Read Online The Demon Within by Stacey Brutger - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Stacey Brutger
Tags: adventure, Paranormal, series, paranormal romance, demon, angel, Fallen Angels, dark paranormal romance, kickass heroine, stacey brutger, peacekeeper series
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purpose of ridding her body of the demon it harbored, but had fallen in love with the lore.
She’d inherited his private collection, including his old tactical maps. The main research pieces would remain at the training center, but his personal favorites were here. A trickle of gratitude devastated her control.
She wrapped her fingers around the handle, but before the door swung open, she dropped her hand to her side. The latch clicked shut, and she rested her forehead against the cool wood.
Without a backward glance, she changed directions, preparing herself for a long, rigorous hike up the mountain trail. If she exhausted herself enough, maybe she wouldn’t relive Oscar’s death in her dreams.
Or even more disturbing, fantasize about the mystery man she’d left behind in the jungle.
Chapter Eight
R uman watched the woman disappear out the door, disgruntled to see her on the move again. They’d just arrived home. How was he supposed to check for weaknesses in her living establishment if he couldn’t remain in one place long enough for him to reconnaissance the area?
Indecision wavered. He should follow his charge and make sure she stayed out of mischief, but he needed space to allow himself time to gather his thoughts. Being near her mangled his thinking process, made him ineffective. Detecting no overt threat, he lingered in the house, rationalizing that he needed to gather information about her in order to be able to better protect her.
For the life of him, he couldn’t find anything about her beyond the basics. No one in this backwater place seemed to be aware of anything about her. She couldn’t have just popped out of nowhere.
The normal daily ins and outs of a human’s life held no interest for him. This one was different. The way she moved, the way she reacted to situations, disturbed him.
It reminded him of himself when he first descended. Cocky, sure of himself, and terribly alone.
When she’d returned from the temple, it had amused him to watch her try to catch him unaware. The intricate traps she’d constructed, the tricks she’d used to confirm whether or not she’d been followed had delighted him. She could sense him. He wasn’t invisible.
Now it became an annoyance.
True to her namesake Calypso, Caly was an expert in concealing herself. On more than one occasion when he trailed her, she’d lost him.
Impossible but true.
The only plausible explanation was that his senses had dulled by centuries trapped inside the statue.
But that was not the only thing that fascinated him about this woman. It was by happenstance that he noticed the way the demons acted around her. Some watched her like a wild animal prowling its cage, while others went out of their way to avoid her.
What confused him the most was he’d swear she could sense them as well. But demons, unless they were in their true forms, should’ve been undetectable.
Unless the person was marked by a demon and labeled property. Only, Caly wouldn’t willingly allow herself to be used by demons in exchange for favors. She wasn’t the type.
In any case, if that were true, it would’ve been impossible for her to wake him at all. With his freedom at stake, the unanswered questions plagued him worse than centuries of imprisonment. She presented an intriguing mystery, one he was determined to unravel.
Or at least he tried to convince himself that was the real reason he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Even while she slept, he lingered by her side when he should be setting up safeguards.
He justified his attention that he needed to pick up her habits, needed her to be predictable so he could keep her safe. The rational part of him warned that his fascination was a danger to his freedom if he didn’t get it under control.
In the hallway, Ruman shifted restlessly. He couldn’t let go of the feeling that he was missing the obvious. There had to be a clue here. To the right was the entrance to the basement, the
She’d inherited his private collection, including his old tactical maps. The main research pieces would remain at the training center, but his personal favorites were here. A trickle of gratitude devastated her control.
She wrapped her fingers around the handle, but before the door swung open, she dropped her hand to her side. The latch clicked shut, and she rested her forehead against the cool wood.
Without a backward glance, she changed directions, preparing herself for a long, rigorous hike up the mountain trail. If she exhausted herself enough, maybe she wouldn’t relive Oscar’s death in her dreams.
Or even more disturbing, fantasize about the mystery man she’d left behind in the jungle.
Chapter Eight
R uman watched the woman disappear out the door, disgruntled to see her on the move again. They’d just arrived home. How was he supposed to check for weaknesses in her living establishment if he couldn’t remain in one place long enough for him to reconnaissance the area?
Indecision wavered. He should follow his charge and make sure she stayed out of mischief, but he needed space to allow himself time to gather his thoughts. Being near her mangled his thinking process, made him ineffective. Detecting no overt threat, he lingered in the house, rationalizing that he needed to gather information about her in order to be able to better protect her.
For the life of him, he couldn’t find anything about her beyond the basics. No one in this backwater place seemed to be aware of anything about her. She couldn’t have just popped out of nowhere.
The normal daily ins and outs of a human’s life held no interest for him. This one was different. The way she moved, the way she reacted to situations, disturbed him.
It reminded him of himself when he first descended. Cocky, sure of himself, and terribly alone.
When she’d returned from the temple, it had amused him to watch her try to catch him unaware. The intricate traps she’d constructed, the tricks she’d used to confirm whether or not she’d been followed had delighted him. She could sense him. He wasn’t invisible.
Now it became an annoyance.
True to her namesake Calypso, Caly was an expert in concealing herself. On more than one occasion when he trailed her, she’d lost him.
Impossible but true.
The only plausible explanation was that his senses had dulled by centuries trapped inside the statue.
But that was not the only thing that fascinated him about this woman. It was by happenstance that he noticed the way the demons acted around her. Some watched her like a wild animal prowling its cage, while others went out of their way to avoid her.
What confused him the most was he’d swear she could sense them as well. But demons, unless they were in their true forms, should’ve been undetectable.
Unless the person was marked by a demon and labeled property. Only, Caly wouldn’t willingly allow herself to be used by demons in exchange for favors. She wasn’t the type.
In any case, if that were true, it would’ve been impossible for her to wake him at all. With his freedom at stake, the unanswered questions plagued him worse than centuries of imprisonment. She presented an intriguing mystery, one he was determined to unravel.
Or at least he tried to convince himself that was the real reason he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Even while she slept, he lingered by her side when he should be setting up safeguards.
He justified his attention that he needed to pick up her habits, needed her to be predictable so he could keep her safe. The rational part of him warned that his fascination was a danger to his freedom if he didn’t get it under control.
In the hallway, Ruman shifted restlessly. He couldn’t let go of the feeling that he was missing the obvious. There had to be a clue here. To the right was the entrance to the basement, the
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