It seemed inconceivable—she had a father. He was real. Suddenly, she was filled with the urge to see him, ask him why he had left them. Face him with the consequences of those actions. “You’re having a meeting with him?”
“We’ll have to,” Christian said. “We have to warn the fae that Andarta has the Key. I’ve already sent a message that we need to meet.”
“I’m going with you to the meeting.”
“Actually, you’re not going anywhere near that bastard,” Piers said.
Roz whirled around to face him. “Don’t you start thinking you can order me around,” she snapped. “I’ve had enough of that from him.” She jabbed a finger in Asmodai’s direction. “I want this over and I want this gone.” She waved her arm with the sigil in his general direction.
“You still have one more task to do.”
“Actually, I’ve been thinking about that, and I don’t agree.”
“You don’t?”
“If I remember, the task was to find the Key. I found it. Now get this thing off me.”
He pursed his lips. “I’ll think about it.”
“Do it.”
He smiled. “You are so sexy when you’re angry. I’m tempted to keep you just for the entertainment value.”
Piers strode up to stand beside her. He also jabbed a finger in the demon’s chest. “You ever touch her again, and I’ll rip you limb from limb.”
“You’d fight for her?” Asmodai sounded intrigued by the idea.
Piers snarled, flashing one sharp white fang, and the humanity bled from his eyes, leaving him pure monster. She wasn’t impressed—well, maybe just a little bit.
“Yeah,” Piers growled, “and you know what—I’d win.”
“Maybe here, but—”
Roz stamped her foot, and they both turned to look at her. “No one is fighting for me. You.” She pointed at Asmodai. “Stop winding him up. And you.” She turned her attention to Piers. “Just remember if anyone kills him, it’s going to be me. Which might happen very soon if this mark does not disappear by the time I count to ten.”
Chapter Nineteen
Roz held her breath as she counted.
As she hit nine, Asmodai pursed his lips and gave a casual shrug. And just like that, it was gone. Before her eyes, the sigil faded from her skin. After five hundred years of enslavement, she was free. She could go anywhere, do anything, live her life without the fear that the demon would ask her for something she wasn’t willing to give.
A smile tugged at her lips as a sense of lightness filled her. She launched herself at Piers, wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist, and hugged him tight. His arms came around her and pulled her close. When she tugged free, he was smiling down at her.
“Wow!” she said. “I’m free.”
“I wasn’t that bad.” Asmodai’s tone was vaguely offended, laced with amusement. He gave her a sly smile, his gaze shifting to Piers. “We had some good times, didn’t we?”
She sniffed. “I really don’t remember.”
“Get that slimy grin off your face or you won’t be having any more times with anybody,” Piers said. “Good or otherwise.”
Asmodai laughed, but then the laughter faded from his face. “You do know there is a chance we won’t stop Andarta. With the Key, she can go anywhere, anytime, and take a whole army with her.”
That sounded bad.
“Does she have an army?” Christian asked.
“I don’t know—she never had any problem getting followers.”
“Well why don’t you bugger off and go find out?” Piers said.
Asmodai thought for a moment. His gaze flickered to Tara and away again when she gave no sign of responding. “Okay. And I’ll see if I can’t find out where she’s hiding.”
“Good. Off you go then.”
Asmodai stepped closer. He took Roz’s hand and ignoring Piers’ dark stare, raised it to his lips, and kissed her palm. “It’s been a pleasure working with you, Rosamund. We will meet again.”
And he was gone.
“We’re off as well,” Christian said. “We’ll arrange the meeting for as soon as we can.”
Piers grimaced. “I’ll look forward to it.”
Tara came over and kissed her on the cheek. “Don’t worry about the Walker. He won’t harm you. We won’t let him.”
That wasn’t the point really. Roz didn’t want a father she had to be protected from. Better none at all than that. But she gave Tara her best smile, which seemed to do the trick. Tara kissed her again, squeezed her hand, and backed away to where Christian waited.
As the door closed after them, Roz dropped to the chair behind her. It was sinking in after the initial euphoria—she was free. She rubbed her arm where the sigil had been, almost expecting to see it come back.
“So what’s happening?” Ryan asked, dragging her from her preoccupation with a non-existent mark. She’d almost forgotten Ryan was there. “Can I go as well? Or is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on?”
Apart from her and Piers, only Ryan and Carl remained. She reckoned Carl was keeping an eye on the detective.
Bittersweet Magic (The Order #2)
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