Page 58 of Demon's Desire

Dante’s feathers ruffled. Maybe Onyx wasn’t the only one getting agitated. “It’s no different than before.”

Ash pointedly moved a bowl of frosting away from Dante. “Luc and a couple of random escaped demons hunting us is very different than a bounty on our heads and the magic world on alert. Even Harper’s coven’s hunt wasn’t a threat like this.”

Onyx hated to agree, but Ash had a point. “It’s not great. Though I don’t see why demons care about us now that they’re free.” The escapees hunting them before had been worried about being dragged back to Hell. That wasn’t such a concern now.

Dante tore his eyes from the frosting. “Our fight with Luc in the Realm of the Damned was pretty public. Maybe they think we were trying to prevent him from opening the gateway.”

“That’s stupid. We’ll have to set the record straight.” Onyx grabbed a spoon, scooped a glob of frosting, and stuck it in his mouth.

“Hands off.” Ash snatched the bowl away.

It was infuriating that Ash was acting like nothing had changed, even after calling Onyx a traitor. Did he honestly believe the accusation hadn’t mattered? Or was this a sign that Ash hadn’t meant to be so harsh?

Onyx caught himself. If Ash hadn’t meant it, he could apologize properly. Onyx wasn’t making excuses or putting any more hope into this doomed relationship.

He set the bowl of frosting on fire. It flared blue and melted over Ash’s hand.

“Asshole,” Ash growled, his eyes glowing orange.

Onyx tossed the spoon on the counter. “Harper will forgive me for ruining his cupcakes.”

“What I was saying before,” Dante interrupted, “was, even though the bounty isn’t a great development, it’s not that different than anything we’ve faced. They want uscaptured, obviously not killed, and no one in the magic community knows our identities except the people we trust. Our mates and Nico. Random witches and vampires aren’t going to be any help to the demons searching for us.”

“True.” Ash burned the mess from his hand with orange fire, leaving it clean. “Nico won’t sell us out.”

Onyx’s fire sparked. “Are you forgetting that the whole Valero Coven knows who I am?”

Ash shrugged like this wasn’t a problem. He probably didn’t care, seeing as the Valeros didn’t know his identity.

“We trust them, don’t we?” Dante asked.

“I guess. But not in the way we trust the mates and Nico.”

Dante moved around the counter and lined up ingredients for Ash to whip up a new batch of frosting. “Still. If we aren’t seriously worried they’ll sell us out, this bounty changes nothing. Well, almost nothing. Onyx, it may be best not to be seen around Rowan, in case anyone gets suspicious of your connection to him.”

That wouldn’t be a problem. Any excuse not to see the vampire was ideal.

“You trust Nico?”

Onyx jolted and glared at Ash. “Yeah, so? Don’t you?”

“Of course. Harper trusts him, and he’d never betray Harper. He seems noble.” Ash narrowed his eyes. “Why do you trust him?”

Onyx’s heart pounded. Why did he? Because Nico acted like he cared? Because Onyx had a crush?

He pushed his feelings down. “Nico’s never implied he’ll use our secrets against us. All he wants to do is help. Why wouldn’t I trust him?”

Ash nodded. “True. Harper said Nico likes to help people.”

Onyx’s heart clenched. That was probably all Nico saw inhim: someone to help. A brat to tame. An outlet for his caring ways.

Dante spun abruptly toward the sliding glass door off the living room. “Someone’s outside the reserve.”

Ash dropped the butter. “What?”

“There’s a magical presence outside my shields. I increased my sensors to detect anyone poking around.” Dante’s eyes turned white, a sign that he was connecting to his shearwater flock.

Onyx and Ash stood frozen in silence.