on, love. Pick her up.”
Closing my eyes, I gently picked her up and shuddered as tears spilled down my cheeks. The rush of dark fire tingled through my fingertips. I bit down on my lip so hard it split beneath my teeth a second before I crushed the porcelain skull.
Trembling, I dropped the doll as if I’d been burned and buried my face into my knees. A hand patted my back, and I froze, warring with my inner desires.
“Ash.” I gritted my teeth. “You’ve got to release me. I can’t fight this.” I sank my claws into my thighs, wincing as the blood spilled down my hands. I didn’t want to hurt him. I really, really didn’t. But I wasn’t sure I’d ever be strong enough to fight the war inside me.
“Little demon, I’ll never let you go. Not ever.”
But he pulled his hand away, and I was sobbing so hard because I was relieved and tortured by my need of him.
He was walking out the door, and I didn’t want him to go. I wiped my nose with the back of my hand. “You were there? That night with Breanna, you were there, weren’t you?”
Clapping his hand against the doorframe, he nodded. “I was there. And her name was Brianna, and you saved her, Pandora. And I didn’t think it was possible to love you more than I did that night.”
Then he was gone, and I was alone again.
Chapter 8
Asher
“I need a living, breathing child.” I looked at Dean as he wiped down the metal counter after a busy midnight rush of shifters.
Snorting, Dean riffled his fingers through his hair. “Yeah, lemme just get right on that there. Cause it’s not like she hasn’t killed about ten dolls already.”
He rolled his eyes, and I pounded a dent into the table nearest me. I hadn’t slept in months, but Pandora was making progress. And while I could see it, it was so slow going that I was beginning to lose hope I’d ever be able to get her through this.
“Do you think this is funny?” I snapped.
“Just a little.” Death walked over and locked the door, leaning against it with a calculating look in his eyes. “Look, it’s not like I care one way or another what happens with the little filthy bastards, but I’m not stealing some kid just to help wake her up.”
“Then ask someone!” I paced the length of the bar floor, wishing like hell that I could come up with a better idea than the one I had. But time was running out. Pandora and I couldn’t hide away in Death’s bar too much longer.
There was a war brewing just outside those guarded doors. Dean had explained to me that as long as we remained ensconced within his bar nothing could get to us, which was turning out to be absolutely accurate. Death had many tricks up his Gucci sleeves, and while I was grateful, I was growing increasingly anxious.
The Triad had already had months gearing up for their next attack on her, and remaining in seclusion so long would make us weaker, not stronger. But I couldn’t rush this either. It’d taken her a year to get to where she’d been. I couldn’t expect things to go much faster than they were.
“I don’t do something for nuthin’.”
I poured myself a drink and sat down. “You’ve kept us here.”
“Ah, yeah.” His eyes glowed. “But that’s all part of the game. What you’re asking me goes beyond that. So tell me, Priest, what are you willing to give me in return?”
I tossed back my drink and shook my head. “I’m no priest anymore. I cut ties.”
“Yeah, but you’re still bound, and until you get your soul back, you are a Priest, whether you like it or not.”
“She doesn’t know I’m still alive.”
He chuckled. “A testament to your craftiness, no doubt. That, and the fact that your precious little demon didn’t rat you out in that prison. Allora tried damned hard to find you out.”
Kicking out my leg, I shook my head slowly, feeling as if I were a fly that’d just landed in a spider’s web. I didn’t want Pandora to learn the truth about me. Ever.
Thankfully, the geas kept my
Closing my eyes, I gently picked her up and shuddered as tears spilled down my cheeks. The rush of dark fire tingled through my fingertips. I bit down on my lip so hard it split beneath my teeth a second before I crushed the porcelain skull.
Trembling, I dropped the doll as if I’d been burned and buried my face into my knees. A hand patted my back, and I froze, warring with my inner desires.
“Ash.” I gritted my teeth. “You’ve got to release me. I can’t fight this.” I sank my claws into my thighs, wincing as the blood spilled down my hands. I didn’t want to hurt him. I really, really didn’t. But I wasn’t sure I’d ever be strong enough to fight the war inside me.
“Little demon, I’ll never let you go. Not ever.”
But he pulled his hand away, and I was sobbing so hard because I was relieved and tortured by my need of him.
He was walking out the door, and I didn’t want him to go. I wiped my nose with the back of my hand. “You were there? That night with Breanna, you were there, weren’t you?”
Clapping his hand against the doorframe, he nodded. “I was there. And her name was Brianna, and you saved her, Pandora. And I didn’t think it was possible to love you more than I did that night.”
Then he was gone, and I was alone again.
Chapter 8
Asher
“I need a living, breathing child.” I looked at Dean as he wiped down the metal counter after a busy midnight rush of shifters.
Snorting, Dean riffled his fingers through his hair. “Yeah, lemme just get right on that there. Cause it’s not like she hasn’t killed about ten dolls already.”
He rolled his eyes, and I pounded a dent into the table nearest me. I hadn’t slept in months, but Pandora was making progress. And while I could see it, it was so slow going that I was beginning to lose hope I’d ever be able to get her through this.
“Do you think this is funny?” I snapped.
“Just a little.” Death walked over and locked the door, leaning against it with a calculating look in his eyes. “Look, it’s not like I care one way or another what happens with the little filthy bastards, but I’m not stealing some kid just to help wake her up.”
“Then ask someone!” I paced the length of the bar floor, wishing like hell that I could come up with a better idea than the one I had. But time was running out. Pandora and I couldn’t hide away in Death’s bar too much longer.
There was a war brewing just outside those guarded doors. Dean had explained to me that as long as we remained ensconced within his bar nothing could get to us, which was turning out to be absolutely accurate. Death had many tricks up his Gucci sleeves, and while I was grateful, I was growing increasingly anxious.
The Triad had already had months gearing up for their next attack on her, and remaining in seclusion so long would make us weaker, not stronger. But I couldn’t rush this either. It’d taken her a year to get to where she’d been. I couldn’t expect things to go much faster than they were.
“I don’t do something for nuthin’.”
I poured myself a drink and sat down. “You’ve kept us here.”
“Ah, yeah.” His eyes glowed. “But that’s all part of the game. What you’re asking me goes beyond that. So tell me, Priest, what are you willing to give me in return?”
I tossed back my drink and shook my head. “I’m no priest anymore. I cut ties.”
“Yeah, but you’re still bound, and until you get your soul back, you are a Priest, whether you like it or not.”
“She doesn’t know I’m still alive.”
He chuckled. “A testament to your craftiness, no doubt. That, and the fact that your precious little demon didn’t rat you out in that prison. Allora tried damned hard to find you out.”
Kicking out my leg, I shook my head slowly, feeling as if I were a fly that’d just landed in a spider’s web. I didn’t want Pandora to learn the truth about me. Ever.
Thankfully, the geas kept my
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