Page 99 of Demon's Desire
“It’s hardly crap. Like you aren’t twisting your words, sayingyou’re not a part of the magic community. What about your witch friend?”
Onyx reached for Nico’s presence, and Nico reached back, the bond thrumming. He was still there, but as Onyx tried to get a sense of Nico’s physical location, he slipped away. Something was blocking him.
Valac continued, apparently displeased by Onyx’s silence. “Even if that witch was your friend, he isn’t anymore. Seeing as I stopped the guy’s heart.”
Onyx dropped his fangs, eyes flaming. He clung to Nico’s presence within his soul.
Nico wasn’t dead.
But Valac assumed he’d killed Nico. He didn’t seem to know he and Onyx were mated. That was good. Maybe Onyx could use that. Hopefully, it meant Nico was safely back in the South Banks and not in another cell.
Onyx snarled. “Killing random witches isn’t conducive to letting the magic community flourish. Sounds like you’re full of shit.”
Valac’s attention shifted down the hall. “I’ve got a better friend for you. Why don’t you two reconnect while I round up the rest of the dogs? Then we can put the whole pack down together, and be free.”
“No, wait! You are free. We aren’t enemies!” Onyx surged forward, hitting the shield blocking the doorway. His teeth clenched as electricity shot through him, stopping his heart.
Valac sneered as Onyx stumbled back. The big demon shifted out of the doorway, allowing two other demons to thrust a limp figure past the protective shield.
A man crumpled to the floor, and the door slammed shut.
Recognition shook Onyx’s healed heart. “Luc?” He staggered back. Was this a trick?
Luc stirred and rolled onto his back with a pained moan.Blood marred his almost unrecognizable face, his jaw dislocated and cheekbones smashed.
Onyx’s heart skipped, and his chest seized. Seeing Luc hurt shouldn’t matter. Onyx had spared no feeling when Dante had ripped the Devil’s throat out in retaliation for hurting Ollie. But then, permanent death hadn’t been on the table.
Despite everything, Onyx still cared for his brother. It was his greatest weakness.
Luc groaned as his face healed, features popping back into place. His swollen eyes opened, glowing red in the darkness.
“Onyx.” Luc spat blood and pushed himself to a seated position. “Fuck, they got you too.” He sounded heartbroken.
Lies!Onyx’s better judgment screamed, but all he’d ever wanted was his brother’s love. For Luc to care. To speak to him with that much emotion.
He shoved that longing down. “How did they manage to capture you? Aren’t you an expert at sneaking around under everyone’s nose?”
Luc laughed. It turned into a wet cough, as if his internal injuries weren’t healed. “I thought so. Guess I got cocky. Careless.” He shook his head and wiped a hand over his face, clearing some of the blood. “They found me on your roof.”
“My roof?What the fuck?”
Onyx had left his loft unprotected so Luc could reach out, but the idea he had indeed been lurking—maybe not for the first time—sent shivers down Onyx’s spine.
Luc straightened, and a flare of magic cleaned the remaining blood and grime away, leaving him camera-ready and nearly relaxed in appearance. “I was waiting for you. You hadn’t been home since the gallery. Then, you finally showed up carrying your mate?—”
“Do not talk about Nico,” Onyx snarled.
Luc raised his hands. “Sorry. You went inside, and I wasn’tsure if you’d take me barging in when you had company as an attack, so I was waiting until you were alone. I needed to talk to you, but Valac and his chums showed up.”
“How’d they find my loft? Almost no one knows where I live.”
Luc’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know. I didn’t see them coming, obviously. They must have detected my invisibility spell once they arrived, and attacked me.”
It sounded plausible. Luc might be telling the truth. Had Valac detected Onyx’s invisibility and followed him home? But how had he figured out where to look? Scanning all of Shearwater Landing for invisibility illusions simultaneously wasn’t possible.
“Valac seems to be leading the hunt for me,” Luc went on. “He’s gotten progressively more vocal in opposing me since you left the Realm of the Damned. Though never extreme in his rebellions. Until now. It appears I was right in assuming the reason demons never attempted to assassinate me was fear that, with me gone, they’d be trapped in Hell forever. Now that they’re free, there’s no reason to spare me.”
A chill ran down Onyx’s spine at how calmly Lucifer referred to his own demise. Why had he freed everyone if confinement was the only thing holding his enemies back?
