hand captured Claire’s, and the sapphires in her wedding ring flared a deep blue. “Tell me what happened—and don’t lie, because I know it was something ugly.” Annie glanced at her ring, the blue sparks gathering around Claire’s hand.
Shame washed through Claire. What she had done to her own son, that complete loss of control—what if it meant the demon still lived inside her? That, instead of being abolished by Azazel and her new soul, it had simply crouched in the dark, waiting for a chink in her still vulnerable armor. James created that chink, letting out just a small part of what she had been—
“Claire.” The impatience in Annie’s voice told her it hadn’t been the first attempt to get her attention. “Stop crawling into that hole. You’re not alone this time.”
“Annie.” She jerked free, terrified that her proximity to the baby might flick a switch she couldn’t turn off. “I shouldn’t be near you.” Standing, she backed toward the front door. “I shouldn’t be near any of you, not until I know what is happening to me.”
Marcus moved forward. “Claire—”
“Stay away.” She felt the old need, tingling, gathering, wanting to unleash. “Please—I need to—”
“Mom! Annie!” The kitchen door slammed closed. “Guess who I—” Zach froze in the doorway, obviously sensing the tension. “What?”
Claire retreated, caught between the two people she loved most, and could hurt the most. It was the reason she never made emotional connections as a demon, until she met Annie. Any attachment left her victim wide open, trusting—and finding out too late they shouldn’t have trusted.
Marcus stepped to her. “You don’t need to be afraid, sweet. Not here. Not with us.”
“I feel my control—slipping.” Swallowing, she kept moving away as they tried to close the distance. Her brave men. God help her, she loved them so much. And it would destroy her if she caused any permanent harm. “I don’t want—”
“Hello, Claire.” That low, quiet voice had her heart pounding. Simon moved into sight, stepping around Zach. His appearance surprised her so much, so didn’t have a chance to escape before he took her hands. “Your energy is different.” He studied her, those clear green eyes troubled. “You were touched by him as well.”
“Who?” Panic shot through her. “Did James come back?” She yanked out of Simon’s grip and rushed over to Zach. “Did he hurt you?”
“He tried.” Zach avoided her eyes, scuffing the carpet with his tennis shoe, which signaled loud and clear that whatever happened was not good. “Simon helped get rid of him. But I was about to—”
“Zachariah,” Claire said. He flinched at the use of his full name. She didn’t do it often, and hadn’t since he discovered the truth about himself. “I want you to tell Annie about James.” He looked up, clearly surprised. Claire was surprised as well. She meant to browbeat, but her mind had another agenda.
“Um, okay. Wait—” Anger flared in his eyes. “Did he—”
“I have a feeling Annie took care of him. She just doesn’t remember. Any of it.”
After a long moment, he nodded. Claire watched him walk over to Annie, sit next to her on the sofa, and take her hand. Tears stung Claire’s eyes; his care of Annie, his concern for her, showed Claire just how much he had grown.
Warm hands closed over her shoulders, Simon’s quiet energy a balm on her ragged nerves. “You should be proud of him.”
“I am beyond proud.” She looked up at him. “Your hair is longer. It makes you look—younger. Less jaded, more—”
“Hippie?”
She let out a choked laugh. “More at ease. You have an intensity, Simon. The type that can intimidate someone who doesn’t know you.”
“It didn’t keep me from getting all kinds of advice while I was traveling.” He pushed the sun streaked brown hair off his forehead. “Stop frowning. Zach’s okay.”
“You’ll tell me what happened to
Shame washed through Claire. What she had done to her own son, that complete loss of control—what if it meant the demon still lived inside her? That, instead of being abolished by Azazel and her new soul, it had simply crouched in the dark, waiting for a chink in her still vulnerable armor. James created that chink, letting out just a small part of what she had been—
“Claire.” The impatience in Annie’s voice told her it hadn’t been the first attempt to get her attention. “Stop crawling into that hole. You’re not alone this time.”
“Annie.” She jerked free, terrified that her proximity to the baby might flick a switch she couldn’t turn off. “I shouldn’t be near you.” Standing, she backed toward the front door. “I shouldn’t be near any of you, not until I know what is happening to me.”
Marcus moved forward. “Claire—”
“Stay away.” She felt the old need, tingling, gathering, wanting to unleash. “Please—I need to—”
“Mom! Annie!” The kitchen door slammed closed. “Guess who I—” Zach froze in the doorway, obviously sensing the tension. “What?”
Claire retreated, caught between the two people she loved most, and could hurt the most. It was the reason she never made emotional connections as a demon, until she met Annie. Any attachment left her victim wide open, trusting—and finding out too late they shouldn’t have trusted.
Marcus stepped to her. “You don’t need to be afraid, sweet. Not here. Not with us.”
“I feel my control—slipping.” Swallowing, she kept moving away as they tried to close the distance. Her brave men. God help her, she loved them so much. And it would destroy her if she caused any permanent harm. “I don’t want—”
“Hello, Claire.” That low, quiet voice had her heart pounding. Simon moved into sight, stepping around Zach. His appearance surprised her so much, so didn’t have a chance to escape before he took her hands. “Your energy is different.” He studied her, those clear green eyes troubled. “You were touched by him as well.”
“Who?” Panic shot through her. “Did James come back?” She yanked out of Simon’s grip and rushed over to Zach. “Did he hurt you?”
“He tried.” Zach avoided her eyes, scuffing the carpet with his tennis shoe, which signaled loud and clear that whatever happened was not good. “Simon helped get rid of him. But I was about to—”
“Zachariah,” Claire said. He flinched at the use of his full name. She didn’t do it often, and hadn’t since he discovered the truth about himself. “I want you to tell Annie about James.” He looked up, clearly surprised. Claire was surprised as well. She meant to browbeat, but her mind had another agenda.
“Um, okay. Wait—” Anger flared in his eyes. “Did he—”
“I have a feeling Annie took care of him. She just doesn’t remember. Any of it.”
After a long moment, he nodded. Claire watched him walk over to Annie, sit next to her on the sofa, and take her hand. Tears stung Claire’s eyes; his care of Annie, his concern for her, showed Claire just how much he had grown.
Warm hands closed over her shoulders, Simon’s quiet energy a balm on her ragged nerves. “You should be proud of him.”
“I am beyond proud.” She looked up at him. “Your hair is longer. It makes you look—younger. Less jaded, more—”
“Hippie?”
She let out a choked laugh. “More at ease. You have an intensity, Simon. The type that can intimidate someone who doesn’t know you.”
“It didn’t keep me from getting all kinds of advice while I was traveling.” He pushed the sun streaked brown hair off his forehead. “Stop frowning. Zach’s okay.”
“You’ll tell me what happened to
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