Page 35 of Vengeance and Vipers

‘No one’s,’ he says with his back turned.

I recoil a little at his hesitation, his lie, and then I roll my eyes at my dumb self. He’s an incubus, I remind myselfagain… but I’ll probably stop bothering soon. Every rule I ever had I’ve broken with these guys. What’s a few more? I’m not listening to myself anyway. Maybe I’ll learn when everything goes to shit, and I’m left running for my life like always, but this time I’m heartbroken as well.

The door to the bedroom flies open, and I gasp, springing off the bed and stumbling back towards the wall as a furious Maddox stalks in. But as his eyes move around the room, they pass right over me.

Krase winks at me. ‘Told you. He can’t see us.’

ChapterSix

IRON

‘What happened?’ I ask, sitting up and wincing at the light in my eyes when I open them.

I rub the back of my head. There’s a lump the size of a golf ball back there.

‘You tell us,’ Jayce says from close by over to the right.

I glance around, trying to ignore the shooting pains through my left eye and down the side of my neck. I’m on the floor of the Sunroom. Light streams through the tall, western-facing windows.

‘How long was I out?’

‘About three hours, give or take,’ Axel says.

He sounds worried.

‘What the hell happened?’ he asks. ‘You were doing your thing, and you said something, that someone was a son of a bitch, and then you went all Superman and smacked into the wall. It was nuts. We had to salt the entire room.

So that’s the gritty stuff I can feel under me.

I get to my feet and feel Axel take my shoulder to steady me.

‘Weird,’ I say, continuing to massage my head. ‘The last I remember was being in the circle and looking for a way to break the shield. Then, nothing.’

I frown. There’s something niggling at me, bothering me. But the more I try to remember whatever it is, the further away it slips.

Jayce opens the door. ‘Well, I’m guessing we still can’t leave, but I’ll go see anyway.’

‘We already checked,’ Axel mutters.

‘Aye, but maybe there was a delay. We should try again.’

‘Only once,’ Axel warns with a roll of his eyes when Jayce isn’t looking. ‘Remember, it’ll sap your energy.’

Jayce leaves with a derisive ‘Och!’ and I regard Axel.

‘Did I say anything else?’

Axel shakes his head. ‘No, but you were pissed. You sounded like you get with Maddox. You don’t remember?’

I shake my head. ‘No, but I think—’

We hear a loud crash from inside the house somewhere. Axel is already halfway to the door before I register that he’s even moved, and I follow as quickly as I can. We race down the spiral stairs and along the corridor, listening for more sounds.

Another thud echoes through the hall a few seconds later. It’s coming from Krase’s old room.

I’m just behind Axel as he bursts in to find Maddox standing in the middle of the room in all his golden demon glory.

‘I know you’re in here!’ he bellows. ‘Come out, you craven cunt!’