Free The Demon King and I by Candace Havens

Gillian. He’s a demon.
    Arath pulled back and looked at me as if he knew what I’d been thinking.
    The burning ants took over the top of my scalp. I knew what to expect so I didn’t groan this time, but when his hand reached the back of my neck the pain dissipated.
    Unfortunately, so did any energy I had left. He caught me as I tumbled off the counter, and carried me in his arms like a baby.
    “Home,” I managed to whisper.
    “Soon,” he said as he touched my cheek.
    I wished he didn’t smell so good.

CHAPTER 8
    It was noon the next day before my eyes even thought about opening. I tested a quick blink, surprised there were no ill effects from the previous night.
    There was just one problem. I didn’t remember getting to my room.
    “The demon king brought you home.” The simple statement sounded like an insult coming from my mother. I didn’t need to see her to know she wasn’t happy with me. She pulled the curtains back and I blinked against the light.
    I opened my mouth to explain. She held up a hand.
    “I’m not angry, child. Arath told Jake that your strength and sheer willpower were what kept you alive.” Some mothers might have been weeping with joy that their child had survived. Not mine.
    Oh, she loved me and was glad I was alive, but there was no doubt she was disappointed in me. Rule number two in the Guardian’s handbook is to never show weakness. The fact that the demon king had had to save my life was a big no-no.
    “I’m sorry.” I didn’t know what else to say. It sounded lame even to me. “I know I’ve disappointed you.”
    Mom sat on the edge of the bed and pursed her lips. She was dressed in a long red skirt with a matching sweater and boots. She looked as though she’d just stepped out of a Carolina Herrera store. Prim and proper, with a simple gold chain at her neck and the diamond studs she never took out of her ears. My dad had given them to her on their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, just two years before he died. Her white-blonde hair was held by a clip at the base of her neck. She didn’t look like a powerful mage. It was a part of her deception.
    “On the contrary. It seems you have a fan in the demon king. Jake said Arath was quite worried about you. He stayed for several minutes to make sure the men followed his instructions explicitly. Including telling Jake to call me.”
    She took my hand in hers. “The healers tell me that whatever magic he used on you saved your life. He’s quite powerful.”
    I crossed my legs under the sheet. “I’ve never come across anyone like him. Do you know about him?”
    She dropped my hand and stood. “If you’re asking if I know about his mother and father, the answer is yes.” Her steel gray eyes stared at me. “I assume you’ve discovered the truth about his parents, or at least part of it.” She glanced down at her watch. “I don’t have time to explain, but I’d appreciate it if you could keep this quiet for now. There are circumstances.” She sighed. “It’s complicated. I have to go.”
    I knew a brush-off when I heard one, but I had to know the truth. “Mom, how could she leave her children behind? It doesn’t sound like something Aunt Juliet would do.”
    Her hand stilled on the door. “Gillian, she didn’t leave her children. She thinks they are dead. There has been a shift in the universe and problems with the treaties. We’re dealing with some very dark magic, and all hell is about to break loose. I don’t use that phrase lightly. I don’t have time to discuss King Arath’s lineage right now.”
    My mother never did anything lightly. If she was worried, things were much worse than I could ever imagine. I moved my legs to the side of the bed. “What do you mean?”
    “There was a reason why you girls were kept so busy last night. They wanted you distracted. Someone set a plan in motion that could destroy our world and several others. It’s going to take all of us working together to keep the