Magnus sat in delight as I told him my entire life story. From my childhood, all the way up to my life in the Otherworld. He sat quietly, sipping his wine, and running his gaze over me as I continued with my stories.
“That’s about it. That’s my story,” I was glad that was over. I made the stories quick and short, leaving out everything personal. It was the coldest version of my life.
“Interesting. You have had one…” he winked, “hell of a life.”
I snorted, huffed his words away.
“My story is much simpler,” he said. “I was born within this realm and grew up to become the Lord I am now. Nothing of the exciting adventures you have had.”
We sat quiet a moment since I could care less about his life to ask more about it. He examined me. I was bored with a slight edge of hysteria.
Darkness weighed heavy in his home, which meant one thing, demons were here in abundance. Not a very settling thought.
“Do you like it here?” he finally asked.
“No,” I snapped.
He grinned, even let out a little chuckle. “You answered that awfully quickly.”
“There’s nothin’ to think about. Demons don’t do it for me.”
He guffawed at that. “You are by far the most interesting creature I have ever met. You have no fear.” His brow arched slightly as he examined me further. “Why is that?”
This was an easy answer. “What’s to fear? You’ve promised I will be kept safe.”
He stood from his chair, came over to me, placed his finger on my chin and tilted my head up to meet his eyes. “Like I said, interesting.”
The look in his eye told me my suspicions of our last encounter were dead on. This wasn’t about joining his guard or my magical abilities. The whole you will be mine bit of nonsense was to be taken literally. He had an interest in me that was far from platonic.
As much as I wanted to continue to ignore the situation, it suddenly became apparent that if I didn’t face this, it would never end. “Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked quickly so I wouldn’t chicken out.
“You know why,” he purred.
Yeah, I did. “I want clarification.”
He stood, walked over to the window. “It is rare that anything intrigues me.” He glanced over his shoulder at me. “You intrigue me.”
“I don’t want you and I never will. Get over it.”
His eyes deepened with rage. Suddenly, I went flying back in my chair to hit the wall. I gasped loudly as my head smashed hard.
Instantly, Magnus was there, lifting me to my feet by my throat. “It insults me how you dismiss me as if I am nothing,” he growled. He released me, but the darkness in his eyes never faded. “I respect you by treating you with such care and you treat me with such disrespect.”
“This is treating me with care?” I asked, rubbing my throat.
“You angered me. Do not do it again.” he stated as he ventured back over to the window.
I coughed a little, trying to get feeling back. Spirit came up to assist me and sent a bit of healing my way. I stayed right where I was, a little nervous, a hell of a lot scared, and confused as to how to handle this situation. “What do you want of me?” I whispered.
“I want all of you.” He turned around, and approached me again.
There was an immense pull to him. It was undeniable sex appeal, and it didn’t matter how much I loved Kyden, my body wanted to go to him. I forced my feet not to move, shook the need away, and chose my words carefully as not to upset him. “I’m already taken.”
“For now…”
“For always,” I growled a little.
He caged me against the wall between his arms. “I admire your fierce nature. It appeals to me.” In a move quicker than I could anticipate, his lips captured mine.
My entire body sank against him. His mouth held pure intensity and power as he worked his way into mine. It wasn’t even a question of denying him—I didn’t want to. Within minutes, I was cradled into his body, running my hands along his strong back as his lips moved deliciously over mine with his tongue teasing eagerly.
Like a smack in the face, I woke up. What the hell was I doing? With as much force as I possessed, I pushed him away, gasping for breath.
He smiled, his gaze connected with mine, and it sent shivers of something down my spine. “Why deny yourself? You enjoyed it.”
“What trickery are you playing? What magic are you using?” I snapped. “I don’t want you.”
He shook his head slowly as he stared at me intently. “No magic.”
The look in his eye scared the living daylights out of me. He looked at me as if he just found the answer to something he had been long searching to find. Finally, he released a long, deep breath then waved his hand back to the couch. “Come sit. Let’s discuss the matter you have come here for.”
The sudden change in his demeanor was far from settling. The intensity lighting Magnus’ eyes said one thing—his conquest of me was far from over. “You want the wolf’s soul back?”
I nodded quickly, taking a seat. “That’s right, I do.”
“You know you will owe me if I do this?”
“Yeah I got that much.” I waved him on, eager to get on with this for some many reasons it was hard to count them. “Lay it on me. What’s the damage?”
His lips curved slightly. “There is a Warlock here in the Underworld. He is my only known threat.” Fear sliced through me, knowing exactly where he was going with this. He couldn’t be asking this of me. “After you kill him, I will release the wolf’s soul to you.”
Yup, he asked it. I gulped deeply, and a couple more times after that. “If he is such a threat why don’t you just do it yourself?”
He sighed, annoyed. “He is powerful. I…” he hesitated, looking not at all happy about it, “I am not strong enough to destroy him.”
“And you think I am?” I questioned his mental state. Magnus was full of power, which was an undeniable truth. That he believed that I was stronger was ridiculous.
His expression was as calculating as it was cold. “You can deflect his magic away. I do not hold that ability. You will succeed where I have failed.”
I placed my hands on my forehead, then rubbed my temples. Holy f**k!
“His name is Pye. He is an old Warlock that has long been after my position, and has been a constant enemy.”
“And just how do you expect me to kill him?”
“The plan is a simple one. Pye knows nothing of you—of your abilities. He will not be expecting you to kill him, which gives you the opportunity to take him by surprise.”
This was insane. “Okay, come on, how do I get out of his home? I assume he has guards?”
Magnus inclined his head.
My stalling, plus my questions to get out of this had plummeted to zero. “You do realize this will probably kill me?”
His smile was raw and scary. “This is what I ask of you. You want the wolf then you will do this tonight. I will set up another portal to send you to his home. I have already scheduled a meeting with him. Be ready in an hour.”
Fucking f**k!
Chapter Nine
The journey back was as hard as the way in. My butt took a hard blow as I landed on the hard marble floors in the Council’s Foyer. As I walked back into the Council’s Hall, I rubbed the pain away with my hand. However, new pain of annoyance gripped me the moment I stepped into the room as Zia exclaimed, “He kissed you.”
“Thanks a lot, Zia. Geesh! Not helping here,” I snapped.
She smiled a very unforgiving grin. “It just took me by surprise is all.”
Kyden stood against the wall, arms crossed, expression calm. Calm angry is much, much worse than raging mad.
My gaze was drawn away from him when Haven rushed forward, and wrapped her arms around me. “I’ve been so worried about you.” She backed away. “He kissed you?”
I sighed, my annoyance growing. It would have been nice to tell Kyden this myself, alone, when I could fully explain what happened. Hearing it the way he was now, wasn’t going to settle his mood any. “I stopped him and besides he was doing it just to goad me.”
“What happened?” Zia asked.
Quickly, I ran through the nights events, but stopped before I told them the job I had to do. “Did you know it looks like a gated community?” I asked Zia.
Her eyes went wide, the blue seemed to grow lighter. “It what?”
“You heard me right,” I retorted. “There were mansions spread out in a giant pentagram. Did you know it looked like that?”
She shook her head, clearly shocked. “I have never been.”
That surprised me. “Really?”
“No one has. Magnus does not welcome others who don’t wish to live in his realm.”
“So tell, tell, what is the job?” Haven asked, impatiently.
I grit my teeth, this was the part I dreaded and attempted to put off for as long as I could. “There is a Warlock in the Underworld Magnus wants me to destroy.”