A Demon Made Me Do It

Chapter 22. Lucky


I gulp down the tall glass of iced whiskey and reach for another.

“I hate seeing you like this,” Bones says from the seat beside me. “I don’t remember you ever being this depressed before. It’s ‘cause of him, isn’t it?”

I give him a look out of the corner of my eye. I don’t want to talk about Kieron, especially since he made me feel and look like such a fool. I still can’t believe I’d had all these ridiculous feelings for someone who’d only been using me. How stupid could I be to possibly think for even one moment Kieron was someone who actually cared about me? The award for Dumbest Demion of the Year goes to…

“I’m just glad I get to kill him next time I see him,” Bones finishes.

“You need to get in line behind me for that one,” I say, taking another sip. “But it’s not just him I’m mad at…I’m also pissed the Amazèa are too far outside my range for me to hunt them myself. Thanks to lame-ass Liora and her insistence at showing up at dawn…”

“Yeah… kinda hard to have such a limited time frame to work with, huh?”

I don’t say anything. I just stare at the back of Gyan’s head and think of poor Cody.

Bones casually leans his arm over the back of my chair. “I know you hate it when I say this, but I’ll say it anyway,” he continues, “I’m glad it’s him hunting the Amazèa and not you.”

I’m too drained inside to argue. “He’s not hunting them, he’s saving them,” I mutter. I gulp down the last of my drink and slam the glass on the counter.

“That’s pretty impressive, though, that he works for the Supreme Legionary. I’ve never met one of their bounty hunters before. I expected him to be…I dunno…bigger maybe.”

I pick up the fresh glass Gyan has set down and aimlessly swish it with my fingers as Bones babbles on. “I wonder what the Amazèa did, anyway. It must have been something pretty crazy for them to get a contract on their heads. I heard they were the ones responsible for killing a bunch of Sapies recently, but I don’t know why the Legionare would care about that. Doesn’t it make you feel any better that they’ll be punished, even if it is for something else?”

“No.”

“Think about it, Lucky…with the exception of the immortals, we’ll all die at some point. True, some of us live longer than others, but we’ll extinguish eventually, one way or another. If you kill the Amazèa now, where is their suffering? Where is their pain? It doesn’t seem they would be punished as much by dying as they would be if they were stripped of their powers and banished to the Wasteland for eternity. I mean, can you imagine anything worse?”

“Yes, I can,” I grumble.

Bones rolls his eyes. “Hurry up and finish so we can go outside. I want to talk with you about something.”

I glance around the sparsely populated Bar. “So talk.”

“Not here. We need privacy. Just finish,” he instructs, flashing a devastating smile. In spite of my supposed immunity to his demonic seductive powers, he still hasn’t lost the ability to charm me whenever he wants to. Drives me nuts.

I begrudgingly finish my drink and stand up. “After you,” I say, waving my arm with lavish flair.

Bones hops off his chair wearing a cocky grin and grabs my hand. I shouldn’t be surprised at how pleasurable it feels having his fingers wrapped around mine, but I am. It’s almost as if I’d forgotten how good Bones makes me feel… like being wrapped in a snug, familiar blanket. It’s different than the way I felt when Kieron held me. With Kieron, I felt thrilled, alive, and totally at peace, all at once. With Bones, I just feel comforted—like a little girl who’s fallen down and scraped her knee and is given ice cream and a kiss. Bones is my solace.


Hand in hand, we dodge through the narrow trees, sprinting deeper into the Faerie Forest. Bones is taking me to his private spot. He’s brought me here several times before, yet I’ve never brought him to mine. No one has ever been there except me…and Kieron. Realizing this makes me feel even worse. I’ve allowed my sacred place to be spoiled by a traitor, but someone as awesome and loving as Bones has never been invited. I make a quick mental note to take him there soon.

Like my private grove, Bones’ spot is high on a mountainside. But instead of being out in the open like mine is, Bones’ lair is tucked away inside a cave. He easily tosses aside the enormous boulders covering the entrance as if they’re tiny pebbles, and throws some logs in a pile. “Do you mind?” he asks with a coy grin.

I step forward and release a small reddish-orange stream of heat from my fingertips. The firepit casts a serene and inviting glow along the walls of the cave.

Bones sits down beside the fire and opens up his arms. I immediately nestle into them, my back to his chest, his body wrapped around me lovingly as he rests his chin on top of my head. Together, we stare at the flames as they sparkle and dance; I feel myself relaxing more and more within his soothing, hypnotic embrace.

He holds me quietly. His two hearts beat steadily on my back, and his warm breath tickles my neck and ears as he presses his cheek to the side of my head. I try to focus on how good Bones feels, instead of on the eternal torment I’ve suffered since Kieron’s departure.

Bones had said he wanted to talk, but he doesn’t say anything. The silence is nice, so peaceful and relaxing. I sit there in his arms, letting our heartbeats and breaths synchronize. At least an hour passes before either of us stirs.

“Lucky,” he finally whispers into my ear. I angle my head slightly back towards him, and feel his hot breath on my cheek. “How long have we been friends?”

I smile, slightly puzzled. “I dunno…a while…twelve, thirteen years?”

“And in all that time, have you ever wondered if maybe we’re supposed to be more to each other than just friends? I mean, I know right now you’re going through some nasty stuff, but do you ever think you could feel the same way about me that you did for…him?” His voice is barely audible, but it sends shockwaves through my brain. My stomach flips and sinks.

“Bones,” I sigh, snuggling deeper into his chest. “You don’t know how badly I wish it could be you who was the one for me. So bad. So bad it hurts. I care about you so much…”

“So what is it, then? What’s stopping you? Please tell me, because for the life of me I can’t figure it out.” He brushes my hair behind my ear and nuzzles my neck.

Why can’t things ever be easy, just for once? Why can’t he be who I want him to be? Why can’t he be like Kieron?

I immediately shove the last wish away. I don’t want Kieron. Not anymore. Not after what he did.

My mind knows it. Problem is, my heart doesn’t want to listen.

“Bones…we have a good thing here, and I don’t want to lose you, ever. If we try to be something more and it doesn’t work out…”

“But why wouldn’t it work out? We’ve been great together all these years. We’ve been through so much, and we’re closer than ever. Why do you think that would suddenly go away if we became more serious? If I was yours and you were…mine. All…mine.” He gulps and I feel his hearts skip a few beats.

I tilt my face to his. Our eyes lock.

For a brief flash, I convince myself that the outside world doesn’t exist—that he won’t bed multitudes of other women, night after night, and gaze on them with the same sweet, loving and seductive eyes he’s showing me now. For a moment, I ignore the fact that he’ll only love half of me, and my neglected twin will always despise him.

Maybe this is the best I can hope for. Maybe I don’t get to have someone who can love all of me and have all of me love him back. Maybe that’s the deal. Maybe Bones really is the one I’m supposed to be with, and Kieron had only tricked me into thinking otherwise.

A moment of denial is all it takes.

Bones lowers his face to mine and kisses me with the gentle expertise of a skilled lover. I close my eyes, and, forgetting all the reasons why I shouldn’t, allow myself to succumb to his tender embrace.

Gently, he lays me on the ground, pillowing my head with his hand. He swiftly removes his black sweater, placing it under my head where his hand had been, then hoists himself on top of me. Our kisses come fast and furious. We’re headed for dangerous territory, but I don’t care. I stroke his silky soft skin, and nibble on his arms and neck.

He begins unfastening the hooks to my corset, one by one. As it falls aside, revealing my naked breasts, I feel no shame. Hungrily, he feasts on my arms, kissing and suckling every spot of skin as if it’s the sweetest honey. His every touch sends shivers of fire up and down my spine, and when he loosens his pants and lets them fall, I know we’ve passed the point of no return.

He presses his naked body down on me, and I run my hands over his smooth, sculpted back. He kisses me deeper, brushing his fingers through my hair and delicately stroking my neck. My body is a blazing inferno, and even with my eyes closed, I see perfectly his exquisite face.

Slowly, his trail of kisses travels down my neck, between my breasts, and to my abdomen. He gently glides his hands up under my long dress, tickling the inside of my thighs with his fingertips. My body squirms and writhes with anxious anticipation. Never have I craved anything as badly as I crave him right now. My back arches, desperate to feel his skin on mine. His hands massage my hips as he kisses his way back up my body, each kiss deliberate and torturous. I eagerly await the feel of his mouth on mine again.

Finally, his hot breath reaches my neck, my face, and at last, my lips, as he devours me once more. The full skirt of my dress is still an uncomfortable barrier to what my body most desires, and as I start to lift it up, I hear the hypnotic suggestion in my ear.

“Say my name…”

“Kieron,” my voice is a breathless whisper, “Kieron…”

He stops. My eyes open, and it takes another full second of staring at Bones’ wounded expression before I fully comprehend what I’ve just done.

“No…wait, Bones…I didn’t mean…”

“Yes, you did,” he whispers dully. He looks away, and quickly pushes himself off me. His back pressed against the cave wall, he stares blankly at the fire.

I reach out to him, racked with guilt. “Bones…I’m so sorry…I don’t know why I said that…”

How did that just happen? Why did I say Kieron’s name?

He picks up his jeans and throws them on. Then he tosses a few small twigs in the pit and stares vacantly as the sparks fly. “You said the name of the one you most desire. The one you most wanted me to be.”

“But I don’t…he’s not…I don’t understand.”

He turns to face me, and I’m suddenly very aware that I’m still topless. “I don’t understand either,” he says quietly, “I thought for sure if you just let yourself open up to me that I would be the one…”

“Bones…”

“Don’t.” His voice is harder now. “You can fool yourself all you want to, but you can’t fool me. And as much as I want more than anything to be with you…to really be with you…I only want it if you feel the same way.”


I reach for my top, my hands shaking as I try to latch the row of tiny hooks. Why do there have to be so many of them? The awkwardness expands with each passing second as I search my brain for the right words. The problem is, there aren’t any.

“It’s okay,” Bones finally says. “Deep down I had a feeling you were still into him. I’ve never seen anyone affect you the way this guy has. But I had to try. If for no other reason than to make myself face the truth.”

I finally get my top on, and move closer to him. Bones’ magnificent beauty is enhanced even more by the dancing firelight, but the sadness in his eyes is unmistakable and gut-wrenching.

“Bones…” I reach out to him.

He gives me a wry smile and clasps my hand. “Sun’s coming up soon. You don’t want to be stuck out here with me…”

“I’m so sorry… I didn’t mean to hurt you…”

“You should go.”

“Bones…”

“Lucky, it’s okay. I don’t feel any different about you. You’re still the one thing in this world I care most about, and until the time comes when it is right for us to be together, I’ll wait for you. I’ll always be here, waiting for you. Because I know one day things will change, and you and I will be the ones who are meant for each other. One day it will be my name you say…”

“Bones…”

“Go now. I’ll see you later.” He gives my hand a gentle squeeze. There’s still plenty of time left before sunrise, but it’s obvious he wants to be alone.

I give him a quick hug and a peck on the cheek, saddened by how stiff and cold his body feels to me now. I can’t even bear to look into his distant eyes as I whisper “sorry” one last time before dashing off into the sanctuary of the forest.