Page 18 of A Summoned Husband

“Sarika!” Imani’s eyes narrowed as she glared at her.

Tension was high. The alcohol made Imani someone who would put up a slight fuss when faced with spellbooks and Ouija boards, but now, in the harsh light of the morning, she wasn’t giving them any room to disagree.

Sarika set her mug on the island behind her. “Another tantrum, Imani?”

Their eyes locked before Imani shoved off the table and continued her pacing. “It’s not a tantrum!”

“It’s angrier than it was last night, but it’s still a tantrum.”

“It is not!” Imani tried to defend herself but it was no use. She was flustered, I could understand that, but getting us to repeat something none of us were sure was true would lead us nowhere.

Alicia quietly sipped at her coffee. Her eyes were cast down into her cup as she lowered it, her thoughts so thick, I could feel the weight of them in the room.

Vi was equally quiet. As chatty and crazy as she was when she was drinking, she was a lot more cautious sober, even amongst our group. Her fingers traced over the rim of her mug, the top of her ears deepening in colour as her messy bun slumped slightly to the side.

“I’m s—”

Her apology was cut short as I was lifted from my seat. The sharp bite of the prongs of forks bit into my back as mugs and glasses shattered to the floor, my back pressed firmly to the table. Heat pressed into my core as a hot body spread my legs and heated breath blew into my face. Horns dug into the table above my head as the neckline of my shirt was shoved down. Hands roamed over my chest until his pointed nail dragged against my skin. I barely had the time to panic, everything happened so fast. One moment I was sitting and the next I was being held down.

A scream filled the kitchen as my wide eyes looked up at the very demon I was still trying to convince myself wasn’t real. His teeth were bared, fangs on display as his dark eyes looked at my chest.

My eyes dropped to the raised key under my skin above my heart. My mouth gaped. I wanted to say something. Wanted to push words of disbelief past my lips, but I couldn’t get anything out. I was stuck between a heat between my legs that stirred me, fear pressed into my chest and something undefinable as I looked into dark eyes that called to me.

Panic hammered through me as I wrapped my hand around the handle of a butter knife and stabbed it at his neck.

It bent and my mouth gaped further as I looked at the deformed silverware.

The screaming continued as a chair slammed into his back. It broke into nothing but splintered wood as I looked up to see Sarika standing over us holding the remnants of the chair in her hands.

“Shit,” she pushed out on a hushed breath. “Shit, shit, shit!”

Olivia continued to scream as Alicia stood on the chair I had been stolen from. She did her best to wrap her arms around the thickness of the demon’s waist as she leaned back and tried to lift him from me.

Imani stood frozen. Her wide eyes took it all in. Sarika whacking him with the wood in her hands broke her out of her stupor. She ran from the room and my heart dropped.

No, it was good. She should save herself.

My hands braced on the heat of his chest as I tried to push him away. He was so strong. So solid.

“Get off,” I hissed through my teeth.

“What have you done?” he bellowed. His voice vibrated through him and I had to try with everything I was not to react to the way it sent a wave of pleasure through my centre.

“Nothing!”

Imani appeared overhead, a crucifix in hand. I had no idea where she got it from. I abandoned my religious ties long ago, yet she found one in my house. It was large and wooden, with the image of Jesus Christ on its centre in realistically painted resin.

The demon looked up at her, confused.

“Be gone, vile demon,” Imani yelled. “Go back to the depths from whence you came!”

His nose wrinkled. “I would love to, but you stupid women have bound me here.”

“I rebuke you!”

“Rebuke away,” he growled.

“I said, I rebuke you!” She swatted him with the crucifix, hitting him in the brow between his horns.