows. He focuses on things like power and revenge, and his head goes to dark places. Do you know the number of times I’ve had to stop Seth from straight up killing his old man? I’m not saying he doesn’t deserve to die, but with everything that has happened between them, Seth wouldn’t be able to get away with it. Not with all his father’s powerful friends in the WEC. They’re looking for any reason to lock him up for good.”

“You know you’re telling a cop this, right?” she asked with a single raised brow.

“That’swhyI’m telling you. You know that human saying, power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely?”

“Yes.”

“Well, Seth is very powerful. He was born that way; it’s in his genes. He is the product of what the WEC has been trying tocreate for centuries. They just didn’t know they’d lose control of him.”

“Thanks to you?”

“Partially, yeah.”

“Your relationship must’ve ruffled some big feathers in the wizard world.”

I chuckled. “You don’t say. But you know, it wasn’t just the wizards who disparaged our relationship. The idea that a demon would willingly stay with a wizard from a family that had imprisoned him was ludicrous. For some time, other demons wondered if I was brainwashed. Some even considered me a traitor.”

“Even after Seth renounced the WEC?”

I shrugged. “Feelings are irrational.”

One such demon, Eamon, had ended up mated to Seth’s long-lost sister, and he now tolerated Seth and I for Tansy’s sake.

“But I’m not totally responsible for Seth not turning out a monster. Elena did a superb job raising him. His father didn’t take notice of him until he was about twelve or thirteen when his magical powers really started to show. Elena nurtured him as a person and not just as a wizard. She hid Seth’s full ability from her husband for years so that he wouldn’t have an interest in him and turn him into a monster.

“But given the chance, his hate for the WECwouldturn him into a monster. I already know he daydreams about massacring the whole lot of them. As a demon trapped by those assholes for centuries, I would love nothing but to help him. But as someone who loves Seth, I also know that letting that happen would be the end of him. He wouldn’t be the same person anymore. He can’t come back from that. Not to mention, it would bring Desmon a lot of trouble, and I do not want to get on the dragon’s bad side.”

Technically, Seth and Desmon were a lot closer than just employee and employer. The dragon actually cared about him and not just because of his magic. He was kind of like a fatherly figure, but not quite. It was complicated. I doubted Desmon would actually hurt him, but it was better not to risk it.

“And so you turn his attention to material goods instead,” she finished for me.

“Yes.”

“And you want me to do the same.” She blew out a breath. “I get it; I do. But this is erring on the side of a relationship. I don’t do those.”

“Nah, it’s all just fun.”

She didn’t seem convinced but let it go.

“Rest. And if you need anything, I’ll have my headphones on, so come bother me or shout. Imma go pwn some noobs.”

“What?” She frowned.

“Video games,” I said, gesturing to my PC.

“Ah! I see.”

I gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, then floated away, leaving her to rest on the couch so I could get my daily quota of consequence-free violence.

Chapter 17

Hazel

Iwasstillsittingthere, mulling over the fact that Liam basically just told me that if a bunch of the wizards on WEC ended up dead or mangled one morning, he and Seth would be prime suspects, when my phone rang from the sling bag I used as a purse. Mike’s dopey grin blinked back at me from the screen. I picked up.

“What’s up, loser?” I asked.

“The ceiling.”

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