Page 127 of Vipers and Vendettas

Jayce whistles. ‘Is that who I think it is? Did you just kill a High Fae, you big bad demon you?’

Though it’s macabre as hell, I grin and preen at how his eyes shine in pride.

‘He threatened Jellybean.’

ChapterEighteen

Jayce

Ihear Krase come into the library, and I look back to watch his face when he sees Jules in her demon form for the first time. As predicted, he freezes mid-step, his eyes moving over her deep red skin that seems to sparkle in the light shining in from the window. She’s tall and curvy. She doesn’t have a tail, but her wings are iridescent and large enough for her to learn to fly with if she wants to, and I’m sure Krase will love teaching her.

‘Gràidh, you look good enough to eat,’ he growls low.

She lets out a small sigh. ‘Maybe later.’ She winks. ‘First, I need some actual food. These fuckers haven’t given me a damn thing since I’ve been here. Worst hotel I’veeverstayed at.’

She swans out of the room, and I hear a guard scream out in the hall.

‘She seems all right,’ I say, staring after her.

Krase notices the High Fae on the floor and tilts his head. ‘Aye, Jules will be a fine, strong mother to our babe. But you know her; she may be upset later once she’s safe.’

I nod a little absently. ‘Did she do this?’ I wonder aloud, nudging the fae lord with my shoe.

‘No one else here,’ Krase mutters, his brow furrowing.

‘Is the cunt dead?’ I ask.

‘Not quite, but he’s close. Easy to finish off now after whatever Jules has done to him.’

Krase takes a conjure disk out of his pocket and lays it on the crown of the unconscious fae lord’s head. He snaps his fingers, and Tamadrielle’s body begins to smoke. He wakes a second too late, his mouth opening on a scream that never comes as he turns to ash right in front of us.

‘Now he’s dead,’ Krase says cheerfully, turning and leaving the room.

I hurry after him, eager to see our succubus in action now that she’s finally demoned-up.

The rest of the clan and the Iron I’s are still fighting with what remains of Tamadrielle’s soldiers, of which there were few. Considering that this was meant to be the stronghold of a very powerful fae lord, it wasn’t anywhere near as difficult to get in and overwhelm the defenses as we’d anticipated.

I’m frowning as we join up with the others. Low-level fae and some humans litter the ground in the black marble square, where the key brought us and where most of the fighting has taken place.

Jules is gazing around her at the bodies, her face blank as she looks at each of us. The self-assuredness of a few moments ago is fading, and she’s beginning to look a little lost. Her demon form recedes, and she’s left standing in just a bra and underwear. She looks tired. She needs to feed.

Krase and I approach her, and she turns to me as I put my jacket around her shoulders.

‘I knew you’d come,’ she says quietly.

‘Always,’ Krase says, taking her hand and kissing her palm.

‘No one’s hurt?’

‘No, Jules. We’re all fine,’ I say to her, and she blinks at me, seeming a little out of it.

Maddox, killing a fae on the other side of the square, sees us and sprints to Jules, taking her in his arms. He looks her over, scowling at her state of undress under my jacket.

‘What did they … are you all right?’ he asks, cupping her face and searching her eyes. ‘You were gone. We couldn’t feel you.’

‘I’m okay. Just tired, I think,’ she says, burrowing into Maddox’s side with a sigh.

Daemon and Iron appear next to us as well and push in close, murmuring in her ear and kissing her.