Bittersweet Magic (The Order #2)

“Yes.”


“I don’t know what’s happening.” Poor Maria sounded bewildered. “I know I should believe in demons, and I did see those things at the convent, but…” She stared at Tara and shook her head. “You don’t look evil.”

“I’m not. I don’t think.” She grinned. “To be honest, I’m still learning what I am. But one thing I do know is that even demons have free will, and they can choose how they behave. What they don’t tend to have—at least not as humans see it—is a conscience.”

Maria tugged on the belt of her robe and then clasped her hands together on her lap. “I don’t know anything anymore. I mean, where does God fit into all this?”

Tara shrugged. “Again, I don’t know. Maybe a true demon could tell you.”

Maria shuddered, and Roz didn’t think she’d be chatting to any demons anytime soon. Not if she could help it anyway.

“Go on,” she urged Tara.

“Because of my blood, I can go to either the Abyss or the Faelands—so the fae see me as a threat.”

“What about the demons?”

“They don’t care who visits the Abyss—the more the merrier, as far as they are concerned.”

“Do you know your father?”

A closed expression came over Tara’s face. For a second, Roz thought she wouldn’t answer, but she shrugged again. “I only found out who and what he was about six months ago when I went to Christian to find my family. Christian was a private investigator. I didn’t know about the vampire thing back then. Hell, I didn’t even know they existed. I had a bit of a strange childhood, but I won’t go into that now. Anyway, I only met my father once, when he helped Christian fight off the fae. He saved my life, but he’d also done things I don’t think I can ever forgive him for.”

“What about your mother?”

“She died when I was born.”

Damn. It didn’t appear as though she was going to learn much about her father’s people from Tara. “So you don’t know any of the fae?”

“I met the Walker.”

“The assassin Piers mentioned.”

“Yes—he’s also my uncle, and he’s a complete bastard.”

Roz studied her. “Does it worry you? What your parents were? What you might be?”

“Sometimes, but Christian has made me see that I can be anything I want to be, and it’s pointless trying to hide what you are. You can maybe hide from other people but never yourself. Okay, your half hour’s up. One last question.”

Roz thought for a moment. “What else is there out there?”

“Everything. Everything you’ve ever heard of. All the creatures of your nightmares. You haven’t met Carl yet—he’s a werewolf.” She grinned at Roz’s no doubt stunned expression. “And on that note, I’ll leave you to sleep.”

She rose to her feet. Roz still had a thousand questions, but she didn’t try and stop her. Exhaustion was tugging at her mind. She followed Tara out into the hallway and waited while the elevator came. As she stepped inside, Tara turned to her.

“In answer to your question earlier: it’s fantastic being married to a vampire. You should try it sometime.”

“Ha. Never going to happen.”

She waited until the door closed then leaned her forehead against the cool metal as an image of Piers flashed through her mind. The taste of him flooded her senses, and she forced the image away.

Bed.

Maria was still on the sofa. She opened her mouth, but Roz held up a hand to silence her. “I’m going to bed. We’ll talk in the morning.”

Maria closed her mouth and nodded.

But as she snuggled down in the wonderfully comfortable bed, her head on the cool cotton pillows, and closed her eyes, it wasn’t Piers she saw in her mind, but Jack. And he was furious. He was back at his house; she recognized the room. He’d come for his Key and it was gone. Rage filled him. But beneath the rage, she could sense his underlying fear.

He’d failed his mistress and she would not be pleased. She would devour him and spit out the pieces.





Chapter Eleven


The vision kept her wide-awake.

Roz lay, staring out at the night sky through the open curtains. She was exhausted, but sleep eluded her, and she was restless, unable to settle. Finally, she gave up trying and dragged herself out of bed. A short walk in the open air and she might be able to sleep.

Except, what was she supposed to wear? No way was she getting that hated habit out of the bin a third time.