Demon Inside

He must have had the same thought. “You didn’t really think you could hide it from me, did you?”

“Obviously I did, or I wouldn’t have tried.”

A quick smile flashed across his face, like a lightning bolt straight into her chest.

“I pay attention, darling,” he said. “It wasn’t hard to see, even if you hadn’t fed off me a few times.”

“No, I didn’t—did I?”

He nodded.

Why couldn’t she get drunk? None of the reasons seemed to be that important. Winston seemed nice enough, and she didn’t really need to participate…

Unless she wanted to behave like what Orion had accused her of being.

Greyson’s chest looked almost as inviting as her drink. She leaned into him, resting her cheek just below his collarbone. His muscles relaxed and his arm curved around her.

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“Come on, Meg.”

Right. He wouldn’t have invaded her privacy like that, any more than she would have done it to him. “But…aside from that, why didn’t you?”

“Because it was obvious you didn’t know you were doing it. Just like you didn’t realize your steak the other night wasn’t overdone. Or that earlier today—you didn’t see your eyes.”

Her hands flew to her face. “Oh God, did they change?”

“Yes. They haven’t done that before, at least not that I’ve seen.”

“I don’t understand…”

“Your demon is growing. It’s gaining power, and trying to get more. Maybe because some of your little ones have abandoned ship, like we talked about after your dad’s funeral. Or maybe just because. But it’s trying to assert itself and your power is too strong to let itself be destroyed. So the demon has to look elsewhere for food.”

Your power is too strong to let itself be destroyed…“It was feeding off me?”

“At least at first, yes.”

“And that’s why the stuff Tera taught me stopped working.”

She caught his sharp glance. She hadn’t told him that. “I would think so.”

“So if I…if I keep it fed, I can do that stuff again? And I can read people again?”

“You haven’t been?”

“No, not really. Not after Gerald’s sister came to the office Monday morning. I wanted to comfort her, but…” She shook her head. “It went wrong.”

“So that’s why you quit like that. I wondered.”

“No you didn’t.”

“No, I didn’t. For a minute I thought perhaps you’d bowed to my superior wisdom, but that would have been too much to ask. So I assumed it had something to do with the demon.”

It all seemed so rational, so sensible, as they sat there sipping bourbon in front of a roaring fire. Megan could have imagined they were talking about di

It hadn’t. Calmer, yes, but not quiescent.

Spud appeared holding an armful of clothing at the same time the buzzer rang. Winston Lawden had arrived.

Chapter 22

She started to sweat as she buttoned her jacket. True to form, Spud had selected a skirt she normally wore in the evening—it was shorter than work generally called for—and a summery camisole. Whatever. Given how pale she looked, maybe it was better if no one focused on her face too much. Not that her cleavage was anything to write home about.

“What do I do about it?” she asked, pulling up her stocking.

“Hmm?” His eyes tracked the movements of her hands. “Oh. Just relax. If you don’t panic about it, it won’t be so bad. It’s not like this is some crazy force that’s going to overtake you at any moment and force you to do things, especially once you get matters sorted out with your demons. It scared you, right, more than actually bothering you physically?”

Fu

“It’s just a desire, not a demand. You’re not a slave to it. It—you—have specific triggers. You can avoid those or you can learn to accept them and try to find another way to deal with them. It’s only a problem because you made it one. Oh, and sex is always a good way to get your mind off it, you know.”

She rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help smiling. “You’re so helpful.”

“I try.”

She dug her compact out of her purse and smeared a little powder on. Ugh. Blotchy skin, bags under her eyes…and so many unanswered questions, still, that she thought her head might explode, although—she hoped—not literally. Of course, if Ktana Leyak got hold of her, it was entirely possible.

Unless Orion Maldon had told the truth and knew how to defeat her.

“We’ll talk more later,” he said. “Unless you’ve decided to go home after Winston leaves.”

“Talking sounds good.” She still hadn’t even asked him about whether his demons were picking on hers…not that one explosion meant much. Not that the co

“We’ll see if—What the hell?”

Screams of pain tore through the door, mingled with shouts from Malleus and Maleficarum. Greyson started ru

They burst through the door of the study, where Greyson stopped so abruptly that Megan ran right into him. He hardly noticed. Neither did she.

Orion Maldon glowed like an LED light, sitting in his chair with sweat pouring down his face. Megan could practically see the air above him shimmer as his blood heated, as he got redder and redder until she expected to see his tears boil and sizzle down his tight cheeks. Heat rose from his skin and canceled out the chill of Winston’s rage.

Winston leaned against Greyson’s desk, his arms folded and his brows drawn. At their abrupt entrance, he glanced up.

“Nice to see you again, Megan,” he said, surely the most incongruous greeting Megan had ever received.

“Um…you too.”

“Winston,” Greyson said. “Far be it from me to interfere, but what are you doing?”

“Orion deserves to be punished. You guys do it your way. This is ours.”

“Of course. But we still have a lot of questions to ask him. If you wouldn’t mind—”

“What questions? He betrayed me. He made a deal with Templeton Black and allowed Templeton to almost bring the Accuser into your House. To defeat our own! I had no idea he was involved in that. The disloyalty…” He shook his head. “I know we were going to discuss his punishment, but I hope you’ll forgive me if I say I’ve already made the decision.”

Megan glanced at Orion. His eyes weren’t bulging anymore. Instead his lids were closing, his head slumping to the side. He was dying, right there beside her, and she couldn’t do or say anything to stop it.

“I gave him retchia, Win. You can’t kill him under my roof, not if I’m aware of it.”

“I’ll take him outside.”

“Vergadering is outside.”

“Oh, yes.” Winston looked thoughtful. “I did notice them. They’re going to want him first thing in the morning, aren’t they?”

“I promised them, yes.”

“Asterope Green?”

Greyson nodded.

Winston sighed. “Why you let that witch get so close to you I’ll never understand. We’re not meant to mix with them, you know.” His gaze settled on Megan, who had the uncomfortable feeling that both men were in complete agreement but only one was brave enough to say it. Or rather, only one of them was keeping his mouth shut because he wanted to stay in her bed.

“Orion says he knows how to beat the leyak,” Greyson said.

“He’s a liar. What would he know about leyaks?”

“If we figured out the co

Greyson shot her a glance. Oops. Well, not exactly oops. She hadn’t really had a chance to talk to him about it, what with the vomiting and the ca