Page 31 of Caressed By Sin
I trembled.
“Khaki?” Leather materialized and appeared, swirling out of the air like a gentle wave and wrapping around his golden sculpted body. Slowly, it began forming into pants. “I’ve killed people for less.”
“I-I didn’t know you had any clothing preferences. I’m so sorry.”
“Why should I care about your situation, hunter?”
I sat up. “Azar, I need your help.”
The leather pants finished, resembling a second skin.
He remained where he was. His eyes traveled down my body, making me shift uncomfortably in my yellow night shirt and then he turned around and headed for the door.
“No! Azar, I need you.” I jumped off the couch and raced his way, almost bumping into him as he stopped in front of the door. “I’m sorry. I’ll never bite you again. I just didn’t want to be…vulnerable. You just appeared with a deal. . . and your fingers…I needed time to think.”
His back muscles flexed. “You should be happy that I didn’t kill you. Instead, you beg me for help?”
“I’m desperate—”
“And stupid.”
“I’ll take that. But, I still need your help. And we had a deal.”
“Deal!?”
“Please. . .I didn’t turn you into Adae. That has to count for something.”
He rolled his shoulders and exhaled. Still, he didn’t turn around. Instead, he remained staring at the door. “What is Adae holding for the debt?”
“My daughter.” I swallowed the pain that was rising in my chest and tried to make the image of Jade’s little face disappear. “Adae is keeping my daughter at his castle until I pay off my husband’s debt.”
“How old is your daughter?”
“Four.”
“How much did your husband owe.”
“Ten million blood coins.” I sighed. “Five million of my husband’s debt remains.”
Blood coins were the only source of commerce in the supernatural world. One used it to travel among our kind, pay their living expense in hidden enchanted cities, and purchase spell recipes as well as ingredients.
Blood coins were red, square, and no bigger than a human penny.
When the sun was out, they weighed heavy and were hot, almost burning my fingers. When a full moon was out, they cooled down and glowed in the dark.
Elves created blood coins. Few knew the entire process. All I’d learned was that the elves had to cut their hands and release a stream of blood to create the coins. Therefore, blood coins were difficult to come by and the most sought-after object in our world.
And Adae wanted me to work off millions of them.
Slowly, Azar turned around. Chocolate eyes appeared instead of red.
I counted that as a good sign.
His lips formed into a thin angry line. A rumbling sounded in his massive chest.
Maybe not a good sign.
I stepped back. His blood had made me stronger, but I was sure he could still kill me within seconds. Maybe I made a mistake by stopping him from leaving. Perhaps, I should have given him to Adae after all.
