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Chapter Seven
Luciana
I’m glad I have some time alone in the guest cottage to think through the shift in plans. A rather drastic shift, for sure. One moment I’d been planning to get a job as a waitress and the next Sebastian had been fondling my breasts.
I take deep breaths as I pace the cottage. It smells like lilacs from the vases of fresh flowers in each room. The space is as opulently decorated as the other buildings on the property. Granite countertops, gleaming wood floors, luxurious curtains. The bed in the master suite is enormous and covered in dove-gray silks.
I’d set out to take down the Night Guild at any cost. Because they’d turned me into a part-demon. Because I have nightmares every night. Because they’d kidnapped a little girl and I hadn’t been able to stop them.
Because I’m not willing to live in fear the rest of my days.
So, if this is the price I have to pay, I’ll pay it.
I wanted to get close to Sebastian, and, well, I’d certainly gotten my wish. Plus, he’d asked me to help with the summit. My mission is actually going better than I thought it would. I’m no virgin… I can sleep with Sebastian if needed. No feelings involved, just sex. Sex and revenge.
I stop in the kitchen and grab a bottle of pinot noir off the wine rack. This calls for a glass of wine, this time one I’m not wearing. Just something to settle my nerves. I pour myself some of the red wine and resume my pacing.
The thing that has me anxious isn’t the sudden change in plans. It’s what happened when Sebastian’s hands were on my body. Why had my magic felt so different? Sebastian clearly felt it, too. He’d said, what are you?
There’s of course one reasonable explanation… my demon side. Tamsin had been able to turn me from predominantly demon back to predominantly witch, but we knew there was a chance I still had some demon blood inside me. Demon magic. It’s not like what she’d done had ever been tested on anyone before.
Is that why I’m so attracted to Sebastian? Because his inner demon calls to mine?
I take several big gulps of wine. It’s the million dollar question I’ve been avoiding ever since Tamsin woke me from my coma. Is my demon side dormant, or will it become active? I mean, ideally I wouldn’t even have a demon side.
There’s a knock on the door which startles the shit out of me, making me spill my wine. This is apparently going to be that sort of a day. I stride to answer it, but when I open the door no one is there. Just a rack of clothing on rollers. Violet, I presume, doing her boss’s bidding.
It’s perfectly fine with me the bitch hadn’t stuck around for more unpleasantries.
I tug the cart inside and wheel it back to the huge walk-on closet in the master suite. As I hang everything up, I see that it’s a collection of dresses. Skimpy ones at that, though all quite sophisticated. Black is the main color, though there are quite a few in varying shades of blue and green. Which is uncanny because it’s exactly the color scheme I usually wear. Sebastian must have a sixth sense for these things. For a moment, I wonder how on earth they got this many dresses in my size in a matter of minutes, but then I shrug. They are demons, after all.
I’m sticky from the sparkling wine incident earlier, so I pin up my hair and step into the shower for a few minutes, enjoying the steam and the decadent rose-scented body wash. When I get out, I select one of the black dresses from the closet, a one-shoulder with an open back. It hugs my body like a glove. After examining myself in the mirror, I freshen up my lipstick and touch up my hair. I notice there’s a huge jewelry box on the dresser in the bedroom (what kind of guest cottage comes with jewelry??), so I put on new earrings, large bronze medallions set with tiny turquoise beads.
And not a moment too soon; there’s another knock on the door.
I can feel the swirl of his silky magic before I even open the door. Sebastian stands there, looking good enough to eat.
“Well, don’t you look delectable,” he says, eye-fucking me up and down.
I meet his gaze and smile. “I was just thinking the same thing about you.”
Sebastian’s hands flex at his sides and he takes a step closer to me, inhaling my scent. “Don’t tempt me, Luciana. I’d hate to ruin that pretty makeup of yours.”
“That would be dreadful behavior, for sure,” I murmur, my smile deepening.
“Later,” he says, the dark promise of his words making me shiver. “But for now, it’s time to finish our job interview. I require your assistance with a… delicate situation.”
“Oh?”
“It seems one of the demons has arrived for the summit early,” he continues. “She’s started a bit of a scene in my hotel, and I need for you to entertain and distract her so I can oversee the final preparations before everyone else arrives.”
I nod. “Okay. What’s this demon’s name?”
“Aza Thorn.” He watches me intently as he says it. “Do you know her?”
Another nod. “Of course. I think just about everyone in the supernatural community does.” Not to mention I studied her extensively the last few weeks…
An unreadable expression crosses his face. “Indeed. Well, let’s make haste. I need to know she’s taken care of.”
