Page 24

Chapter twenty-four

Flyn

W ow, I thought Gray was one scary guy, but this new dude takes the biscuit. He’s got the same dark eyes, dark hair and pale skin combo as my new little demon friend. He is also incredibly beautiful, just like Gray. But this guy takes the scary factor and dials it up to one thousand.

Right now, he is simply stalking around the dungeon, staring at the blank walls. Well, they look blank to me because I can’t usually see magic.

I’m sitting on the edge of the bed with Jade and holding his hand tightly because he’s staring at this Silas-guy like he is Lucifer himself.

Red and Brodie are the only other people down here. I think everyone else was too scared.

Silas runs his hand over the wall and for a moment, a symbol glows red before fading away to nothing. He keeps on examining the same spot, and it’s eerie as hell to think he can see stuff that’s invisible to me.

A shiver trembles through me. Life has taken a very strange turn lately. All this paranormal stuff is amazing, but it is also a lot.

Silas takes a step to the right and begins peering at a different section of stone wall. I watch him work and try to get my head around everything.

Silas looks like a very hot emo boy. Leather trousers, studded belt, tight black tee shirt. It’s a damn good look. But apparently not only is he a necromancer, he is a wolf shifter like Red, and, the big boss of the paranormal world.

It makes me wonder how many ordinary seeming people I’ve passed in the street who were actually anything but ordinary.

Not that Silas looks ordinary. Or gives off ordinary vibes.

But still, if I had met him before I knew about the paranormal world, I would have assumed he was a slightly unhinged hot emo boy, one that shouldn’t be messed with.

I never, ever would have guessed all the other stuff.

Just like I didn’t have a clue about Jade. I knew Jade was sweet and shy and awesome. Gorgeous, with a dark past.

But all this? Imprisoned and abused by an asshole? Part fey? The potential key to ending the world as I know it?

I was oblivious to all of that. And if I hadn’t seen proof with my own eyes, I never would have believed it.

So yeah, life certainly has taken a strange turn. But through the craziness, I get to have Jade, so it is all very much worth it.

Suddenly, Silas turns around. He ignores Jade and me, and looks only at Red and Brodie.

“Alright. These wards are strong enough. Jade can stay here, on the condition he never steps foot outside of this dungeon.”

“Of course,” agrees Red, his tone eager and keen.

Brodie adds his assurance and the three of them leave, shutting the ancient door behind them.

“Phew!” I exclaim loudly.

Jade’s eyes are bright. His relief is palatable. No magic jail for him. Just a magic dungeon, but I’m here too, and so are his friends. He gets to stay with people who love him.

“Hopefully, you won’t be stuck down here for too long. Silas seems like one capable dude, he’ll figure out how to stop the fey permanently,” I say brightly.

Jade flashes me a weak smile. He’s not convinced by my optimism. I hate the sadness in his eyes. I want to chase it away.

“Does anything ever faze you?” he asks .

“Spiders!” I say and then let out a whole body shake. Spiders scare the crap out of me. “If I see one down here, then you are on your own. I’m running upstairs screaming.”

Jade chuckles and shakes his head. His grip on my hand tightens.

“Seriously though. This… all has to be a lot for you. Finding out your boyfriend is a monster who needs to be locked in a dungeon.”

“Hey!” I exclaim. “Jade, you are not a monster.”

His green eyes stare deep into me. As if he is trying to absorb some of my confidence.

“Fey aren’t nice. They are cruel, vicious and malevolent,” Jade whispers.

I hate the shame and self-loathing that is rolling off of him. I hate that he believes this about himself, when absolutely none of it is true. He is the sweetest guy in the whole entire world. I wish he could see it.

“You are none of those things, Jade. Maybe because of your human blood, maybe because you are you.”

Jade scrunches up his nose.

I squeeze his hand. “Trust me, I’m a great judge of character. I know good people when I meet them. I’m never wrong. My gaydar is top-notch too. And my topdar has also never failed me,” I say with a wink.

His green eyes widen and a pretty pink blush races along his cheeks. He looks utterly scandalized by what I just said.

My laugh bubbles out of me and there is not a thing I can do to stop it. But then my laugh is smothered by Jade’s lips. He has pounced on me for a kiss, and it is the best idea he has ever had.

Every inch of my skin starts to tingle as the kiss zooms through me. I pull Jade closer. I want to be pressed against every part of him. I want to share body heat. I want to feel him in my bones.

But he breaks away from me. I whine in disorientation and disappointment.

“Gray, can we have some privacy, please?” Jade pants .

What the hell? My head whips around, but I can’t see the little guy anywhere.

“Your lust tastes delicious,” rasps Gray’s voice from the shadows.

I yelp and every small hair on my body stands up. I still can’t see Gray.

Suddenly, a stern voice calls from the top of the stairs. “Gray, come along now. You know better than this. Feeding from your friends isn’t nice.”

Gray steps out of the shadows with a pout on his pretty face. His dark eyes are glinting and he is staring at us with clear avarice.

The voice at the top of the stairs lets out a quiet rumble of a growl. “Gray, you have five seconds to get up these stairs if you want to be fed tonight.”

The little demon moves in a blur, dashing through the door and up the stairs so fast he’s practically flying.

Footsteps move away from us, and we are alone again. I turn to Jade.

“Did he really want to eat us?”

Jade swallows. “Only our sexual energy.”

Oh right. Yeah, I think someone explained to me that Gray is not any old type of demon, he is a sex demon. An incubus.

“Sorry,” Jade whispers.

I smile and pull him back in to resume our kissing. “Nothing to be sorry about.”

His arms wrap around me, and he kisses me exactly how I like. With hunger, need, and determination.

Oh lord. I need to get my clothes off. I need to get his clothes off. I need him to rail me until I can’t see straight.

“I made you something!” declares Lello’s voice from the stairs.

I detach myself from Jade just in time to see Lello fling open the door and skip into the dungeon. The kelpie prances over to us, holding a piece of paper aloft. He shoves it in front of our noses .

At first all I see is sparkles and rhinestone. Glitter and a riot of color. Then my mind registers that the sparkle explosion is in the shape of letters.

‘Do not disturb.’

“There is sticky tape on the back so you can stick it on the door when you want to have nooky!” Lello says proudly.

I stare at him. Jade stares at him.

Lello puts a hand on his hip. “I saw Mal dragging Gray away from here, so I thought I’d give it to you now.”

It’s very sweet of him, it really is. Thoughtful and considerate. Lello really is a sweetheart.

“Thanks Lello, you are the best!” I grin.

Lello beams at me. His whole face lights up like the sun. It makes my heart ache. I don’t want to believe that anyone was cruel enough to keep this little ray of light locked up and used as a sex slave.

“Hey, Lello,” Jade says gently. “How about you stick that on the door right now?”

Lello’s bright blue eyes grow enormous. Then he grins. “Oh! Okay! Have fun!”

He twirls around and skips out, slamming the door behind him. I wince from the force of it.

Jade turns to me. “Goddess, I’m so sorry! My friends are a lot.”

I smile and lean in close. My fingers trace along his jaw. “Your friends are amazing. Just like you.”

His green eyes narrow in disbelief.

“Come on, Jadey,” I chuckle. “Have you met me? What part of chaos and noise and glitter do you think I don’t love? Living with your friends is going to be like living at the fairground.”

He blinks, and then he laughs. A real laugh. One full of happiness and genuine amusement. My heart flutters in response. Jackpot. I think this is the best laugh I have coaxed out of him so far.

“You’re the amazing one,” Jade says.

“I know,” I smirk. Then I flop back on the bed and stretch out. “Why don’t you come and show me how amazing I am?”

He laughs again, then he is on top of me and his lips are attacking mine. I moan in bliss as I melt into the kiss. Life has taken a strange turn indeed, but it’s a very good one.