Mammon tracks the movement, glaring at Nox. Recognition clicks, and he begins to bleed. Armor coats his skin, and a sword appears in his hand.
“King of the Dark.” The name is a curse on his lips. He readies his stance to fight.
“Mammon, General to the Blood. Nice to see you again,” Nox says. His posture is relaxed.
“Where is Torque, witch?”
I sigh, standing next to Nox. “I don’t want to fight, Mammon. I came here to talk and ask for help, but if you aren’t feeling gracious, I’ll have to make you wait outside before I talk to the rest of the club.”
Two others exit the club to stand with Mammon. A tall blond demon comes up behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“Let’s take this inside. We need to listen, at least. And then if she needs killing…” he says, voice trailing off at the end.
Nox’s smoke appears, wrapping around the demon. It moves silently and with blurred speed. My magic pulses out from me, ready to defend my soul-maker.
“We come in peace, but if you need reminding that you are to respect the heir to the dark, then I will gladly give it.”
I close my eyes, yelling inside my head. He had to tell them. This was the ace up my sleeve, the eight ball in the corner pocket. Now it’s out in the open where I can’t use it.
The blond demon chokes on the smoke, and Mammon tenses. “Come inside, but I warn you, Dark, there will be hell to pay if my king is in trouble.”
The club is quiet, with only a few demons hanging around the bar. Mammon leads us into the room where I saved his life. As he walks, his armor drifts away until he stands before us as himself once more.
Once we are all seated, I explain our story. I leave out the part of Namir and my lineage. Most listen, but I see anger and frustration throughout the room. Mammon bangs on the table when I get to the fight with Scur.
“That motherfucking piece of shit. I will bury him.”
“We will get our revenge, but, for now, our task is to heal Torque. We need his vampire.”
I wait, hope in my chest. If he doesn’t have one, then all is lost. He needs the connection to bring him back. Part of me feels the pang of jealously, but if it wakes him, it will be worth it.
“Camyn, send for Vita.”
Camyn’s jaw clenches, but he takes out his cell phone. He walks out into the hall to make the call.
“Now that we have that covered, someone show me to the king’s office.” We all face Nox. This was not part of the plan. What is he doing?
“What purpose do you have there?” Mammon barks. Fury burns in his eyes. He’s about to do something stupid.
If I don’t dissolve this fast, there will be a fight. I can’t allow that to happen. Too much is at stake, and helping Torque is the number-one priority.
“I will not make my intentions known with all the demons in this room. Should you wish to know my reasons, remove them.”
Nox’s smoke floats around his body. His long fingers rest on his crossed legs. Under the table, his foot taps to a silent beat. As casual as he seems, there is a fire underneath.
“Everyone, leave,” Mammon commands. Demons file out of the room with scowls on their faces. Death stares come my way, but I shrug them off. I’m used to people not liking me.
The door clicks closed, and magic stirs in the air. A bubble of shadow smoke elopes us. A privacy dome? Nox has to teach me this trick.
“We require the holy orb.” Nox picks at his fingers, waiting for Mammon to calm down because if we saw anger before, it has nothing on this.
“No. It is too dangerous. And I will not relinquish the only weapon we have against Rahna to the king who abandoned his people.”
Nox throws Mammon against the barrier, and he lands in a heap. The demon gets up and tries to rush Nox, but Nox blocks his movements and freezes him in place.
“You will do well to remember your station, General. I will not tolerate your outbursts. I am the king of the Dark. We work together to take down the witch. I have made the bargain with your king. Anima is his mate.”
Gods! We have to work on his timing. Spilling all our secrets like water from his lips. Can nothing be between us?
“Mate? How is that possible? She is a witch.”
“She is also half-demon. Heir to the Dark. My child by soul merge. You will respect her.” Nox’s voice goes into a proud-dad tone, and I can’t help but feel a tinge of longing. How would it have been to grow up with two fathers who loved me?
Mammon climbs to his feet, looking between the two of us. I shake my head as I lean against the barrier. There’s no need for me to get involved if this escalates. We don’t have time for this.
“We need the vampire. That’s what I’ve come for. If Nox has another agenda, then take it up with him,” I say.
“If you want the orb, then I’m coming with you. I don’t trust either of you. Torque should have never gone alone. Now he’s paying for it,” Mammon snarls. His upper lip curls, and he exposes his teeth.
I push off the barrier to get in his face. His chest heaves, and a bit of sweat coats his brow. Sweetly, I smile up at him. He doesn’t scare me. No one does. Not even my fathers.
“You got the one hit in, Mammon. It was your free card. Don’t mistake it for weakness. I will end you if you make this difficult.”
He growls under his breath, but he retracts his fangs and takes a deep breath, centering himself. Taking a step out of his space, I wait for his answer.
“Agreed. I
