Page 75

“Our home,” she readily agrees, scooting forward and settling herself back against my chest. “But you can’t protect me from this. I became as much a part of it as you are the moment you stepped through the Veil.”

She’s right. I know she’s right, but getting my head and my heart to agree on this is a near-impossible task. I’m shaking my head in denial when she continues.

“Let me help. I know I might not bring a whole lot to the table magick-wise, but—”

“No,” I cut her off, pulling her tighter against me. “Whatever you’ve about to say, no. You are more than enough, Allie. That’s never been a question.”

She falls silent at that, the only sound in the room the soft crackle of the fire and both our uneven breathing.

Why can’t she see?

This has nothing to do with her or her power. Allie is stronger than anyone has ever given her credit for, stronger than I’ve probably given her credit for.

And fine, maybe it’s nothing more than my own fear wanting to keep her as far away as possible from whatever’s happening with the bargain and the chaos magick it’s unleashing on this realm.

It’s only that… Allie has become vital to me. She’s become vital in a way I can’t fully comprehend, in a way that makes me terrified to put her at risk even for a moment. It’s unfair, I realize, to expect her to be the one to bear the brunt of that unreasonable fear, even if every single one of my instincts scream at me to keep her close, protect her, die for her if need be.

I don’t want to frighten her or smother her, but I don’t know how to ignore those instincts, how to make her understand.

She’s my mate, but I’m not hers. Not yet. I can’t expect her to feel the same sort of sharp, soul-crushing fear that I do over the idea of losing her or seeing her harmed.

Not to mention my guilt over the fact that she never asked for this. She never asked to be married to me, probably never wanted to leave her life or her friends to come to this strange, unstable realm. She’s only here because of me, in danger because of me.

“If you really believe that,” Allie says finally, shaking me out of my own thoughts, “then act like it. Let me in. Let me help.”

I dip my head, lowering it to rest against her collarbone. Her hand is there immediately, stroking against the curve of my horn, tangling into my hair, soothing me in a way nothing else can.

“I will… try,” I allow.

“Good,” she says, still stroking me, still holding me close.

We stay that way for a few minutes, breathing in each other and the dusty peace of the bedroom. When Allie notices the fire is burning low, she reaches up with one hand and summons a sphere of witchlight to stoke it back up. Clever witch. I smile against her skin.

“I have a question about how demons used to operate in the human realm,” she says, seemingly out of nowhere. “Back when you used to find humans at crossroads.”

My chest tightens, immediately thinking of Crowley and all the rest who’d like to see us go back to those ways. “What would you like to know?”

“If that used to be the way demons reaped magick for this realm, does that mean they used to pass through the Veil more frequently? That it doesn’t have to be a Tithe night for you to go through it?”

I nod, not sure why she’s asking. “Yes, it’s possible for a demon to cross through the Veil at will.”

“What about a witch?”

Pulling away, I look into her eyes with unease slithering through me. “Why do you ask?”

She takes a deep breath before she continues. “Because… I think I need to go back to the human realm.”

Chapter 28

Allie

Any progress I’ve made getting Eren to relax disappears in an instant.

“No,” he says. “Absolutely not.”

His head snaps up, and he moves quickly from where he’s sprawled across the bed into a sitting position, bringing me with him. I’m cradled against him, held tight enough that I can hear the thundering beat of his heart against my ear.

Well. So much for calming down my demon.