Demon Marked

saying or reporting, and deciding whether the high-risk moves are worth the reward.”
    “I think the last high-risk move that I made was,” he said softly. The kindling began crackling a moment later, and he stood, regarding her with his serious face. “When the training’s over—thirty or so years, I guess—I’ll probably hand Reticle over to you, start fighting full-time.”
    “I know,” she said.
    “I won’t leave you, but—”
    “I know, Nicholas.” She’d seen the new purpose in him, and his company wouldn’t serve it the same way the money had supported his revenge. “I’ll hold on to it for when you need a cover or any other reason. As long as we’re together, I’m happy. Especially since I plan to own half the world in the next two or three hundred years, but very few people will know. All that matters is that you’re with me, and you’re impressed by my financial acumen.”
    “Everything about you astonishes me, Ash.”
    “Because you love me.”
    “No, because you love me . I’m coming to you a completely different man than you knew before. I shouldn’t expect anything, and you give me forever.”
    “That’s what I want, too. Anyway, you’re wrong. You weren’t a man when we met. You were like me—essentially a child in many ways. Maybe a teenager.”
    Nicholas shook his head, but she knew he wasn’t disagreeing. He knew himself too well. His life had stopped when he’d decided to pursue his revenge.
    “The essentials are the same, though,” she said. “You sought revenge as a way to right the wrongs Madelyn did to you. Yes, you were myopic and obsessive and incredibly paranoid, but there wasn’t any cruelty in you, just as there isn’t now. And I like to think we grew up a bit together, that week we spent here.”
    “You are amazing.” He bent and kissed her hard. “And fantasies in the warehouse, really?”
    “Only once. What do I care, right? But apparently it makes everyone uncomfortable, so they told me about the spell that can keep anyone from hearing what’s going on inside a room. Did you offend the bears?”
    “I didn’t. I don’t.”
    “Think about me?” Impossible.
    “All the time. But not . . . I can’t.” He turned away, set the lighter on its shelf. “I see Madelyn, walking in on me. Laughing.”
    Oh. When he faced her again, his features were washed in red light.
    “I’m so glad she’s dead,” Ash said, and he gave a short laugh of agreement. “And that reminds me, I have something for you, thanks to Jake the teleporting Guardian. Straight from a brick oven in New York, to his cache, to my cache, and now to your table—still piping hot. Now you can celebrate the end of Madelyn as you planned.”
    The cardboard box appeared in her hands, bringing with it an explosion of scents: cheese, charred crust, tomato, and spices. Nicholas didn’t even allow her time to open the lid. He tossed the box aside, and it slapped against the floorboards. He hauled her out of the chair, his mouth all over hers, sweet possession, gratitude, and wonder filling his kiss.
    He let her feet touch the floor again, following her down, his forehead against hers and his breath ragged. “I love you. I don’t deserve you, but I won’t let you go. Ever.”
    Another voice answered him—a harmonious voice. “Make sure that you don’t.”
    Khavi. Ash whipped around, boomstick coming to her hand. She froze. Khavi stood near the door, and she’d brought a hellhound with her. Not as big as Sir Pup, but it didn’t matter—the venom in Ash’s shotgun shells wouldn’t affect either of them.
    Human in appearance except for brown eyes that never appeared so ancient in so young a face, Khavi looked at the pizza box. “Oh, I came just in time. You will be very, very glad not to have eaten first.”
    “What do you want, Khavi?” But Ash feared she knew. Vanishing the boomstick, she said, “If this is about the frozen field, I am not exchanging myself for Michael.”
    “I know. Your unwillingness has been noted, and adjustments have been made.” She looked at Nicholas, who watched her warily. “You are finally healed, I see. Strong. And I am very sorry—I intended to wait until your Gift manifested itself naturally, but I cannot any longer. He will pull it from you anyway, just to determine whether you’re useful. When he does, you’ll have to look deep, and see what I cannot.”
    “What does that mean?” Nicholas pushed in front of Ash, shielded her.