Silence descended upon us like a yoke.
When Gray finally returned, her eyes were red, her skin pale.
“Jonathan Reese,” she finally said, her voice no more than a whisper. “At least, that was the name he’d gone by in high school. He was my… my first.”
“First what?” the incubus asked, though I suspected he’d already put the pieces together. “Who was this guy to you, Gray?”
Gray met his eyes, her own brimming with secrets she never should’ve had to carry.
“Everything, Ash,” she said, her pale cheeks darkening with shame. “He was my first everything.”
He opened his mouth, then closed it, falling silent once again.
“I didn’t know who he really was back then,” she said. “We were kids. I’d never met his family, and we’d never talked about witchcraft or magic or any of the things that existed in my world. As far as I knew, he was just a typical boy. I mean, he was into video games and dodgeball and building forts in the woods. I never would’ve thought…” She shook her head, as if to clear the memories.
“You have nothing to be ashamed of, Gray,” I assured her.
“I haveeverythingto be ashamed of.”
Her incubus finally put a hand on her shoulder, his thumb touching the side of her neck. The barest brush of his skin seemed to calm her, and I felt a strange sensation in my chest—a pinching, electric burn that followed a path down into my stomach, where it pooled uncomfortably.
“It’s not just the connection, though, right?” Gray asked. “He also needs something physical from me, like my hair.”
“And some skill with magical workings,” I said, “regardless of his own lack of power.”
The demon sighed. “He must’ve taken something from her house when he… The night…”
He left his thoughts unsaid, which was probably for the best. It’s not as if Gray could ever forget that the hunter stalking her in her realm was the same man who’d murdered her best friend in their home.
“But I still don’t understand how he even knows my realm exists,” Gray said. “I never even told him I was a witch. I mean, he found out, obviously. I just can’t figure out how. I’veneverbeen able to figure that out. No one at school knew—not even my closest girlfriends. Calla was always really strict about that.”
“I wish I had an answer for you, Gray,” I said.
The breeze picked up, making her shiver. The incubus put his arm around her, rubbing away the chill.
“My plan for all this was to use my magic as bait,” Gray said. “To lure him out of hiding so we could eventually catch him. But all that was supposed to happenhere, in the real world. Not in my realm.” Her eyes drifted to some faraway place, and she shivered again. “He must’ve been the presence we felt that time, remember? The one the hellhounds were supposedly protecting me from.”
“That is my understanding now as well,” I said.
“So how do we make sure this asshole doesn’t get his hands on her in her realm?” the incubus asked. “We can’t bring the hounds back in. They’re too unpredictable—they could end up killing her.”
“I’m aware,” I said.
“You’re aware? Oh, good! I’m sure we can all rest real easy now.”
“Your anger is not helping,” I said.
“It’s better than—”
“Please,” Gray whispered. “Stop arguing.” She dropped to her knees, her strength finally giving out. “He’s always a step ahead of us. He’s got Reva and Haley, he’s accessing my realm… Can’t we ever catch a break?”
I thought the demon might offer her comfort again. But rather than sharing a kind word or a reassuring touch, he grabbed her by the elbows and hauled her back up.
“Walk it off, Cupcake,” he demanded, new fire burning in his eyes. “It’s only the first day of training. You can’t fall apart on us now.”
For reasons I couldn’t comprehend, she often seemed to find the demon’s brutish behavior endearing, and I waited for her smile to appear at this latest display.
But she merely shook her head.
