“Tell me that we didn’t just murder two people,” I panted, dropping the menu when the flame finally hit my hand. I stamped it out and sidled toward the window, both shocked that I could kill a person so easily and thrilled that I was as badass as I had hoped.
“Demons are immortal,” he replied, and stuck his head out of the window. I edged up behind him, not wanting to see the result of a fall from a third-story window, but reminding myself that the men had planned on killing us. To my surprise, there were no bodies on the sidewalk, only black smudges.
“They’re gone? Did they walk away?” I asked, prepared to be amazed.
“No. You can destroy a demon’s form, but it will simply return to Abaddon to get a new one.”
“Abaddon?”
He closed the window and surveyed the room. “It’s what mortals think of as hell. It’s where the demon lords and their minions reside. Do you know where the ring is?”
“What ring? You keep talking about one, but I have no clue what you’re going on about.”
“Mrs. P has a ring. It is very valuable.”
“I don’t doubt that she does, since she obviously has a ton of money.” I zipped closed the suitcase and got to my feet. There were shards of a broken drinking glass on the desk that I swept into the tiny waste bin before gesturing toward the door and following him out to the main room. I frowned as a thought struck me. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m on my way to Cairo, just like you.”
“No, what are you doing here. In this room.”
His gaze dropped to my mouth.
Instantly, I wanted to kiss him again. And more…
“You’re not some sort of a jewel thief, are you?” I couldn’t help but ask once I wrestled my mind out of its smutty meanderings.
A flash of amusement passed over his face. “Not in the least. I’m just… interested… in unique items, and I heard that Mrs. P has one.”
“Good, because if you think you can buddy up to me in hopes that I’ll help you steal from Mrs. P, you’re sorely mistaken. Stealing is one of those things I don’t do. I may not have a ton going for me—although now I’m a super kick-ass dragonette who can push demons out of windows and play with fireballs—but I don’t steal. Or lie. I was going to add murder to that list, but I think I just killed a demon, so sadly, I’m not as righteous as I’d like to be.”
“You needn’t be worried that the destruction of a demon’s physical form will stain your soul,” he said with a pained twist of his lips. “It won’t.”
“You speak like you have experience in this matter. How many demons have you offed?”
“None before tonight.” He hesitated, then added slowly, “Why aren’t you worried about Mrs. P’s whereabouts?”
“That was a really excellent change of subject.”
“Thank you.” He made another of those little bows that looked incredibly sexy, rather than silly as I’d expected.
“I’m not worried because I fully expect to find her in the embrace of Edvard. Or at least trying to seduce him. She’s quite the character. I’ll Google demons to see if what you said is true, you know.”
“I’m sure you will. Do I need to apologize?”
“To Mrs. P for rifling through her things and breaking a hotel glass? Probably not. I’ll put things back the way she had them, and she doubtless won’t even notice. I’m forever taking the things she lifts from her bag anyway.”
“No, I meant for that kiss. I didn’t intend to do it. I just—you’re so—and we were there. Together.”
I smiled. Slowly. “I enjoyed it, actually. You’re quite the kisser.”
“So are you.” His voice seemed to have roughened. He cleared it and made an embarrassed gesture. “I enjoyed it as well. Perhaps another time we could do it again.”
“That sounds like a lovely plan,” I said, just as if he’d casually mentioned getting together for coffee. I don’t know what possessed me then. I can only attribute the fact that I walked over to him and planted my lips on his to the fact that I’d been woken up out of the most erotic dream of my life, coupled with the adrenaline rush of having dealt with murderous demons.
If anyone was due a little distraction, I figured it was me. Especially now that Jian had given me his blessing to move beyond what we had together. I smiled at Rowan, feeling that it was somehow right we should be together at that moment.
It was as if fate had brought us together… and I was never one to take fate for granted.
Six
“Sophea…” Rowan cupped my behind, and pulled me against his hips, groaning into my mouth when I parted my lips for him. “We really shouldn’t.”
“Why not? We’re both adults. I assume you’re not involved with anyone and I know I’m not, and great Caesar’s gizzard, do I want to see if you live up to the dream. Besides, Jian said at the séance that he wants me to move on, and I assume that includes finally being with another man.”
“Dream?” he asked, peeling off the t-shirt that I slept in. “Finally? You haven’t… erm…”