Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
Sage
“Dei Desdemon is a little pissed that his sister is missing.”
“Understatement of the century. Now sit the fuck down before you fall down.” Hack is digging through a cupboard in the bathroom, shouting through to Slash who actually listens and sits in one of the two armchairs.
“Why are you all beat up, though? It’s not like you took Danika.” I’m in the open-plan kitchen trying to find some healing herbs that may or may not work in this supernatural world, but it’s worth a shot.
It’s all I can do to concentrate on finding something useful after what has to have been the best night of my life.
“I don’t mind the pain, witchling, it’s all in good fun.” Slash laughs, but it’s cut short by a wince and he grips his side.
“Why are your cupboards practically bare? Do you have any comfrey root? Even the leaves will work.” Memories of my past lives have been trickling in since Hack and I soul-bonded—fucked like rabbits—and while most of them are mere flashes, when I saw Slash covered in cuts and bruises, one of them became clear.
I’ve used comfrey root before, I can’t remember when, yet, but I know that it can heal wounds.
“Not my cupboards.” Slash shrugs, smiling through the clear pain he’s in.
“You’re hurt. I’ll let you have that one. Touché.” As I open my mouth to call through to Hack, he appears from down the hall, a first-aid kit of some kind in his hands, and my heart practically bursts from my chest.
My hairs all stand on end, electrified at the sight of my shirtless demon—because I insisted on wearing his black T-shirt.
It looks so much better on me anyway, and the smell…
just wow. Yes. Yes. Yes. The scent of burnt embers that used to make me feel sick are now a balm to my soul.
It makes me feel whole when I’m not physically touching him. Skin to skin.
The orgasm from before was nothing compared to that first one with him inside me last night.
It opened a whole door to my very being, made all the burning hatred disappear in a flash, and I swear I had flashbacks to our first times in my previous lives.
I experienced each and every one of those orgasms simultaneously and it was the most glorious thing.
I definitely passed out at some point, completely cum-drunk, and woke to Hack’s vines tracing across my stomach right before he said good morning and stuck his head between my legs.
As if he can sense my longing, Hack veers into the kitchen, pressing himself up against me, and tilts my chin up to reach him. His wide grin is so breathtaking I could actually cry. Danika would have a field day with my emotions. I wish I could talk to her…
A soft lick across the seam of my lips is all it takes for me to open up for him, and my body lights up as my soul remembers who we are to each other. The lives we’ve lived together.
The kiss doesn’t last anywhere near long enough, and I curse my whimper when he pulls away with the sexiest wink I’ve ever seen in my life.
“Needy little thing.” He turns and heads toward the main living area, sitting on the arm of the chair Slash is currently bleeding onto. Opening the box he was holding, he hands Slash something in a blue bottle that looks like it’s glowing. Maybe it is.
Who the fuck knows?
I’m in purgatory, my best friend is a vampyre, the demon I hated with a passion just yesterday was telling the truth all along and is actually my soul mate, my mother is a famous ancient witch and raging lunatic, and I was almost eaten by ogres after being cut open by a djinn.
So the liquid can glow.
“Des didn’t actually do this. It was his second in command, his little personal assistant prick. Fucker used itherium, that’s why Des let me go.” Slash downs the glowing liquid before his body visibly relaxes. “That’s better.”
“What’s itherium?” I give up my search in the cupboards, there’s nothing useful in them, and stand behind Hack with my palms on his firm, naked shoulders.
“Something that can cause permanent damage to demons. Regular blades or bullets will heal naturally, itherium ones, not so much.” Hack takes another bottle out, this one green, and pops open the lid before pouring small amounts on some of Slash’s open wounds.
“You don’t seem particularly worried?” I knead the flesh between Hack’s neck and shoulders, enjoying the rumble of pleasure I can feel vibrating through him at the contact.
“We just need to get some Drakethorne Volcano dust…”
“Oh, yeah. That sounds simple enough, because I know exactly what that is. What’s he gonna do, snort it?”
Hack stops what he’s doing and leans back, tilting his head up to look at me. “Impatient, Satapti.”
Gripping the sides of his face, I lean down and kiss those stupidly perfect luscious lips.
“That’s unfair, guys. Demon in pain over here. If this was a join-in situation, you could carry on, but I know Hack would rip my nutsack off if I even tried it. Also, congratulations, I take it the hex is broken?”
Hack doesn’t pull away immediately, just continues exploring my mouth with his expert tongue, letting me take the lead with my grip on his head.
Slash’s coughing eventually makes us separate, and I do feel a little guilty seeing the blood around his mouth.
I don’t know when I became so desensitized to all of this, enough to take it in stride, but I’m thankful for my ability to compartmentalize to some extent.
I know Hack isn’t worried about Slash, which means I shouldn’t worry.
“Not even a little sorry, brother, but thanks, and yeah.” I can hear the grin in Hack’s voice as he speaks, and it’s mirrored by one from Slash. “I’ll go to the central Shade market for the Drakethorne Volcano dus—”
“Don’t for one second think you’re going without me.” My hands are now on my hips and I step backward.
“You should stay here, where it’s safer, and Slash shouldn’t be alon—”
“Bullshit.”
“Ha, she called you on it, brother.” Slash chuckles and relaxes back into the armchair. “That elixir has numbed the pain for now. Take your woman out. She’s never been to The Shade before.” He closes his eyes, opening the less-swollen one a tiny bit and grinning before closing it again.
“Can’t argue with the injured.” I gesture to Slash.
“And where is that logic from?” Hack raises his brows as he stands and stalks toward me.
“Does it even matter? Let’s go to the market!
Is it like in the films with rows of stalls and vendors selling their magical wares?
” I look down and realize I need to get dressed.
“Hold that thought, I need clothes.” My eyes trail up and down Hack’s bare chest, drinking him in.
“And so do you. I’m not sure other people should be able to appreciate… all of that.”
“I fucking love it when the green-eyed monster comes out.” He gives me that disarming grin that, up until last night, made my stomach turn.
“You’re the demon with green eyes, not me.”
“Stop flirting with each other already and get the fuck out. This elixir won’t last all day.” Slash’s eyes are still closed and he’s smirking, but Hack still takes heed, grasping my hand in his and leading me toward his bedroom.
“Do you think being in here together is a good idea? Because I don’t.” Pulling his T-shirt up and over my head, I saunter to the closet, my eyes on his as I give my best impression of a sex kitten.
Too bad I’m still a clumsy fuck because my foot clashes with something solid and pain shoots up through my ankle. “Ah!” I yell, stumbling with a straight shot to the closet door and my head clashing.
My knight in pumpkin armor comes to my rescue yet again, gripping me around the waist and catching me before my head makes contact.
“As much as I hate to say it, get dressed and put on all your charms. You’re safer with them.” A flash of darkness crosses through his eyes, making him squint and twitch his head as if to rid himself of whatever thought he just had.
My nipples are solid as rocks, begging for his touch, but then I remember Slash needs our help so I resist rubbing myself up against Hack and slowly pull away.
The milkmaid style dresses are still by far my favorite things in here, and there’s a beautiful deep-purple one, almost black, with a light-purple star pattern all over.
The slit in the skirt is a little higher than the other one, but I like it.
Short puffy sleeves cover the tops of my arms and the neck is a square-cut, accentuating my breasts when the drawstrings around the waist are tied.
On the opposite side of the closet, Hack is pulling on black combat-style pants and a burnt-orange T-shirt that hugs his biceps beautifully.
He completes the look with some heavy-looking boots that wouldn’t look out of place in the army.
Meanwhile, I grab a cute pair of ankle boots with a low heel; they’re black and decorated with silver stars, similar to the dress.
Finally, I head back into the main bedroom and adorn myself with my many charms, relaxing when the cool silver hits the skin of my neck.
“Ready, hot stuff?” I sit on the bed, one leg crossed over the other and my arms resting against my knee, smiling brightly at him.
The prospect of visiting this marketplace is exciting.
Closing the closet door behind him, he grins. “Always ready for you, Satapti. But I have something for you first.” He holds up a frosted kind of stone, I think it’s a clear quartz.
“It’s so pretty!” It’s a crystal associated with clarity, focus, and spiritual growth, which seems too perfect to be a coincidence in my situation.
“I debated keeping it from you, but it feels right. Like now is the perfect time for it to be yours.”
“Thank you.” I take the clear-quartz crystal and inspect the rough edges, noting that it looks as though there’s a white mist moving around inside. “Why is—”
“It’s God’s breath, for luck.” The overwhelming scent of burnt maple comforts me now, and with his closeness I feel safe, secure. Loved.