Page 18 of Infernal Bindings

“It’s not my business if you are. We just met. I can hardly expect monogamy from someone who hasn’t even gone on a first date with me.” Christopher smiles, and it’s contagious. I smile back and lay my head against his collarbone. “Your mother said you’ve been friends with him for a long time. If I can help him, I will.”

For half a second, I can’t help but wonder if Daemon would do the same. Maybe if I asked, but he certainly wouldn’t volunteer to assist a light witch unprompted. “Thank you.”

“You’re my mate, Annalise. We’re in this together. If you say he’s innocent, I believe you.” He takes my hand in his and kisses my fingers. My stomach flips like I’m a schoolgirl with a first-time crush. “I have to go now. Please, don’t come out until the spell is finished. The witches will not react well if you intervene.”

As if he’s telling me something I didn’t already know.

But I don’t agree to it either. Because this is Daemon, and I’m not about to let him be punished for something I did.

I stay silent as Christopher closes my bedroom door, and I’m certain he notices.

I select an inoffensive pair of non-tight, non-holey jeans, and a long-sleeved blue top that hides my tattoo from view. As soon as I’ve finished changing, I peek outside my bedroom window, where witches gather in the backyard around the inground pool. It’s off-season, so normally the pool would be drained and covered, but in the time it’s taken me to shower and dress, my mother has pulled some strings and a water truck sits outside, topping it off with a giant hose.

As water splashes into the blue-tiled pool, coven elders begin placing things around its edges. I expect the same macabre ingredients it took to summon Daemon for the first time, but no, these objects are completely random—or at least they seem that way. Picture frames and lockets. Old t-shirts and tennis shoes. Coins and some kind of paper—maybe concert or movie tickets. I don’t know, I can’t quite make the lettering out.

I wish Christopher was here so I could ask him about it.

Squinting, I watch him place his own objects around the pool—a pocket square, but not just any pocket square, the same pastel pink one he wore last night, and a black-and-white picture of a movie star I’ve never seen before, with red lipstick kissed on. The spell ingredients must have something to do with lust, or love, or attraction, or something like that, which makes sense, given what Salios is.

While they finish preparing their spell, I take a deep breath and head downstairs. The second I leave my room, I run into my older sister, Rebecca, who’s also leaving hers. A giant, shit-eating grin spreads across her face. “I can’t believe you had the balls to come home, Ann. God, I can’t wait until Mom sees you. Where’s your demon boyfriend?”

I flip her off, because honestly, I don’t have the mental capacity to deal with her bullshit today.

Her blonde curls bounce as she rushes to cut me off from the staircase. “I don’t think so. You’re not going to mess with their spell.”

Narrowing my gaze at her, I clench my teeth. I may have a hard time being confrontational with Mom, or Daemon, or the coven elders, but I have no trouble being confrontational with my siblings. “Mind your own business, Bex.”

Still, she doesn’t move.

“I’m serious.”

“So am I.” Rebecca reaches her arms across both sides of the staircase, effectively barricading it. “I’m tired of you embarrassing this family.”

Anger boils inside me.

The only time my siblings have ever shown the slightest bit of interest in my life is when they’re pulling pranks or committing sabotage. And now that sabotage could cost Daemon everything. Without thinking, I push her square in the chest. She wobbles slightly but is quick to right herself. Still, her blue eyes seethe with rage as she peers between me and the long fall it would have been down those wooden steps.

“You bitch.”

Her lips move furiously, chanting foreign words beneath her breath, and suddenly it’s very very hot in here. Salty sweat drips down my brow, and my head swirls. I collapse onto the ground, my knees hitting the floorboards with a heavy, bruising, thunk.

Black dots swirl at the edges of my vision, my brain pounding against my skull when Dad calls out.

“Rebecca, drop the spell.”

She hesitates.

“Now. I will not ask again.” Dad’s voice is smooth and level. Vision blurry, I feel him before I see him as he wraps his hands around my biceps and helps me stand. “Are you alright?”

I nod, though I’m not quite sure. When he lets go of me, my body sways and my knees threaten to buckle. A heat exhaustion spell? Something worse? It takes what feels like forever to regain my breath, and even longer to realize Dad and my sister are arguing. She pouts when he sends her to her bedroom. Actually pouts. Pursed lips and all.

If I didn’t feel like absolute shit, I’d flash her a victory smile.

“You need to hurry,” Dad says. “The pool is almost full. Once it is there will be no stopping them.”

He’s… helping me?

My brows furrow when I look at him and realize he’s still in his plaid pajamas. Dad’s not a part of the coven mob or the spell. Hell, he’s barely awake. Yawning, he turns toward the master bedroom at the end of the hall, where he must have heard our fight from. The door is open, the bed inside unmade. “Good luck. Don’t tell your mother I got myself involved.”