Jonathan glanced to Darius. “Yes. Now what did you do?”
Frustrated, I snapped at him. “If you were concerned enough to watch, why not help?”
Jonathan raised a brow. “You needed my help?”
“Well, no—”
“Then why would I? The purpose of these trips is to show you how to conduct your business as a Defender and Guardian. Not Defender and her Personal Demon.”
Laith choked on air, then cleared this throat. I glared at him. “He’s right you know.”
Jonathan’s fingers traced the length of my cheek. The heat from his skin almost eased the pain. Darius growled a warning behind me and Jonathan sighed. “Ava. You need to tell me. What caused him to stab himself like that? Can you control him? Is that one of your new powers?”
I growled, speaking through clenched teeth. “I cannot control anyone. He just... he just stabbed himself.”
He shook his head, letting his hand drop. “Demons don’t commit suicide. It’s impossible—against our very nature. I’m not blaming you, I just need to know what you did.”
I pressed my palms against the sides of my head, annoyed by his needling. It blended with the irritations of the Eye.
Jonathan’s gaze narrowed. “It’s happening again, isn’t it?”
“What’s happening?” Darius asked. He lowered his face to mine.
“The Demon’s Eye.” Jonathan placed a hand over my pendant, but Darius grabbed him by the wrist and yanked it away.
“Stop touching her.”
Jonathan glared. His tone turned accusing. “They’re upset at something Ava did. This is their way of showing it.”
“I didn’t do anything!” I pressed my hands against the sides of my head.
“I can vouch for her.” Bailey’s innocent voice raised the hairs on my spine, and I shuddered.
“Oh, goodie,” I said, but she ignored my grousing.
“Strange for sure, but the demon realized the Defender was going to kill him and reacted as you saw.” Jonathan pulled his attention away from me and focused over my shoulder. He froze. Slowly his expression hardened to contempt.
I flinched, anxiety thick in the pit of my stomach. I recognized that look. It was the same look he had given me when we first laid eyes on each other—revulsion.
Bailey’s nervous giggle caused me to swivel around. “Hello, Jonathan,” she said with a smile that raised my hackles. “It’s been a long time.”
A wicked glint flickered in Jonathan’s eyes. “It’s Bailey, isn’t it?”
I glared at the witch. “Are you saying you know this man?”
She laughed, brushing a lock of hair over her shoulder. “Well, he’s not truly a man, now, is he?”
“He is to me,” I said, offended at her unintentional dig. Although, if I were being reasonable, I would recognize that she was just stating a known fact. But since when did I act reasonable?
“How did you find me?” he asked.
“Oh, Jonny. I never lost you. I’ve always kept track of where you are. Why do you think I’m in England, of all places?”
“The other one has been taken care of,” Cedric said, returning with his mate.
Jonny? I turned to glare at my demon. “How do you know her?” I asked, my voice unintentionally accusing. “What is going on?”
But it was Bailey that answered the question.
“Jonathan is my husband.”
8
A Weaker Bond
“Are meetings so commonplace for you people?” Bailey scanned the library and the seating arranged for our regular gatherings.
Laith closed the door behind Raymond. “We’re a collective group. We decide things together as a team.”
She rolled her green eyes, the color of spring grass. “How tedious.”
Even though I agreed with her, I wasn’t about to say it. Her very presence grated on my nerves.
Single feather earrings dangled from her lobes. A three-tiered necklace hung low to her cleavage. Her pale skin was flawless and smooth, and although she had blood on her coat, her clothes beneath were pristine and up to date with the current styles.
She was older than me, maybe in her late twenties, but it was hard to tell.
Gayle placed a hand to Bailey’s shoulder. A silver bracelet caught my attention. A blue, speckled stone the size of my pendant rested in the center. “We work that way as well,” she said.
Bailey shot her a confused look. “We do? Then I’m glad I’m not a part of the coven leadership.” She picked a novel from the shelf.
The witch named Roslyn had returned from her visit with Madelyn and was now included in our swelling numbers, sucking the air from the already crowded space. She lifted her head high, her ruddy cheeks bright against pale skin. “The more serious covens abide by strict rules set by large councils. Under our leadership our coven is the most powerful in all of Europe.”
“How special,” Bailey said. Roslyn’s considerable chest puffed in offense.
The double lines between Gayle’s brown eyes deepened as she considered her protégée. Gray streaked the sides of her hair. “Bailey, may I remind you that you are a guest here. I must ask that you be respectful to our mother witch and her family.”
Bailey shrugged. “You may ask...” But her tone suggested there were no guarantees. She grazed the length of Jonathan’s long, lean form. Although he appeared unruffled by her attentions, her notice of my demon chafed my emotions raw. Did I know I was being petty? Yes. Did I love Jonathan? No. But I also didn’t know Bailey. She was a witch, and the way even Fiona, the Great White Witch, responded to their presence made me think I couldn’t trust her either.
“This is a charming place.” She twirled in a circle, admiring the room and its décor with artificial awe. Her gaze landed on Darius and she slid a finger along the length of his arm. “It’s so cushy. I had no idea The Three lived so well, what with the stories we’re told.”
Darius took the book from her hand and slid it back in its place, fleeing her touch. “Everyone here is a target of the supernatural world and has been forced to leave their homes and abandon their lives. We make it comfortable for them.”
“It’s awfully pretty for a shelter, don’t you think?” She smiled, batting her eyes. “And the men aren’t so bad to look at either.” She spared me a long, measuring glance. “It hardly seems fair that you get the two best-looking men in this room.”
A cough sounded, but I was unsure which male it belonged to.
I tempered my growing annoyance. “Why don’t you tell me what you meant earlier. How is Jonathan your husband?”
“I’m not her husband,” Jonathan said, but his black eyes avoided me.
Bailey pressed a hand to her generous bosom, feigning offense.
“I suggest we take care of the more pressing and, by the looks of it, more painful matter at hand,” Fiona said. Her fingers kneaded the sides of my skull, but the ache did not subside. “I can’t feel anything. Are you sure the Demon’s Eye is requesting an audience?”
I nodded. My foot tapped impatiently along with the pulsing throb in my head.
A sharp inhale drew my attention. Roslyn sputtered. “The—the Defender would accept an audience with those things within that stone? They are evil. A scourge wiped from—”
“The pain she’s experiencing will continue until they’re heard,” Jonathan said, interrupting.
She glared at my demon. “How dare you speak to me.”
Jonathan smiled, but there was nothing friendly in the action. I knew this side of my personal demon all too well and it made me nervous. If anyone else noticed it, they didn’t say anything.
Fiona hummed, ignoring the witch’s ire. “Interesting. Well then, we’d better get started, Jonathan.”
Roslyn stood next to Gayle, her multi-ringed hand on her shoulder. “My lady, this is not wise. The Demon’s Eye is meant to imprison demons, not—”
But Fiona rose a cautionary hand to silence her. “You are not required to stay, Roslyn. Lea
ve if this offends you.”
Roslyn’s lips snapped shut, her head lifted angrily, but she didn’t leave or say another word to her ultimate leader.
Hesitantly, I glanced around the room. Most seemed calm, but Ray watched me. A barely concealed curiosity brimmed at the surface.
“I’m pretty sure Hepzibah won’t be happy to have everyone here,” I said.
“We’ll give you space, but we won’t leave,” Laith said, and then they moved to the opposite side of the room near the large window. Everyone except for Darius and Jonathan.
“You should stand back with the others,” Jonathan said to Darius, finally pulling his attention away from the witches. “They really didn’t like Nikolaos or Alexander. I’d think that until you prove yourself they’ll be wary of you as well.”
Darius ignored the pointed remark. “You said the Eye requires a blood sacrifice?”
“Yes.” I pulled my father’s knife from my boot.
Darius held out his hand. “Then I’ll do it.”
“I don’t think so.” Jonathan drew up his sleeves, exposing muscled forearms.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
His brows raised. “I don’t want to get blood on my clean shirt.”
Darius growled, taking a step closer. “I said I would do it. I am the temporary Guardian. She’s my responsibility.”
“Well, isn’t that nice. But you see, handsome, the Eye only opens with the blood of a demon. The pendant won’t recognize your sacrifice. Besides, if something goes wrong, who do you think is the least likely to be missed?”
“Jonathan,” I warned.
“Are you saying you would miss me?” He smiled down at me. His black eyes twinkled in mischief. When I didn’t answer, he laughed.
I placed a hand on Darius’s arm. “Please go stand with the others. Jonathan is right. They’re angry with the other Guardians, and I’m nervous to see how they respond to their audience. It’s for the best.”
Darius walked backwards to the others, keeping his sight set on Jonathan. Jonathan blew him a kiss then looked to me.
“Are you ready, darling?”
I closed my eyes, remembering the last time he helped open the gate to the Demon’s Eye, how the episode almost ended with his death at the hand of my Guardian.
I pointed to Darius. “No matter what happens, stay where you are. Please.” I gripped the knife tight and turned to Jonathan. “I hate this.”
He gave me a lopsided grin. Then he seized my wrist and twisted me to him. My back pressed against a hard chest as fingers gripped my knife-wielding hand. His lips fell to my ear. “It’ll be but a scratch, my love.”
Darius started forward, but I put up a hand to stop him. Bailey’s brows raised as she eyeballed Jonathan’s arms wrapped around my waist.
I gulped down a bout of self-consciousness, speaking through clenched teeth. “What are you doing, Jonathan?”
“Hepzibah knocked you to your ass twice last time, remember? I am helping.” Despite the demonic blaze that warned, my body trembled—and he noticed. His voice lowered enough not to be heard by the others, a lover’s caress. “Does my touch still effect you, Ava? Are you still wanting what you can’t have?”
Before I could answer, he forced my hand and sharpened blade across his palm. Blood beaded to the surface of his skin and my heart twisted at the same time the pendant burst open. My body jolted, but Jonathan’s steady form kept me from falling.
Light bathed the room. Someone stifled a shocked gasp when shadows bloomed within the sheen. Another blast sent me deeper into Jonathan’s embrace. Three demons stood within the complex.
When Jonathan let go, I braced my hands on my knees, my breathing laborious, but the pain ebbed. I rolled my neck, grateful for the release, then stood to welcome our new guests.
The world I belonged to hardly seemed real, and yet it was now mine.
Hepzibah’s thick plaited mohawk cascaded down silky chocolate-colored skin. Robed in a black halter-top dress that flowed to the ground, with bangles around her wrist, she scanned the room. The look was beyond gorgeous but intimidating as she glared through dark-framed eyes.
Her lips lifted in a snarl. She looked down her nose at me. “You stupid, stupid girl. What do you mean conveying me before an audience?”
I ignored her comment, used to her verbal abuse, but Darius paced by the window like an angry animal in a cage.
I nodded to Selina, who watched me curiously. Her hair pulled high into a braided pony tail revealed new etchings shaved into the stubble on the sides and back of her skull.
“Welcome Selina,” I said, then turned to her partner and nodded. “Silicas.”
He bowed his head in return, the lights gleaming off his razor-smooth scalp. Muscles bulged beneath a black tank top.
Could I reach out and touch them, or would my hand pass through like when Jonathan visited me in my room technically uninvited?
“Are we not the least bit sacred to you?” Hepzibah said in an impatient manner.
My brows pinched together in confusion. “Sacred?”
“Why did you bring us here? To be inspected through contemptuous eyes by those who scorn us with their so-called pure souls?”
“We’ve never pretended to be pure, and we do not scorn. We welcome you to our home,” Laith said.
“Oh, do you? How kind.” Hepzibah’s lips widened into a feral grin. “You’re too late. Rachel welcomed us long ago to her home and heart.”
Elisa stepped forward. “Tell us about this connection you shared with our friend.” Hepzibah hissed at her sudden movement, forcing the Herald to retreat. “Forgive me, but we’d like to understand it more. Rachel had only just begun to tell us about you before she died.” When Hepzibah didn’t speak, Elisa held out a hand. “Please.”
Hepzibah watched her warily. “I suppose it is a bond,” she said slowly. “A bond that must be taken seriously.” She glared at me. “A bond that you were ready to toss away at the threat of a single mortal woman. There are thousands of demons that reside within your stone. Is one woman worth all of our lives?”
“What lives?” Roslyn scoffed and Hepzibah glared. “You are a demon. The lives you may have had were forfeit even before you came to this earth and now come at the cost of mortal souls.”
Selina stepped forward. “What does a mortal witch know about any of this? You are so far removed from any type of society except the ones of your own making. You couldn’t possibly know what’s coming.”
Bailey bristled, straightening her spine. “We know plenty, and enough to warn The Three about the shift in leadership.”
“Shift? What shift?” Fiona asked.
“That’s why we’ve come, my lady,” Gayle said. “To tell you that there’s been a shift in the demon world. You’re being hunted. The Annihilator has been gathering more followers and the Destroyer is allowing it. Upon first arrival, you were seen and immediately reported.”
“And how do you know this?” Darius asked, but Gayle merely shrugged.
“We have our ways.” Roslyn folded her arms over her substantial chest.
Bailey picked at the skin beneath her nails. “We tortured a demon.”
Hepzibah snorted, drawing our attention. She smiled, condescending. “And you want me to trust them?”
Bailey earned a sharp look from Gayle. “The Annihilator has begun recruiting from mortal covens. We were trying to ascertain why they—”
“They are all after us. At the power we can offer them,” Hepzibah said. “And you almost gave us away.”
My face grew red. “I was bluffing to give Laith more time.”
But Hepzibah pretended not to hear me. “If you allow the Annihilator to get the Eye, she will release us and we will be bound to her. The Destroyer is not allowed to touch The Three, but she does not fight by the rules that govern our leader. If she releases us, you will be forced to battle us all, and trust me when I say you will not win.”
“What of my bond, or Violet’
s?” Jonathan asked, standing tense at my side.
“Violet?” Gayle’s voice interrupted. She nervously clutched at the fabric of her shirt. Again, the stone at her wrist caught my attention.
Silicas looked to me with narrow eyes. “Violet has been your mother’s demon for longer than I can remember. That woman is insane. I’m not sure it wise to trust her as you do.”
“Why’s that?” I asked, feeling the blood drain from my face.
“Have you asked her about the night of your mother’s death?” When I didn’t answer, he simply added, “Perhaps you should.”
Jonathan placed a hand on my shoulder. “But if she’s not to be trusted, then why wasn’t she forced to go back to the Destroyer when he called her? When he called us? How are you different from us? We didn’t go, nor was he able to kill us.”
Silicas crossed his arms over the large expanse of his chest. “We do not know, but the Destroyer will figure it out soon enough. He’s not easily put off.”
“Have you considered the possibility that it was merely a ploy?” Selina asked, but Jonathan shot her a look.
“He called me as well, Selina, and when he calls, I must go... but I didn’t. Ava stopped me. Don’t you have the same choice?”
Hepzibah considered him. “You were not forced to bond as we were. Our tie to the current Defender is a weaker one. We valiantly fought against The Three and were defeated in battle. When the Destroyer or his powerful mate releases us, the connection to the Eye will be broken and we will rush to aid our liberator.”
Fatigue settled over me. My legs tingled with the desire to sit down as the burden of the upcoming battle pressed down on the whole room. “Then why are you telling us to not let our enemies have you? Shouldn’t you be excited for this opportunity?” I asked.
She shrugged. “We’ve grown to like it here. It’s our sanctuary like this realm is to you. In our home and close to the Defender’s heart, we have peace like we’ve never felt since before the Fall. But if you allow the Annihilator to destroy our home, we will be forced to find another. If what the witch says is true and the Destroyer is allowing his mate to seek the help of the Fallen, we will have no choice. It’s who we are. You are the Defender. When your God sends you to aid one of his children, you go. We are the Fallen, and we will fight for our leader, who will reward us mightily. You will die.”
Personal Warriors: Book 3 in the Personal Demons series Page 8
