Page 6 of Demon's Desire

“No allergies.” Nico took a pastry, buttery crumbs flaking onto his fingers. “Thanks.”

Onyx popped the last pastry in his mouth, not bothering to reply.

They didn’t linger over the food. Maybe Nico wasn’t the only one anxious to get to their next task. Onyx shared everything he’d ordered, glaring at Nico if he didn’t try a dish fast enough. If there wasn’t so much on his mind, Nico would have laughed.

As their plates were cleared, Onyx slipped the waiter his credit card.

Nico hadn’t even gotten his wallet out. “You paid for my lunch.”

Onyx dabbed the corner of his mouth with a napkin. “Yeah, well, this isn’t the sort of place where you split the bill. I come here too often to embarrass myself.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

Onyx ignored him, smiling at Harper and Ollie and seeming to give his full attention to what they were saying. His blue eyesweren’t as cold when they were lit by the summer sun, and he had the faintest freckles along his cheeks.

Nico’s chest tightened, a sensation like something was tugging on his insides. He rubbed it absently. It’d be good it get this meeting over with. He wasn’t used to feeling like this.

3

ONYX

Why hadOnyx shared his food with Nico? It gave the wrong impression. He hadn’t planned to, but the witch actually needed to eat to survive, and Onyx didn’t. The hollow feeling currently burrowing its way inside him wasn’t about food. He probably needed a drink of blood when he got home.

“Will Rowan be offering refreshments?” Onyx could go for a glass of blood sooner rather than later. This aching hunger wasn’t usual for him.

“Probably.” Nico sat tense in the seat next to him as they rode through the city in a rideshare. They’d left Ollie and Harper to make their own way home.

He could practically feel Nico’s apprehension wafting off him.

Onyx rolled his shoulders. On second thought, it would be too friendly to accept blood from the vampire. He’d have to wait until later.

Eventually, they pulled up in front of an old-style building. Onyx doubted it was historic. Given the lack of genuine character, it was likely a modern dupe.

“Classy.” Onyx opened the door and stepped out.

Nico climbed out the other side. “Not everyone can own a building as sleek as yours.”

“More’s the pity.” Onyx gestured toward the entrance. “Lead the way. I don’t want to explain to the plebs at the door who I am.”

Nico shook his head, mumbling something that sounded a lot likecan’t be serious, but led the way without otherwise complaining.

They bypassed the closed strip club, entering a door to the side, leading to a stairwell where a couple of vampire plebs were indeed lurking. Seemed Rowan was more than a strip club owning—sometimes performing—vampire if he owned and utilized the whole building.

Onyx had a feeling his brothers and their mates had discussed the vampire’s business before coming here last time, but Onyx hadn’t paid close attention, and once they’d gotten here, he’d been too focused on scaring Nico to absorb much else.

He followed Nico up several flights of stairs and down a red carpeted hall. The building was quiet. Other than the muscle at street level, no one was around.

Nico knocked on a polished wood door, paused, then entered. Onyx stepped after him, head high but not quite putting his nose in the air. He suppressed his magic, making himself appear human to other magical beings.

Rowan stood from a large antique desk in the corner of the room. Dammit, he was tall too. It was natural for Eternals, and therefore demons, to be on the larger side, but other magical beings should vary as much as humans.

“Nico, it’s good to see you.” The vampire stepped out from behind the desk. He wore a gray suit made of expensive-looking fabric, the fit suggesting custom tailoring. Rowan’s darkhair fell several inches past his shoulders, his brown cheeks flushed with life. He smiled politely but with no warmth.

“I appreciate you making time on short notice. Shall we sit?” Nico gestured to the leather couches next to a pair of bookshelves.

“Please.” Rowan stepped toward the seating area.

Was Nico not going to introduce him? That was fucking rude after insisting Onyx come.