Page 37
Moaning, I take his fingers deeper, suctioning them like my life depends on it. When he pulls them away, a string of saliva glistens on the screen, which he then wipes on my breasts. Gross. And then the camera is off us, onto a new pairing.
Drunker than I’ve ever been in my life, I laugh as we dance some more, not because we have to but because we want to. But then he ruins the mood. “There are other rooms on the upper floors. They’re more… intense.”
“You mean sex,” I say bluntly, because no one is having sex down here, not really.
“Yes.” Daemon’s face is way too serious, and I frown at him.
“Fine. We can go, I guess.” Sighing, I let him drag me toward the elevators, but we never reach them. Abruptly, the music stops. The strobe lights quit flashing, and silence echoes so loudly it sets my teeth on edge. When I peer around us, every demon in the room has whipped their head toward the entryway.
I gulp when I see Daemon walk through it in his human form. Not Daemon, Salios.
Dressed in a suit that’s identical to Daemon’s, Salios glides over the floor, his feet never once touching the polished wood. Incubi bow in reverence, dropping to the ground like flies—Daemon included. Meanwhile, all I can do is cross my fingers and pray to God Salios doesn’t spot me, but somehow I doubt God can help me in here.
“You may continue,” Salios says, waving his subjects off. A moment later, something loud crashes in the center of the club, and the dance floor splinters. His throne. The pumping hearts ooze, turning the wood slick and red. Still, no one moves. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”
The archdemon doesn’t yell. He doesn’t even raise his voice. Yet demons spring into action, turning the music on. Everyone scrambles into a dance, and Daemon shoves me against the wall, shielding me from view. Still, Salios doesn’t sit on his throne; he moves among the clubbers.
Shit.
“We need to leave,” Daemon says.
Obviously. “Beam me out, Scrappy.”
“That’s not the reference.” Daemon frowns in disappointment. “How drunk are you?” Before I can answer, he shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter. Look, we can’t draw attention to ourselves by rushing out. That would make things worse. We’ll hang out here until he’s settled, participate in a few conversations, and then we’ll go.”
I give him two thumbs up, and he rolls his eyes.
“Can you please take this seriously?”
“I am taking it seriously.” My tattooed wrist pulses, and a rush of magic burns through my veins. I bite the inside of my cheek to stave off a scream, then nudge Daemon when I realize just how close Salios is. He cages me in his arms, hiding me with his substantial frame as he pins me to the wall.
Still, I can feel Salios moving nearer, the magic so strong I might as well be doused in it. Heat pools low in my stomach, and automatically my hand snakes between my thighs, cupping the spot where it’s starting to ache. Daemon glances down and realizes what I’m doing—what the magic is making me do. I whimper with need.
“The bond,” he says, and I nod.
Standing on tiptoes, I still can’t throw my arms around Daemon’s neck, so I settle for his chest instead. I purse my lips and lean forward, and he arches his brow. “What in God’s name are you doing?”
“Trying to kiss you.”
Daemon shakes his head. “When I finally kiss you, it’s not going to be because you’re drunk or high on Salios’s magic. And it’s not going to be in a club full of demons.”
“Pity.” Salios materializes on the wall beside me, and Daemon and I both jump. “Don’t worry, Annie, I’ll be more than happy to oblige you whenever you ask. And as for you, Daemon, I’m surprised you had the guts to break one of my most important laws. Bravo.”
Salios claps, but there’s no humor to his face. “I’m going to overlook your presence here tonight, mostly because I’m dying to see how this all plays out. But if another demon catches you, this conversation never happened. I will punish you both.” He turns to leave, then stops, peeking over his shoulder. “Oh, and Annie?”
My mouth is drier than sandpaper. “Yes?” I squeak.
“Do ask Daemon why I look the way I do.”
Salios snaps his fingers, and the world vanishes from beneath our feet. Daemon and I collapse onto our asses, and when I look around, I realize we’re back in Daemon’s bedroom. Holy shit. My head swirls, and I feel like I’m going to vomit—scratch that, I am vomiting, right on Daemon’s expensive carpet. As I heave my guts up, Salios’s voice echoes in my ears.
“Tick-tock, Annie. Only five days left.”
18
SURVEILLANCE
No more demon alcohol for me.
