Or my mother.
I leaned in closer and smiled. “I don’t care. Either way, you’ll be dead.”
He roared in anger and lunged for me, his wicked teeth snapping only inches from my face. I whipped a blade from its sheath in response and buried it in his neck.
“Andy,” Zen called, his voice even thinner and shakier than before. I turned just as he collapsed to the ground. With the spell broken, Xandros broke free and pinned me on my back. Drool dripped from his jaw as he climbed on top of me, growling like the beast he was.
“You were never enough to destroy me,” he said, my dagger bobbing from his throat as he spoke, “even with your father’s power.” I grabbed the hilt and channeled what magic and power I had left into the blade. At first, he laughed, but his amusement ceased when he felt the rush of demonfire course through it—saw my veins erupt in a molten glow beneath my skin.
His arms went limp, and he buckled to the side. With a final rush of anticipation, I pushed him over and threw my weight down on the blade. “I was always enough,” I said, his body glowing like an ember as he burned from the inside. “And you’ll die knowing that.”
The fire in his eyes slowly died, leaving grey, cloudy smoke in its wake, and I smiled knowing that the revenge I’d long sought had finally been found. His massive body went slack beneath me. No breath entered or left.
“We did it,” I said softly, disbelief tainting my tone. That disbelief quickly gave way to elation, then fear when my gaze turned to where Zen lay face down and motionless. I scrambled to his side, praying that maybe he still had a chance—or that at least I’d have time to apologize before the final end came.
“Zen…” He stirred a little at my call. “Zen, you have to help me get you out of here—get you back to the Lilies,” I said as I tried to roll him over. “I don’t know how to heal you…”
His head lolled to the side, and I watched as his chest raised and lowered too quickly and shallowly to be good. Through barely open eyes, he looked at me and smiled, if only a little. “Did my Andy get her revenge?” he asked, voice weak and wavering.
Tears stung the backs of my eyes. “She did—because of you.”
“Good…that’s good...”
“Zen,” I said, the pleading in my tone too thick to ignore, “we have to go home now—
“Home?”
“To Whittle House—”
“I do love Mrs. Whittle’s pot pie…”
I choked on a laugh, tears rolling down my cheeks. “I’m afraid it’s roast chicken night.”
“What a shame…” His eyes fell shut, and I shook him until they opened again. “Andy,” he said, as though he were surprised to see me. “Did you get your revenge?” My heart sank to my stomach and I nodded, the tightness in my throat preventing me from uttering a reply. “The body…where is it?”
“Right here,” I said, pointing to where Xandros’ corpse lay still.
Zen’s lazy gaze drifted over to it, and he inhaled deeply before his claws sunk into the stone beneath him. Slowly—carefully—he dragged himself forward, his ruined abdomen sliding along the blackened rock. I watched in horror as he continued on until he stopped at Xandros’ side. With one final burst of strength, his clawed hand dug deep inside the dead demon’s chest as he mumbled something I couldn’t understand, though certain words sounded familiar. His hand emerged, coated in black blood and swirling smoke.
“Oleander Nightshade,” he wheezed, arms shaking with strain as he reached them toward me. “I return this soul…to you…”
That swirling mass circled his hand until it touched my chest. The second his demon flesh met my skin, a firestorm ripped through me. Flaming embers glowed hot and angry just beneath my skin, but the burn no longer felt warm and welcome—it seared my skin like I was being burned at the stake. A strangled cry split the air as the two halves of my being attempted to split me. My witch soul and demon power warred inside, tearing me apart as I fought to contain them. I collapsed to the ground next to Zen, writhing in agony as I prayed for death between screams.
I pressed my hand to the gaping wounds on his chest, a silent goodbye as the magic I’d inherited slowly killed me.
“Too much…fire…” he said as his grip on me went slack.
The same fear I’d felt when I’d arrived shot through me, pooling in the palm pressed against him, and I realized what he’d meant. The fire blazing beneath my skin itched to be released as my soul searched for its home in my chest.
“Zenophrotesian Nexus,” I whispered as I pressed my lips to his demon mouth, “this power is yours to take...”
For a moment, nothing happened, and fear pierced my chest. But then I felt a levee break inside me, and that molten magic poured from my hand—my lips—into him, lighting the darkness around us like a star in the heavens. I breathed the power of my father into him, until every last ember in my veins was gone.
Until my soul no longer saw an enemy within its vessel.
Zen shot up next to me, gasping like he’d just risen from the dead. Wild, fiery eyes stared at me as his now-healed chest heaved with every breath.
“How?” he gasped.
Smiling like a lovestruck girl, I cupped his face in my hands and pulled it closer. “Because you wanted to be the demon king. And though we are not bound, you still own the heart and soul of this Daughter of Fire.”
His laughter rang out and he fell back to the ground, leathery black arms covering his face. “You never cease to amaze me, Andy my dear,” he said as he sat up, his massive face only inches from mine. And even though everything about it should have terrified me, I saw nothing but the man behind the beast in it. “Such a clever, clever girl…”
I stroked the thick hide of his cheek as his hands fell gently on my hips. “Shall we go? I’m anxious to return.” Memories of leaving our lair flashed through my mind. “The Lilies...they’re worried I might never return.”
“Then I imagine they’ll be pleasantly surprised when you waltz back into their den of witchdom once again. I, on the other hand, am far less excited to show my face there. As soon as their elation at your return wears off, the inquisition will surely begin.”
“True,” I said, failing to suppress a devilish smile. “Perhaps we should stay here, then, your majesty.”
“Or perhaps we should face them and be done with it. I’m fairly confident you won’t turn on me and join whatever plot they may have concocted.” He stood and reached his massive hand to me, careful not to harm me with his razor-sharp claws. I accepted it without an ounce of fear. “Fairly…”
“To the Lilies, then home?” I asked.
The gleam of his smile shone bright in the firelight. “To the Lilies, then home.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
The second we walked through the secret door, we were mobbed. Petal, Willow, and Hazel all clung to me with such ferocity that I feared I might never shake them loose. Demure Ivy stood back, smiling at me with pride in her eyes. Then her gaze turned to Zen, and I went rigid. She might not have been able to kill him, but she could make his life exceedingly difficult, especially where I was concerned.
“Petal told us what you did,” she said, stepping toward him. “How you sacrificed yourself for Oleander and her.”
He nodded. “I owed Andy that—and so much more.”
“Yes. You did.”
“And his debt has been paid in full,” I said, smiling at him over Hazel’s mess of red curls.
“We shall see about that,” he replied, his eyes full of wicked promise.
“Ugggh, you guys,” Hazel groaned as she pulled away, “I am so not going to be all about Team ‘Zendy’ if you’re going to be walking sexual innuendos all the time. It’s too much. And some of us aren’t getting laid at the moment, so it hardly seems fair to rub our faces in it.”
Zen looked at me with the perfect blend of confusion and amusement. I could only imagine what fodder she would provide for his relentless teasing.
“Zen, this is Haz
el,” I said, gesturing to her, “our Daughter of Earth, who may or may not have come to us from the future. Generally speaking, we never understand what she’s saying, but she has a heart of gold and is shockingly clever with potions.”
“Holy compliment sandwich, Andy,” she said, feigning affront, “but it’s also the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me, so I’ll take it.”
“‘Compliment sandwich’?” Zen repeated, eyebrow quirked.
Hazel smiled. She’d finally found someone who desired an explanation. “Yeah, it’s when you say something mean but sandwich it between two nice things to lessen the blow—although that was a bit of a reverse compliment sandwich, now that I think about it…”
Zen couldn’t help but smile. “If you’re in need of ammunition to use against Andy, I’d be happy to tell you about the strange sounds she makes while she’s asleep—”
“And this is Willow,” I said, ripping the poor girl off of me and presenting her to Zen from a respectable distance. She looked a touch wary but shocked us all when she extended her hand to him.
“Oleander is very dear to me,” she said softly as he took what she offered. The second their skin touched, Zen went rigid. “Please remember that.” She held him a second longer than necessary before abruptly releasing him. His body went slack, and I could only imagine that she’d been using her gifts to remind him that she, too, could make his life unpleasant.
“I will.”
Willow, satisfied with his answer, curtsied, then headed for the chaise where Hazel sat.
Petal waited her turn to thank the demon who had helped save her and shocked us all by breaking character and decorum altogether and hugging him with reckless abandon. But it was Ivy’s approach that had me holding my breath in anticipation. She was our rock—our leader—and as such, she would suffer no threats to those she called hers.
“What are your plans now that your nemesis has fallen?” she asked him as she stood there, hands clasped in front of her. She looked so much like a proper lady that it was easy to miss the edge of threat in her tone, her peaceful smile belying the storm brewing within her, waiting to be released should his answer displease her. “Will you be staying in New York or returning to your realm?”
Zen’s gaze drifted to me, and I cringed when I saw the twinkle in his eyes. “I will be staying at Whittle House until I’m told my presence there is no longer welcome.” He looked back at Ivy and smiled. “Which could be any day now, given Andy’s temper. She’s a fiery one. Frankly, I’m not sure how you all put up with her at times—”
“Says the infuriating demon who lied to me,” I said, interrupting him with both my words and an elbow to his ribs. “I’m not finished with you about that, by the way.”
“Of that, I have no doubt, Andy my dear. No doubt at all.”
Silence fell upon the group as the Lilies stared at us—their sister and her demon.
“Wait a minute,” Hazel said, her delicate features twisting in confusion, “are you two going to shack up over there?”
“If you’re referring to our living arrangements,” he replied as he smiled, “I’m not quite certain of Andy’s plan. I have my own room there as of now.”
He looked at me expectantly, and I let out a sigh. “I suppose we’ll have to talk to Mrs. Whittle about it—”
“If you give up your room at Whittle House, I’m calling it!” she blurted out, raising her hand in the air. “I can’t stay here anymore.”
“You can leave once you’ve learned how to blend in better first,” Ivy reminded her.
Hazel’s arm fell limp at her side and she wandered off, muttering something about never being let out of the house unless she had to kill ‘bad guys’. Zen’s amusement only grew. “I think we can arrange that, Hazel,” he said as he took my hand in his. “Andy and I are already bound, in a sense, though differently than before. I don’t suppose it would hurt to appear bound by human standards, as well…”
“Holy shit!” Hazel screamed as she ran back. “Was that a proposal?”
“It was a suggestion, because I know Mrs. Whittle would skin me alive with a butcher knife if I even suggested that I share a room with Andy without being wed.”
My eyes bugged out of my head. “You’re being serious—”
He shrugged. “I could just return home, if you’d prefer, since I am the demon king now, in a fashion—”
“What?” Ivy said, shock twisting her features.
“It’s not what you think,” I assured her. “It’s a long story, the short of which is that the Demonheart is now inside of Zen, but my soul is back in its rightful place.” I patted my chest and smiled. “Zen returned it right before he tried to die on me...and I wasn’t about to let that happen.”
“So, does that mean I should plan to stay?” he asked, as though he didn’t already know the answer.
“Oh-my-God-a-wedding,” Hazel said, jumping up and down and clapping her hands. “Gah, I’m such a sucker for a love story—”
“Calm yourself,” I demanded. “I will not be made a spectacle. This is merely for show to spare poor Mrs. Whittle from scandal in her home.”
“Oh yeah,” she replied with a wink, “this is all for poor Mrs. Whittle.”
“I think it’s time to go—”
“Give her the good news!”
“Ladies,” Zen said, cutting off the impending showdown between Hazel and me, “it has been a pleasure. I wish we’d done this sooner, but alas, Andy would hear nothing of it.”
“She didn’t trust us enough,” Ivy said matter of factly, “and I understand why. I just hope that, from now on, she will.”
I looked at the leader of the Lilies—my friend—and nodded. “Always.” Zen offered me his elbow, and I looked at him as though he’d taken leave of his senses. “Will you expect me to start wearing dresses and doing needlepoint next?” I asked, staring him down. Willow and Petal tried to hide their laughter behind their hands. Hazel made no such effort. And Ivy merely smiled and shook her head.
“Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves, now,” Zen said with a smile. Then he turned and gave the Lilies a bow before leading the way out of the room. “Come, Andy my dear. Mrs. Whittle’s dinner waits for no one.”
“Married!” Mrs. Whittle cried before hugging me like she might never let me go. Then she took my hand in hers and examined the ring on my finger—the demonic ring that I’d switched to my left hand on the way home. “Oh, Miss Nightshade—I mean Mrs. Henderson—this is wonderful news! Is that where you’ve been? I wish you’d told me before you left—”
“That’s my fault, Mrs. Whittle. Please do forgive my rudeness, but I just couldn’t wait one more second—I had to make Andy mine without delay.”
The woman swooned so hard that I feared she’d fall right over. “Andy…” she repeated. “He already has a pet name for you!”
“That he does,” I replied. “I have a couple for him as well, but I don’t dare tell you what they are.” I winked at her, and her cheeks flushed.
“Andy,” Zen admonished, “you’re flustering poor Mrs. Whittle, and we’ve already shocked her with our news.”
“Not shocked,” she said, shaking her head. “Delighted. I’m absolutely thrilled for the both of you, but especially you, Mrs. Henderson.” Her earnest stare said all she needed to. She was glad I’d found someone to accept me for who I was, lack of propriety, dubious past, and all. She pulled away from me and clasped my biceps, tears welling in her eyes.
“It’s Oleander, Mrs. Whittle. Please.”
She dabbed her eyes and nodded. “All right, then. Oleander it is.”
“Or Andy,” Zen offered before I ribbed him. Mrs. Whittle seemed to find the gesture wildly amusing.
“Oh, Mr. Henderson, I’m not quite sure you know what you’ve gotten yourself into…” She laughed all the way down the hall and disappeared into the kitchen.
“I think she just might be right,” he agreed before heading upstairs. “My room or yours, wife of mine?”
“I will punch you if you keep that up.”
He stepped beside me and whispered in my ear. “If it helps get you in the mood, go right ahead.”
Knowing that anything I said would only egg him on, I remained silent until we were locked in my room. I watched as he removed his coat and shirt, then lay down on the bed. He folded his hands behind his head and stared at me expectantly. “If you’re awaiting an invitation to join me, consider this it.” He patted the bed beside him, and I sighed dramatically.
“You, sir, are truly ridiculous.”
“And now I am yours...for eternity…”
I stopped halfway to the bed. “But I am not eternal.”
He grinned slyly. “You are half-eternal,” he corrected. ”Consider it a perk of your heritage.”
My mouth hung open until I came to my senses. “And you think I am the one full of surprises…” I climbed onto the bed next to him, exhaustion setting in. He tucked me into his side, and I rested my head on his chest. The inhuman warmth of his skin called to the fire inside me. “May I ask you something?” I said softly.
“Anything. Always.”
“Petal said something when she returned to us...after you sent us back.”
His chest went still beneath my cheek. “What did she say?”
“That it wasn’t really the call of my sisters that saved me from Xandros.”
“How could she possibly know such a thing?”
“Petal is a Daughter of Ether—she can see things. Invade the minds of others. She’s been watching my dreams ever since I arrived at the nunnery. Ivy was worried about the hole in my memory…the one between Xandros and me battling for my soul and waking up in the alcove where Ivy found me.”
“And what is the question you wish to ask me, since you have not yet presented one?”
A Curse of Nightshade (Witches of the Gilded Lilies Book 1) Page 26