Charms & Demons

by Kim Richardson

  Now, this was awkward. What do you say to the guy you have the hots for, who’s been beat up and dragged to Hell because of you? I had nothing. My mind was blank.

  Logan rose to his feet, his features set in wrath.

  I swallowed. “Logan, I’m so so—”

  The expression of pure hatred he gave me was like a slap in the face, and I felt myself take a step back.

  My stomach caved in on itself, and I managed to find my voice again. “I’m going to get you out of here. I swear it. I’m going to make this right.”

  He shook his head, over and over again. His jaw was clenched, the muscles in his face bulging, and his expression promised murder. Not good.

  “Logan?” I searched his face. Dark circles stained under his eyes, and he looked sick. He probably was, just as I was. Mortals couldn’t live in the Netherworld indefinitely, just like the demons couldn’t live in ours. But he wouldn’t look at me. His eyes were on the sand at his feet.

  “Logan?” I tried again. Nothing.

  His refusal to answer was worse than if he had slapped me across the face. I wish he had. Anything was better than the silent treatment right now. And when he moved away from me, well, that just about made me fall to my knees.

  My heart dropped to the sand at my feet. Shame. Regret. Stupidity. All were rushing through my mind and body. It was almost too much.

  But then I remembered she had done this. Not me. Vorkol wanted to hurt me in any way she could to get what she wanted. I didn’t know how she knew about Logan, but the demon bitch was good.

  Angry tears threatened to spill down my cheeks as I looked up and met Vorkol’s happy expression. “What the hell is this?” I growled, my voice shaking with rage and sorrow.

  She raised a perfect brow, her smile growing to reveal her white teeth. “Consider this a favor,” she purred, but I could barely hear her above the blood pounding in my ears.

  “Favor?” I let out a short laugh. “You should stop smoking that demon crack.” Blood pounded in my temples. “How is this a favor?” Why don’t you come closer so I can slice your throat? I told her with my eyes.

  “To help loosen your tongue, little bird,” said Vorkol, seemingly pleased. Duvali gave a little laugh. “I can keep torturing you until you break, or I can keep torturing him until you break. It’s your choice. See, you do have choices here, little bird. But you have to make up your mind at some point.”

  “You psychotic bitch,” I cried, my body shaking and my nails digging into the leather of my gloves. “Let him go. He has nothing to do with this.”

  “Of course he does,” she said, her red eyes widening. “I’m giving you a way out. He’s not a witch, but I hear the angel-born are warriors. I’m giving him to you.”

  My lips trembled. “You can’t give people away like pets.”

  Vorkol lifted her hand and pointed. “The angel-born will fight alongside you. He will bleed alongside you. And he will die alongside you. And if you’re smart enough,” she continued, “you’ll give me what I want, and you both can go free.”

  At that, Logan’s head snapped up and I could feel his eyes on me. I couldn’t look at him. If I did, I would lose it. I wouldn’t be able to think logically, and I needed to focus. I had to be smart. Stupid and emotional would get me killed. Would get us both killed.

  “How do I know you’re not lying?” I said, breathing hard, my throat burning with every gulp of that foul air. “You told me before if I won the duel I could go home. I killed your damn spider. But I’m still here.”

  Irritation flickered on Vorkol’s face. “You cheated. Interference doesn’t count. Meddling is not winning.”

  I pursed my lips. “If that were true, why did you let me finish? Why didn’t you stop the fight?”

  Vorkol clicked her tongue and smiled. “I was entertained. You entertain me. Because the entertainment is over when I say it’s over.” She shrugged and added, “And it’s not over.”

  Logan appeared next to me a heartbeat later. “Samantha,” he said, and I turned to look at him at the sound of urgency in his voice. “If you know something that can help us get out of here... tell her.”

  Damn, he was pretty. His disheveled state and the anger rippling on his face made him all the more sexy. My mouth opened but I closed it again. How could I explain this to him?

  “You don’t know what you’re asking,” I told him.

  His brown eyes were fierce. “I’m asking you to help us get home. Tell her what she wants. I don’t want to think about the alternative.” When I didn’t answer, he leaned closer until his breath was hot on my neck. “We’ll die if we stay here.”

  I frowned. Like I didn’t know that.

  “Sam?” he pressed, his breath sending delicious tingles all along my skin. “Tell her. Whatever it is. Just do it.”

  He really loved giving me orders. I stepped away. His nearness was making it harder to think. My eyes met Vorkol’s and I said, “And if I tell you what you want, you’ll let us go?” I asked. My eyes flicked to Faris, his face tensed and twisted in worry. I swallowed hard. “Both of us?” My eyes were back on the Greater demon.

  Vorkol gave me a small, horrible smile. “Yes. Both of you.”

  “And alive?”

  “And alive,” agreed Vorkol. “Do we have a deal, little bird?”

  Logan’s posture eased a little. He thought I was going to tell her. He didn’t understand.

  I closed my eyes and took a breath, not a deep one. I tried to get a handle on my anger and focus. It wouldn’t profit me anything to lose control.

  Turning her words over, I looked for loopholes in her phrasing, but I knew I was just fooling myself. I’d been at this a long time. Demons were master tricksters, liars, schemers and award-winning actors. Vorkol was the most talented of them all.

  If I told her how I managed to kill Vargal—about my gift—we were dead. She’d never let us walk out alive, not after she’d taken my blood and my power. She might even kill everyone in this entire arena, just to keep it a secret, to keep it hers. She probably would. That’s what I’d do if I were her.

  Either way, we were going to die. But if she let us live tonight, I had one more night to figure out how to escape. And escape was my only option.

  I opened my eyes and braced myself for what I was about to say, and for Logan’s reaction.

  “No deal,” I said, my voice carrying over the silence for a mere second before the arena burst into a chorus of excitement. The pricks wanted more fighting, but their mistress didn’t.

  Vorkol’s expression became almost grotesque, and she rubbed her fingers across the armrest of her chair. “If you fail the next challenge, there won’t be anything left of you for me to play with.”

  “I’ll take my chances,” I answered, seeing her eyes narrowing at my answer. That was not what she thought I’d say.

  “Are you crazy?” shouted Logan as he whirled at me. “Tell her. Or I’ll make you tell her.”

  I frowned, my anger bubbling to the surface again. “Really? I’d like to see you try.”

  Logan clenched his jaw, reining in his anger. “You want to die here? Is that what you want?”

  “No.”

  “So tell her how you killed him,” said Logan, his voice final, but there was a bit of regret there as well.

  I shook my head. “There’s nothing to tell. We fought. I defeated Vargal.” I dared a glance at Faris. His brown eyes were rounder than I remembered.

  Logan laughed bitterly. “Do you know what you just did,” hissed the angel-born. “You just killed us both. You killed us.”

  “I know how this looks. But trust me on this.”

  “Trust you?” Logan’s face was twisted in disgust, and I pulled my eyes away from him before I fell apart. Keep it together, Sam.

  Vorkol’s expression turned dark. “You’ve made your choice. Take the bird back to her cage. And take the other one with her,” she said sharply. “We’ll see how long you can hold on to your secrets.”
<
br />   The minotaur yanked out his sword. “Move,” he ordered as he came around me and hit me hard in the back with the pommel of his sword.

  I stumbled forward and nearly lost my balance. White-hot pain laced through my spine, but I wouldn’t cry out. I wouldn’t show her my pain. I wouldn’t show her she was winning.

  Logan was silent, his expression dark and especially not friendly as we trudged forward towards the exit.

  The last thing I saw before stepping through the door was Vorkol’s deep scowl, her gaze locked on Faris.

  22

  Sharing a small six-by-six metal cage was not my idea of a great first date or first time alone with Logan.

  Yes, the angel-born was hot and sweaty, and so very close. But the sweat wasn’t the after-sex sweat and glow, but more of flush from the toxic acidic air on his cheeks and a feverish glow from the death blade’s poison. Yeah. Not so great.

  I would have much preferred to be home on the couch, watching a movie or a series while Logan poured me some wine.

  Well, we couldn’t always get what we wanted. Even if he was just sitting across from me. Even if I could just reach out and grab him.

  A part of me felt sick. Another part felt angry. I wasn’t sure which one was winning.

  “This is your fault,” Logan said. It was the first time he’d spoken to me since we’d been thrown in the cage three hours ago. His voice was different—cold and terrible and hard. I’d never heard him speak that way before.

  Ouch. “I know,” I answered. What was I supposed to say?

  Logan rubbed his jaw. “You should have told her. Why didn’t you tell her? You like it here or something?”

  I frowned at the tone of exasperation in his voice. “It’s not that simple.”

  “Really?” His eyes flashed incredulously. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  “Where do I start.”

  “This isn’t funny,” he growled, his face a shade darker. “You think this is a joke? My life is a joke to you?”

  I sighed. “Of course not. Relax, will you? You’re giving me a headache.”

  Logan’s expression was hard. “Fine. We’ll just call the minotaur demon and tell him you want to talk to her. Tell her you’ve changed your mind. Just tell her how you killed the bastard so we can go home.”

  “Go home?” I took an irritated breath. “You do realize that was never her intention, right? She’s never going to let us go home. Unless we can escape, we’re never getting out of here.”

  Logan’s face went tight. “I am.” He crossed his arms over his chest, a determined look playing on his face. “If you had told her, I wouldn’t even be here. I don’t get it. I don’t get why you’re doing this. Why can’t you just tell her?”

  “Because.”

  “Because what?” he shouted, making my blood boil, and I imagined slapping his pretty face. And then one more time, just because I felt like it.

  I stifled my temper before I started a shouting match. The last thing I needed was for the minotaur to come back with his very large sword. “Because if I told her,” I said, “thousands would die. I’m saving lives by not telling her. Don’t you get it?”

  Logan frowned and rubbed his eyes. “I don’t understand you,” he said, laughing in impatience.

  “No, you don’t.”

  Eyebrows high, Logan made a soft sound in his throat. His jaw clenched before he said, “Then explain it to me. It’s not like I’m going anywhere. Not for a little while.”

  I met his gaze. Brown eyes blinking, an intent look came into Logan’s eyes, calculating and skeptical.

  “Well?” he questioned finally. “I’m all ears.”

  I watched him, wondering if I could trust him. Then, before I knew what I was doing, my mouth opened, and the words came pouring out.

  I told him about how my father had tried to kill me because of what I was and how my grandfather had saved me from the flames. I spoke about how I discovered what I could do, about my special gift, and why I’d kept it a secret all this time. And finally, I recounted the events leading to my fight with Vargal and how I used my gift with Poe to kill him. Since he’d been unconscious at the time, I’d never been sure if he had seen me use my gift, seen all those versions of me.

  My heart was pounding when I was finished, but his worried expression melted into one of his famous smiles. I wondered if I had made the right choice at telling him, or if I had damned myself instead. Only time would tell, I supposed.

  “If the witches found out I can borrow magic without having to make bargains with demons,” I said, “they’d kill me for it. Like my father tried to do. They’d bleed me, wanting it for themselves, or simply just kill me and not allow me to have it.” I let out a sigh. “You can imagine what Vorkol will do with that kind of power. I can never let her have it.” Logan just sat there facing me. He squinted his eyes, his gaze distant. I had no idea what was transpiring behind those brown eyes. I barely knew the guy. Nervous, I felt the beginnings of regret at telling him. My adrenaline surged. Shit. What had I done?

  “I’d been wondering about that,” said Logan, a curious glint in his eye. “So all those replicas of you... those were real? I just thought I’d hit my head a little too hard.”

  My heart seemed to skip a beat. My throat contracted as I swallowed. “I’m sorry this happened to you, Logan. But you can’t tell her. You can’t tell anyone. Promise me.” I waited as my fear redoubled. “Promise me,” I said again, my voice high with a mix of regret and fear.

  Logan looked up, his gaze lingering on me, and I held my breath. “I promise.”

  I believed him, strangely enough. I let out a shaky breath, not enjoying the fact he’d seen me like this, though my relief was a warm wash through me.

  “Your father’s a dick,” said Logan after a long silence.

  “Among other things,” I agreed. My insides twisted. In my mind’s eye, I could see a malicious smile reflected on my father’s face, the evil gleam in his eyes, right before he tossed me into the fire. Some kids block out traumatic events to protect themselves. Me, well, the memory was absolutely crystalline, like it happened just yesterday. The man was a true monster.

  Logan’s handsome features creased in worry. “It must have been hard growing up with that. I mean, having your own father blaming you for your mother’s death and then trying to kill you. That would seriously mess up a little kid.”

  I shook my head. “Not really.” I shifted my weight, trying to find a spot that wasn’t so hard on my butt. “I had my grandfather and my great aunt watching over me. It was enough.”

  “Do you know what happened to him?”

  “Who?”

  Logan’s gaze fixed on me. “Your father.”

  I looked away. “He disappeared the night of the fire. I never heard from him again.” And that was a good thing.

  “And if he shows up?”

  “I’ll kill him.” I was shocked at how easily it came out and how true it was. If I survived his place, and my father showed up, I would kill him. In fact, I’d been waiting for that day, for that chance. No witch who burns little children alive should live.

  “Is that why you wear gloves?” ventured Logan, his gaze going to my hands. “Because of the scars?”

  I nodded, a little embarrassed now that he knew my secret. It was either that, or enduring the endless pestering from him.

  Silence. Not really complete silence, if you counted the relentless moaning and screeches from the other hundreds of cages, nor the constant scratching sound coming from my scrawny neighbor. He’d been silent since I gave him some food. Now he spent his days rubbing the metal bars of his cage with a small stone.

  “So, I hear you’re a big hot shot in the angel-born community,” I said, wanting to change the subject. Plus, his silence was starting to freak me out a little. “I’m not that familiar with your angel-born chain of command, but I’m pretty sure the Head of House Michael is a pretty big deal.”

  A smile quirked the corn
ers of Logan’s mouth, changing his face from handsome to spectacular. “It’s all right.”

  My brows lifted. I knew he was being modest. “You like it?” I asked, not knowing whether he’d wanted the tittle or if it had been forced on him. I couldn’t help but be curious. Having more information was always a good thing.

  “It’s an honor to be chosen,” he said, his tanned hands clasped on his lap. “I try to do right by my people. But it’s not always the case. It’s not always that easy. You can’t please everyone.”

  “Drama, eh?”

  “The nuclear kind,” he added. His eyes met mine, his smile stretching to show his white teeth. “It’s part of my life now. Of who I am, as an angel-born. I don’t get time off.”

  “You can think of this as a vacation, then,” I said and gestured with my hands. “The views are spectacular, but the food sucks.”

  Logan laughed. The man thought I was funny. Damn, that was seriously dangerous. That last male who thought I was funny ended up naked and in my bed.

  “Parents?” I added quickly, my face flushing as my eyes rolled over his two-day-old stubble that gave his flawless features a more rugged look and automatically reached the top of my sexy-meter.

  “Still married,” he said. “Still happy.”

  I couldn’t picture my life with happy parents. It’s not that I was envious. My family life felt complete with my grandfather, aunt, and Poe, and I wouldn’t change a thing.

  The thought of Poe had worry striking through me. The last I’d seen him he’d gone after a meal. I just prayed the higher demons hadn’t hurt him. He was probably sick with worry by now. And if he was worried, it meant that my grandfather and aunt were too. They were probably trying to figure out what had happened to me. It felt as though I’d been in the Netherworld for only a few days, but who knew with the Netherworld. I could have been locked up in this cage for years.

  “You’re bleeding,” he said, his voice gentler than it had been.

  I looked up to find him staring at my left hand. I pulled it up. Yup. My blood had managed to soak through my glove and had dripped down my fingers.