by Lucinda Dark
"The demon's spirit was in the amulet and when she spoke to me, we ... came to an agreement," I said.
"Is there a way to remove the demon?" Maverick asked.
I shook my head. "Not that I've found."
"So, you've been looking?" I turned my gaze to Torin as he leaned forward and spoke again, starting at just how close he actually was.
"The contract I signed with her states that I can't have her exorcised," I admitted. "But that doesn't say anything about me killing her on my own. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to do that yet."
"You likely won't." Torin sat back again with another sigh.
"Your faith in my abilities is astounding," I said tartly.
"I'm not trying to be insulting, Barbie," he replied. "Demons are dangerous creatures. What you've done is fucking irresponsible." I blinked as the curse slipped from his lips. While Maverick sprinkled curses into his language as though it were going out of style, Torin so rarely cursed that when he did, it made me pause.
"I need the power," I said. "She claims to know things, information she's picked up in the spirit channels—"
"Of course she would claim that," Torin snapped. "She's a demon. Demons lie and cheat and steal. They do whatever they can to get you to sign a contract. It's a wonder she hasn't sucked the life out of you."
"She couldn't very well get what she wants if she did," I retorted.
"And what does she want, hmmm?" he countered, green eyes flashing red. "Your soul perhaps?"
"A body," I replied tartly.
"What?" Maverick looked between us for a moment before his gaze settled on me. "What the hell does that mean?" he demanded.
"She's stuck with me," I answered. "With her amulet shattered, she can't possess anyone else. Her spirit was centered squarely on that piece of crap—"
I thought it was rather fashionable, myself, Satrina's voice drifted through my head.
I paused.
"What is it?" Torin asked, his gaze sharpening on my sudden silence.
I shook my head and grimaced. "Nothing."
His eyes narrowed. "She spoke to you, didn't she?" he asked. "What did she say?"
"Nothing, she didn't—"
Tell him I like his forwardness, Satrina replied. But there really is no way to get rid of me.
I winced and debated on refusing her, but in the end, I relayed the message. Torin's frown deepened. "What does she want with your body?" he asked.
"A portal to Earth."
Shocked silence met my answer. "You've got to be fucking kidding me," Maverick breathed, staring down at me as his eyebrows inched upwards.
"It's not what it sounds like," I replied. "She can't exactly come back to Earth through me, but she can"—I hesitated—"enjoy it."
Maverick spun and stalked across the room, muttering under his breath as if he couldn't fucking make sense of my words.
"And what about the power?" Torin said, drawing my attention.
"What about it?" I asked, careful to keep my tone even.
He tilted his head my way and scowled. "Don't play with me, Barbie," he warned. "I know enough and what I don't know, Esperanza does."
"That reminds me," I said, "who is she?"
"She's a … friend of the family," he replied with a shake of his head. "Don't change the subject."
I released a breath. "What do you want to know?"
"Esperanza said that the reason for your..." he paused and gestured to me, "condition is because the power of the demon was building up inside you. She managed to help you release it—"
"How?" I asked sharply, cutting him off. If there was a way for me to relieve the pain of so much power other than what Satrina had suggested, I'd take it. I heard delicate laughter echo in my mind as a response.
"A potion of some sort," Maverick answered, turning back to the both of us.
"It's not a permanent fix," Torin said.
"But if it can work for—"
"She said that the demon would have given you other methods, especially if she wanted to keep your body."
I pressed my lips together. No fucking way. The laughter in my head grew louder and I had to actually work to keep the effect it was having on me from showing up in my expression. I wanted to roll my eyes. I wanted to drop into my soul and punch the stupid slut in the face.
"You have to tell us, Barbie," Torin pressed.
I shook my head. "No, it's not a possibility."
"Why the hell not?" Maverick demanded. He practically seethed as he stood at the end of the bed, leaning over and closing his hands over the bars of the white iron footboard, his knuckles blanched.
"It's complicated," I said, turning my face away.
Bullshit, Satrina replied. It's not complicated at all. The old crone may have helped to stave off the worst of the side effects, but you really should tell them, darling. I'm sure it won't be a problem for them. They're young and virile. If you're concerned about your inexperience… I could feel the grin she gave me. I can—
"No," I snapped. I wasn't completely inexperienced either, I wanted to tell her. I'd had sex before. Once.
"Well, then what kind of demon is it?" Maverick asked. "Maybe we can research something."
I hesitated. If I told them, would they know what "methods" Satrina had given me to release the power? I looked at Torin. He stared back at me, unbending. "You have to give us something," he said.
"She's ... it's a … succubus," I relented.
Torin didn't say anything, but his eyes did widen, and his nostrils flared. He knew. Fuck me. I groaned, pulling my legs up and burying my face in my knees.
"What?" Maverick's voice was confused. "Is that bad? Or worse?"
"It's a sex demon," Torin said. "Which means that in order to release the pent up power Barbie is collecting..." he trailed off and I lifted my head to peek at him. His jaw was tight and he refused to look at me. "She has to have sex."
"Or," I stated, "I could keep doing whatever it is that your friend did to relieve the pain."
I could have cut the tension in the room with a fucking butter knife. "Barbie," Torin started.
"No." I shook my head.
"You might have to," he warned. "The potion Esperanza gave you is a Band-Aid, not a permanent fix."
Then I'd just have to up my game, I decided. I'd have to hurry up and find the vampire responsible for killing my parents and I'd have to take my vengeance. "I'm not going to accept any fucking handouts from you two, and I'm certainly not going to force you to do something you don't want to."
"Barbie." The way Maverick said my name—deep and intense—had me throwing the covers back and getting out of the bed.
"I'm done talking about this now," I said aloud.
"We—"
I turned off my listening skills and headed for the door. I wasn't going to do this right now. I wanted to leave. "Take me home," I demanded as I got to the door. "Or back to school to get my car. I don’t care. Either will do. Just do it right now, or I'll fucking walk."
I didn't have to turn around to know that they were exchanging a look. I rested my hand on the doorknob, my heart pounding. They're not unwilling, Satrina whispered to me.
No, I knew they weren't. I'd only said as much as an excuse. The fact was—I couldn't fuck them. Because if I fucked them then I might come to care for them and if I came to care for them, they would die. I knew it.
Fourteen
Barbie
Before I left the witch's house, Esperanza gave me two more vials of the strange brew that had relieved the symptoms of Satrina’s power. The shit stank to high heaven, but I didn't complain. Each would last me a few days, she told me, before the side effects started to come back. I resolved to only use them when I absolutely needed to. I could handle the minor side effects, the headaches, small pains, and nightmares, I decided. Only when I got back to where I couldn't fucking walk without wanting to gouge out my own eyes would I take another vial.
Four days. That was how long it took for th
em to start coming back. Vivid wet dreams, starring none other than Maverick fucking McKnight and Torin Priest kept me from getting any sleep. Cold sweats. Hot flashes. My head pounded against my skull like a deranged prisoner trying to escape its cell. I wondered if the short reprieve made these side effects feel even worse than they had before. It sure fucking felt like it.
I strode into the school entrance with Olivia at my side, chattering away. I'd asked her to pick me up because I knew without a shadow of a doubt that Maverick was the one responsible for my car suddenly not working, and since I knew abso-fucking-lutely nothing about mechanics to fix the damn thing, I hadn’t had much of a choice. It was either her or him or Torin and I wasn’t going to cave that easily. I'd been getting up earlier and earlier to escape riding to school with him and he'd obviously had enough.
I knew what he was doing. What he and Torin both were doing. They were trying to force the issue. Oh no, they wouldn’t try to fuck me without my consent—the very idea was preposterous—but they wanted to keep a close eye on me and I needed to get the hell away from them. No one would have to force me to do anything before long. I could feel my own thighs clenching. I wanted them just as badly, but I kept wondering, was it really me? Or was it Satrina’s power?
I already told you, she huffed in my head, I cannot create desire where there is none. It’s only amplified by my power.
I groaned silently, coming to a shaky stop as I reached out and pushed my palm against one of the lockers as a fresh wave of longing powered through me at the sound of her voice in my head. It was as if all of my nerves recognized hers as the voice of what they wanted most in the world. Her low, smoky tone made me think of silk sheets and smooth skin against mine. Shiiiiiiit. I panted.
“Barbie?” Olivia’s voice broke through to me. “Are you okay? You don’t look so good.”
“I’m. Fine.” I gritted the words out as if I could will them into being true. I would be fine. I just needed to get the potion out of my bag and take it. My hands shook as I reached for the strap on my bookbag.
Almost as if I were seeing a scene from a movie, a strong hand—a masculine hand—came out and grabbed it, gently lowering it before I could get a chance to get my trembling fingers on the zipper.
“She probably just hasn’t had breakfast yet and her blood sugar is low,” I heard Maverick say. My head rolled back on my shoulder as I looked up at him.
“Asshole,” I practically slurred the insult.
He quirked a brow but didn’t rise to the bait. Instead, he took my bag and turned back to Olivia. “Sorry, but I can take her from here. Why don’t you head to class before you’re late?”
I shook my head, about to tell her not to leave me alone, and certainly not with him, but Maverick stepped in front of me and physically turned Olivia away from me so she wouldn’t see.
“If you’re sure…?”
No! I wanted to scream. I was not fucking sure! I was the exact opposite of sure. I wanted her to come back, but Maverick pushed her slightly to get her moving.
“It’s nothing to worry about,” he assured her. “She’ll see you later.”
“Okay.” Olivia began walking away. “Don’t forget my birthday party is tomorrow though!” she called back. “If you’re still feeling up to it.”
I growled, but a cramp stole through my stomach so fast that it nearly doubled me over. Maverick turned back to me and sighed. “Barbie—”
I shook my head before he could even start. “You broke my car,” I snapped, reaching for my bag.
He held it out of my reach. I tucked my hand into a fist and slammed it into his gut. Maverick’s breath left him in a rush and I snatched my bag from his hand before he could stop me and tore at the zipper. “Barbie,” he gasped. “No!”
The strap was yanked from my grasp and flung away. My entire body froze, shocked, as I watched my backpack sail down the hallway and slide against a wall of lockers several feet away. My head rotated back as if it were sitting on an axis until my eyes met Maverick’s.
“What—and I cannot stress this enough—the fuck!”
His hands reached for my arms but I jerked away, banging my back into the lockers at my back to keep from touching him. “Barbie,” he said my name again, a huff of exasperation in his tone.
“Fuck you,” I growled, sidling away.
“Just let me fucking help you, you stubborn little brat!” he snapped, his fingers closing around my upper arms.
Oh ... fucking ... shit. I shivered as his skin met mine. It lit an electric path throughout me. A warm rush flooded the space between my thighs. I nearly collapsed against him with how good it felt and it was just an innocent touch. I groaned, low and deep. Maverick’s gaze shot to my face and his hand left my arm as if he’d been shocked himself.
“Holy fuck…” His voice came out on a whisper as he looked from his hand to me.
Mustering up as much strength as I could, I stood up straight and walked past him, bending down to snatch up my backpack. I slid the straps back on, leaving the potion inside. Four fucking days wasn’t enough time. If I couldn’t handle this level of the power’s side effects, then I was going to be fucking useless in less than two weeks. I cracked my neck and turned around, crossing my arms protectively over my chest.
“What do you want, Maverick?” I demanded.
Maverick’s eyes were centered on me, his nostrils flared, his eyes dilated. It’s affecting him too, Satrina giggled in the back of my mind. That made my spine stiffen.
What the fuck do you mean?
Darling… I could sense her eye roll. Your body is throwing off pheromones like there’s no tomorrow. He’s affected by them. He wants you.
When she sent me images of the two of us—Maverick and me—twined together, a mass of limbs and naked skin, I nearly went to my knees at the powerful effect it had. By some grace of strength, I stayed on my feet. Though I did close my eyes and suck in a harsh breath through my mouth before opening them again.
Stop it, I told her. The pheromones and those fucking images.
I can’t stop the pheromones, she said followed by the distinct sound of rustling as if she were shrugging. Her tone was even, nonchalant—undisturbed.
Why is he the only one affected? I demanded, mentally narrowing my attention on her as Maverick stood before me, stunned stupid.
She sighed. It affects those you desire. You desire him. Ergo, it affects him. Though, I’d definitely say it would also affect our halfling vampire friend.
Well, fuck me sideways, I thought.
Yes, she replied. That’s kind of the point.
How do I get it to stop? I demanded.
It’s not going to completely stop, she said. You really should just give into it. You could stand to get laid.
I asked for a fucking solution, not your opinion.
She groaned. Avoiding being near or touching those that you desire might lessen the side effects, she finally relented. But I do warn you, Barbie, if you continue to be stubborn about this, you’ll not like the consequences.
Consequences be damned, I retorted as I refocused on Maverick.
“Barbie…” Maverick walked towards me, but I held up a hand, stopping him and startling myself when I saw how my fingers trembled. I lowered them back and tucked them into my folded arms.
“What do you want?” I repeated.
Maverick came closer, backing me up against the wall. Thankfully, however, he didn’t touch me again, merely hovered nearby—torturing me with his presence. My insides screamed at me to give in, to drag him into the nearest room—classroom or fucking closet—and take him. I ignored the cravings and glared at Maverick McKnight.
“You need to stop running from us,” he said quietly. “It’s not really doing you any good.”
“I beg to differ,” I replied. “I think avoiding you is definitely helping with my side effects.”
“You’re saying we’re causing your side effects?” He tilted his head to the side. “Why the fuck did
n’t you say anything?”
“You’re not the cause of my side effects.” They just made it a hundred times worse, but I kept that little tidbit to myself. “The power is.”
“There’s no reason for you to avoid us then,” Maverick said. “We can help you.”
“By fucking me.” If he was shocked by my bluntness, he didn’t show it. At least, not obviously. Unfortunately, with my heightened senses, I could see exactly how the idea affected him. Satrina was right. He wanted me too. His eyes burned with a crazy dark intensity, his muscles tightened all over, his hands fisting at his sides as if he resisted the urge to make a grab for me. Smart move on his part.
Then again, at this point, I wasn’t even a hundred percent sure how I’d respond. Would I punch him in the throat? Or would I yank his head down and devour his mouth? Really, anything was possible.
“Barbie.” My name on his lips, spoken in that low tone that made me think of darkened bedrooms and wet kisses, shivered along my spine. “I just want to help you,” he continued. “I wouldn’t hurt you, you know that right?”
I forced a scoff to hide how affected I was. Inside, my emotions rioted. My thighs quivered. My pussy was soaked. I licked my lips, unable to help myself and I watched as his eyes darted to the movement. It took him a moment to pull his gaze away and return my stare.
“If sex will help release the power, you need to come to me,” he stated.
Satrina screamed in excitement in my mind and I shoved the dumb slut down deep and buried her voice as far down in my soul as I could, ignoring her cries and pleas for me to give in. “Not happening,” I said both for him and for her. “Why the fuck would I want you?” I snarled, shoving the words out as harshly as I could to get him to back away. He didn’t. Maverick stayed nearby, less than a foot away. Touching distance, but so close that I felt suffocated. The only thing choking me right now was the power and desire that rumbled within me. “You were a fucking asshole to me,” I reminded him, trying for a new tactic.
“I thought you were playing my family—”
“Not then,” I snapped. “The other night. In the … gym.” Saying it made me remember his cock in my hand, hot and strong. I bit down on my lip hard. His eyes flickered to my mouth again. “You can’t deny it.”
