It felt like it’d been weeks since she’d had a moment to herself. Reading a book seemed like a far-off luxury.
Though it was the middle of the night, the great room empty and dark, Willa went up the small set of stairs to the loft and lay on the carpeted floor. In the silence, she poked and prodded at the demon like a loose tooth, wondering if she would be lucky enough to lose it without much pain or effort.
The demon shifted. A tail flicking at the surface.
No such luck.
“What do you plan to do?” Willa asked.
She didn’t expect an answer, but as soon as the words were past her lips, the demon yanked her back like a dog on a chain.
The cool, weightlessness returned and now Willa was the fish with none of the ferocity of the shark.
“Sounds like your djinn is here,” the demon said and turned its attention to the ceiling.
In the distance, she could hear Caleb screaming.
The demon dug in her jeans pocket and pulled out the amber vial of wolfcaine.
Though she didn’t have the use of her body, she could have sworn her stomach dropped.
Willa tried to throw the bottle. Then she tried to scream.
If Poe was there, maybe he could stop her—stop it.
She was a prisoner in her own body.
No matter how hard she focused, no matter how badly she wanted it, she couldn’t do anything to stop the demon from twisting off the cap and downing the bottle in one gulp.
Chapter 35
POE
Poe did not bother with subterfuge.
He entered the great hall through the open double doors and found Willa sitting in a throne-like chair on the dais.
“Will?” Poe called as he crossed the room’s massive expanse.
“Not here,” she said.
His insides knotted and grew taut. It was Willa before him, her voice answering him, but a demon pulling at her strings.
Poe clutched harder at the bag of collars in his hand. He’d wanted the decoys to distract the demon long enough to perform an exorcism, but now that seemed a fruitless endeavor. It was just him and it.
How long did Caleb need?
He was a mortal, burdened with mortal speed.
Poe stopped ten feet from the dais. Any closer and he worried what he might do, what mistakes he might make. That was his Will up there, held hostage by a demijinn. His.
How dare this demon tread on his territory.
Poe would make the demijinn regret this day. But he needed a cool head until then. He needed to save Will first.
“Do you have what I asked for?” Willa asked.
Poe unzipped the bag. “I do.” He reached a hand inside. Maybe he could delay the demon. Turn on some of his legendary charm. Just long enough until Dae and his brothers stopped Caleb’s team, until Caleb could return. If Dae was here, he could aid in distracting the demon long enough for Caleb to perform the exorcism, since djinn could not.
Poe grabbed one of the decoy collars and lifted it into the light.
The demon’s eyes—Willa’s eyes—widened. “Excellent,” it said. “I believe I owe you a secret for that. About your caeli.”
“I don’t want it,” Poe said. “I just want Will.”
“Well, they’re one and the same…soooo…” The demon raised its brows in a suggestive manner.
What? Poe took a step back.
“Are you saying—”
The demon stood up in one fluid motion. “Willa is your caeli. She’s known for some time.”
His stomach churned. He took another step back.
“No,” he choked out.
“Yes.”
“I don’t believe you!”
The demon lifted an indifferent shoulder. “You could perform the caeli bond and then you would know.”
“With you possessing her? Absolutely not.”
The demon tapped a fingernail against Willa’s chin. “You might not have a choice.” She scrunched up her nose. “I accidentally drank wolfcaine. Oopsie.”
It was just cruel enough to be true. Just invisible enough to be a bluff. There was no way for him to know until it was too late.
Poe suddenly couldn’t breathe.
“Let Willa tell me,” he said. “I want to hear the truth from her.”
There was a possibility the demon would just pretend to be Willa, but Poe was willing to bet he could tell the difference.
And he desperately wanted to see her, the real her.
He knew the moment the demon retreated, because Willa started crying.
“I’m so sorry,” she said.
Poe ran to her and she collapsed in his arms, almost boneless.
“I can’t do this. I’m not strong enough to fight it and—”
Poe grabbed either side of her face and forced her to look at him. “Is it true?” he asked. “Are you my caeli?”
She closed her eyes and inhaled. Tears continued to stream down her face.
“Yes,” she breathed.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
A worry line appeared between her brows. “I was afraid.”
“Of what?”
“My life...it was too complicated. I didn’t want to drag you into the middle of it and...I didn’t want to risk losing Raina either. I thought I’d have to choose between her and you and obviously that wasn’t a choice I was ever willing—”
“Shhh, love. It’s all right.” He brought her close again and took in her scent. That heady floral smell of her that reminded him of spring and renewal.
In that moment, he realized he’d always known it.
He’d just been in denial.
He’d been too arrogant and too bloody selfish to see how his heart beat harder when she was around, how his skin tingled when she was against him.
He’d told himself he needed no one, that power was his only ally.
But he’d been wrong.
So fucking wrong.
“Did the demon drink the poison?” he asked against her ear.
“Yes.”
He steeled himself against the rising tide of rage in his gut.
Poisons were below him. They were mortal weapons.
But it was exactly why the demon picked it.
He had nothing to counteract it other than to make another deal with Will and he was betting the demon wouldn’t allow that to happen.
Slowly, he began to see the threads of the demon’s plan.
Willa had said yes to it. They could exorcise it, but it now knew her secrets, her weaknesses, the way to her heart.
It would be back.
Again and again.
And if Willa was bound to Poe as his caeli, the demon would, in effect, always have Poe.
And that was a powerful connection to have.
This was his family’s greatest fear.
If Poe were a rational man, if he cared for his safety, if he cared for the order of the world, he would do nothing. He would put the collar on Willa, let her die, and let the demon go with her.
But Poe was not rational.
Don’t be afraid to sacrifice yourself.
That was what Cassie’s letter had said, wasn’t it?
Poe was not afraid to give everything for Willa, his caeli, the woman he loved. Wholly. Absolutely. Unconditionally.
He would do anything for her, including this.
He did not care about the power of the caeli bond any longer. He cared only about saving her and protecting her from a lifetime of demon incursions.
He would give the demon exactly what it wanted and more.
“Will you do it?” he said to Will. “Will you say the words to bind yourself to me?”
Willa sniffed. “But the demon—”
“Don’t worry about the demon. Tell me the truth. Do you want to be bound to me?”
“Of course, but not like this.”
“Then repeat after me.”
“Poe, wait—”
“’I, Willa Locke, claim myself to b
e caeli to the djinn known as Poe Blackwell.’”
She shuddered in his arms.
“Go on, love,” he said. “Say the words.”
“I, Willa Locke, claim myself to be caeli to the djinn known as Poe Blackwell.”
“As caeli, I bind myself to Poe Blackwell and offer my body, soul, and power to him. I vow never to harm him. I vow never to use my power against him. I vow to uphold our bond until Death sees fit to sever it.”
Willa sucked in a trembling breath and said the last of her vows.
The air crackled with a snap of his magic. The great hall hummed with light.
Now it was his turn.
“I, Poe Blackwell, accept your claim as my caeli. If your claim is true and blessed by the Fates, I bind myself to you and offer my body, soul and power. I vow never to harm you. I vow never to use my power against you.”
He took a breath as the beat of the power in his veins swelled to a deafening, thunderous roar in the room. His entire body buzzed with the importance of it, the heat of the moment. For as long as he lived, he would never forget what it felt like to give himself to this woman.
However fleeting it was.
The stone floor rumbled as he said the last of his words. “I vow to uphold our bond until Death sees fit to sever it.”
He felt the magic glow in his eyes.
The room exploded in vibrant green light as a gale-force swept through the room and rattled the beams above them.
Willa looked up at him through the tangled knot of her hair.
Her eyes glowed to match his.
The temperature in the room rose to a dry heat before the magic pulled in, condensing in a writhing neon ribbon that wound itself around them.
The magic pulsed and the air popped, taking the wind with it.
When it was over, Poe was left with a buzzing warmth beneath his skin and the faint tug of something at his center.
He realized it was Willa he felt, her mind, body, and soul connected to him through the binding.
Poe inhaled sharply. He immediately felt different.
Sharper. Stronger. Somehow larger.
He let Willa go for the briefest of seconds. He need only think of healing her and with a snap of his fingers, his magic rushed forward through their connection, seeping into her pores.
Immediately, her skin took on a healthier glow, her eyes a more vibrant color.
And then, her eyes changed to full white and Willa was gone.
“Devil almighty, this feels amazing,” the demon said.
Willa—the demon—danced around the room, arms raised.
“What is this feeling rushing through my veins?” it asked.
“The caeli bond.”
The demon laughed. “I had no idea! It’s like…like I’m a god!”
It took another turn around the room and came back to Poe, dragging its fingernails across the back of his neck. A chill chased the touch.
“I think we will all make an exceptionally wicked team. Oh the things we will do. Are you not ecstatic, djinn?”
Poe’s mouth went dry. “I have a deal for you, demijinn.”
The demon danced away again. “I’m listening.”
“Take me.”
It stopped mid-twirl. “Excuse me?”
“I’ll say yes and you can have the collar. Just promise me you’ll leave Willa alone. For good.”
He wanted to vomit.
“What game are you playing, djinn?” the demon narrowed its eyes.
“No game.” He upended the bag and the collars bounced out.
“I’m impressed.” The demon edged closer, eyeing the lot. “Dae made them, didn’t he? He was always the one with the gift for tricks.”
Now that it had all the time in the world, it took each collar carefully in its hands and brought it to its nose.
On the seventh one, it stopped. “Found it,” it said with a smile. “But as you know, I can’t collar myself. Willa would have to do it and I’m doubtful she would.”
“I’ll make sure of it,” Poe said.
The demon seemed to turn inward. “She’s shaking her head.”
“You have my word,” Poe said. “And if she doesn’t, at the very least, you’ll have both of us.”
“True.” The demon tapped a finger against its lips. Willa’s lips. “All right. Then go ahead, djinn. Say yes.”
Unlike the ceremony of a djinn deal, when it came to demons, all it needed was a word and a thought.
I give myself to you. And then—
“Yes.”
Chapter 36
WILLA
The demon left Willa in a tearing rush.
One minute she was floating in an endless cool sea and the next she was heavy as stone and completely exhausted. She collapsed to her knees.
The demon had reveled in the caeli bond, but right now Willa could feel none of it.
She just wanted to lie down and sleep for a month.
She looked up through the mess of her hair and rocked back on her butt when Poe stared at her with white eyes.
Her heart numbed.
Goosebumps dotted her skin.
Oh God, what had he done?
No, no no no. Not Poe.
She couldn’t stand the thought of the demon stealing his face. His stupid handsome face.
This was her fault.
What will I lose?
Everything.
Rozen whooped.
“This is incredible.” He disappeared from the room and reappeared behind Willa. He hoisted her up beneath the arms and made her waltz around the room. “Why has it taken me so long to possess a djinn?”
Willa struggled free of his grasp. “Probably because you aren’t powerful enough to win one over.”
With Poe’s face, and Poe’s mouth, the demon scowled. “Demons are more powerful than djinn.”
“Most demons, maybe, but not you.”
There were some demons that were able to feed off souls and gain power from that. There were some who were able to make deals like djinn and grant one deepest desire in exchange for a soul, but Rozen was not one of them. Rozen simply festered like a plague.
“I’ll show you just how powerful I can be then,” Rozen said and handed its collar to Willa. “Put it on.”
Willa folded her arms over her chest. “No.”
Rozen gritted his teeth, rage flickering through his eyes. “Put it on, love.”
“Don’t call me that.”
He came within inches of her face and shouted, “Put it on!”
She could feel him reaching for her, not with hands, but something else. It was like he groped at her with his mind.
Her scalp tingled beneath the assault.
Rozen straightened and went still, like he was a puppet with its strings pulled taut. “You do not command me, djinn!” he yelled.
He blinked and Poe’s green eyes returned.
“Will, love,” he said and Willa knew it was him.
Her voice trembled as she spoke. “I can’t do this.”
“You have to.” He took her hand in his and squeezed. “It will be all right. You’ll see.”
Tears turned her vision blurry again. God, she was so tired of crying. She was so damn tired of fighting. “Poe, please.”
“This is the only way you’ll be free.”
“And what about you?”
Poe smiled and brushed a tear from her face. “Rozen did not expect for me to be a match for him in my own body, but I am happy to report, I am.”
A convulsion ran through Poe. “But I’ll admit, it’s harder won than I expected.”
“And if I put the collar on? I might lose you for good.”
He placed a gentle kiss on her lips. He didn’t deny her fears. He ignored them entirely, which only freaked her out more.
“Go on,” he said. “Do you trust me?”
Willa trembled. “Yes.”
“Then put the collar on my neck and let me free you.”
Maybe he had a plan. Ma
ybe he knew something about demons that she didn’t. It was possible. It was possible they could still escape this hell intact.
Hands shaking, tears streaming down her face, she opened the iron latch and wrapped the leather around his neck. With one last look at him, Willa fastened it and the collar turned hot in her hands.
Poe shoved her away.
A tremor ran through him.
Smoke bloomed in the air. It smelled of heavy spice and tangy copper.
Poe reached into his shirtsleeve and pulled out a blade.
The knife glinted in the light.
His eyes flickered white, then green again.
“No!” Rozen roared.
Poe gritted his teeth and turned the blade on himself.
Willa started for him. “Don’t!”
He drove the dagger into his heart. “No!” She raced to his side as his knees buckled beneath him.
Blood poured from the wound.
His eyes flashed white and Rozen howled.
Willa tried to keep him upright, but he flailed, wrestling for control from the demon. He shoved the blade deeper.
Smoke hissed from the collar.
Green djinn magic sparked in the air and wove around him like a writhing snake.
Willa felt the tug of him, of their bond. She felt the pain pulsing through his nerves. The magic pounding through her. His need for her and his relief that he could save her…
…by sacrificing himself.
Willa finally got her hand to the blade’s hilt and tried to pull it free, but Poe still had a bit of his strength and she was no match for him, even weakened.
He toppled over and Willa collapsed next to him.
“What did you do?” she cried.
The collar glowed and spiderwebbed, like lava cracking open the earth.
He exhaled, more like a sigh.
“I love you, caeli,” he said right before his eyes slid shut and his chest went still.
Chapter 37
WILLA
She had to do something. She had to do something—Fuck! She didn’t know what to do!
Midlife Psychic (Blackwell Djinn Book 2) Page 15
