Page 57 of Daman

Warrin glided the backs of his knuckles across my cheek. “He would understand.”

The tender moment only made the shit inside my head more confusing. How was it possible that I’d lived for thousands of years without developing strong romantic feelings for anyone, and with one stupid kiss earlier, my whole damn world shifted?

Envy stayed quiet in my mind. The only sign the bastard was still with me was the soft purr rumbling through my veins as Warrin touched me. More proof that this whole mate thing was probably true.

“I’m hungry.” I gently pulled away from him and walked toward the green snowmobile. “You coming?”

Warrin stepped off the porch and approached his. “We could ride to the castle together.”

“But then I couldn’t make you eat my dust when I outdrive your ass.”

“Snow. Not dust.” He slung a leg over the seat of his snowmobile and started the engine. “And you forget… I’ve lived in the snow my entire life. You have no chance.”

“Big words coming from a big guy. Can you back them up?” Shit, why was this so fun? I enjoyed the light teasing.

By the way Warrin smiled, I knew he was enjoying it too.

We raced through the woods toward the castle, me in the lead for only a moment before he zipped past me, kicking up snow. My heart knocked around inside my chest, both from adrenaline… and something else.

“You were saying?” Warrin asked once we’d stopped in the circular courtyard in front of the castle.

“Wow. Rub my face in it, why don’t you?” I hopped off the snowmobile and burrowed into my coat, tossing him a smile. “Thanks for not going easy on me.”

“Letting you win isn’t in my nature. A victory must be earned.” He walked close beside me, not touching me but almost. Usually, he kept a distinct gap between us. The shift in his behavior was small but noticeable.

We joined Nikolai in his study. The king offered me some wine, which I accepted, and we sat in front of the fireplace.

“Is the cottage to your liking?” he asked, lighting up a cigar.

“Very much so.” Warrin bowed his head to him. “Many thanks, brother.”

“Of course. Only the best for you.” Nikolai blew out smoke in a slow exhale and flicked ashes into a tray. “I’ve instructed the magic wielders to fortify the barrier around our kingdom.”

Warrin’s expression hardened. He seemed every bit a commander right then. “Has something happened to warrant such a thing?”

“Demons,” Nikolai answered. “Or, shades as Alastair called them. They’ve been spotted on the outskirts of Esso, too close to our border for my liking.”

“Shades aren’t that intelligent but are damn good trackers,” I explained. “My bet is they caught scent of my brothers outside the barrier and were ordered to find the entry point into the kingdom.”

“What can you tell me about them?” Nikolai asked. “Alastair didn’t say much.”

“Well, they’re the lowest of the demon ranks, mainly used for tracking, scavenging, and being total pains in the asses. Easy to kill on their own, but their pack mentality can be a problem if you aren’t careful.”

Warrin looked puzzled. “Why are they called shades?”

“Because they were created from darkness. Born from the suffering of the souls in Sheol.”

“Sheol?” Warrin asked.

“The part of the underworld where souls are kept. That’s why there’s an infinite number of shades. We’ve killed so many, but their numbers never decline. Because suffering is eternal.”

“You say they’re easy to kill?” Nikolai exhaled another cloud of smoke. “Seems there’s a lot we don’t know about demons. I take it you’ll be helping Warrin train our army to be better prepared for them?”

“That’s the plan.”

“Good.” The king watched me, eyes narrowing slightly. “I took a gamble by agreeing to this alliance. Demons have never given our clan a reason to see them as an enemy. And now they see us as theirs. All because our involvement with you and your kind. You say there’s a war coming, yet I’ve seen very little evidence to suggest the validity of such a claim. I refuse to be on the losing side of this conflict. Don’t make me regret my decision.”

“Nikolai,” Warrin said, voice tight. “I saw the demons attack with my own eyes. The battle in the Caribbean is proof of this upcoming war. Do you doubt me?”