Page 22 of Reigning
His tongue parts my lips, his jaw angling to kiss me even deeper right in front of the one woman who was supposed to tame him.
She’ll never be able to tame Sinister, though.
You can’t make him into something he’s not. And Ellise will figure that out soon enough.
I pull back from him, but he chases my kiss, his tongue still caressing mine in a devouring way before he presses his lips sweetly to mine and takes a step back.
And I’m left breathless. What was I saying before?
“Um, so, yes, go to Minden. For me.”
I can’t help but smile up and him, and he nods to me slowly, his gaze slipping down to my lips before meeting my eyes again.
He walks away from me with stiff, proper posture. Ellise watches the man with closer scrutiny now. Sinister opens the large door, letting in a chilling draught. He holds it open for Kain who slips out without a word, my heart hurting with the thought of what I just sent them off to do.
“Wait.” I rush toward Sinister, and he pauses but doesn’t look at me.
In a crushing hug, I wrap my arms around him, holding him to me like I can keep him here despite what I just told him to do. He doesn’t react. The muscles of his arms are so rigid I can feel the tension in every part of his body.
“Keep him safe. Stay safe,” I whisper against his neck. The breath in my lungs hurts because I know he won’t reply to me. He won’t react at all. But I have to tell him one more thing. One more thing that just puts them in more danger but could save us all in the end. “Find my mother, Sin.” I close my eyes and take a steadying breath that calms the anxiety rising inside me. “Find her and tell her I’m here. Tell her to bring friends.”
I release him. I pivot my heels, my head held high as I pretend not to be completely terrified of what I just sent them out to do.
Now I’m lying to myself as well as everyone else.
It’s late in the evening when I rush to the upper floor that I spotted Split Face on. I should stop calling him these weird names. I should give the demon a more affectionate code name. Divot Face…Crater Face…Fire Face...actually, that last one isn’t too bad. Sounds more menacing than anything.
Fire Face it is.
Rime and Chaos flank my shadow every step of the way, and when I happen upon the demon in his smooth pressed uniform alone in the corridor, I nearly drop to my knees and thank the goddess right here and now.
I tap his shoulder, a wide smile spread over my face, and he turns to me, and then I reconsider my prayers.
It isn’t Fire Face.
The demon’s eyes are eclipsed with black pupils in a way I’ve only ever seen Sinister’s when he was…very excited.
It makes me uneasy to see another demon with the same devious look in a different setting.
“You need something, little mage?”
He takes one step forward, and I take a mirroring step back, my shoulders hitting Chaos’ chest with a small thud.
“No. Sorry. Thought you were someone else. Not a demon—not that there’s anything wrong with demons. One of my favorite mates is a demon, so there’s absolutely no discrimination here. I just thought you were some other…non-demonish person…” I end that long excuse with a quiet clearing of my throat.
Black eyes narrow on me, his lips cutting into a slow smile that makes me want to back away quickly rather than the slow careless pace I’m currently walking.
“Shouldn’t draw attention to yourself if you don’t want it, mage.”
His tongue slides across his lips, and I usher Chaos backward with another slow step.
“Or maybe you do want attention.” An inky gaze crawls all over every inch of my body.
Rime and Chaos step past me so fast I nearly fall backward down the stairs. But someone else is quicker.
“I think it’s your break time, Raogh.”
Raogh. It even sounds repulsive.
