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

I can draw him into our conversation so that you don'thave to repeat everything I'm saying.

I sighed and repeated that to Sabian. He nodded inreluctant agreement.

Moments later the three of us were standing in thatsame blank space where I'd interacted with the demon prince before. The last coupleof times I'd been distracted but this time I could truly appreciate how blankit was here. It was like standing in a white void, with only myself, Sabian,Ezra and...what the hell was that?

The dog-like creature was nearly as tall as I was, coveredin short black hair that shone in the ambient light, muscular, with eyes that glowedred with flame. Horns curled forward around his cheeks and large pointed earsjutted up from his skull. A spiky fringe of hair ran down the creature's entireback, from head all the way down to his long, spike-tipped tail.

"Mayhem?" I said hesitantly.

The creature turned toward me and dropped his jaw in adoggy grin. His tail flicked, more cat-like than dog like, but otherwise thiscreature was all hellhound.

"Why...why on earth do you look like a Pomeranian?"

He sat and tilted his head, as if he couldn't figureout what my problem was.

"Never mind."

Ezra stood behind me, and he touched my back, fingerstracing a small circle between my shoulder blades.

Sabian's eyes narrowed, but he didn't otherwiseobject.

I wanted to tell him to stop. I also didn't want totell him to stop.

The demon prince stilled his hand before dropping itto his side. Maybe he hadn't meant to touch me?

Regardless, we were all here now.

"Okay, what's going on?" I turned to face Ezra.

Sabian came up to my side and I slid my hand into his.Ezra got a pinched look on his face like he might physically be in pain, but hewas just going to have to deal.

Mayhem came up next to me and sat, still almost asfreaking tall as I was. He leaned over and pressed his body against my hip. Aftera moment I put my hand on his back. The hair that spiked down his body wassurprisingly soft.

"As we've already discussed, there seems to be apower play going on in the demonic realm. Lott, who you're familiar with, is amore recently elevated prince. He's also quite ambitious. There is more to itthan a simple power play, but I do not yet know all the details. He seems tohave aligned with these humans to bind demons and help the criminals. Honestly,it's a strange thing because the criminals can't do much for him in return. Iwould have thought he'd choose a more powerful group of mortals."

"They're focusing on demons that fall under yourcontrol, right?"

Ezra nodded.

"They managed to summon you, yes?"

He frowned, but nodded.

"Seems like he might be getting what he wanted.You, and yours, tied up so you can't interfere," I suggested.

Ezra's eyes narrowed. "Perhaps. But to what end?My territory and power shouldn't be interesting to him."

"Is there any other sorts of power plays going onthat you're involved with?"

Ezra pursed his lips before shrugging. At least thistime I couldn't feel as if he were shrugging under my skin. "Nothing ofreal consequence. The last strong opinions I put forth were many years ago asthe mortal plane counts them. I can't imagine it's important now."

I also got the impression he was not going to tell uswhat that was, so I didn't press. Not now, anyway.

"Okay, so Lott is pushing into your territory, orat least pushing you out of it. He's succeeded."

"He has merely inconvenienced me. To truly takeover my territory he would have to trap me on earth in a somewhat permanentfashion and show that I was incapable of defending myself and my territory. Henearly succeeded, unfortunately. Instead, I'm safe, though unfortunately onEarth."

"That's why you want to stay. So, he can't summonyou again?"

"Yes, though my preference would have been tostay without actually being in possession of a mortal."

"Yeah, well, same here, mate."

Somehow, he caressed my back again, though he wasfacing me. He frowned, as if realizing he was doing it.

"So, we're caught up in a power play that seemssimple on the surface, but doesn't make a lot of sense, so is probablyconnected to something much deeper. That about it?"

Ezra nodded.

 "First step, we gotta stop that twatwaffleoccultist and get the demons sent back to hell. Right?"

"Yes."

"Then what?"

"Then you and I part ways, and hopefully yourinvolvement is done," Ezra said. "You've already claimed Sabian andyou have one of my hellhounds and I will owe you that favor, so we will beseeing each other again. Though hopefully not longer than it takes for me torepay your assistance in this matter."

I sensed hesitation as he voiced the last.

"Sure. So, I get to keep Sabian and Mayhem?"

"As much as I'd enjoy fighting you, Price, I havemore important things to worry about. Sabian wants to be claimed, and I am notlosing anything by leaving him in your possession. The hellhound is a gift. He'sfrom excellent bloodlines, by the way."

I had never considered that hellhounds might havebreeding programs. Shaking my head, I sighed, though I dug my fingers into thecreature's mane. He leaned against me a bit more firmly.

"Okay." I didn't know what else to say toany of that.

"Prince Ezra, what do we need to know, to fightthis occultist and the other demons?" Sabian asked, voice far morerespectful than I'd managed with Ezra. Perhaps that was because Ezra hadoutright told us I could keep Sabian without him fighting us. That had to buysome gratitude at least.

"We have to find her. Once we destroy her, itshouldn't be difficult to use my connection to the others to track down theamulets and destroy them. Either with that clever spell the vampire had in hiscollection, or if we can convince the angelic one to assist, he can destroythem simply by touching them. Then either Price or the Catholic priest can sendthem back to my realm. They will all want to go, so the rituals will not bedifficult."

"Can I do an exorcism with you possessing me?"I shivered.

"If I'm not interfering, which I won't be."

"Almost seems too easy."

"Finding the occultist and defeating her