The door opened, and pain cut into her head. The demon guard pointed a gun at Janie. “Come with me, witch.”
Brenna shook her head, biting her lip at the pain. “I think I’ll stay here.”
The instant attack dropped her to her knees. Janie fell next to her.
Brenna’s eyes filled with tears.
The demon grabbed her arm and dragged her from the cell, locking the door. “When I ask you to come, you come.” He yanked her to stand, and the attack stopped. “Understand?”
“I’m going to burn the heart from your chest,” she hissed, her vision wavering.
“Sounds like fun.” He poked her in the back with the barrel of a gun, prodding her along. They wound through tunnels, twisted to and fro, until she finally lost all sense of direction.
He knocked on a door set into rock. The door opened, and he pushed her inside a plush bedroom with a sitting area. Motioning to a floral chair, he shoved her down.
She sat with a plop, her hands catching on the wooden arms.
Yanking out zip ties, he secured her wrists on the arms. “We wouldn’t want you throwing fire, witch.” Whistling a tune from the roaring twenties, he sauntered from the room.
Brenna glanced around. A large bed took up the corner with one of her paintings above it. A silhouette of two people making love, she’d painted it several years ago. The blue of the background still wasn’t quite right.
The door opened, and Willa glided inside. Female demons were notoriously tiny, and this one more than most. The muted light caught on her silvery hair, making it nearly glow. In contrast, her black eyes seemed fathomless. She moved toward a bar on the opposite wall and poured herself a drink.
Brenna tested the ties. They were tight.
Willa turned around, long skirt swishing. “So we meet again, witch.”
Brenna forced a bored expression. “Good thing, because I want my painting back.” The painting had disappeared from a Dublin museum about a decade ago.
“Finders, keepers.” Willa took a deep drink of the brew. “Jase Kayrs admired it so often while in my bedroom in Scotland.”
“Your bedroom is in the earth?” Brenna snorted. “Your people hide you, do they?”
Willa flashed her teeth. “I like the earth. So did Jase. That man can kiss, can’t he?”
Brenna smirked. “Jase never kissed you.”
“The hell he didn’t. Grabbed my ass and shoved his tongue as far down my throat as he could.” Willa’s hand slid along her side, her face flushing. “He was amazing. Every time.”
Brenna bit back a gag. “So how did you fall short?”
“Excuse me?” Black eyes flashed.
“Gee, Willa. I slept with him once, and he planted the huge old Kayrs marking on my ass. You had five years with him—hungry, weak, and desperate. Yet you couldn’t clinch the deal?” Brenna tapped her foot on the Persian rug. “Pathetic.”
Willa snarled, and waves of pain shot through Brenna’s eyes into her brain. She gasped, her vision disappearing. Only darkness remained.
Slowly, the attack stopped. Willa sipped her drink. “That old marking on your ass really has ruined everything, now hasn’t it?”
Great. Pissing off the psycho demon was a wonderful idea. Brenna took a deep breath, thankful she could see again. “I really don’t know what you mean.”
“Well, I can’t mate him now, even after I kill you.” Willa sighed.
That was true. Matings were forever, and there were no do-overs for the vampires. Brenna concentrated on sending energy to the bottom of her hands. If she kept the power low, could she hide the plasma? “Jase would never have mated you.”
“Maybe, maybe not. But that means he doesn’t get to mate anyone else.” Willa pouted out her lip, looking about sixteen. “He’ll trade himself for you, and then I’ll teach him what a mistake he made. Of course, you’ll die, too. He’ll get to watch that one.”
“If you trade me, you can’t kill me.” The woman was nuttier than Brenna’s aunt Dottie’s cobbler.
“Oh, we’ll do a double-cross at the trade.” Willa frowned. “Or I’ll trade you and then take you out from a distance with Jase watching.” She clapped her hands together. “Yes. That’s a much better plan.”
Whoa. Brenna needed to get out of there. “Does Suri know you’ve made a move here?”
“No. My brother doesn’t see the big picture.” Willa sighed. “Malco does know, however. He’ll do whatever I want.” Her sly smile made Brenna want to puke. “Jase knows Malco. I think Malco blinded Jase for a week once.”
Fury cascaded up Brenna’s spine, and green danced along her arms. She snuffed it out.
Willa stared thoughtfully over her glass. “I heard you lost your powers. Something about a poisoning.”
“They’re coming back.” Brenna smiled sweetly. “Since I mated Jase.”
A knock sounded at the door, and the guard brought in Janie. “Are you sure about this?” he asked Willa.
Willa nodded and gestured toward the other guest chair.
The saliva dried up in Brenna’s mouth. “What are you doing?”
The guard shoved Janie into a chair and zip-tied her hands. “Well, it’s been fun.” He disappeared through the doorway.
Willa blew out air. “So you’re the famous Kayrs psychic?”
Janie eyed Brenna and then Willa. “So you’re the crazy bitch who failed at getting my uncle Jase naked.”
Willa smiled. “Yes, well, you’re his punishment for that.”
“Punishment?” Brenna tried to lean forward.
“Yes. I don’t need two of you for the trade, so Jase’s lovely niece here dies for his transgressions.” Willa set down the glass. “Since she’s a human, I can make her brain explode through her ears.”
Janie paled. “What’s plan B?”
Brenna struggled against the ties. “Wait a minute. Don’t you know who she is?”
“Yes, I do.” Willa held her hands out toward Janie. “In fact, my people are split whether she should be put down or allowed to mate. My brother wants her put down, and I agree.”
“But she’s prophesied to change the world.” Panic had Brenna seeing red.
“We like the world the way it is,” Willa patiently explained. “Don’t worry. I’ll give you the chance to tell Jase all about her death. How fun will that be?”
The chick was seriously nuts. “No—wait. Blow my brains instead.”
Willa wrinkled her nose. “I’d rather kill you with Jase watching.” She pointed at Janie, and Janie cried out in pain.
Brenna struggled against the bindings, kicking out her legs.
Janie hissed, and blood shot from her ears.
Fire lanced down Brenna’s arms, and her ties smoldered away. She leaped across the room to tackle Willa into the bed. They rolled over, and Brenna punched the demon in the nose.
Willa howled and grabbed her face.
Icepicks attacked Brenna’s mind, and she yanked away, her brain weeping.
Willa kicked her in the chin, and she hit the carpet.
Enough of this shit. Brenna drew deep for power, forming a plasma ball in her hands.
Willa slowly turned and wiped blood off her mouth. Images of brutalized people shot into Brenna’s brain. Pain cascaded down her spine.
She threw the plasma at Willa.
Willa jumped out of the way, and the fireball zipped over Janie’s head to crash into the wall. Janie yelped and teetered on the chair.
Shit. “Sorry, Jane.” Brenna leaped to her feet, forming more plasma.
Willa ran toward the door, and Janie tripped her with a foot. The demon slammed headfirst into the wall. She turned around, gasping, and yanked a double-edged knife from her boot.
