Katy giggled. “He’s been riding around in your purse?”

  “Yes,” Lyra answered.

  They all turned to see a short figure sprinting awkwardly down the wooden boards toward them, his baggy clothes flapping. As he drew closer, Katy broke into a wide grin. “Otto!” Gage released his hold on her. She glanced at him and gave him a thankful smile.

  The little lizard man skidded to a halt in front of her, grabbing her attention. He was breathing heavily. “My Katy! I gift you.” He proudly held up a handful of threaded bracelets.

  Katy knelt so she was at his eye level. “These are lovely. Thank you.” She dutifully offered her wrist so he could tie on a bracelet. His small, clawed hands worked with surprising dexterity to knot the strands.

  Glancing over, Katy noticed Lola already wore several of Otto’s gifts on her own wrists. She moved her gaze up to Lola’s face. Lola shrugged as if she didn’t really understand the purpose of the gift, either.

  When Otto had secured the last bracelet in place, Katy smiled fondly. “I really missed your goofy face.”

  He blinked large, round eyes at her. “Duh. Otto miss his Katy Girl, too.” His bluntness drew a laugh from her.

  “Not all yours,” Gage spoke up, though his voice didn’t sound threatening. It actually held amusement. Otto waved a hand at her mate as if he weren’t concerned in the least that the huge Dire Wolf could eat him for a snack. Literally.

  Impulsively, Katy pulled the little lizard dude into a gentle hug. He tensed briefly before giving her a few soft pats on the back. As she released him, Otto scampered quickly over to climb up Bane’s large frame and perch upon his broad shoulders.

  Bane angled a look up at his new passenger but made no move to dislodge Otto. Katy hid a smile. Clearly, they had all bonded some during this strange journey. It seemed Otto was able to win over even the stoic males of the bunch.

  She rose and stumbled a bit, feeling all the blood rush to her feet. Gage caught her.

  “Katy,” Lola exclaimed, as she leaned forward to try to help.

  Gage took her chin in his hand and turned her to look up at him. The worried look in his eyes made her gut clench. She needed more of his blood. She was getting worse. The length of time between necessary feedings was growing shorter.

  “Where’s a restroom?” Gage never took his eyes from her face.

  “There’s one around the corner.” Lola pointed. “Though Callon sort of destroyed it.”

  “You’re going to tell me about that later,” Katy told Lola as Gage scooped her up and began walking in the opposite direction. “This won’t take long,” she said to the group, but unwilling to share what was about to happen. It was too intimate.

  “It’s not their business,” Gage muttered.

  Katy noticed that Bane had a hand on Otto’s foot as if to hold him in place, and the lizard’s mouth was moving. Otto looked like he wanted to come after her. Katy shook her head at him, hoping he’d understand. His small shoulders slumped forward, but he nodded back to her.

  “Let’s make it quick,” Katy told her mate.

  He set her down on her feet and cupped her face, a small smile on his handsome face. “You’re the one who likes to drag it out.”

  Her face heated with a blush as she smacked his chest. “That may be, but it’s rude to point it out.”

  Gage pushed the door open. “It’s also rude to rush your male when he’s trying to take care of you.”

  Katy rolled her eyes at his innuendo and then took stock of the interior of the bathroom. “D-a-a-a-m-m-n-n. What did Callon and Lola do in here?”

  “I have a few ideas,” Gage said suggestively.

  Katy sighed. “Doesn’t even matter the species, all men are the same.”

  Ten minutes later, Katy felt much better, and they rejoined the group. Callon and two other males had returned. Both of the newcomers were handsome, and odd, in different ways.

  “Katy,”—Callon smiled--“it’s good to see you looking well.”

  “You do look good,” Lola agreed. “Better than you did when you got here.”

  “Are we ready to go?” Gage interrupted the moment that made her feel awkward. His hand wrapped around hers as he waited for an answer. There seemed to be a tenseness that hadn’t been there before they’d stepped away.

  “I’m not getting on a boat with these two until they prove they’re not in league with the Kingdom of Chaos.” Zeena pulled her shoulders back and raised her chin in challenge.

  Nico’s silver eyes widened, and the swirling within increased. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “I’m talking about Wolfgang and Tallula asking me when they’d be getting their promised females from the Kingdom of Venom,” Zeena answered.

  Nico looked as if he’d been punched in the gut. “When did you see them?”

  “Just a few days ago.” Zeena placed her hands on her hips. “I was in the Las Vegas branch of the Chaos Kingdom, and they bumped into me in one of the casinos. Imagine my shock when they asked to speak with me alone, and that is what they said. So? Are you a part of their sick schemes?”

  Nico’s eyes hardened as he clenched his jaw. “I don’t answer to you. You are the queen of nothing, and I won’t stand here and be treated like I’m guilty of something so sickening.”

  “She is not the queen,” a masculine voice spoke up, “but I am King, and your friend. For the sake of this mission, just answer her.”

  Katy’s eyes widened, and all heads turned. She saw a man and woman standing behind them, and she had no idea when they’d arrived. “Is everyone else seeing the beautiful couple that are wearing snake crowns on their heads?”

  “We do,” Lola said. “You’re not going crazy.”

  “Talbot.” Nico’s voice changed drastically as he addressed the man. “Rose, royalty looks good on you.”

  Apparently, this was the new king of the Kingdom of Venom. The demure female on Talbot’s arm blushed and dropped her eyes. Her pink lips turned up in a small smile. “Thank you, Nico. It’s good to see you.”

  “Not too good,” Talbot said, gently.

  “Good grief,” Katy muttered. “It’s like a damn disease.”

  Gage squeezed her hand. “Behave.”

  “That’s not a word in my extensive vocabulary.”

  “Will you allow me to put everyone’s worries at ease?” Talbot asked Nico.

  The shaman didn’t look pleased but finally nodded. “You might as well read Raphael as well. They won’t trust him either because he’s my friend.”

  The pair walked over to where Talbot and Rose stood. Talbot looked at Zeena. “Will this be enough proof?”

  Zeena gave a curt nod. “I am glad it’s you who is taking his place, Talbot.” Katy could see genuine care in Zeena’s eyes. “You’ve always had a kind soul.”

  Talbot inclined his head to her and then placed his hand on Nico’s bare wrist. He held the gaze of the shaman, and after a good thirty seconds, Talbot released Nico.

  “He has no ill intentions,” Talbot said.

  Katy raised an eyebrow. “How can you know that?”

  “Visata has gifted me with the ability to see into the mind of a person when I touch them,” the new Venom King explained. “I cannot read their mind, but I can feel their emotions and, if they’re strong enough, even their intentions.”

  “Mmkay, just to be clear”—Katy pointed at him—“your dermis will never touch my dermis.”

  Lola scrunched up her nose. “When you put it like that, it sounds so dirty.”

  “I agree.” Gage grunted. “Don’t talk about your dermises together.”

  “That sounded even worse.” Callon sounded offended on behalf of Gage.

  “Can we please stay focused?” Zeena scolded.

  Katy nodded. “My bad. I’m easily distracted.”

  Talbot ignored the entire exchange as he focused on Raphael. “You will be a little harder, so I will need to ask you questions regarding the situation.”

  “Why will he be harder?”

  Katy was glad Lola was as inquisitive as her, so she wasn’t the only one getting dirty looks from the impatient shifters.

  “Because he’s a demon. Essentially, all his intentions are evil,” Talbot explained, without any of the annoyance that was on Gage’s and Callon’s faces.

  “Not all.” Nico’s tone was sharp.

  The incubus smirked, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Just don’t ask me anything that has to do with the females present.” Raphael looked at Rose. “Yours included. I’d like to keep my head attached to my body.”

  “Maybe don’t be so honest out loud then,” Katy offered.

  Talbot gently pushed his mate slightly behind him as he took Raphael’s offered wrist. “Have you had any contact with the king and or queen of the Kingdom of Chaos?” Talbot asked the demon.

  “No.”

  “Have you had any recent dealings with Azure, the former king of the Kingdom of Venom?”

  “No.”

  “Do you plan to have dealings with him?”

  “Yes.”

  Talbot hissed.

  Raphael lifted his chin, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “I plan to kill him … or applaud the one who does.”

  Zeena sucked in a sharp breath but said nothing. She simply stared at Raphael.

  The Venom King tilted his head, his slitted eyes narrowing. “Why do you want him dead? Why does a demon care for the affairs of the Damarians?”

  Raphael slipped his free hand into the pocket of his slacks. Not exactly bayou attire, Katy noted, and he lifted his chin as he looked at Talbot. “It is well known that Azure acquired dancers for his clubs. And in the beginning, how he acquired them was through honest dealings, and the females had a choice. But he got greedy. And since incubi tend to be greedy as well, he began working with some of my kind. They, of course, could easily coerce females to work for Azure. Women become addicted to us.”

  Katy bit her bottom lip as her hands curled into fists. She did not like where this story was going.

  “I helped him briefly.” Raphael shrugged. “But I never cared for Azure’s personality. Sorry, Zeena, but he’s a dick.”

  Zeena pursed her lips as she folded her arms across her chest. “I wish I could disagree with you.”

  “But,” Raphael continued, “before I got out completely, I met a female.”

  “Oh snap,” Lola muttered.

  “I concur,” Katy whispered, her eyes still focused on the demon.

  “I realize that you Damarians like to think yourselves experts on all things demon.” Raphael gave them a sharp smile. “But you are far from the experts you claim to be. Demons, too, can have mates. It is very rare. But it happens. And considering our nature, you can imagine how possessive we are of the one that is ours and ours alone.”

  Nico rested a hand on the incubus’s shoulder and gave it a visible squeeze. His handsome features seemed severe as he frowned while watching Raphael.

  “I told Azure this woman was mine. A female that he’d decided would become an animi by the power of his voodoo priestess and her dark magic. He told me I could have her when I found a replacement,” Raphael bit out through sharp teeth. “When I returned with the female that would take my mate’s place, I found the Kingdom of Venom mansion burned.”

  “Oh no.” Katy shook her head as her stomach twisted, her hand coming up to cover her mouth.

  Talbot’s face contorted in pain as he continued to hold Raphael’s wrist, making Katy wonder if he actually felt what the demon had.

  “My mate was one of the women who died in the fire. If he’d given her to me when I’d asked, she wouldn’t have been there. At first, I blamed Gage”—he turned and looked at Katy’s mate—“but Nico reminded me of who was truly to blame.”

  Lola spoke up. “Why didn’t you go after him on your own?”

  Raphael cut his eyes to Nico before answering. “Because I am not an ancient royal shifter. Azure may be a complete jackass, but he’s a powerful jackass. And I am not a fool.”

  Katy almost pointed out that working for Azure would totally refute that statement, but the pain he must have felt when he realized his mate was dead was still heavy on his shoulders, so she kept her sharp tongue in place.

  “He tells the truth.” Talbot released the demon’s wrist.

  Zeena inclined her head to the Venom King. “I accept your findings. And Raphael”—she looked at the demon—“I am very sorry for your loss.”

  Katy saw the pain in Raphael’s eyes, and she wondered if it was wrong to feel bad for a demon.

  “Not to intrude on the moment,” a gruff-looking man said from beside the rickety boat, “but, daylight’s wasting, folks. We shoving off or what?”

  That spurred everyone into motion. Their odd company filed onto the boat. Otto had settled himself regally at the bow, his head swiveling and his eyes taking in everything. As the dock fell away, Katy moved to stand beside Gage at the railing. Silently, they watched the bayou drift by, tangled trees leaning close as if to snatch unwary travelers. She shivered.

  “This place feels alive,” Katy murmured uneasily.

  Lola stood on her other side and shook her head. “I was getting the exact opposite feeling. The deeper we go, the more this place oozes death vibes.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Don’t Do Anything Stupid And Don’t Die.

  “We often think back and realize certain people came into our lives for certain specific reasons. Then one day, we look up and they’ve somehow drifted out of our lives, and we never see them again. What we don’t think about, though, is whether we drifted into their lives for a certain purpose. Were we needed for something? What effect were we supposed to have? Should we have helped more? Did we leave their lives better than when we found them?” ~Katy

  “Alittle to the right, Jack.” Raphael narrowed his eyes and stared into the woods beyond.

  “So Jack isn’t the guide?” Katy was tired again and leaned even more into Gage. He, not missing anything when it came to her, noticed immediately and scooped her up. He sat on one of the benches that lined the boat, holding her in his lap. Lola sat beside them, and Callon stood beside her, his hand wrapped around the back of her neck, under her hair.

  “Nico said Raphael can track shadows.” Lola looked at Katy and frowned. “I don’t know what that means, but suffice it to say, he has some way of finding Azure. Now, you.” She pointed at Katy. “Why do you suddenly look like you haven’t slept in days? You looked as healthy as the rest of us a half hour ago.”

  Lola’s question made Katy glance around at their companions crowded on the weathered deck.

  Across from where she sat with Gage, the royal pair, Talbot and Rose, looked as if they could be holding court even amidst the ramshackle surroundings. Rose’s moonlit hair cascaded around her, luminous in the gathering dusk. Everything about the young woman was ethereal grace, from her delicate features to the fluid way she moved.

  Beside her sat Talbot, elegant power personified. Though relaxed, his large frame radiated coiled strength. His movements were sinuous as a snake as he shifted closer to Rose, one muscular arm coming up to rest casually on the rail behind her. The gesture was subtle, but proprietary. Together, the two exuded an air of royalty, almost seeming to glow with their own inner light. Katy found herself captivated by the striking couple. But then Gage’s arm tightened around her waist, and she remembered her best friend had asked her a question.

  “It’s Azure’s spell, or his voodoo chick,” she said quietly. “Tying my life to the captive women drains me. It’s getting worse.”

  Lola’s eyes sparked with anger, her marbled skin taking on various shades of red. Callon shifted next to her, and Katy noticed the hand not on her neck clenched into a fist. No doubt a response to his mate’s distress.

  Gage’s arms banded around Katy comfortingly. “Her strength wanes bit by bit each day those females are bound. My blood gives her some strength back, but it’s not lasting as long as it did the first time. We need to end this.”

  From his perch on the bow, Otto suddenly spoke up. “Otto will fix it.” He scampered over and pressed two small-clawed hands to Katy’s forehead, face scrunched in concentration. “I make it right, Mistress.”

  “Thank you, my friend,” Katy said sincerely. Rousing herself, Katy sat up straighter. “I’ll be okay once the spell is broken. We all just need to stay focused on the task ahead.” She spared a grateful smile for her mate and loyal friend.

  Lola’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. She was hurting for Katy. “I’m going to be fine,” Katy reassured her.

  “Oh, I know you’re going to be fine,” Lola said sharply. “Because no other outcome is acceptable.”

  “Agreed,” Gage said gruffly, though his eyes softened as he looked down at her. But any reply was forestalled as Raphael called out.

  “We are near the witch’s territory. Be on guard.” The demon’s gaze constantly roamed their surroundings. The trees had taken on an ominous bend, gnarled branches clawing at the hull as they passed.

  Katy shivered, exhaustion creeping back over her. “It’s getting worse,” she whispered. Her chest tightened, and breathing was becoming a struggle. Gage smoothed a hand down her back. “I can give you more blood.” His body was taught, and she hated seeing fear in his steadfast gaze.

  “No blood offerings.” Raphael came to stand near them. His eyes roamed over Katy, but not in a flirty way. It was as if he was assessing her. “Marissa can draw energy from any blood, especially freely given. This is her domain, and that of the souls that serve her.”

  Katy’s legs trembled uncontrollably as the boat crept through the foreboding bayou. The thick, oppressive air was saturated with malevolent magic that weighed down on her like a lead blanket. Gage held her tightly, practically carrying her weight as she struggled to stay upright. His jaw was clenched so tightly it looked ready to shatter, his eyes dark and filled with concern beneath furrowed brows.

  “I’ll be okay,” she whispered, trying to reassure not only him but herself as well. “I haven’t gotten to drive you crazy long enough yet. I should at least get a decade.”