Free Blood Cursed by Erica Hayes Page B

deathgrip that wouldn’t budge.
    Kane’s handsome golden head swiveled around, razorblack gaze searching, elegant nose twitching for soulscent.
    My guts squeezed tight. I needed to pee, big-time. I hunkered in the shadows, wrapping my wings tight, making myself as small as possible, that horrid ring pressed deep between my sweating thighs. My nerves yammered at me to flee. I should run. Get out and never look back.
    But that black hellmagic seeped into my limbs, caressing me, tempting me with foul come-hither. My lungs stuffed with useless air, and I gasped like a swamped fish and couldn’t move.
    Kane’s gaze magnetized onto mine, and he dropped Jasper with a clunk like death.
    My blood flooded cold, my wings crackling with ice, and something warm and sticky slid down my leg.
    Kane licked soft red lips, mesmerizing. The air between us rippled like a darksweet sandstorm, and his voice crooned, rich and irresistible with hot demonic compulsion. He beckoned, just the crook of one elegant finger. “Come out, bloodgirl.”
    My mind tumbled, irrational. God, I wanted to come out. The magic slid deep into my veins like a creeping addiction, and I wanted to stumble out and fall at his feet, beg him to touch me, raise me up, take my hand.
    But if I did, Jasper-the-dirty-rotten-liar-I-can’t-believe-I-fell-for-his-crap would die. The demon would eat his soul, or whatever cringing part of it lurked in this strange, treacherous ring that still chewed my finger like a hungry rat. And who knew what would happen to me?
    Then again, if I stayed here, the demon would just haul me out. Probably by a loose flap of skin. With his teeth. And Jasper would still get dragged off to hell, and with a pissed-off demon for my only friend, I’d be right there with him.
    I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to resist. But Kane’s magic licked the insides of my thighs, tempting me to dark surrender, and I knew there was only one thing I could do.

6
    Trembling, I stepped from the shadows.
    Kane smiled, beautiful like an angel, and the air grew colder. “Ember. How sweet of you.”
    How did he know my name? I shivered, the pressure of his black gaze an icy weight on my soul.
    Jasper choked on the ground, broken legs twitching feebly. “Emmy. Christ. Told you to wait—”
    “Shut up.” Kane’s gaze never slipped from mine. “Rest now, Ember. You’ve done enough. Come to me.”
    Unwilled, I stepped closer, my legs moving before I could stop them.
    Kane reached for my hand, a greedy gleam staining his eyes blue, and his voice slithered warm under my skin and watered my will to mush. “Give me the gem.”
    “No.” I backed off, hiding the jewel behind my back, but it was no use.
    The demon grabbed my wrist, effortlessly strong, and dragged me forward. His smooth palm slipped over mine, and I fell.
    Down into a swirling abyss of images, people, places, everyone I’d known, everything I’d ever thought I wanted. Girls who teased me, boys who blushed and dropped their gazes. I’d wanted to be friends, but I was always apart, always different, always that bloodfae girl . Ash, the bloodfae boy I’d shared a dingy apartment with years ago, who’d died selling blood to keep the two of us fed, leaving me with only guilt and a morbid fear of ending up like him. That hungry vampire tonight, his studded tongue a sweet pressure in my mouth. Dozens more like him, always hungry, always undressing me with their eyes and sniffing the air for my scent, and until tonight I’d resisted them all.
    Diamond, magical, attractive, maddening, his ruby eyes glinting with scorn. Jasper, whole and laughing, violet eyes aflame with fun, his swanblack hair feathering over my fingers. The first time we made love, hot and breathless, pleasure like I’d never found before, his caresses resonating deep inside, his tenderness a revelation. Kissing in the rain, long and slow and soulful, our wet clothes plastered together, skin burning beneath.
    The first night we argued,