Page 80 of Daman

Home. It was the first time he’d ever referred to our cottage that way. Happiness filled my chest, and I yanked him forward for a quick kiss. When we pulled apart, I sent out another wall of ice, freezing the shades in front of me.

The others followed my lead and turned into their hybrid forms as well. Shooting ice into the darkness not only helped make the demons visible but also froze them, slowed them down. Because damn, they were quick.

Suddenly, the attack stopped. The guttural growls and distant wails silenced. I surveyed the area, not seeing any movement in the trees or hearing anything. The burnt corpse smell faded too.

“Is everyone okay?” I asked, turning to my team.

Daman stood with his sword midswing, the sides of his hair drifting up in an unnatural way. Like he’d been frozen right amidst the combat. I stepped toward him, fear churning in my gut as I caressed his cheek. His skin didn’t feel like ice. But he was unmoving.

They all were.

Lev was frozen in the air, sword aimed at the demon below him. Ivan and Efrem were crouched into fighting stances, four shades around them. Ice halted in the air, having shot from Ivan’s fingertips.

What was happening? Keeping a level head during conflict was imperative. Yet, panic started to close in around me. That’s when I noticed something else. The snow had stopped. The flakes were frozen in the air.

“Fascinating, is it not?” A man walked from the enclosure of trees, hands behind his back. Half of his long dark hair was pulled back into a braid, and he was dressed all in black. His eyes glowed red. “How small things seem when the world stops?”

“Who are you?” I stepped in front of Daman and faced the stranger, readying my sword.

The man smirked. “Come on, ice dragon. Who do youthinkI am?”

A low growl formed in my throat as he came closer. My protectiveness over Daman right then, knowing he was defenseless, soared to new heights. “Stay where you are if you wish to keep your head.”

“The bond of mates is strong,” he said, stopping in the snow. Too far for me to reach with my sword but close enough for me to see the curving of his lips. There was something twisted about it. Wicked. “However, you haven’t sealed that bond. Your soul hasn’t been tainted by him yet. That’s where free will comes into play, you know. The fates assign you a mate, yet you can reject them if you fight it enough. You don’t have to choose the path they set you on.”

When he walked over to one of the frozen demons, hands still behind his back, I watched his every move, keeping myself between him and Daman.

“Oh, stop,” he said, eyes rolling. “I’m not going to harm Envy. Not yet anyway. My only intention tonight is to speak with you. One-on-one.”

“You’re the one who did this?” I motioned to the frozen world around me. “You stopped time?”

“Stop it? No. We’re merely existing within a single moment. A pocket of time I created.”

He couldn’t be an ordinary demon then. He was too strong.

“Why?” I asked with a growl. “What do you want with me?”

“First, I want you to answer my earlier question.” The man’s features hardened. “Surely, you know in your gut who I am, dragon. You feel my power.”

“The son of Lucifer,” I said, trying to ignore the chill in my bones. “Asa.”

He smirked. “Bingo.”

“Now answermyquestion.” I gripped my sword tighter. “What the fuck do you want?”

“So feisty.” Asa clicked his tongue. “I’ve killed men for less, you know. Fortunately for you, I have no desire to kill you, Warrin of the ice clan. What I want is much more… satisfying.”

“Get to the point.”

“Fine.” He stepped toward me, and when I moved to strike him, his eyes flashed a brighter red. I could no longer move. I wasn’t completely frozen like the others, but my body wouldn’t respond to me. He glided a finger across my jaw and smiled. “I wantyou.”

I fought against the hold over me but couldn’t break it. My ability to speak wasn’t affected though. “Never.”

“More specifically, I want your army.” Asa ran his finger down my neck. “Though, fucking you would be a nice bonus. I’m sure Envy’s taught you how to properly fuck in the time you’ve been wed. Oh, I can just imagine the devastation on his face when he sees that you’ve betrayed him… when he sees you pounding into me hard and fast.”

My chest cracked open. “That willneverhappen.”

“It will if I want it to.” Asa trailed his hand down my chest. “Look around you, dragon. If I can do this, imagine what else I can do.”