Page 96 of The Fate of Black Hearts

Maybe Marick wasn’t dead. Dom’s heart lurched. “Where is he?”

“Maybe he’s dead. Maybe he’s not,” it said cryptically.

He’d ponder the whereabouts of Marik later. “What’s the purpose of this drama?”

The demon tracked the knife along Evie’s neck.

She didn’t crane away. “He thinks I fear death. He also thinks you will dance for him over fear of my death. He’s been misled.”

The demon gripped her hair to yank her neck backward and force eye contact with her. “Be quiet.”

Her lips broke into a smile. “Hethinksyou’re obsessed with me.” A low chuckle came out of her. “Thinks we’re even lovers. Come on, Prince of Darkness.” She lowered her tone. “That is a mouthful, Your Highness.” Then said louder, “How could you think someone like Dom would vow celibacy and then chuck it aside for a spicy piece like me?”

Dom stilled and batted down his emotions. He carefully shielded his thoughts while he workedthrough possibilities. The demon knew nothing precise about them, it seemed. That meant Dojin had remained true to his word not to divulge the reality of what he felt for Evie. That mage had known.

“Tell me, Evie,” the demon demanded. “Why did he follow you around like a lapdog for over a century?”

“The Fates told him to do it. He’s not my lapdog. He’s theirs.”

She was masterful. Dom would give her that.

In a blink, all Evie’s bindings disappeared. The demon yanked her to stand. “Then he won’t care if I cut out your heart.”

The demon plunged his knife directly into her chest.

Dom lunged forward to catch her when the demon pushed her toward him, but in doing so, gave the demon an opening. It cried out its triumph as it rammed a second blade through Dom’s chest.

He ignored the burning blade, which must’ve missed his heart by centimeters. He clawed to pull away Evie’s clothes. There was no blood, no wound…there was only a tattoo of the Madonna grinning at him. It had protected her. Good.

He pulled the knife from his own chest, but burning pain remained. Poison.

The door blasted open so hard, the wood shattered off its hinges when it hit the wall.

Efrem stepped inside with a bag over one shoulder and a shotgun aimed at Leviathan. He shot.

Dom didn’t pay attention as he gathered Evie to him.

“Perfect.” The demon laughed as the bulletsbounced off him. “Now, my dear, will you please do the honors?”

Cora entered from the now doorless entry. She held up a piece of parchment.

“Let’s get this curse done the right way,” the demon said.

Dom yelled, “Cora, don’t?—”

The demon snapped a finger. “Silence from all but her, please.”

Dom tried to speak but found his voice absent.

“With these words so written by the Darkness Prince will this blood bind.”With a hand in the air in a universal “pause” sign, the witch whipped around. “All is frozen. Unwind it as we practiced.”

A small girl with curly black hair peeked around Efrem. Time had been frozen for all around them except Cora, Dom, and this child, who emitted a strong mage magic.

Bands and lines of magic turned colors of blue and gold where they almost reached him, Evie, and Efrem. The little girl danced around the bands, untangling this one and tangling that one.

She returned to stand behind Cora. “It’s done. He’ll be in the middle of the pentagram.”

“Get behind me. Stay still.” Once the girl was hidden behind her, Cora closed her fist.“Bind and return to whence you came, never to emerge from your home.”A pentagram lit the floor in orange light around Leviathan.