The Demon's Song by Kendra Leigh Castle Page B

look
     she gave him.
    “Keep it up and you’ll find out.”
    “That a promise?”
    She wasn’t in the mood to play. Disappointed, and fascinated in spite of himself,
     Phenex watched various emotions flicker across her face as she struggled to keep her
     cool. There didn’t seem to be any guile to her. That stunning face was an open book,
     and it was more refreshing than he’d imagined to find her so easy to read. He was
     used to deception. Sofia had already proven herself terrible at it.
    “This isn’t funny. Not to me,” she finally said, her voice strained. “I can’t have
     you staying here with Amy and my job and… Look, what if I leave DC? I have some time
     off saved up. If I took a trip home, I’d be less of a distraction.”
    It was bizarre, how little he enjoyed dashing her hopes.
    “You want to endanger your family, too? They’ll chase you, Sofia. Good and bad, vamps
     enjoy the chase, and we’re talking about people who have all the time in the world.
     Until this group is wiped out, you’re not safe anywhere.”
    “What about Amy? Is someone watching her, too?” she asked.
    Phenex shook his head. “Not necessary. She was outside the bathroom, remember? And obviously thralled when she was escorted out. Unlike
     you.”
    Sofia looked so crestfallen that, for just a moment, he wished he could take it back.
    Which was stupid. She belonged here. Within reach.
    “Look, don’t worry,” he heard himself saying, common sense overridden by his strange
     instinct to soothe her. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
    She shook her head, then locked eyes with him. He was as startled by her sudden intensity
     as he was by the flash of white heat he felt in that instant, accompanied by an inspired
     fragment of song that flickered through his consciousness. It was gone as quickly
     as it came, impossible to catch hold of, but as sweet as spreading his wings in the
     moonlight. He didn’t know what to make of it. He hadn’t composed in centuries. That
     part of him had gone as dead as what passed for his heart. Unnerved, Phenex shifted
     on the couch, hunching a little as though he could defend himself against the strength
     of this attraction.
    He wanted, needed to be in control here. Floundering around like some…well, like some human was out of the question. He was a supremely powerful being, damn it.
    And her words burned right through him.
    “I don’t want to die,” Sofia said quietly.
    “You won’t.” The words came out more harshly than he’d intended, but that didn’t seem
     to faze her.
    “Can you promise me?” she asked. “Can you absolutely guarantee, give me your word
     that I’m going to survive this?”
    It was a struggle to conceal his surprise. Nobody ever banked on his honor. It was
     assumed that he had none. His word had meant nothing for eons. He ought to be amused
     by Sofia’s naï veté. But he wasn’t.
    Truth be told, he didn’t know what he felt. With Sofia, he was still stumbling around—willingly—in
     the dark.
    “You did catch the part about me being a fallen angel, right?” he finally said. “My word isn’t worth much to people.”
    Sofia’s glaze was intense. “You helped save my butt twice already. If your word is
     still worth something to you , then it’s worth something to me.”
    He found himself nodding. “Fair enough. You’ve got my word, Sofia. I’ll keep you alive.”
    She exhaled harshly, and it was only then that Phenex realized how badly she’d needed
     his guarantee. That she was actually depending on him. He couldn’t quite remember
     the last time he’d been in a similar position. His most important relationships worked
     because of mutual self-interest. They sure as hell weren’t grounded in honesty and
     integrity.
    He had a sudden, overwhelming desire to jump out the window and take wing until he
     got his head back on straight. Instead, he forced himself to stay put.
    “I still can’t quite believe that