Deceiver's Bond: Book Two of A Clairvoyant's Complicated Life (27 page)

In my dream, I was in the exact place I’d intended, surrounded by a dense grove of sequoias.

Resiny, musty forest smells tickled my nose and brought back memories of campfires, nature walks, and gooey s’mores. I inhaled slow and deep, my eyes following the closest tree’s massive trunk into the canopy until my head could tip back no further. High above, the treetops shifted in the gentle breeze, obscuring all but the briefest of glimpses of blue sky. It had been many years since I’d visited this place, another favorite camping spot of my father’s. Maybe, after things calmed down, I’d take a vacation and revisit some of these familiar, cherished places.

Bringing my gaze back down to earth, I strolled along the narrow path at my feet, each step cushioned by a thin carpet of spent needles and scattered cones. Somewhere in the distance a jay issued its squawking cry. I scanned the area, trying to penetrate the deep shadows under each enormous tree, wondering when, or if, the demon would make its appearance. It would be just my luck, the one night I actually wanted to see it, for the demon not to show.

The warm breeze ruffled my hair and caressed my skin, including at least three inches of exposed midriff between my low-rise jeans and skimpy t-shirt. I looked down and sighed. It seemed my subconscious was doing its best to compensate for my self-esteem implosion. Facing the demon wearing anything remotely suggestive probably wasn’t the best strategy.

As if summoned by my thought, Paimon materialized on the path, not ten feet away. It pitched toward me, taking just three determined strides before clamping my chin with its strong fingers, forcing me to stare into its ferocious blue eyes. After enduring several seconds of intense scrutiny, it released its firm grasp. I stumbled backward, barely keeping my footing.

I rubbed my jaw. “What the—?”

It careened away, stopping after a few feet to bellow, “Will you heed nothing I say?” Eyes blazing, it took a menacing step back in my direction. “I inform you of the horrors to come, things no other human knows, and risk my continued existence, yet you do not act. Are you so determined to disregard my warnings? Perhaps you would have been better protected had I simply instructed you to spread your legs for the nearest sidhe!”

I’d planned to thank Paimon for saving me, now I wanted to get as far away from it as possible. The forest around me had turned dark and forbidding. Even the demon looked dressed for sinister things, clad head to toe in black—black jeans, v-neck tee, and lug-soled boots. I glanced around wondering how to escape from what had rapidly turned into a nightmare. Before going to sleep, Red had stationed himself next to my pillow, but to ensure enough time with Paimon, I had given him explicit instructions not to wake me. Like a dope, I’d assumed the demon would continue its relatively mild behavior.

Before I could figure out how to wake up, Paimon descended upon me again, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me none too gently. Its full lips curled into a snarl. “Speak up, woman. How must I protect you, if you believe not a single word I utter? How does one such as I earn your precious trust?”

“Let me go!” I shoved it hard using both hands. I may as well have pushed one of the surrounding sequoias for all the good it did me. “You scream at me, you grab and shake me, and you have the nerve to talk about trust?” I snapped. “I have an idea. How about not acting like a maniac? How about not leaving black-and-blue marks on my arms? How’s that for starters?”

I tried not to look astonished when it released me and stalked away. About twenty feet up the path, it sat on a fallen tree trunk, arms resting on its bent knees, and glowered at the ground. It didn’t appear totally relaxed, but at least it wasn’t manhandling me.

I cautiously approached the creature, stopping ten feet from its perch, far enough, I hoped, to run away if necessary.

Paimon stared at its open hands and said quietly, “Waiting until you sleep, just to learn your fate is something I have no wish to repeat.”

I frowned. The demon continued to examine its palms, as though they had caused it nothing but grief. What the heck was its game? If this was an act, then it was a good one. It reminded me of the time when I was seven and decided to sled down our steep driveway after a snowstorm. Dad came outside just in time to see me overshoot into the street and miss an oncoming car by a matter of inches. I’ll never forget the look on his face as he bolted toward me, angrily bellowing the whole way. He shook me hard by the shoulders and then wrapped me in his arms and hugged me for the longest time.

Of course, they didn’t say demons were silver-tongued for nothing. No doubt this skill extended to acting as well.

Paimon turned its head to study me. “Your silence and suspicious expression speak loudly enough. Despite our connection, you cannot see past the creature I have become.” Shaking its head, it issued a bitter laugh and gazed out into the forest. “Millennia of enduring the unspeakable, even I had nearly forgotten my previous life. Now, with my goal within reach, everything stands to be wasted for my inability to deceive.” It laughed again. “Ironic, is it not?”

“What previous life? What are you saying? Now you expect me to believe you’re not a demon?”

It jumped to its feet. “Yes!” it retorted before countering, almost in the same breath, “No.” It stopped and clenched its fists. “I don’t know. Clearly, I am what I am and have been for ages. But when I look at you, talk to you, when you bring me to places like this, I remember … another time and other places … when I was free.” It glared at me. “And it all began with your touch.”

Hands on my hips, I replied, “What did you expect? I wanted to survive. You were trying to destroy me.”

“That, my love, has never been my plan.”

I made a sound of frustration and slapped my hand to my forehead. “What do you want from me?”

Its head bobbed backward with a silent snort. “I will repeat it again. Perhaps thrice spoken will convince you of my faith.” It affixed me with a calm, steady gaze. “I wish to serve and protect you. You are the Walker of Worlds, the one for whom I have waited and sacrificed all.”

It just kept getting better, didn’t it?

I barked out a laugh. “Walker of Worlds? Where the hell do you come up with this stuff? I can’t even keep my boyfriend from running off with the first blonde sidhe who crosses his path, much less rescue him. If that’s your idea of a world-walking superwoman, then you’re one card short of—” I squeaked and stumbled backwards as Paimon flew toward me, its face contorted by determination and something else that I didn’t have the capacity to figure out.

Without time to think, much less plan any kind of meaningful escape, I glanced off a nearby tree. The bark dug into my pants and the exposed skin of my side in my haste to evade the demon’s grasp. I felt the sting of a nasty scrape, despite this being a dream. I pitched sideways and would have gone down hard if the demon hadn’t caught me in its arms.

It spun me around and set me back on my feet, keeping me in its firm yet tender hold. It peered down at me, blue eyes darkened by the tree’s shadow but no less brilliant. “Will you take nothing I say at face value? Can you not see?” It shook me, but not as hard as last time, adding, “I am not the creature I once was. You have changed me. Every time we meet, I remember more of what I had been forced to forget. It is only a matter of time before the one I serve begins to notice. Already, it searches for you. It knows you exist but not who you are.”

Its hands coasted down my arms, no longer holding me in place. It reached out to caress my face, tracing its warm fingers along my temple and cheek, and smoothed my loose hair behind my left ear. “Please, believe me. Without my help, you stand to lose more than you can imagine. Time draws short. I no longer have the time to be coy.”

I sucked in a sudden breath when it grasped both of my hands and pressed them to its chest, over the place where its heart would be if it were human. It stared at me, eyes intent. “If you reject the offer of my blood, then tell me, what else must I do to earn your trust? How can I convince you that my words are true?”

I snatched my hands away and backed up, but was brought up short by that same damned tree. With my back pressed against the unyielding trunk, I stared at the demon, searching its human face. What was it up to? I’d set out to pick its brain, to get it to help me. I didn’t expect its help to be offered so readily or for its demeanor to be so altered.

I blurted, “Just, stop. Stop talking. Every time you open your mouth, I get more and more confused.”

Keeping my eye on it, I eased toward the path, putting a healthy distance between us.

It stayed, rooted in place, watching me passively.

Holy cow.
I couldn’t seem to walk two steps without a guy granting me his steadfast service. And, unlike Vince—who would protect me simply because he cared about me—Daniel, Michael, Kieran, and, now, the demon all had an agenda. Certainly, they weren’t offering their protection solely because of my sparkling personality. I folded my arms, clutching each elbow tightly to my stomach. Trying to unravel all of their possible ulterior motives was getting tiresome.

After a moment, I relaxed my arms and tried to project confidence. I wasn’t a timid little girl. I had power. And I would do almost anything to help Vince.

“You want to prove yourself to me? Fine. Then tell me how to save my boyfriend. The sidhe who worked her spell on me, the one you helped me break, she took him back to the Otherworld. She plans to bond with him, to use him for …” I shook my head, refusing to utter the loathsome words. “If you genuinely want to help me without something in return, then tell me how to get him back.”

It clicked its tongue, openly marveling at me. “You are a remarkable human, Clotilde. You might have asked for anything—riches, access to untold power, the death of an enemy—but instead, you ask me for information to help you save a suitor.”

I might have taken this as a compliment if not for his condescending tone. I snapped, “I have more than enough power, no thanks to you. And I don’t need riches. I’m supporting myself just fine. Vince is in trouble. He needs my help.”

It raised an eyebrow. “Does he, indeed? There are few men who would consider a female sidhe’s advances troublesome.” It wandered back to the fallen log and retook its seat, stretching its long muscular legs, hands on either side of its body for support. “Tell me of this female sidhe, this blonde. What is her name?”

“Maeve.”

Its gaze sharpened. “She abducted a human?”

“No. Vince is part sidhe.”

“And she told you her plans? You heard her say she desired to make him her mate?”

“No. Not exactly. Her male companion told me.” I took a step closer. “Is it true sidhe don’t lie?”

It eyed me. “Yes. As a matter of honor, lying is beneath them. Of course, it does not preclude evading or omitting the truth when necessary.” It leaned forward on the log to once again rest its forearms on its thighs. “Was her companion’s name Kieran?”

“Yes,” I replied, immediately suspicious. “How did you know?”

Eyes distantly focused, it shrugged and replied, “I … remember…” before frowning and blinking, as if to clear its vision. “He is her bodyguard and has been for hundreds of years.” It glanced down to examine its hands. “If Maeve intends to bond with your suitor, there is nothing I can tell you that will win him back.”

“What? Why?” I stalked closer to examine its face. “Based on two random names, you know this?”

“Maeve is not just any sidhe. She is King Faonaín’s daughter. Why she has elected to take a part-blood for a mate, I do not know, but if that is her intent, it’s as good as done.”

I threw up my hands. “You sound just like that bastard Kieran, offering me your service and then telling me there’s no saving Vince.”

It narrowed its eyes and stood, voice booming, “How, may I ask, is the sidhe bodyguard in any position to offer you his service?”

“Well, I, uh …” I backed up a step. “It’s a long story. I sort of beat the crap out of him and then caused Maeve to leave him stranded, you know, on Earth.” I decided to leave out the part about him living with me.

Its eyes raked me up and down. “Regardless, such a sidhe would not offer his service to a human without undue cause or a direct order from Maeve. Did you think to test his affiliations or did you simply fall for his seemingly unspoiled soul and take him at his word?”

“I—”

Paimon stepped closer. “And yet here stands the one who freed you from their domination and imparted crucial knowledge, bereft of such consideration.”

I kept my mouth shut, unable to come up with anything to say that wouldn’t sound lame.

“Learn this now, lest you pay dearly later. Not all sidhe are worthy of your trust. Those who swear allegiance to the King believe humanity to be a blight upon the Earth. If you are tolerated, it is only because of your ability to wield magic and the possibility that such skills could prove useful to them.” It approached, close enough to touch me but kept its arms at its sides. It stared at me, searching my face as if I somehow hid the answer to its prayers.

I planted my feet and forced myself to hold its penetrating gaze.

After a moment, it hesitantly placed its hands on my shoulders. “Without an equitable connection, my service to you is limited, restricted to the turn of your world and your human need for sleep. I am forced to wait, impotent, as powerful forces move against you, forces you do not understand and are ill-equipped to fight.” Paimon rubbed its thumbs in soothing circles, sending an involuntary shiver through me.

It frowned, perhaps sensing my discomfort, and withdrew its touch. “Please. I wish to help you. Will you yet consider strengthening our tie?”

I stepped back and told myself it wasn’t because I was timid. I needed space. Standing this close to such a captivating and complicated creature made my head spin. I bit the inside of my cheek and tried to think. What would Red say? Everything Paimon had told me so far had turned out to be true. Although, this could be part of its plan—bait the hook with the truth, in order to gain my trust. On the other hand, Red had already confirmed strengthening our connection didn’t mean the demon would own me, not if it was an equal exchange of blood. To the contrary, it would give me the power to see through its lies. Of course, the same would be true for Paimon, but since I wasn’t prone to deceit, this prospect wasn’t any skin off my nose. It seemed to me if anyone had something to lose in the bargain, it was the demon.