The Price of Possession by Dakota Brown (universal ebook reader txt) 📗

It was a while before I managed to see straight afterthat, and I didn't even try to move from where I was cradled between them. Sabianwas like a furnace, warming me. Mal was cooler, but no less comforting.

"How was that?" Mal finally asked.

"Yeah, we can do that again some time," I breathedout.

He caressed my shoulder, and Sabian did the same to myhip.

"Good."

I really just wanted to go to sleep, but we needed totalk wards and I wanted to see if Sabian had any insight into the other demon'swords before I'd banished his ass.

"How are you, Sabian?" I inquired, voice alittle steadier now.

"Never better," he purred.

Both Mal and I groaned softly as his power washed overus.

"Mal?" I felt I should check in with thevampire, too.

"Certainly one of the better days I've had in awhile," he replied, kissing me on my shoulder. "Perhaps we shouldclean up."

"Sure."

Mal scooted off the bed, and I managed to do the same,but then my knees gave out on me. Fortunately, vampire reflexes saved me fromcrashing to the floor. Mal kissed my temple as he cradled me in his arms.

"Sabian, I guess we get to bathe our goddess."Mal glanced at the demon, who's eyes lit up with delight.

That man said the damndest things.

Chapter 8

Price

I found myself curled up on the couch later, content,and cradling a cup of tea while Mal and Sabian both gave coffee some attention.I was leaning against Sabian's strong shoulder and Mal sat across from us inone of the chairs.

"Tell me what happened today," Mal suggested.

"Well, we were at the restaurant and some assholecame in and started blowing the place up all poltergeist style. To make a longstory short, I sent his ass back to hell, but not before he poorly tried to askfor my help. He wanted me to go with him, and when I refused, he tried to goafter all the vintage posters and shit. I lost my temper pretty fast."

Mal chuckled. "Imagine that."

"Hey!"

He shrugged.

Sabian put his arm around me and squeezed. "It'spart of your immense charm."

"Now I know you're full of shit."

The demon laughed. "Okay, tell him about thestrip club."

Malak's eyebrows shot up.

"Well, he needed something to eat. You know whathappens when the incubus gets hungry."

Mal let his eyes travel over my body, lingeringsuggestively. "Yes, it's quite enjoyable."

I shook my head in feigned annoyance, though I couldn'tdisagree.

"So, anyway, we were doing fine, and then a humanwith a poorly contained demon, kind of like the one at the restaurant, showedup looking for a good time. The demon managed to get control and was,understandably, pissed, so I sent his ass back to hell, too. But he did manageto get out that more were coming. I'm not quite sure what that was all about."

"Sabian, any insight you can lend us?"

Sabian nodded. "Yes. The plane of hell is notquite as the human religions envision it, of course. I'll tell you more later,but there is a hierarchy of demons. I'm sure you've figured that part out. Someof it is related to what kind of demon you are, some of it to how much poweryou have, though that can be gained or lost, and some of it is related to yourlevel of ambition. I've done well for myself in the past and am relativelypowerful for an incubus. I'm also not terribly ambitious. For example, I'vebuilt myself up to a state where I don't get hassled, but not so much that Iget noticed by the princes. I'm not interested in being their pawn."

"So, you're here on earth hanging out avoidingnotice?" I asked.

Sabian shrugged. "I have a feeling my positionhere on earth is going to make me very interesting to whoever sent that messageasking for your help. I'm actually here on earth hanging out, as you say,because you caught my interest."

I cleared my throat and looked away from the intensityin his gaze.

"Sabian, do you have a way of communicating with demonsstill in hell?" Mal leaned forward, staring at Sabian.

He nodded in response, perking up at having been givena task.

"Perhaps we should find out what they want. It'snot that I'm advocating that we work with them, so much as this trend ofbinding demons and using them is troubling. Especially since it seems like notall the bindings were done well. It's possible this demon trying to send Chrisa message could give us enough information to stop things before they get outof control."

"Hey, mate, if the demon trying to contact me isnamed Lott tell him to fuck off, there ain't no way. Otherwise, I'll listen towhat he has to say."

Sabian studied me. "You know Lott."

"Unfortunately."

"He was a crossroad demon and is now a prince,elevated relatively recently," Sabian explained.

"Fucker."

"He is certainly not my favorite demon."Sabian hunched his shoulders.

"Sabian, do you owe any allegiance to princes weshould know about?" Mal asked.

"I'm very loosely associated with a demon princethat goes by the name of Ezra. Obviously, this is not his true name. I actuallysuspect that this prince is the one trying to contact us. I believe most of thedemons bound belong to him."

"Oh, well, good. At least it's not the otherasshole." I sighed. I couldn't believe we were actually doing this. It waslike the opposite of my normal activities.

Sabian chuckled. "I wouldn't say any of us areexactly good, but we're not all terrible creatures, either."

"Can't believe I'm saying this, mate, but I kindof like you."

Sabian gave me the most adorable puppy dog eyes that Iabout died.

"Seriously?"

He grinned and my heart melted a little more.

"Okay, what do you have to do to contact yourprince?"

"Actually, just give me a minute. I really don'thave to do much." His expression turned inward before his eyes widened inalarm and he stiffened.

"Wait! We should probably go downstairs first,"I barked.

Too late. Fuck. What had we just done?

His entire expression changed, and I scooted to theend of the couch, having an idea of what might have just happened. I'd fight toget him back, but that might not be necessary. Of course, I might have justinvited a demonic prince into my house.