Page 112 of Demon Touched

He bends his head and drops one more kiss against my lips, changing the angle of our bodies until I’m breaking apart, clenching around his cock as the shockwaves of ecstasy ricochet through me.

Moments later, Syrus shudders above me, arms braced as he spills into my body, calling my name like a sigh. I almost sob in relief at being filled by him again, wholly claimed and consumed, and feeling more right than I have in a long time.

I clutch him close for a long time after, and judging by how tightly his arms embrace me, by how completely he drapes his body against mine, I sense he needs this too. We’ve had realms separate us, we’ve lost the bond, but we’re still here, entwined, this time both of us refusing to be the first to let go.

Chapter 30

Leah

Bright, Stratan sunlight pours in through the small attic window, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air. The old mattress is a little lumpy beneath me, the blankets perhaps a touch too thin. But I couldn’t possibly be cold or uncomfortable when I have Syrus’s large, warm body wrapped around me, his jaw resting against my shoulder as his chest rises and falls in steady breaths.

I slowly tilt my head, drinking in the softness of his expression when he’s asleep. I’d forgotten how much I love seeing him like this—gentle and unguarded. I feel special, knowing I’m the only one who gets to witness it. But as much as I’d love to lie here and watch Syrus sleep for a while longer, I can hear movement downstairs. I know Syrus checked on Viz late last night, but I don’t want to leave my sister to play nursemaid to our friend.

Syrus wakes briefly as I extricate myself from our bed, eyes sharpening with a growing alertness. But I run a hand through his hair and press my lips against his temple.

“Sleep some more. I’m just going to check on Viz. I’ll be back soon.”

He makes a noise of halfhearted protest, but he actually obeys my order, succumbing to sleep again.

I pull on my clothes from yesterday with a grimace, trying to shake off some of the clinging dust from the Seraph Seat attack. At least they’re durable. And aside from the two gaps at the shoulders for my wings, fledgling training gear isn’t obviously ephilium. I vanish my wings for now, if just for the convenience of navigating the small house without risking knocking stuff off the walls.

When I get downstairs, Viz is still asleep on the couch. He’s messy when he’s awake, but he sleeps with an odd neatness, flat on his back, with his hands precisely folded on his chest. I gently rouse him.

“Sorry, Viz, I just wanted to make sure you’re still with us,” I joke lightly as his brow furrows.

“Just about,” he grumbles. “Although I might die of starvation if I don’t eat soon.”

I grin. “You keep dozing. I’ll find you something for breakfast.”

“Nothing too sunny,” he mutters, whatever that means. I make a mental note to ask Syrus if he thinks it’s a sign he’s still concussed.

I have loose plans to rifle through Evie’s kitchen, then I spot her out of the open back door, sprinkling some stale breadcrumbs for the birds.

“That marrow’s really coming along,” I comment, studying the vegetable patch as I come to stand beside her. She looks at me with knowing eyes, and I’m struck by how much my sister has changed in the last six months. She’s still only nineteen, yet she carries herself with a maturity, a certainty so different from the girl who lived in our father’s house.

“Sorry we didn’t see you when we got in last night,” she says. “I assumed you’d already gone to bed, and we didn’t want to disturb you.”

I shrug. “Yeah, it was a pretty intense day. We all needed some rest after that, I think.”

“Hmm…well personally, I dream of a good night’s sleep. It’s impossible to get comfortable with this,” she pats her belly, then slides her gaze over to me again. “I noticed no one used the nursery,” she says, her voice carefully even.

“No,” I say, refusing to be embarrassed. “Syrus and I shared the attic.”

“Right,” she replies. “And would that be the first time?”

“No.” I’m staring very hard at the marrow. “We were involved. And then we weren’t for a long time. And now…I don’t know. Maybe we are again? Except it’s different now.”

“Different how?” she asks, tilting her head.

I turn to stare at her. “You’re really not going to say anything about the fact he’s a demon?”

She shakes out the last of the breadcrumbs from the bowl. “I think I’d be more worried about it if you weren’t nephilim. I mean, you have magic now, Leah, so you’re not so vulnerable.”

“You’re taking this a lot better than I did finding out about you and Jeremy,” I say, bashful. “I’m sorry if I was hard on you, Eves. It wasn’t fair.”

“You were worried about me,” she says. “I know you were just trying to protect me. And you saved me from Hathwell so I could marry Jer. I’ll never be angry with you about that.”

I wrap an arm around her shoulders to pull her into a side hug.