Free Demons and Lovers by Cheyenne McCray Page B

beautiful as always, but it was a harsh beauty and it almost hurt to look at her.
    The moment Lilin knelt before Rusalka, the goddess’s voice cut through her like a blade, slicing through to the very core of her being. “You failed, Lilin of the Succubae. You were given three opportunities, and you are found lacking.”
    Lilin hated the tears in her voice. “Please give me another chance, Rusalka.”
    “My word is law.” The goddess’s voice echoed in the chamber. “You are now mortal, Lilin, formerly of the air Succubae. Once you are on Earth, you shall have little time to arrange your affairs before I strip you of your memories of your former life. I will provide you with what humans require to live in their world—what they refer to as identification and the paper they use to trade for goods. I will give you new memories of living your life as a human.”
    Eyes wide, Lilin looked at the goddess, fear punching her belly. “Please, Rusalka. I will not fail if you give me another chance. Just one more chance.”
    Rusalka scowled. “Do you dare argue with me? I demanded that you bleed Archer Dane of his soul. As an Incubus he once disappointed me as you have. I do not tolerate such failures.”
    Lilin’s eyes widened. Archer had been an Incubus?
    The goddess’s face grew darker. “After giving him opportunity to adjust to his new mortal life, I stripped his memories. He remembers naught of being an Incubus.” Her lips twisted into a scowl. “Rise, Lilin, mortal.”
    All Lilin felt was numb as she obeyed. She didn’t feel changed. Yet.
    But she was a mortal. A mere human now. Two more tears squeezed from her eyes.
    “I will send you to Archer.” The goddess’s expression became amused. “He may do with you what he will. Throw you out. Fuck you. It matters not.” She gave a slight nod to her guards who stood to either side of Lilin. “Go.”
    Still stunned, Lilin stared at the goddess. She didn’t move until the guards forced her to turn and walk out of the chamber and into the Hall of the Lost.

Chapter 4
    So tired he could hardly see straight, Archer entered his sprawling mountainside home. He’d spent the day on a construction site and he was hungry and in need of a long hot shower.
    The entire day he’d been thinking about the woman—whoever she was, whatever she was—who’d kept appearing and disappearing in and out of his life. What happened on his living room rug had been real. But the way she’d just faded away… He was going out of his freaking mind.
    He tossed his keys on the entryway table then strode into the kitchen.
    And came to a complete stop.
    Lilin. In his kitchen.
    This time she had clothes on—jeans and a gray T-shirt with a Grateful Dead logo on it. She sat at the kitchen table, her elbows on the surface, chin in her palms, and a glum expression on her pretty face. Her silvery-blonde hair that tumbled over her shoulders shone in the evening light coming through the bay window. Her eyes, though, looked more gray than silver as she looked at him. She didn’t smile or get up.
    He dragged his hand down his face. “What are you doing here?”
    Lilin gave a deep sigh. “Thanks to you, I am mortal now.”
    That made Archer pause. “Listen, lady. I don’t know what planet you came from—”
    “Otherworld.” She straightened and draped her forearm on the table. Her Irish accent was stronger now than before. “I was a Succubus. I failed to get your soul for the goddess Rusalka so she made me mortal and sent me to you to decide my fate.”
    Otherworld? The goddess Rusalka? The names rang like bells in Archer’s head, as if he should know them. They had to be from fairytales read to him when he was a child. Not that he remembered his childhood.
    Lilin kicked at the table leg with her white tennis shoe. He saw a hint of her bare ankle. God, she had sexy ankles.
    He shook his head to get the crazy thoughts out of his mind. “I’m tired, hungry, and I need a shower.” He gestured