Free Devil's Bargain by Christine Warren

ways?”
    â€œActually, I’ve been thinking about it, and I think it’s just as likely that the prophecy was talking about your uncle as about you,” she said, which was at least half true. She did think there was an equal chance for Alistair and Aaron to be the knights; she just thought there might be another knightin there entirely whom they hadn’t talked about yet. “Especially since he’s dead. Fallen, as it were.”
    â€œThen what we’re about to do now is make the prince flee, huh?”
    â€œThat’s the plan.”
    â€œAnd tell me again how you’re planning to manage that.”
    Lilli made a face. “I’m going to offer to give him exactly what he wants. If he’ll agree not to start the rebellion, we’ll give him back the book. I think the four small prince verses are the real reason he wanted it in the first place. If he had those, he’d be in a much stronger position to know where his enemies were likely to attack.”
    â€œHe didn’t see us coming.”
    â€œNo, because your uncle had the book. Samael had no way of referring to the prophecy ahead of time. I think that may be why your uncle was killed. Samael was responsible, and he did it to get the book back. But since your uncle wasn’t a stupid man, he made arrangements to keep Samael from finding it—namely concealing it on the wrong shelf and ensuring that you were put in place to take charge of his effects after his death.”
    â€œYou really don’t believe in coincidence, do you?”
    â€œNot when Samael is involved, I don’t.”
    â€œThen I’m glad I get the chance to face him again,” Aaron said, and his hazel eyes hardened behind his scholarly glasses. “Are you sure we can’t make this a more traditional sort of battle?”
    â€œI don’t think that would be a good idea.”
    The thought of it made Lilli’s stomach clench. Even she had no intention of trying to best Samael in a physical contest. She’d been telling the truth that he would be less powerful here in his physical form than if they had confronted him on his own plane, but he could still squash either one ofthem like a bug with the same effort it would take to blow his nose.
    â€œLet’s just stick to the original plan. We’ll summon him, we’ll offer him a deal, we’ll send him back where he belongs. Agreed?”
    â€œAgreed.”
    â€œGood.” Lilli let herself relax and rose to her knees to inch forward until she could slide into his lap and wrap her legs around him. “That means it’s time for the fun part.”
    His hands rose instinctively to steady her and secure her close to him. “You didn’t tell me there was going to be a fun part,” he said, his voice low and a little hoarse when she dipped her head and dragged her lips along the side of his neck.
    â€œOh, absolutely. Don’t you think we deserve a fun part?” She rocked slowly against him and felt his instant, gratifying response.
    â€œSure I do.” Her teeth closed lightly on his ear and made him shudder. “I just, ah, thought we might save it until after we finished here. You know, give ourselves a sort of reward.”
    â€œWhy wait?” Lilli felt his fingers tighten on her hips and pressed closer, dragging her breasts across the warm plane of his chest. “Did you know that aside from a blood sacrifice, the most effective way to raise energy for a magical purpose is through sex?”
    She slid her hands under the open edges of his flannel shirt and pushed it off, dragging it down his arms and dropping it to the floor. When those curious fingers brushed against his belly as they sought the hem of his t-shirt, he groaned softly.
    â€œI’d . . . heard about that.” Aaron lifted his arms to allow her to pull off his tee and leave him bare-chested on the claret-colored blanket. She could hear his voice