Burn

They didn’t burn the practitioners, they swallowed them, leaving behind only ashes. Spotting the red residue in the ashes, Harper knew she’d been right. The flames of hell were said to leave behind such a residue. Which meant Knox really could call on them. He really was a threat to not only every demon, but every single thing that existed on the planet. Well, shit.

The buzz in the air died away as the power seemed to return to where it came from, and it no longer hurt to breathe. Knox held out his hand, and the fire dragon was sucked back into his palm. As Knox closed his hand tight, smoke puffed out of his fist.

That was when he turned to face her, and she saw that the demon was still in charge for the moment. It prowled toward her, its gaze unblinking. The hellhound moved aside, as if it didn’t dare try to come between her and the demon. Harper put away her blade, not wanting to seem a threat.

Coming to stand in front of her, Knox’s demon studied her closely. “Now you know the truth.”

“I won’t tell.”

“You fear me now.”

Kind of. It wasn’t necessarily Knox or his inner demon that she feared, it was the power they had…and what they could do with it. “You won’t hurt me.”

That answer seemed to please it, and it fluttered its fingertips along the cut on her forehead. How could something so dangerous, so capable of cruelty, be so gentle? “They made you bleed.”

She gave a casual shrug. “It will be healed within the hour.” As if satisfied, the demon retreated. Knox cupped her nape and pulled her flush against him; he held himself stiffly, and she got the feeling he was expecting her to pull away. So she relaxed into him.

“I’m proud of you for fighting back.”

“It was good that she did, since I was unconscious for most of that.”

She turned to see Tanner, having retained control over his demon, zipping up a pair of jeans. He obviously kept fresh clothes in the car in case he had to let his demon out. “You would have done what it took if Knox hadn’t turned up and stole the show.” She couldn’t help but be impressed as Tanner effortlessly righted the Bentley.

“It’ll be safe to drive, it’s just a little banged up.” Tanner was right. None of the windows had been smashed.

“Is it demonically protected?” she asked Knox.

“Yes,” he replied. Then he frowned. “You’re hurting.” How he’d sensed it, she didn’t know. “Where?”

“It’s just a headache.” Okay, that was understating things a little – it felt like someone was stabbing her in the eye while pounding a hammer on her skull. The pain was making her feel nauseous. “They tried to knock me out the way they did Tanner. But I fought it.”

“Bonding with me has made you stronger.”

She peered up at him, smiling despite herself. “By the way, the fact that you can travel using fire is really, really awesome.”

“I’m glad you feel that way, because that’s exactly how we’re getting home.”

Wait, what?

“Tanner, you can come with us or you can wait here for Larkin and Keenan. I’ve already spoken to them. They’re on their way.” By that, Harper guessed he’d called them telepathically.

“I’ll stay here and help them with the clean-up,” said Tanner.

Knox locked both arms around Harper. “Ready?”

Um, no. It sounded fun to pyroport, but as she remembered the raging fire, she wasn’t so eager to try it.

“The flames will cover you, but it’s just normal fire, it won’t hurt you,” Knox assured her. “Trust me.”

A fire suddenly roared to life around them and, fuck, it was one of the weirdest things she’d ever experienced. The heat was unbearable for a millisecond as the flames engulfed her entire body, licking every inch of exposed skin. Then the flames parted and the heat vanished, and she realized they were in his living room. “Well, fuck.”

Hearing a deep rumbly laugh, she turned to find Levi on the sofa. “That was my thought the first time he pyroported me somewhere.” His brow crinkled. “You okay?”

“Been better,” she mumbled tiredly as she flung herself on the sofa. “I’m seriously tired.”

“You used a lot of psychic energy fighting to stay conscious after the practitioner dealt you a psychic hit,” said Knox. “Of course you’re tired.”

Using too much psychic energy was like being given a sedative. Lethargy was creeping over her, making her sleepily curl up into a ball. Unfortunately, the pounding headache had the potential to keep her from resting peacefully. Something in her expression must have given away the amount of pain she was in, because Knox sat beside her and used the pads of his fingers and thumb to massage her temples and scalp. It felt so good, she pretty much melted into the soft leather. “I really wish I’d killed Frick and Frack myself.”

“Frick and Frack?” echoed Levi.

“Dark practitioners,” Knox explained. Levi listened quietly as he told the tale. Sensing Harper had fallen asleep, Knox ended his massage and brushed his fingers through her hair; it was like liquid silk and he loved the feel of it against his skin.

When he’d received her frantic telepathic call, he’d almost lost his fucking mind. It was a dangerous thing for someone like Knox to be without the control that kept his demon and his abilities in check. Knox knew without a doubt that if Harper had been killed tonight, his demon would have taken over and expressed its anger on the world. It cared for nothing other than its own survival and pleasure. But Harper belonged to it, and someone had tried to take her away. That wasn’t acceptable to it.