Kissed By A Demon Spy

by Kay, Sharon

  She nodded. “Okay.” She kissed Dash. “It’s all over, sweetie.”

  Dash raised a cautious head, blue eyes wide. He peeked at Aden, then at Garnet.

  “Land sakes! I’ve never seen such a fire in all my years. Where’s that darling boy?” Pearl’s petite, slightly hunched figure crossed the yard.

  “Pearl! Are you okay?” Garnet called to her.

  Aden stood to offer Pearl a hand as she navigated the dead Viper bodies.

  Pearl scoffed and chuckled. “I’m fine, Aden. I’ve seen one of these things before. Dead as a doornail, and thank goodness. But that’s a story for another day.” She bent down in front of Garnet and Dash. “You two are going to stay with me tonight, and I won’t take no for an answer.” She inclined her head at the inn. “This place is going to smell like smoke for days, even if the structure is sound.”

  “Thank you,” Garnet said. She hadn’t even thought that far ahead. She glanced to Aden.

  “He can sleep on my couch.” Pearl chuckled.

  Suppressing a grin, Garnet nuzzled Dash’s hair. “Did you hear that, nihjo? We’re staying with Pearl tonight.”

  Dash turned to Pearl. “We’re staying at the candy shop?”

  “No, child, I have a house. You’ll stay with me there.”

  “You have a house?” Dash’s brows furrowed. “Don’t you live in the store?”

  Pearl laughed, a warm melodic sound. “No, I don’t live in the store. But it might be fun to have a sleepover in there one night.” She paused. “I’d have to bring in a cot for these old bones, though.”

  “Sleeping in the candy store? That would be so silly.” Garnet kept her tone light, thankful for the distraction of a goofy idea. “We can think about that while I tuck you into bed.” Garnet kissed him again, hugging him.

  “I want you to stay with me, Mommy.” The tremble in Dash’s voice melted Garnet’s heart.

  “Of course, nihjo.” How could she not? She kissed his hair, wishing her lips could bestow a protection spell on her sweet little boy.

  The four of them walked the short distance to Pearl’s house. Garnet knew she wasn’t going to get any sleep tonight. The best she could hope for was to get Dash back to dream land. “Can you wait for me?” she whispered to Aden, and laid her cheek against Dash’s. “I may be awhile.”

  “I’ll wait.” His eyes carried one more word, unspoken, but conveyed just the same.

  Forever.

  I must be hearing things. She blinked and managed a weak smile, then carried Dash inside.

  Aden paced the street outside Pearl’s house. In the last hour he had removed the Viper bodies from the inn’s back yard, dragging them into a pile at the edge of town. Leif had set the mass of green limbs on fire.

  As soon as Garnet had gone inside, Aden called Keegan again with an update. His brother’s back up team had arrived to crisscross the town and surrounding forests, checking and double checking. No other Vipers had been found.

  The town was quiet. He should be relieved that no lives were lost. But sick disappointment weighed on his limbs. He had let down and endangered the woman he loved.

  Loved?

  Yes, goddamn it. He realized, with the clarity that comes from almost losing something, that he loved Garnet. In the short time span since she’d arrived, she’d wound her way into his soul.

  Could she ever feel the same? Especially after what he was about to tell her?

  Fuck.

  He stopped in the middle of the street, rested his hands on his hips, and dropped his head back. The twin moons shone low in the western sky, chased there by the impending dawn. A million stars twinkled, defiant and determined to shine until the first rays of light obscured them. Aden stared up, searching for an answer that the sky couldn’t give.

  A door clicked shut softly, and lavender wafted to him on the breeze.

  Garnet crossed the yard, looking weary and beautiful. She stopped in front of him and frowned at his arm. “You haven’t gotten that looked at yet?”

  “It’s just a scratch. It’s not important.” He ached to pull her into his arms but hell, she might hate him.

  “But their ven—”

  “It’s nothing compared to almost losing you.”

  She stared up at him, a startled look in her eyes.

  “I’m so sorry, sugar. This is my fault.” He picked up a lock of her hair, savoring the soft strands against his fingers.

  She shook her head. “No, it’s not, I saw you. You saved us from those Vipers. You had a hunch that something was wrong, and your instincts were right.”

  Her praise only made him feel more like shit. “I’m the reason they attacked Ivydale. The reason you were in danger.”

  Her brows knitted together. “What do you mean?”

  “I’m a spy.”

  “Spy?” She looked at him like he’d grown a second head. “What? But the inn—”

  “It’s a front.” The words felt sour in his mouth.

  She blinked. “But guests stay there. And you’re always around. People work for you.”

  He raked a hand through his hair. “Yeah, it’s a fully functioning inn. But it’s also my base of operations. I scry and report back to my brother, our clan leader.”

  “Spy on who?”

  On some level he was thankful for but couldn’t fathom, her questions seemed more curious than angry. “Lately? The Vipers. They’ve been attacking peaceful species. Unprovoked. Disrupting trade. We decided to step in and thwart them.”

  She folded her arms over her chest. “Your cousin said you were really good at scrying.”

  He shook his head. Damn Leif. “I usually don’t need an object from the person or place I want to scry. Most others do. So, this is what I do for my clan.”

  She nodded. “And the other Deserati demons in Ivydale?”

  “They’re my kin. It’s true we need all the help we can get with farming, but they’re here as security too. And after what happened tonight, a larger group will move in and stay permanently.”

  “I see.” Her eyes drifted to the column of black smoke rising at the edge of town. No need to spell out what that was. She’d probably seen many bodies burned at Stroehm.

  “I couldn’t tell you.” His voice came out hoarse and dry.

  She swung her gaze back to him. “I understand.”

  He couldn’t read her. She seemed…accepting. But how could she? He’d risked her life and her town, and the lives of her loved ones. “If you don’t want to work for me anym—”

  “What? No!” She reached for his hand, and the soft press of her fingers was like a balm to his aching heart. “If not for you, Ivydale would be destroyed.”

  “If not for me—”

  “Stop.” She laid a finger on his lips. “I understand that you think you put us in danger. But if you hadn’t been here, it could have been so much worse. If you weren’t based here, Ivydale would have no warriors around at a time like this.” She dropped her finger and took his hands. “I know that there are vile beings in our realm. You know I don’t need a reminder of that. And I also know there are protectors, warriors who fight for good.”

  “Garnet. My work exposed to you the kind of terror you just got away from.”

  “I know. But you were here. And your cousins. You handled everything and kept us safe. I’m proud of you.”

  Proud?

  “Are you going to tell everyone about your real job?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “Just you. And if you want me to leave town, I will. This is your home.”

  “Aden.” She reached up to frame his face in her hands. “I don’t want you to leave. I understand that our world has its share of good and evil. I admire what you do.”

  Admire?

  “I want you to stay.” She pushed up on her tip toes, her lips inches from his. “You know my secrets and you didn’t turn me away. Now I know yours. Stay with me. This is your home now too. ” She leaned forward and brushed her mouth along his. “Besides, Dash
thinks you’re pretty cool.”

  Dash. “I would be honored to be part of his life. Not that I could do even half as good as you’ve done.”

  A tiny hand smacked his shoulder. “You’ll do just fine.”

  Lavender and sweet woman scent surrounded him, bathing his soul in love like he’d never expected and had never known he’d needed.

  Accepted. Admired. Wanted. By this sweet, perfect woman whose strength blew him away. She’d lived the majority of her life as property, but found the courage to get herself and her child out of their hellish conditions. One of her first chances to make her own decisions, and she chose him. “I vow to keep you two safe,” he murmured against her lips.

  He deepened the kiss, winding his fingers into her hair and holding her tightly. Her tongue met his, exploring and tangling with his. She felt like heaven…and home.

  Pulling back, he stared into her almond-shaped eyes. “You sure worked your pixie magic on me, sugar.”

  She scrunched her nose. “You’re not a plant.”

  “No, but you’ve become what I need to live. You’re my ray of light. Garnet, I...”

  She looked up a smile twitching her lips.

  “I love you.” He threaded a hand into her hair to clasp her nape. “Be my mate.”

  She linked her hands behind his neck. “I never thought I’d have a mate.” Unshed tears shone in her eyes. “But now, I can’t imagine a life without you at my side. I love you too.”

  Aden bent to kiss her again, their souls binding together as the sun rose, brightening the fertile land and shedding light on the dark corners of the town. The night’s secrets, like their own, lay revealed by the brilliant pink and orange dawn, yielding the way for a new day. And a new mated life.

  THE END

  A NOTE FROM SHARON

  Garnet and the compound of Stroehm are purely fictional, but sex trafficking is very real. It affects every country in the world. It is modern-day slavery.

  It can happen in your town, maybe down the street. Victims have been known to be held in quiet suburbs, their neighbors unaware. If you notice something that seems off, or just doesn’t add up, please look up the websites below to familiarize yourself with red flags.

  Though women and children are often forced into the sex trade, many men are also trafficked and coerced into dangerous, degrading, and non-paying labor situations.

  Physical violence, though often involved, does not have to be part of an individual’s mistreatment in order for their situation to be considered trafficking. Many victims are controlled by traffickers through psychological means, such as threats of violence, manipulation, and lies. In many cases, traffickers use a combination of direct violence and mental abuse.

  www.polarisproject.org provides a texting shortcode to help victims of human trafficking find safety. Victims can text BeFree (233733) and reach a call specialist to assist them in planning their escape and/or connecting them to services in the area. Polarisproject also provides a list of red flags to recognize trafficking, as well as helping survivors restore their freedom, preventing more victims, and gathering the data to pursue traffickers wherever they operate.

  www.safehorizon.org is another organization that provides help and services for trafficking victims and also victims of crime and domestic violence. Their 24 hour toll free hotline is 800-621-HOPE (46373).

  I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading KISSED BY A DEMON SPY. Please take a moment to leave a review. Thank you!

  Want to know which characters Garnet helped to escape from Stroehm, and how she got them out? Don’t miss the important role she plays in WICKED WAVES (Solsti Prophecy 2).

  COMING JANUARY 2015

  Book Four in the Solsti Prophecy series

  ON WICKED GROUND

  The lost memories of a thief…

  The first twelve years of Alina’s life are a black void. An accomplished thief, she uses her cloaking ability to pick pockets as well as stage elaborate heists. Digging deeper into her past sets off a chain of events that puts her, and the family she has just discovered, in the sights of their worst enemy.

  …and the scarred heart of a guardian…

  In secret, Lash Watcher Caine plots vengeance for the destruction of everything he loved. Branded by loss, he longs to find his one true mate, knowing that only with her will his heart fully heal. When his brief meeting with Alina is interrupted by her elaborate evade-and-escape plan, he knows there is more to her than meets his watchful eyes. But nothing can prepare him for the lethal power of her mind.

  …collide at the fault line of destiny.

  A brilliant villain with a vicious and loyal army behind her can only be stopped by one force: the combined power of four women who command the elements. Alina, with her newly-discovered affinity to the earth, becomes the linchpin to halting the desecration of their world. Thrown into a battle plan and a new family, she finds joy in in the quiet strength of Caine’s arms. But when the secrets to her past are revealed, she learns a terrible price has been paid in advance. The very magic that allowed her to live to fulfill a prophecy will forever deny her heart’s deepest wish.

  ABOUT SHARON

  Sharon Kay writes award-winning fiction and can never get enough reading time. She loves paranormal romance, with romantic suspense following close on its heels. She loves winter and black coffee, and is endlessly inspired to write kick-ass heroines and the men strong enough to capture their hearts.

  Sharon lives in the Chicago area with her husband and son, and didn’t expect to write one book, let alone a series. But Wicked Wind and the Solsti series formed in her head one weekend and refused to stay quiet until she put pen to paper. Her characters tend to keep her up at night, as they banter, fall in love, and slay endless varieties of power-hungry demons.

  Sign up for Sharon’s newsletter to keep up with her demons, see early cover reveals and be entered in periodic giveaways.

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