Kissed By A Demon Spy (18 page)

She folded her arms over her chest. “Your cousin said you were really good at scrying.”

He shook his head.
Damn Leif.
“I usually don’t need an object from the person or place I want to scry. Most others do. So, this is what I do for my clan.”

She nodded. “And the other Deserati demons in Ivydale?”

“They’re my kin. It’s true we need all the help we can get with farming, but they’re here as security too. And after what happened tonight, a larger group will move in and stay permanently.”

“I see.” Her eyes drifted to the column of black smoke rising at the edge of town. No need to spell out what that was. She’d probably seen many bodies burned at Stroehm.

“I couldn’t tell you.” His voice came out hoarse and dry.

She swung her gaze back to him. “I understand.”

He couldn’t read her. She seemed…accepting. But how could she? He’d risked her life and her town, and the lives of her loved ones. “If you don’t want to work for me anym—”

“What? No!” She reached for his hand, and the soft press of her fingers was like a balm to his aching heart. “If not for you, Ivydale would be destroyed.”

“If not for me—”

“Stop.” She laid a finger on his lips. “I understand that you think you put us in danger. But if you hadn’t been here, it could have been so much worse. If you weren’t based here, Ivydale would have no warriors around at a time like this.” She dropped her finger and took his hands. “I know that there are vile beings in our realm. You know I don’t need a reminder of that. And I also know there are protectors, warriors who fight for good.”

“Garnet. My work exposed to you the kind of terror you just got away from.”

“I know. But you were here. And your cousins. You handled everything and kept us safe. I’m proud of you.”

Proud?

“Are you going to tell everyone about your real job?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Just you. And if you want me to leave town, I will. This is your home.”

“Aden.” She reached up to frame his face in her hands. “I don’t want you to leave. I understand that our world has its share of good and evil. I admire what you do.”

Admire?

“I want you to stay.” She pushed up on her tip toes, her lips inches from his. “You know my secrets and you didn’t turn me away. Now I know yours. Stay with me. This is your home now too. ” She leaned forward and brushed her mouth along his. “Besides, Dash thinks you’re pretty cool.”

Dash.
“I would be honored to be part of his life. Not that I could do even half as good as you’ve done.”

A tiny hand smacked his shoulder. “You’ll do just fine.”

Lavender and sweet woman scent surrounded him, bathing his soul in love like he’d never expected and had never known he’d needed.

Accepted. Admired. Wanted
. By this sweet, perfect woman whose strength blew him away. She’d lived the majority of her life as property, but found the courage to get herself and her child out of their hellish conditions. One of her first chances to make her own decisions, and she chose him. “I vow to keep you two safe,” he murmured against her lips.

He deepened the kiss, winding his fingers into her hair and holding her tightly. Her tongue met his, exploring and tangling with his. She felt like heaven…and home.

Pulling back, he stared into her almond-shaped eyes. “You sure worked your pixie magic on me, sugar.”

She scrunched her nose. “You’re not a plant.”

“No, but you’ve become what I need to live. You’re my ray of light. Garnet, I...”

She looked up a smile twitching her lips.

“I love you.” He threaded a hand into her hair to clasp her nape. “Be my mate.”

She linked her hands behind his neck. “I never thought I’d have a mate.” Unshed tears shone in her eyes. “But now, I can’t imagine a life without you at my side. I love you too.”

Aden bent to kiss her again, their souls binding together as the sun rose, brightening the fertile land and shedding light on the dark corners of the town. The night’s secrets, like their own, lay revealed by the brilliant pink and orange dawn, yielding the way for a new day. And a new mated life.

THE END

Garnet and the compound of Stroehm are purely fictional, but sex trafficking is very real. It affects every country in the world. It is modern-day slavery.

It can happen in your town, maybe down the street. Victims have been known to be held in quiet suburbs, their neighbors unaware. If you notice something that seems off, or just doesn’t add up, please look up the websites below to familiarize yourself with red flags.

Though women and children are often forced into the sex trade, many men are also trafficked and coerced into dangerous, degrading, and non-paying labor situations.

Physical violence, though often involved, does not have to be part of an individual’s mistreatment in order for their situation to be considered trafficking. Many victims are controlled by traffickers through psychological means, such as threats of violence, manipulation, and lies. In many cases, traffickers use a combination of direct violence and mental abuse.

www.polarisproject.org
provides a texting shortcode to help victims of human trafficking find safety. Victims can text BeFree (233733) and reach a call specialist to assist them in planning their escape and/or connecting them to services in the area. Polarisproject also provides a list of red flags to recognize trafficking, as well as helping survivors restore their freedom, preventing more victims, and gathering the data to pursue traffickers wherever they operate.

www.safehorizon.org
is another organization that provides help and services for trafficking victims and also victims of crime and domestic violence. Their 24 hour toll free hotline is 800-621-HOPE (46373).

I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading K
ISSED
B
Y
A D
EMON
S
PY
. Please take a moment to leave a review. Thank you!

Want to know which characters Garnet helped to escape from Stroehm, and how she got them out? Don’t miss the important role she plays in W
ICKED
W
AVES
(Solsti Prophecy 2).

The lost memories of a thief…

The first twelve years of Alina’s life are a black void. An accomplished thief, she uses her cloaking ability to pick pockets as well as stage elaborate heists. Digging deeper into her past sets off a chain of events that puts her, and the family she has just discovered, in the sights of their worst enemy.

…and the scarred heart of a guardian…

In secret, Lash Watcher Caine plots vengeance for the destruction of everything he loved. Branded by loss, he longs to find his one true mate, knowing that only with her will his heart fully heal. When his brief meeting with Alina is interrupted by her elaborate evade-and-escape plan, he knows there is more to her than meets his watchful eyes. But nothing can prepare him for the lethal power of her mind.

…collide at the fault line of destiny.

A brilliant villain with a vicious and loyal army behind her can only be stopped by one force: the combined power of four women who command the elements. Alina, with her newly-discovered affinity to the earth, becomes the linchpin to halting the desecration of their world. Thrown into a battle plan and a new family, she finds joy in in the quiet strength of Caine’s arms. But when the secrets to her past are revealed, she learns a terrible price has been paid in advance. The very magic that allowed her to live to fulfill a prophecy will forever deny her heart’s deepest wish.

Sharon Kay writes award-winning fiction and can never get enough reading time. She loves paranormal romance, with romantic suspense following close on its heels.
 
She loves winter and black coffee, and is endlessly inspired to write kick-ass heroines and the men strong enough to capture their hearts.

Sharon lives in the Chicago area with her husband and son, and didn’t expect to write one book, let alone a series.
 
But Wicked Wind and the Solsti series formed in her head one weekend and refused to stay quiet until she put pen to paper.
 
Her characters tend to keep her up at night, as they banter, fall in love, and slay endless varieties of power-hungry demons.

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