Born in Fire (Fire and Ice Trilogy 1)

I got an eyeful.

“Pants, man! Put on some pants!” I ripped my gaze away. The demon struggled against my control, getting a few steps toward the back door before I caught hold of him. My power was low, though, after all that hellfire.

“Let me join you, master.” Its words were sweet and syrupy, echoing through the quietness.

“Join me for what? A game of Parcheesi? Give me a break; everyone knows demons cheat.” I handled my sword, letting it pull more power. My legs wobbled.

“Banish the demon.” Darius shadowed me. “The mage escaped through the front. We must follow.”

“I can’t banish it. It’ll tell my dad on me. That is a war I do not want to fight.”

“Let me worship you, master. I will be your servant in the underworld.” A bug crawled out from a crack in its black, gooey skin.

“Ew. No. Don’t you have a human form?”

“It’s not powerful enough to change form.” Darius put his hand on my shoulder. “If you strike, and you do not have the ability to kill it, there is a good chance it will bleed you of your power. Banish it. If your…creator hears and comes to the surface, we can negotiate.”

“He isn’t my creator, he’s my father, and I don’t negotiate with terrorists.” I slashed my sword through its middle, its weakest point going by the lack of horns and nobs. My blade ate through flesh. Fire burned up and turned into smoke. My sword sucked more power from me.

I pulled the blade out and stabbed, spearing the demon in the neck. It didn’t move to thwart me, but then, it didn’t have to. I could chop it up into a hundred pieces, and as long as it still had magic, it would continue living in this world, hoping to find a body to possess.

My head drooped as my diminishing power fought with the demon’s. That human sacrifice had allowed him to call a level-three demon, and while before the hellfire and the blood-fire I would’ve been fine, I surely wasn’t fine now.

“Reagan, pull out,” Darius said, his voice laced with worry.

“That’s what she said.” Dizziness came over me, but I let my sword take more. I depleted my ugly brooch. “Almost there.”

“Reagan,” Darius said again, a plea in his voice.

“How cute that you care,” I mumbled, holding on. Feeling the demon’s power sapping. Overcoming the magic that had brought him out of the underworld.

“Here.” A warm wrist bumped against my mouth. “This will help. Drink.”

I sank to my knees, feeling the blackness coming.

I could do it. I could overcome this demon. But I might have to sacrifice my life to do so.

The alternative was banishing it, easy to do. If I did that, I’d be giving up my freedom.

Banishing it was not an option.

I sucked.

The taste of Darius’s blood infused my senses. It wasn’t the explosion of unicorn blood, but something about it was almost more appealing. It was like him—smooth, decadent, and silky, winding through my body in a delicious way.

I moaned as my eyes fluttered closed, lust and desire igniting my body. My head turned of its own will, toward him. Wanting his touch on me. Relishing in the sultry taste of his blood.

“Hang on to the sword, Reagan.” His other hand drifted down my arm, spreading goosebumps in its wake. His fingers closed over mine, making me hold on. His lips grazed my cheek before slipping down to my neck. “That’s right, mon cherie. Drink.”

Unexpectedly, power surged through me, more savory than the demon’s had been. Vampire blood was only supposed to revive magical people, not affect them like it did humans, but it boosted me. I fell into the feeling, pumping magic into the sword, hearing the demon screech and beg in the distance. All I could focus on was Darius’s heartbeat pounding in my ears. His touch on my body, like velvet. It felt so good. So right.

The blade of my sword fell to the ground, the demon vanishing in a fiery ball followed by billowing smoke.

I barely noticed.

I pushed his wrist away and turned toward him, capturing his face in my hands. His lips pressed against mine. Our tongues entwined. I pushed forward, laying him down and straddling his hips. His hardness pushed against me, large and ready. I slid my hands up his muscular chest and moaned into the kiss. So hot.

“Let me bond you, Reagan,” he whispered against my lips. “Become one with me.”

It was a terrible idea. Worse than bad. I’d just avoided one form of slavery—I didn’t want to embrace another. But oh God, in that moment, I wanted nothing else in the world.

I’d opened my mouth to answer, not quite sure what was going to come out, when I felt soft but insistent hands clamp down on my shoulders. They yanked me back.

Darius was up in an instant, dragging me with him and shielding me with his body. He hissed out a warning, his fangs and claws elongating, ready to shift to his stronger monster form.

The fresh air away from his heated breath cleared some of the haze. If only my lady bits would calm down. They were throbbing so hard that it was painful.

“Reagan!” Callie braced her fists on her hips. “Have you lost your ever-loving mind? Size isn’t everything. He’s a vampire!”

Dizzy, standing behind her, blushed and glanced away at the door, probably wishing he were back in the middle of battle rather than standing there.

I knew how he felt. This was more than a bit embarrassing.

I stepped around Darius. “That wasn’t what it looked like.”

“Well, it looked like you were straddling a naked vampire with the intent of indecent behavior in the middle of a church full of dead werewolves and witches, at the end of a battle that will be extremely damaging to your future should knowledge of your real magic leak out…”

“Okay, it was exactly what it looked like.”

I wiped my hand over my face, trying to get back on track. But good-night, I felt good. My body was weak, but his blood was singing through my veins, making me feel powerful. Strong. Untouchable. I wanted to climb back on top and ride this feeling to its natural conclusion.

“I’m in a bit of a pickle,” I muttered.

“I’ll say.” Callie pursed her lips.

“Can you at least drape a piece of pant leg over that thing or something?” Dizzy asked in a pained voice. “This is extremely awkward.”

“You’re not helping, honey.” Callie patted his shoulder.

“Focus, everyone, cripes.” I scrubbed at my eyes and kept my gaze at eye level. “Here’s where we are. The demon has been destroyed, so he can’t rat me out to any of the higher-ups downstairs.”

“Good.” Callie and Dizzy nodded.

“First problem is that we have a magically created werewolf on the loose. It’s a danger for the rest of the night, and then with each full moon.”

“That is not my problem,” Darius said, looking around the ground. Probably for pants. His body was at least starting to…relax, so that was good. Less distracting.

Why won’t this pounding go away!

“Right, focus.” I huffed out a breath. “The werewolf is a present for Roger, then. Someone should tell him.”

“I’ll send a gossipy note to a friend who’s dating a shifter,” Callie said.

“I better do that, hon. They’ll know you’re just reporting something.” Dizzy must’ve caught my confused look. “She tries to solve problems. No one will gossip with her anymore.”

“It’s a relief. Such whiners in the magical community.” Callie rolled her eyes.

“Then that’s taken care of. Kinda.” I glanced at the elevated area by the wall, then the burned and broken podium that had been toppled to the floor. “We need to find that mage.”

“We got the mage.” Dizzy started when Darius and I both beamed our full attention on him.

“You got him?” I asked. Darius stepped toward the door. I threw up a finger. “I am watching you. No stealing my mark this time. I saved your ass. Either I am bringing that mark in, or we’re doing it together.”

“I saved you. We are even.” He took another step.

“You saving me is debatable. We have no proof. Don’t you take another step. If you run, I will tackle you.”