Free Demons: A Hunter's Novel, Book 1 by Felicite Lilly Page A

with me, no problems.
    I
was getting impatient. I decided on a totally different tactic. I stopped
moving and closed my eyes. I breathed deeply: in through my nose, out through
my mouth. It was a way for me to throw her off, having her believe I was done
fighting when I wasn’t. Strange thing was, I could still see her with my eyes
closed. Well, I could see her outline and it was a dark purple color. Strange did
not even begin to cover the path my life was headed down. Maybe I had a tumor. I
could hope, right?
    With
my eyes still closed, I saw her bounce a little but she had slowed down and I
could tell she was trying to figure out what I was doing. As she slowed even
further, she dropped her hands at her sides and her outline turned a lighter
purple. I decided now would be the premium opportunity to sock her. I stepped
forward and swung. She leaned back and I missed. I opened my eyes and Anie
looked shocked.
    “Were
you just trying to fight me with your eyes closed?”
    Until
I could figure out what was going on I didn’t want to share with her that I
could see her outline.
    “Yep,
you win.” I was done with my flight and my fight, for now. I needed a nap.
    “Why
were you trying to fight me?”
    I
knew she was really asking me who Az was to me. But what do I say? Because you
screwed the only man I’ve ever loved. Because no matter what, I don’t know if
I’ll ever be able to get over the fact that you have his symbol on your wall. I
couldn’t ask her and confirm what I already suspected. The reason she still had
Az’s symbol up. She hoped he’d come back. She was hoping that he would still
come to her at some point. Hell, did every woman Az had been with feel that
way? I know I did. And now I knew that Anie probably did, too. I didn’t want to
feel so much. I missed the numbness that I swam in just a few days ago.
    “I’m
tired. I’m going to go upstairs to sleep. Let me know when Kai gets here.”
    I
had so many things to think about. For instance, why Anie didn’t recognize Az
when he asked her to work for him. If they had been together there was no way
she wouldn’t recognize him. Once you go Demon you never go back. Which furthered
my suspicion that maybe it wasn’t Az who hired Anie.
    I
walked into my designated room and laid on the bed. I found I just didn’t want
to do anything. So I laid down and studied the inside of my eyelids. Anie
didn’t come upstairs to ask me if I wanted anything, which was good because I
might’ve started another fight. I had had enough. I didn’t want to deal with
one more thing and that included eating. I lay quietly unmoving until merciful
sleep claimed me.

~X~
    “In a dream I can’t seem to shake, She is standing alone…What a mess
that I make of my days…”
    –The Format, A Mess to be Made
    I
smelled food which was strange, because I didn’t remember cooking. I felt a
hand gliding up my side and heat searing me in its trail. If I could make
battery operated models of his hands and sell them at porn shops, I would
because I would make a killing.
    I
slowly opened my eyes to Az in bed next to me, under the covers and it didn’t
look like he was wearing a stitch of clothing. I was naked too. Because, come
on, it was so much more comfortable to sleep that way.
    I
loved these dreams. I looked around and didn’t recognize the room. It had big
windows and it was dark out. I looked at a tiny alarm clock next to the bed and
saw that it said 3:06am. So it was very late at night, or early in the morning
depending on how you saw it.
    I
searched for the source of the food smell. There was a tray with biscuits and
gravy sitting on the side table next to the bed. It was my favorite. It looked
like it had been sitting there for a while, though.
     I
grabbed his hand from my side and kissed his fingertips. It was a weird thing I
liked doing. He always ran so much hotter than I did. I loved feeling the tips
of that warmth on my lips. I’m weird, sue me. I looked at him and