Page 26 of A Summoned Husband

How quickly the consequences of the night had made all this voodoo, dark magic nonsense not for her.

I rolled my eyes before I set them back on the demon. “Well… stop.”

“You were a terrified little thing,” he chuckled through his words, the sound a deep rasp that vibrated through the air and made me swallow past the thickness in my throat it created. “I could hear the quick beat of your heart, like a little bunny laid out on an altar to be sacrificed that worried about the bite of the blade, and yet you waved about your little weapon and dragged your…” His eyes roamed the room. “Friends from my presence. It was interesting to watch. Even now, I can smell the scent of your fear but you surrendered it to save them my ire. You pack away your fright to ensure the safety of these women you clearly care about. I’m curious what will happen when the chests and closets you pack away that fear in are filled to bursting. What will happen to that fear left over?”

My fingers felt too floaty. I heard his words, but they danced in my head, switching places and not making any sense. My blink was heavy and slow as my attention focused on the figures traced on my flesh.

Circle. Oval. Circle. Circle. Circle.

Sarika must love circles.

Infinity.

Wait… or was that a circle?

No. Yes.

I chuckled low, but it rumbled. Like an engine starting, it caught on something in the depths of me before it kept going, transforming my quick snort into a purr. Who was afraid? Not me. I wasn’t afraid of anything. What was there to be afraid of?

“Whoa!” Sarika’s hands stopped their soothing shapes and wrapped around my arms. “Let’s sit.”

The room was too… room. Everything looked too defined and I didn’t like it. My heart quickened at the thought that this room would forever be too room and it would never go back to being just room enough. Like it was before.

“I’m going to go,” I proclaimed as I barely sat in the chair she tried to lower me into and got to my feet.

“What?” Confusion moved over Sarika’s features as she looked at Alicia, as though she could provide some clarification.

Or like they were plotting.

Everyone was always plotting.

They were all trying to figure out how to get me to go back to hell with the demon, I was sure of it. They didn’t want me here anymore. Not now. After all this trouble.

My eyes glassed over and a sob tightened my throat. How could they do this to me?

These fucking bitches!

Every small step I took brought me closer to the doorway. I kept my eyes on the women who had been my friends for so long but had so quickly betrayed me. Just sitting there having a full conversation with their eyes about how they were going to cast me into the fire with this sexy beast Vi summoned. With her stupid book.

Asmodeus looked at me as I reached him. His brown eyes were entirely too light but also too deep. I didn’t like the way he stared at me. He didn’t just look at me but through me. He saw all the little corners I forgot existed beneath my skin and without my permission explored them.

No.

I didn’t want him to.

He didn’t know me like that and he never would.

With his tight ass and devilish grin.

Ain’t shit having smile. Smiling at me like… he ain’t shit. I scoffed under my breath.

“Eden, hun. Are you okay?” Alicia was glued to the counter as she moved toward the door, trying to get closer to me without getting closer to Asmodeus.

My skin was itchy… or maybe it was something under my skin.

The key.

I lightly traced the raised key.