Touched by Fire (Demons of New Chicago #1) - Kel Carpenter Page 0,76

at them. I don’t even know how I do it.”

She looked troubled, and if I were a better person, I might have taken her hand and said we’d figure it out.

But I wasn’t.

I was an asshole.

“That would have been great to know when we had that entire conversation about you keeping secrets and shit,” I griped. “You could have killed me.”

“It’s not like I’m the only one,” Nat said, but not as defensive as I would have thought. “Besides, when we were in the dressing room, you told me everyone has secrets, and you’ve been keeping an awful lot yourself.”

“Yeah, well, that’s when I thought we would die,” I deadpanned.

She lifted an eyebrow at me and crossed her arms over her chest, not accepting that for one second.

“Trust goes both ways, Piper. You’ve been screwed over a lot. You’ve seen the people you love suffer at the hands of supes. I get that. But it takes both sides to change things. You’re stuck with me now, but only you can decide how this is going to go between us.”

She gave me an expectant look. I couldn’t believe how much had happened in the last two weeks. Truly. If someone had told me I’d be telling my deepest, darkest secrets to a witch of all people, I would have laughed. I certainly wouldn’t have thought twice about it.

But Nathalie wasn’t just a witch. Hell, she might not even be a witch at all.

And I wasn’t just a human. Or a demon. My heart was human, but my body . . . it was remade. What happened in that summoning circle ten years ago changed my life irrevocably.

We were both something else. Something other . . . and maybe together we could find out what.

“Okay,” I said eventually.

She frowned and her eyebrows drew together. “Okay?” she asked. “That’s the best I get? You finally tell me a little bit about you, and we connect, and then—”

“Don’t make this weirder than it is,” I said, stopping her.

“Ugh,” she groaned. “I really can’t with you. But fine. Whatever. So how are we going to do this?”

“First, I need a shower. Then, I need food. After that, I need to find a way to get this blood magic tracker removed—”

She made a face, and I paused. “What does that face mean?”

“Well, I, uh . . . I may have had Barry come remove it while you were asleep.”

She scratched the back of her head.

“You what—”

“It’s not like you’re the most reasonable about things. I figured if you were already asleep, it couldn’t hurt. Besides, you wanted it done and now it is.”

“I cannot believe you right now.”

“A thank you will suffice,” she said.

I blinked, debating throwing the pillow at her again. “Where’s the bathroom?” I said. Kicking her legs off, I scrambled to get out of bed.

“Right around the corner, down the hall, last door at the end.” She scooted her chair back to give me room. I was dizzy at first, but pushed past it to get around her and put some space between us. Her living room was cozy, small but stylish. I spotted a kitchen on my way to the bathroom, as well as a few closed doors. I’d have time to snoop later. When I felt less disgusting and could talk to Nathalie without wanting to throw shit at her. That girl really did my head in sometimes.

I paused with my hand on the last door.

She might do my head in, but all things considered, I was lucky to have her. Without her, I’d be dead, and Bree’s only chance at waking up would die with me.

“I’m happy I didn’t shoot you,” I said loudly. It was the closest to a thank you she was going to get.

I heard Nat snort, as if she knew that. Though she was in another room, I heard her whispered reply. “Me too.”

29

I touched my fingers to the brand on my chest.

A delicate thorn-covered vine that looped around before connecting to another brand. My name had changed because I changed. That night. When I tried to kill Lucifer and showed Nathalie what I was.

I wouldn’t speak my name. I hardly let myself think it, but I knew it then just like I knew it now. Much as she pissed me off, somewhere deep down, she’d left her mark on me. Permanently.

I traced the brand twice before dropping my hand. I wrapped myself in a fluffy teal-colored towel and padded down the hallway barefoot. The scent