“No, just the blade.”
“Place your hand on the book for me.”
Charlotte did as she asked, but drew back at once, stumbling backward into Dorian’s arms.
“Worse,” she said. “Way worse.”
Isabelle held her hand over Charlotte’s heart. “May I?”
She nodded, and Isabelle pressed her hand to Charlotte’s chest and closed her eyes.
After an agonizing moment, she lowered her hand and shook her head, whispering a single word that kicked Dorian’s worry into overdrive:
“Fuck.”
“Isabelle?” he pressed, but she held her tongue. Dorian glared at her. “No shit-covered cupcakes, remember? Speak your mind.”
She let out a deep sigh, then reached for Charlotte’s hands, squeezing tight. “Charlotte, your demon mark… It’s the mark of Azerius. I’m certain of it now—the energy signatures are the same. You’re feeling the reaction of his mark—his power calls to it through the book and the blade. Your soul recognizes him as its master.”
Dorian’s entire body trembled as he fought to hold back his rage. He swiped the Book of Lost Souls from the table, his fingers turning white as he crushed it in his grip. “You’re telling me the demon known as the King of Blood and Ravens, He Who Slaughters the Blood of his Blood, He Who Drinks the Blood of the Fallen, He Whom Before All Mortals Weep, He Whom Can Choke On MyBloodyFist… The demon who murdered his own kin… The demon who killed himself just so he could spend eternity tormenting human soldiers…Thisis the demon who’s claimed the woman Ilove?”
“I’m sorry to be the bearer of more bad news,” Isabelle said evenly, “but yes.”
“If Azerius is the one who marked Charlotte, there’s onlyonething I need to know from this book.” Dorian slammed it back onto the table, rattling Colin’s test tubes. “How thefuckdo I kill him?”
“I don’t know, Dorian,” she said. “He’s a lord of hell, and that’s his domain. He doesn’t exist on the earthy plane.”
“Then how do wemakehim exist here?”
“I suppose he’d have to be summoned, but I have no idea how to evenattempt—”
“Read the bloody book!” he roared, but his anger wasn’t for Isabelle.
He muttered an apology and turned away, shame heating his face, rage still swirling inside him like a tempest.
A soft touch graced his shoulder, and Dorian turned to find Charlotte smiling at him, her copper eyes full of love and kindness.
It disarmed him immediately.
He slid his fingers into her hair and brushed a kiss to her forehead, calming himself by the feel of her soft skin. “How is it you’re smiling after what Isabelle revealed?”
“Because I’m channeling my sister, and she woulddefinitelysee the positives here.”
“Whatpositives? We’ve just discovered you’ve been claimed by one of the original demons of hell.”
“Exactly.” Charlotte curled her fingers around his wrists and gazed up into his eyes. “Last night—before we knewanythingabout this Azerius asshole—you promised me you’d find a way to break the demon bind. And after less than twenty-four hours, we already know who he is. We know about all his stupid names, his daddy issues, his bloodlust. We’ve got his toys. We know who worships him.”
“And,” Isabelle added, offering Dorian a warm, understanding smile despite his earlier outburst, “as a human promised to Lord Azerius, Charlotte will be safe from any demons who swear fealty to him. In their eyes, a soul bound to Azerius is untouchable—harming her would be like harming the demon lord himself.”
Dorian blew out a breath, wishing the information brought him some measure of comfort. But what did it matter if she was safe from harm tonight, only to be dragged to hell tomorrow?
“We still don’t know how to summon him,” he said.
“Yet.” Charlotte turned and kissed his wrist, the touch of her warm lips further relaxing him. “Now, let’s go back upstairs and get you another drink before you Hulk out on Colin’s creepy collection of blood and bones and he has to recreate his research from scratch.”
“Excellent point, Charlotte,” Colin said. “And now that you mention it, I could use a drink too.”
Finally granting his woman a smile in return, Dorian leaned in and whispered, “You’ve convinced him to take a break, love. You reallyarea miracle worker.”
