Page 26 of My Demon Desire
"There," he says, and when I look down, the warped flesh is completely gone. It's smooth and the lines of the rune are clearly visible, and I gasp. "It was a magical protection to keep the royal birthmark hidden."
"But," I began, my mind spinning with questions. "How? I mean... they'd have told me if I was adopted or something." Wouldn't they have? "And I don't have any power or any signs that I'm fae. Wouldn't there be something besides this?"
"Perhaps you have an ancestor who was fae? Grandmother? Time works differently for fae than humans or in the human world."
Ice fills my veins. "Wait. Do you mean all my friends will be old by the time I get back home?" What if my father found out how to get back and couldn't find me? "My father..." I start, my voice quivering.
Reis's eyes hold mine with an intensity that should have scared me, yet it does the opposite and calms me. "I need to get back to him. You promised," I finish my sentence, struggling to hold back the tears that are threatening to overflow.
He looks away, the muscle in his jaw twitching. "We need to be certain if your father is fae too... if he is, he is in grave danger."
I leap out of bed, my heart in my throat. "Then what are we doing here? We need to help him."
Reis shakes his head. "We need to do the blood ritual. It will strengthen any power you have and give us answers."
"What do you mean?" I cross my arms over myself.
"Your blood will tell us if you’re fae and if you’re of royal blood or not.” He sighs. “If you’re not royal, then your father isn’t either.”
I nod, my mind racing. Did this mean my folks lied to me? No, it had to be that my dad was fae too. I'd caught him using magic when he opened the portal. That had to be it.
"My blood— just how much are we talking?” Just my luck to have dark fae with a blood thirst.
He chuckles and my heart warms. "No. We just need a drop of your blood. Three drops for each of us."
"And what will that do... exactly?"
“I told you, it will let us know your fae heritage.”
“What like a DNA test or something?” Not that I ever had one of those. Maybe I should have, would fae blood have shown up on it?
He's quiet for a moment before answering. "It will bind us to you and we’ll be your protectors, unable to do you any harm."
Goosebumps break out across my arms. "How do I know you're telling me the truth? That this won't sell my soul or something?" I take a step back from him, feeling like he's too close and a lump forms in my throat. I press my hands to my stomach, feeling queasy because I'm about to bond myself with three monsters.
"Trust me, Annalise." He smiles. “We will help you find your father, but this is the best protection we can offer you. The binding won’t be able to be broken by the queen… only you can break it.”
“How?” I swallow, not sure if I want to have three beasts tied to me.
“A simple ritual you can memorize. I’ll write it out for you.”
“That’s it?” I ask. “I thought it would involve some sacrificed goat or something.”
“And a kiss.”
My eyebrows shoot up into my hairline. “Are you making a pass at me?” My breaths speed up because I can’t keep the lingering memory of my dreams from racing forward at full throttle.
“Depends.” He grins. “Would I be accepted or rejected?”
I shrug, looking up at him from underneath my lashes. “How good a kisser are you?”
Without a word, he closes the distance between us, cupping my cheek and brushing his lips against mine. I'm too shocked to do anything, but then his warmth spreads throughout my body and I'm lost in the sensation. Everything else is forgotten and all I can think of is wanting more of him.
He opens his mouth, licking his tongue along the seam of my lips. I open slightly for him and he slips inside softly. I moan against his mouth and rub my hands up his arms. He tastes sinful like decadent dark chocolate and I can't get enough. It's even better than my dream.
Everything else is forgotten and all I can think of is wanting more of him. I moan, leaning into him, feeling the heat of his body against mine. His strong arms clasp me to him and he holds me firmly, but I feel the passion in his kiss, in the way his fingers twitch against my hips.
Finally, he pulls away, leaving me breathless and wanting more. He looks at me with a gaze that can only be described as longing. And I adore the fact he's as turned on as me with just kissing.
