Bat Out of Hell (Promised to the Demons #2) - Lidiya Foxglove Page 0,65

didn't matter. I could still hear Bernard. I felt him, his pain and mourning, loneliness and anger, resonating through me, calling to the one person he thought might be able to save him.

Variel leaned over me. His wing swept around me again, and he nudged me from the covers on the bed onto the leathery skin of his wing, which was surprisingly soft. He finally stole the kiss I knew he’d been wanting for so long, but in the moment, I found that I was willing to give it. His lips were surprisingly soft, too.

"I will find a way to keep you here in the moment even if you hate me for it," he said.

"I don't...hate you."

"Not even for this?" He kissed me again, and this time his supple tongue slid against mine and caressed it.

After all this time arguing with him, I was shocked how much my body responded to the kiss like it was full steam ahead. Of course, I knew I had some feelings for him, but it came on so strong that I was left reeling.

"I didn't know different men would be so different to kiss!"

"Kisses are very individual," Variel said. "It should go without saying that I have never kissed a nymph or demoness with such pleasure. But I'll assure you of it anyway. How do you feel now?"

"Better...but..."

I'm sure it sounded to them like I was just being a tease, but I meant it too. My terror over Bernard was real. Logically, I knew Piers was right. I shouldn't ever go back to Bernard. This was the place where I was loved, and happy, and Bernard would only get angry at me again.

"You need more forceful attentions?" Variel glanced at Piers. "I think we may have a duty to give her such pleasure that she can't spare a thought for her old master."

If I turned pink, Piers looked nearly terrified, but he couldn't seem to let go of my hand, either.

"Both of us?" he asked incredulously.

"I am certainly capable of doing it alone," Variel said. "But I must admit that your bond as a warlock and familiar, although not the bond, seems an important part of keeping here. Nor do I find you very threatening."

That seemed to stir something up in Piers a little. "Seems like she likes me more than you," he said. “So maybe you should be a little threatened.”

"Have you ever been with a woman in your life?" Variel asked.

"One must start somewhere," Piers said. "I've been very busy learning magic.”

"Don't fight over it," I said. "I'm not really sure which is better, nine hundred years of experience, or none at all."

"I think it's very clear which is better," Variel said. "But you are kind to Piers."

"You're a monster," Piers said. "And you're a monster that came out of her head.”

"It's a good thing he is a monster, though,” I said. "He was able to stop that sea dragon! I am drawn to both of you for such drastically different reasons that I couldn't even compare you. I don’t want you to fight.”

"Fighting is part of the fun," Variel said. "You don't want the mating dance to be all sugar and no spice, do you?"

"I see…”

That simple truth hit me all at once. Sometimes you needed to argue and speak your mind with the people you love. It made me start to like Variel, when he let me snap at him again and again, and vent my frustration with how he hurt me. Bit by bit, that anger seemed to fade away, almost without my noticing it. If these three men became my mates, they would need to argue and compete with each other sometimes, because all of us had negative feelings sometimes. Some of them could be smoothed over with cake and kindness…but not all.

"Now, we must keep you distracted until your favorite of all masters comes home," Variel said. "At least, it's his title for now, but we'll see for how long. Piers, you have hands, and you'd better use them."

"Use my hands? Should I just start touching her?"

"Of course," Variel said.

"I don't think women like it very much."

"They do if you're quite confident and good at what you're doing." Variel said.

Piers could clearly sense that Variel was judging him, and I looked at him expectantly.

"Help me, Piers," I said. "Help me forget about Bernard. Variel's right. You're the only one who understands. I know you never had any feelings for Chester, of course, but I bet sometimes you