Page 6 of Love Summoned

Sloane’s war cry pulls me from my thoughts. She throws a punch at the guy, pink energy surrounding her fist for extra impact, and he counters with a hit to her ribs. When she grunts, clutching her side, I race back to her and two things happen at once: the wolf releases a bellowing howl, taking the demon attacking my sister side-on, and a burning force slams into me.

I’m off my feet before I have time to brace for the impact.

3

Man, I forgot how much firepower hurts—not that the demon’s hitting me with full force. It’s just for show, though I clearly need to up my training with the fire demons when we return home. Still, I won’t complain about finally coming to the human realm for the first time in months.

My brothers and I have been stuck in Hell training new demons. Finally, it was our turn for a mission, one that required charming a witch. An almost impossible task for a demon, unless you look like my brothers and me.

Jett, the youngest of our little found family, was all too eager to play with the witches—but not before receiving our warden’s stern warning to keep our guard up at all times. “You should never trust a witch,” he practically spat the words before pushing us out of Hell and up to Hemlock. Now, we’re playing the part of reformed demons and modest investors running a frankly dying record store.

My hands press into the ground on either side of the witch’s head as I take the brunt of the hit to my back. Green eyes with a blazing yellow ring around the pupil peer up at me, first in shock, then curiosity before morphing into annoyance.

She pushes at my chest with a grunt, forcing me off her before rolling to all fours and charging back into the fight.

Her hair is dark until it reaches her shoulders, then it spills into loose curls of ice blonde that billow off her back as she jumps, spins, and kicks with practiced force.

“You’re welcome,” I say, racing to her side.

“I had him,” she shouts back, before doing an impressive combo of jabs and kicks to one of the demons.

“Lucky for you, I’m a team player.”

“Unlucky for you, I don’t always trust a guy to get the job done.” She smirks, then grips my shoulder, one booted foot stepping onto my thigh before she pushes back, flipping her body in a corkscrew until she’s behind the fire demon, a blade to his throat.

High cheekbones are illuminated under the moonlight. Coral pink lips stretch over perfectly straight teeth as she bares them in challenge, then severs his tether to the human realm and sends him home.

The demon is nothing more than a cloud of blue smoke, slowly settling to the earth in front of her feet. She barely gives it a second before she launches herself into another fight beside her.

My brothers, Hynde and Lennox, fight against another pair, clearly holding themselves back to merely give the illusion of a battle—just as we were instructed to do. We’re not real brothers. We were assigned our units upon entry to the afterlife, but Hell has a way of bonding you together, at least in our case.

The witch intercepts them, jumping on one of the soldiers’ backs. She holds a vial of neon purple liquid in one hand.

Another demon snarls at her turned back, his hand commanding an angry red flame. My body moves forward before my mind completes the thought, and I’m sucked through space and time, reappearing beside her. One arm wraps around the witch’s waist, tugging her out of the way as my smoke lashes out. We fall to the ground as my powers extend, ripping through his chest and sending his essence scattering back to Hell.

My head is dizzy as an intoxicating and bright smell infiltrates my senses. My fingers flex over soft skin, and I groan. Whatever it is, I want more.

“What’s happening?” Lennox’s voice is warped as it pulls me back from the strange dream state.

My brothers circle me as they look down with a mixture of concern and confusion marring their faces. The other witch looks panicked, and it’s only then that I notice the gold ribbons of magic that envelop me.

Not just me. Me and the witch lying on top of me, one hand over my heart, the other gripping my neck. The skin damn near burns from her contact, the same way my palm burns where it rests on her bare lower back.

“What did you do?” The witch with dark hair steps forward.

“This is not us.” Lennox shakes his head as he studies the gold magic that surges around us like a pulse.

The other witch is still on top of me, her eyes tracing the magic as I map every freckle on her face. The longer her body remains pressed into mine, the more other emotions seem to bubble to the surface.

What is this magic? It’s so calming and settling. And hot.

A branch snaps as someone moves closer, pulling me out of the dizzying spell. The witch pushes off me, scrambling to her feet and taking the glittering gold tethers with her.

“What did you do to me?” I charge toward her now that my head feels clearer. It’s like her touch had some sedative, aphrodisiac effect on it.

“I didn’t do anything, demon,” she spits, pulling a dagger from a holster looped at her waist. “Why are you dressed like that? Like a human?”

“We’re on your side.” Jett grins, entirely unaware of the rising tension.