Aston turned from the window to find her seated on the big couch in the center of the library, a stack of books beside her. “His parents still believed as the pharaohs did, even in this modern age,” he explained. “And they, of course, passed that legacy onto their son. Ra, however, didn’t truly believe everything he’d been told, at least not until after his parents were killed. It was then he visited the underworld for the first time.”

  “He was only sixteen,” Tara said. She sounded sad, as if the idea of someone so young enduring such an ordeal broke her heart.

  “Correct,” Aston said. “But he was a very mature sixteen. When his parents died, Ra became the head of his household, and it was time for him to receive the memories of his ancestors, which was a surprise to him. His parents hadn’t prepared him for the weight that their deaths would bring onto his shoulders.”

  “Talk about parents of the year award,” Gabby said. “I mean, who doesn’t tell their child that while he’s alive, he will be taking a trip to hell once they die?”

  “Who would believe their parents if they did tell them that?” Elias challenged.

  Gabby shrugged. “Fair enough. They’d have to get him high or drunk before he’d even entertain the validity of it.”

  As one, the group went silent and stared at her.

  “What?” Gabby’s eyes were wide. “People believe all sorts of crazy stuff when they’re messed up. Hence the term, ‘messed up.’”

  “Babe.” Liam’s voice was gentle as he looked at her. “If I could bring your parents back from the dead, I’d beat them to an inch of their life, let them get better, and then do it all over again.”

  Gabby looked down at the book in her lap, and Aston saw her jaw tighten. “I’d cheer you on while you did it,” she whispered.

  The room was awkwardly quiet for a few moments, each of them taking in the oddly tender moment between the couple.

  “Enough mushy stuff.” Gabby took a deep breath. “Let’s get on with it, demon boy.”

  Aston dropped his arms and rubbed his hands together. He was restless, and his soul continued to distract him with his need to be closer to Rory. Focus, Aston. He mentally growled at himself. “Osiris called for Ra and took him to the underworld. Ra received the memories from his ancestors and learned about everything concerning the fate of his people, including the things his parents failed to tell him. To be fair, they probably didn’t know about the details of the bargain.” Aston wasn’t sure why he felt the need to defend Ra’s parents. Perhaps because Ra had told him they weren’t bad parents, and they had loved their son deeply.

  “And what exactly was the bargain?” asked Tara.

  “They promised Osiris that all of their bloodline would worship him, revere him, and pay homage to him and only him,” Aston continued. “In exchange, Osiris would set them up with an extravagant afterlife in the underworld. They wouldn’t be like the other poor souls who spend eternity there.”

  “I’m guessing they didn’t keep up their end of the bargain?” Rory asked.

  Aston shook his head. “As time went on, the reality of the gods, which the Egyptians had worshiped so devotedly, fell into myths and legends. New religions, some even monotheistic, began to replace the gods. Eventually, the bargain was forgotten by the pharaohs and their descendants.”

  “But not by Osiris,” Gabby offered.

  “Correct.” Aston pointed at the redhead. “The lord of the underworld has a long memory. Despite the pharaohs’ failings, Osiris kept up his end of the bargain, in a manner of speaking.”

  No longer able to keep himself from her, Aston walked over to where Rory sat and took a seat beside her. He laid his arm across the back of the couch and let his fingers drop so they brushed against her hair. He wanted to wrap the beautiful, dark strands in his fist and hold her still while he kissed her until neither of them could breathe. The thought hit him so fast and hard that Aston jerked his hand back as if something had slapped it away. What the hell? Where had that thought come from? Sure, he wanted to kiss her. She was his. He’d already experienced how sweet she tasted, but he’d never had an all-consuming need to control her, to dominate her, to make her submit to him as her mate.

  “What the actual…?” Aston muttered. He shook his head as if it might dislodge the images and thoughts.

  “Aston?” Rory reached over and placed her small hand on his knee, and he nearly jumped at her touch. “Are you okay?”

  He looked down at her hand and then up at her face. He thought back to their argument and how they’d both said things they didn’t mean. Dark, cruel things. Was that the problem? Was the darkness that had infiltrated their bond growing stronger? Could it be pushing further into him, taking over his desires as well?

  He wanted to lie or give Rory a flippant answer. But the worried look in her eyes changed Aston’s mind. “No, I’m not. But we can talk about it later.”

  Rory gave his leg a gentle squeeze. “Okay.” She nodded and then started to remove her hand. Aston grabbed it and entwined their fingers, unwilling to give up her touch just yet.

  He took a deep breath and refocused before continuing. “Osiris gave the pharaohs and their bloodline something special—something that no other souls in the underworld possessed.” Aston looked up and saw that Gabby, Liam, Tara, and Elias were no longer flipping through pages of books. They all stared in anticipation. “He gave them demons. Instead of just taking their souls to the underworld when they died, Osiris paired their souls with demons.”

  “Bloody hell.” Elias breathed out. The book he’d been holding fell from his hands and struck the table in front of him with a thud. “Why didn’t he tell us?”

  “I don’t think he ever thought it relevant. For him to share their fate, he’d have to break a promise. And, of course, he has his oath…”

  “What oath?” Rory asked. “You all mentioned it before he took off through the portal.”

  “During his first visit to the underworld,” said Aston, “Ramses passed along a piece of vital information—how to avoid sharing in his people’s fate—a loophole, if you will. To keep from being paired with a demon, Ra would have to do two things. First, he would be required to offer a great sacrifice. Second, he would have to keep any promise he makes. When he gives you his word, he has to fulfill it, or his get-out-of-jail-free card goes away. His destiny will be that of his ancestors.”

  “Elias said he had to be the opposite of what a demon is,” Tara said. “It makes sense now. In order to avoid joining his soul with a demon, he had to be the antithesis of one.”

  “Pure, uncorrupt, not power hungry,” Aston said.

  “And not a liar,” Gabby added. “Which is why he has to keep his promises.”

  “Exactly.” Aston nodded.

  “I still don’t understand what this has to do with Shelly cheating,” Tara said. She snapped the book in her hand closed and tossed it aside.

  Aston looked at her and held her stare as he spoke. “How long do you think Ra will remain uncorrupted with half of his soul missing?” He waited to let that sink in and then added, “And how long do you think Shelly can resist the schemes of the most cunning predator ever to walk this world, not to mention the one below?”

  Tara shook her head. Her mouth dropped open and then closed again. Elias walked over and stood behind her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back to his chest. His head leaned down, and his mouth moved as he whispered something the others couldn’t hear.

  “Almost every religion,” Aston continued, “throughout recorded history believes in some form of a Satan-type figure. I’ve done a lot of research on the topic, especially after Ra shared his story. When he told us about his deal with Osiris regarding the bond he and Shelly shared, I thought of something. Osiris explained to Ra and Shelly that neither of them could give themselves to another. At first, that seemed like a great deal for the good guys. We know Ra would die before he cheated, and Tara seems convinced Shelly would as well.”

  “She would.” Tara growled.

  “Uh oh,” said Gabby. “I think I see where this is going. Osiris isn’t stupid. Why would he make such a bad deal for himself?”

  “Ding, ding, ding,” said Aston, pointing to Gabby. “Give the girl a prize.”

  “Osiris may be a lot of things, but he is not dumb,” said Aston. “So, what’s going on then? I think we can assume that all these devil figures in each of these major religions are talking about one guy…”

  “Osiris.” Tara threw her hands up in the air and dropped them quickly making a smacking sound when they hit her thighs.

  “Ding, ding, ding. Another prize is awarded.”

  “Now, let us consider one of these major religions—Christianity. According to the Christian Bible, adultery—cheating—in other words, isn’t just having sex with another person. The Bible says that a married person can commit adultery simply by lusting after another in their mind.”

  “Well, that’s just stupid,” said Gabby.

  “Is it?” Aston’s eyebrows rose. “The word adultery doesn’t actually mean what we think it means in today’s language. The origin of the word is Latin—adulterāre—and means to pollute or defile, and it didn’t necessarily refer to sex. Once a pure stream is defiled by even the slightest toxin, the whole thing can become poisonous.

  Aston paused. He ran his thumb across Rory’s palm and took in the pleasure of having her skin against his. “Lucifer, Osiris, Beelzebub, whatever you want to call him, is the father of lies. In any religion, he is evil. His ultimate goal is to trap as many souls in his domain as possible. And what better way to make that happen than by wrapping his lies in little bits of truth? He will only tell a person enough to latch onto the irresistible promise, distracting them from the fine print at the bottom of the proverbial contract. Much like the infamous Mr. Johnson, I believe Ra and Shelly may have sold their souls to the devil.”

  “But neither of them received the supernatural ability to play the guitar in return,” said Gabby. Liam looked at her sideways.

  “What? I spent a lot of time alone as a child. I know things.”

  “You’re saying that all Shelly needs to do in order to break the deal with Osiris is to lust after someone else?” Tara asked. “I mean, that’s a pretty high freaking standard to stick to. There are attractive people everywhere. You don’t just stop noticing them because you’re married or bonded, or whatever you want to call it.”

  “Tara.” Elias’s voice was dark with a warning Aston understood. The idea of Rory desiring another made him both sickened and enraged.

  “Thinking someone is attractive is not the same thing as lusting after them,” Gabby interjected. She pulled out her phone and her fingers went to work on the screen. A few seconds later, she read, “Lust is defined as an intense sexual desire or appetite, so strong as to be a craving or yearning for.” She cut her eyes at Aston. “You’re not the only one who can read the internet.”

  Liam looked at his soul bounded and spoke in a serious tone. “You could have just said ‘lust—what Liam has for Gabby,’ and everyone would have gotten the message loud and clear.” Aston noted Liam’s eyes didn’t dance with their usual playfulness. Instead, they were full of the desires contained in the definition Gabby had just read.

  Tara gasped and clutched her stomach. “I think I’m going to throw up.”

  “What?” Liam scoffed. “I’m allowed to lust after my woman. There’s nothing vomit-inducing about that.”

  “She’s not referring to that, you perv.” Gabby sighed. “She’s referring to the fact that Aston is implying that Shelly has had these feelings toward Osiris. If his hypothesis is correct, of course.”

  Aston tilted his head to her. “I could certainly be off the mark,” he agreed and hoped like hell he was.

  Elias spoke gently to Tara. “Love, it could be that Ra has broken a promise or done something to break the oath himself. It might have nothing to do with Shelly.”

  “Like that’s necessarily any better.” Tara laughed without humor. “Regardless of what it is, they’ve both been doomed to hell. And for Ra, it’s not just spending eternity there. It’s having his soul bound to a demon. And knowing the woman he loves is bound to the most powerful demon of all. How is that supposed to make me feel any better?”

  “So,” Rory spoke up, “why, exactly, are we still considering summoning a demon if Ra is on the road to becoming one? Shouldn’t we be trying to keep him as far away from the underworld as possible?”

  “Shelly—” Tara began.

  Rory held up a hand to cut her off. “I have another way to get your friend back.”

  “What?” Tara and Gabby exclaimed in unison.

  “How?” Elias stepped around Tara, grabbing her hand and walking toward Aston and Rory.

  Aston looked at his female and saw triumph on her beautiful face. “Only fire elementals can travel to the underworld.”

  “Tell us something we don’t know.” Gabby stepped up beside Tara, with Liam at her side.

  “If you’ll keep your shirt on, I will,” Rory said, rolling her eyes.

  “You totally don’t have to keep your shirt on, baby,” Liam said. “She can talk without you being fully clothed. Though the ‘XY’ chromosomes in the room need to turn their backs.”

  Rory’s eyes widened. “You’re right. They should just put your picture next to the word lust. No other explanation needed.”

  Aston looked back at Liam, knowing his brother would have a response.

  “Only for this firecracker.” He wrapped an arm around her waist. “So it would have to be my face with an equal sign and then her face.”

  “My face is not going in a dictionary, and this is a ridiculous conversation,” Gabby said dryly. “Get back to the going-to-hell-and-getting-Shelly-back topic.”

  “Right.” Rory nodded and looked down at the book in her lap. “There are all sorts of fire elementals, but I just happen to be friends with some of the most powerful.” She grinned as she looked at Aston and then the rest of the group, but they all stared at her expectantly. “Dragons. Dragons are at the top of the fire-elemental food chain. And it just so happens that they’re pretty pissed off with Osiris and his demons at the moment. Considering what that crazy ass, demon Dolion did to the dragons, spelling them to do his bidding.”

  “Dragons.” Tara breathed out, the relief in her visible as she sagged forward. “Why didn’t we think of that?”

  “Because the dragons keep to themselves,” Elias said. “They stay out of the elemental battles.”

  “Really?” Gabby challenged. “Because I’m pretty sure they were all up in the Devil's Heart battle.”

  “They were being controlled by a demi-lord demon who’d been drawing on the power of two strong covens of witches,” Rory bit out. “They’re not evil, and they don’t side with evil.”

  “Maybe not, but one of them at least—”

  Tara reached over and slapped a hand over Liam’s mouth. “How can we get the dragons to help if they don’t like to get involved?”

  Rory closed the book and leaned back, her chin raised and her shoulders pulled back. “I’ll ask them to help. I’m in good standing with the king of dragons. Not to mention, my BFF is a dragon.”

  Liam whistled. “That’s some strong competition you’ve got, Aston. Can you seriously compete with dragons for your woman’s attention?”

  Aston looked at Rory and felt the lust Gabby had described burn inside of him. “I think I’m up for the challenge.”

  “And on that note, we’re out,” Gabby practically sang. “Liam and I will find Ra. Dragon Girl and Lusty History Dude, you two see if you can convince the dragons to go to hell. But say it in a nicer way than that.”

  “It’s a good thing you two are going to talk to them.” Liam smirked at his soul bonded. “Gabs doesn’t have the gift of diplomacy.”

  “I have the gift of kicking ass, and I’m about to give you an early Christmas present.”

  Liam leaned toward her and whispered loud enough for the rest of them to hear. “I love it when you threaten me with violence. Hurt me, baby.”

  “Wow.” Rory stood up from the couch. Aston didn’t release her hand as he joined her. “Are they always like that?” She motioned to Liam and Gabby, who’d gone from arguing to being locked in an intense kiss.

  “We have to knock them on their butts often.” Tara used her power to make the floor roll beneath them. Sure enough, Gabby and Liam, too caught up in each other, tumbled to the ground. Instead of being mad, they simply laughed. Liam climbed over her, placing his hands on either side of her head.

  Aston turned Rory away from the sensuous sight and opened a portal to the Devil's Heart. He took the book from her hands and dropped it on the couch. “We’ll be in contact,” he said.

  “Aston,” Elias called out.

  The historian turned to look at his brother.

  “Take this.” He tossed Aston a cell phone. “Call us as soon as you know something.”

  He nodded and then tugged Rory’s hand, leading her through the portal.

  “That was interesting,” she said slowly, turning to face him.

  “It was.” Aston slipped the phone into his back pocket. “But I think we have even more interesting things to discuss.”

  Rory’s voice caught, and Aston knew she heard the desire in his words.

  He took a step toward her, his heart pounding in his chest as his eyes took her in hungrily. “You’re my soul bonded, Rory.”

  “Yes.”

  “There’s been very little bonding done between us lately.” He took another step. “I intend to rectify that so that you never question again that we belong to one another.”

  She swallowed hard, looking nervous as her hands fidgeted with her shirt. But Aston could feel her own desire through the bond they shared. “I thought we had things to discuss.”

  Two more steps and he stood close enough that he could feel her breath against his neck where she looked up at him. He could smell smoke from the house explosion. Under the smoke, he picked up something sweet that made him think of succulent fruit. His hand lifted, and he ran his finger down her cheek. “We do, but communication can happen in other ways besides words.”