my magic."
He shook his head. "No, you didn't. You told me only that he'd attacked you. Damn it, you never even mentioned that you have power. Didn't you think that was critical information?"
"Oops." No wonder Nic seemed pissed off. "Sorry."
She heard him growl, and his eyes grew brighter. "Maybe you'd like to begin explaining now."
Not really, but considering how volatile he looked, she didn't think that was the best answer to give at the moment. "I really don't know that much. About three weeks ago, I got an internship in Crimson City. I didn't realize until after I started, but the ad agency is filled with women of power. Majo, that's what they call themselves. Except for me. They refer to me as kijo. Grandma Noguchi said both translate to witch."
Nic held out his hand, inviting her to take it. Reluctantly, she did, and he tugged her onto his lap. He backed up to an earlier screen and pointed to the definition of kijo. "Demoness?" she asked.
"There's a demon legend," he said, "one I didn't remember until I found a site that retold much of it. It talks of a human female born to a line of sorcerers who possesses much more power than the others around her. Such a woman is rare, and many demons will never hear of one within their lifetime."
"The kijo?" Kimi asked. She held her breath.
"Yes." Nic shifted, settling her more comfortably on his lap, and Kimi fought to stay focused on the conversation. All he had on was a pair of boxers, and they seemed awfully thin.
"Sometimes," he continued, "she's never found. Maybe she wasn't born or maybe she died before coming into her powers. Unlike demons, the kijo doesn't develop her talent until about five years after the onset of menstruation."
Nic didn't blush at the word, but Kimi did. In her family, this wasn't discussed in front of men, but he seemed unperturbed. "That means I had my magic then for almost two years before I learned of it." She considered. "Well, I did figure out I had the ability to summon demons about six months ago, but the rest I didn't know about until I came down here for that job—and I'm still not sure what I can do."
He frowned. "It would have been useful if you'd had those years of education and practice. Augustin would likely leave you alone then, since it's nearly impossible to take the powers of the kijo who's far enough along in her training."
"Nearly?" she questioned.
"Nearly," Nic confirmed. "And once you're fully trained, no one will be able to touch them at all."
"How come—" she asked slowly, and feeling safe next to him, she snuggled closer. "—demons have a legend about a human?"
"My guess is because she has powers similar to a member of one of the strong branches, and because enough kijo have bonded with demon males over the millennia to make an impact."
"But the kijo is human. What kind of bond can she have with a demon?"
"Any human can have a demon vishtau mate." When Kimi looked at him blankly, Nic explained what it was. Then he added, "But for the kijo it's different. When she performs the bonding rite with her mate, her physiology gradually changes from human to demon."
"Are you saying that Augustin is my vishtau mate and that he's trying to turn me into a Dark One?"
Nic frowned fiercely. "I doubt he shares the vishtau with you. It makes demons protective, and a male will die if that's what it takes to shield his mate. He's hurt you, and that would be next to impossible if you shared those ties with him."
Kimi had a sense that Nic wasn't being completely honest with her. "What aren't you telling me?"
There was a long hesitation, and Kimi felt her stomach knot. "You're
my
vishtau mate," he admitted at last.
Kimi ran through what he'd told her about the vishtau thing again. That meant he had a biological imperative to sleep with her because she could give him children, and an instinctive need to protect her. Not too flattering. "And you have no choice whether or not you want me. Nice."
With a growl, he wrapped his arm
He shook his head. "No, you didn't. You told me only that he'd attacked you. Damn it, you never even mentioned that you have power. Didn't you think that was critical information?"
"Oops." No wonder Nic seemed pissed off. "Sorry."
She heard him growl, and his eyes grew brighter. "Maybe you'd like to begin explaining now."
Not really, but considering how volatile he looked, she didn't think that was the best answer to give at the moment. "I really don't know that much. About three weeks ago, I got an internship in Crimson City. I didn't realize until after I started, but the ad agency is filled with women of power. Majo, that's what they call themselves. Except for me. They refer to me as kijo. Grandma Noguchi said both translate to witch."
Nic held out his hand, inviting her to take it. Reluctantly, she did, and he tugged her onto his lap. He backed up to an earlier screen and pointed to the definition of kijo. "Demoness?" she asked.
"There's a demon legend," he said, "one I didn't remember until I found a site that retold much of it. It talks of a human female born to a line of sorcerers who possesses much more power than the others around her. Such a woman is rare, and many demons will never hear of one within their lifetime."
"The kijo?" Kimi asked. She held her breath.
"Yes." Nic shifted, settling her more comfortably on his lap, and Kimi fought to stay focused on the conversation. All he had on was a pair of boxers, and they seemed awfully thin.
"Sometimes," he continued, "she's never found. Maybe she wasn't born or maybe she died before coming into her powers. Unlike demons, the kijo doesn't develop her talent until about five years after the onset of menstruation."
Nic didn't blush at the word, but Kimi did. In her family, this wasn't discussed in front of men, but he seemed unperturbed. "That means I had my magic then for almost two years before I learned of it." She considered. "Well, I did figure out I had the ability to summon demons about six months ago, but the rest I didn't know about until I came down here for that job—and I'm still not sure what I can do."
He frowned. "It would have been useful if you'd had those years of education and practice. Augustin would likely leave you alone then, since it's nearly impossible to take the powers of the kijo who's far enough along in her training."
"Nearly?" she questioned.
"Nearly," Nic confirmed. "And once you're fully trained, no one will be able to touch them at all."
"How come—" she asked slowly, and feeling safe next to him, she snuggled closer. "—demons have a legend about a human?"
"My guess is because she has powers similar to a member of one of the strong branches, and because enough kijo have bonded with demon males over the millennia to make an impact."
"But the kijo is human. What kind of bond can she have with a demon?"
"Any human can have a demon vishtau mate." When Kimi looked at him blankly, Nic explained what it was. Then he added, "But for the kijo it's different. When she performs the bonding rite with her mate, her physiology gradually changes from human to demon."
"Are you saying that Augustin is my vishtau mate and that he's trying to turn me into a Dark One?"
Nic frowned fiercely. "I doubt he shares the vishtau with you. It makes demons protective, and a male will die if that's what it takes to shield his mate. He's hurt you, and that would be next to impossible if you shared those ties with him."
Kimi had a sense that Nic wasn't being completely honest with her. "What aren't you telling me?"
There was a long hesitation, and Kimi felt her stomach knot. "You're
my
vishtau mate," he admitted at last.
Kimi ran through what he'd told her about the vishtau thing again. That meant he had a biological imperative to sleep with her because she could give him children, and an instinctive need to protect her. Not too flattering. "And you have no choice whether or not you want me. Nice."
With a growl, he wrapped his arm
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