Page 33 of Warmongers and Wands
She shook her head, but there was a hint of a smile curling one corner of her lips. “I’m going to kill Sylvie. She probably told him that threesome story like she threatened.”
Maybe. Maybe not. Lucien wouldn’t have liked the idea of Cassie spending a night away from him, let alone a night in a cabin with another man…demon. I looked at the door expectantly, but no demon flung it open.
Hadur chuckled. “He can’t enter the circle. No demons can cross while the boundary is in place. You might want to go to him before he gets too upset and starts burning down the forest.”
“Shit!” Cassie leapt to her feet and ran out the door. “I’m coming!” she shouted. “Don’t start breaking or burning stuff, I’m coming!”
“That’s what she said,” I joked, easing off the bed and reaching for the crutches Hadur had made for me. There’s no way I was going to miss this.
Hadur helped me hobble through the dark of the forest, at one point picking me up and carrying me. The whole way I could hear Cassie and Lucien arguing—hell, I think the whole mountain could hear them arguing.
“You’re not staying here,” Lucien snarled. “I don’t trust those werewolves not to try something. I can’t get through this barrier to help you if you need me. Who’s in there? What demon is in there? Your sister said a war demon, but I can’t tell through this darned barrier.”
He didn’t say darned. In fact, he said an entire string of descriptive vulgarities that was too much for even me to repeat.
“I’m the demon in this summoning circle,” Hadur announced as we walked into the moonlit clearing and gently set me on my feet…foot.
There was a sudden heaviness in the air. Both demons squared off like gunfighters about to go at it.
“You’re not staying in there withhim,” Lucien snarled. “And neither is your sister. Both of you get out of that circle right now. Get over here by my side. Right now.”
Bossy stalker. Times like this I wondered what my sister saw in this guy. Then Cassie let loose a diatribe peppered by a whole lot of f-bombs, fire sparking at the end of her fingertips and I realized she was more than capable of putting this demon in his place.
Lucien backtracked. “He’s a war demon, pookie. He could set you and your sister against each other. He could…he could make you lose your temper. You’re already having to attend those anger management meetings each week. As much as I love your short fuse, I really don’t want you under the influence of a war demon.”
Pookie?Pookie?
“I’m not influencing her,” Hadur snapped. “Or Bronwyn. Give me some credit for having control over my powers, you spoiled, lazy, arrogant hellspawn.”
Fire erupted around Lucien’s arms. “What did you call me? You might want to rethink your words. I do outrank you, war scum.”
“Yes, you outrank me. Nepotism at its finest. What are you going to do, go crying to your father? Whine that a war demon insulted you?”
I put a hand on Hadur’s bicep, taking a brief second to admire the muscle under my fingers. “Stop. You just said you have control, but here you are stirring him up. Let’s not have a war between the two of you right now.”
Hadur growled, my words not registering at all with him. His eyes glowed gold. The bicep under my hand bunched.
I did something I never thought I’d do—I pulled out the woman card.
“Oh, my leg!” I leaned against Hadur, my voice breathy. “I think hobbling through the woods strained…something.”
Hadur instantly snapped out of it, his eyes turning to me in concern. “Should I carry you back to the cabin? Should your sister go get the other sister that heals? Do you need more of that foul-smelling smoothie? My witch, tell me what you need.”
I swatted him on the arm. “I need you to stop baiting Lucien. He’s my sister’s main squeeze, and if things work out between us, you two are going to have to get along. Especially because you’ll be sitting across from him every Sunday night at family dinner.”
Both demons looked horrified at the idea. Cassie laughed.
“Lucien, relax babe. Let me spend one night here making sure my sister is safe, then I’ll be back in your arms. One night. I know you’re worried about me, but this is important. My family is important. They’ll always be a priority to me.”
He did relax. And smile. “Your family, the town. It’s all a priority to you.”
“You’re a priority to me too,” she said softly, reaching through the magical barrier to take his hand. “I’ll show you how much of a priority tomorrow night. I promise.”
Ewww.
“Okay, show’s over,” I told Hadur. “Carry me back to the cabin, James. Let Cassie and Lucien do some kissy-face in private.”
When my sister returned to the cabin, she was glowing with that sappy smile on her face that I was beginning to know so well. And this time when I felt happy for her, I didn’t have that usual stab of envy.
