Roman didn’t want to leave Larissa’s bed.

With her finally in his arms, how could he? She slept peacefully curled against him, all the tension gone from her body, as her chest rose and fell in slow, rhythmic beats. Her scent wrapped around him, lulling him into tranquility.

He wanted to spend days on end drifting in and out of sleep with her, waking up to lose themselves in sensual delirium that he could only find with her. But, he’d lingered here too long. He couldn’t stay all night, not unless they were sure the threats were gone.

Perhaps he could coax her to stay in his room at the compound. It was protected by gargoyle magic, and she’d be safer there. It would take some careful wordsmithing, though, to convince her to go there.

He pulled himself from her arms, trying not to wake her. When she stirred and murmured his name, he knew he’d failed.

“Where are you going?” she asked, with sleep keeping her eyes at half-mast.

“I need to head back out.”

“But, I thought everything was okay.”

He gritted his teeth. Yes, he’d avoided telling her about the possibility of a demon still in the city when they met up, but he couldn’t keep it from her any longer. And he had to do whatever he could to protect her.

“Larissa, what would you say about staying in my room at the compound?”

“With strangers, Roman?” She shook her head. “I know our relationship has been rather rushed, but I’m not ready for what sounds like moving in with you yet.”

He knew she wouldn’t go for his suggestion, especially without a good reason why. “It’s not that. You’ll be safer there.”

She peered at him through narrowed eyes. “Safer from what?”

He raised his hands. “Anything. Not only do Stone Sentries live there, but it’s protected by gargoyle magic.”

“I’m a police officer, Roman. I’m used to being one of those who protects others.”

As he dressed, he measured how to put it, without terrifying her. He sat on the edge of the bed. “Larissa, the suspicious person my sentries reported on yesterday—we’re not exactly sure it is a person.”

She pulled herself upright and propped the pillows behind her head. When she yanked the blanket to cover her breasts, he regretted dampening their reunion with potential bad news.

“What is it?” she asked in a measured voice.

He swallowed hard. “We tracked the scent of a demon but aren’t sure how old it was.”

“Are you shitting me?” She climbed out of bed and pulled on her clothes.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting dressed. Obviously,” she snapped.

“I haven’t even finished telling you what we found.”

She waved a hand. “Oh, go ahead.”

He ignored her defensiveness. In the short time he’d known her he’d discovered how she used sarcasm as a shield, especially when she was feeling vulnerable. “It could be a lingering scent from the other night. With so many different odors, it was difficult to discern. But, we have to be on alert.”

She closed her eyes and reopened them. “What do you think it means?”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know for sure.”

“Roman, you’re looking at me like I’m a freakin’ wildcat you’re careful of setting off.” She struggled to keep her voice steady. “Please. The truth. What do you think is going on?”

She was right. He couldn’t keep it from her no matter how much he wanted to shield her from any more pain. “It’s possible that a demon is still out there. That’s why we’re investigating.”

She threw her arms up into the air with exacerbation and paced before her bed. “I thought we knocked them back through the portal. What the fuck?”

“If one is out there, and we’re not even sure of that yet,” Roman said, “That’s one possibility. There’s another.”

“What?” Larissa snapped, her impatience etched on her face.

“Somehow, it might have regenerated. Different types of demons exist as do different shifters. We know incubi were among those that attacked, but we don’t know all their capabilities.”

She covered her mouth and then dropped her hand, letting out a mirthless laugh. “Motherfucking piece of shit–”

“Do you always swear this much?”

“Only when fucking demons are threatening the goddamn city and the people I love.” She grunted. “Again.”

“That hasn’t been confirmed.” He raised his index finger. “You could be overreacting for nothing.”

She planted her hands on her hips and scrunched her face. “Overreacting? What if the vision I had was a premonition?”

“Have you seen anything since?”

“No, but if there’s another demon terrorizing the city, I’m not reacting enough!” She raised her hands to her temples.

“But, getting this upset can lead to rash decisions. And that won’t help anyone. Including Janie.”

She stared at him, fire and pain flashing in her eyes, as she panted.

He placed his hand on her shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. “Larissa, breathe.”

She raised her hand and started to speak, but then stopped. She rolled her shoulders back, as if tectonic plates were grinding against each other, ready to explode. Tension radiated through every line in her body. She closed her eyes, counted to five, whispering, and then reopened them.

“You’re right, Roman. My grandmother warned me about getting too anxious like this. It won’t help anyone, least of all, Janie. You have this–I don’t know–this calmness about you that I envy.”

“I struggle, just like you. It’s easy to fall prey to the bloodlust, seeking revenge. But, I know it won’t help me achieve my goal.” He stepped closer to her and caressed her cheek. “I’m much more relaxed after spending time with you.”

She turned her cheek toward his fingers. Damn, he loved how she responded to his touch.

“What I’d recommend is the same as what your grandmother suggested. Get some sleep. Relax. Take care of yourself.” He lowered his hand. “I’m headed back out with my sentries.”

She raised a clenched fist and then dropped it. “But, I can’t sit around and not do anything. I should do something. Notify someone.”

“No,” he insisted. “Nothing has been confirmed yet. My sentries are on watch. And, we are the most equipped to search for and handle a crisis like this.”

She let out a sigh. “What am I supposed to do then? I can’t sleep. Not with my mind going crazy imagining the worse. I have to do something productive.”

He nodded. “Yes. And you are. Follow what your grandmother said and work on developing your magic. We’ll head over to see Janie in the morning. If you think you’re ready, you can try to transfer your energy into her then.”

When Larissa’s eyes widened with purpose, he sensed he reached her. With a way to channel her nervous energy, she’d be calmer. And maybe she’d even be able to help wake Janie in the process.

“Yes. I’ll practice this morning. Otherwise, I’d go mad pacing holes through the floor to my downstairs neighbors. I don’t think they’d be pleased to see me crashing into their apartment.”

“I’d be delighted to find you in my place.” He used a light tone, which hinted at what he’d already proposed.

She appraised him with a long look. “I can’t stay at Gargoyle Central.”

“Compound,” he clarified. The Stone Sentries owned the top two floors of a building in the Seaport District.

She cocked a brow. “Clever. But, I can’t hide out while Janie is in the hospital.”

“You’re determined to help. That’s one of the things I love about you.”

She gave him a half-smile. “We haven’t known each other a week, Roman. You can’t love many things about me, yet.”

Roman stepped up to her and cupped her chin. “Oh, but I do. Big things. Little things.” He lowered his head and kissed her. “I’ll be back around nine, or I’ll get in touch with you if something comes up.”

Damn, he hated leaving her. He kissed her once more before he walked out.

Her blue eyes darkened with worry as she furrowed her brows. “Be careful out there.”

Larissa didn’t get much sleep after Roman left her apartment. How could she after what he’d revealed? Demons might still be in Boston, lurking for the perfect moment to strike. She couldn’t deal with another catastrophe. Not again, not while still facing one crisis after another.

She hadn’t even learned to work productively with her magic, yet. Practicing how to center herself and tap into her magic was one thing. Successfully using it to help Janie or prevent a demon attack was another. She hadn’t been able to project energy from her hands since the night of the eclipse, so what made her think she’d be able to accomplish anything? Maybe it had been a fluke after all.

As she tossed and turned in her bed, now cold without Roman’s body warming her, dark thoughts slithered in. She might be making a mistake getting into a relationship. She was too messed up, which had already led to a broken engagement. Why bother getting involved with someone again, especially when her lover wasn’t even human? That compounded the situation, leading to complications of epic proportions.

She’d already discovered enough about herself in recent days that would take an infinite number of appointments with a therapist to sort out. Shouldn’t she focus on that? She’d spent the last twenty-plus years believing she was odd, but had never questioned her bloodline. Descending from a long line of witches added a screwed-up twist to her already fucked-up cocktail.

At seven, she gave up on sleep, brewed coffee, and turned on the news. Bad idea. It was more speculation on the demon attack. She turned off the TV and played some music instead. Queens of the Stone Age’s No One Knows came up. Right, that was on the playlist she’d created before meeting Roman—songs that strangely enough had to do with stone, right before she’d met a gargoyle who shifted from that. She smiled. Perhaps he was right, and something deeper connected them, which was tied to fate.

No One Knows.

After sipping two cups of coffee while listening to the Rolling Stone and Stone Temple Pilots, the caffeine energized her to brave the morning. Maybe she’d been freaking out. That often happened in the dead of night with nothing but her thoughts to torment her by repeating the same questions on a loop.

She’d meet with Roman, soon, they’d head over to the hospital, and she’d see if she had any chance of using what she’d learned to help Janie.

Roman called after eight. “I got a bit tied up with things, but I’ll meet you at the hospital at nine.”

With rush hour traffic, she’d face hell getting into Longwood. She might well double her travel time—if not triple it.

After dealing with the ruthless commute with bumper-to-bumper traffic and endless loops in the parking garage, she cursed herself for not taking public transportation. She glanced up at the hospital. It loomed over her from this angle, blocking out the sun. She silently counted to ten before taking on the task that weighed on her.

Once she spotted Roman, she hurried over to him, and they headed up to Janie’s room. She greeted Janie, who remained unresponsive. Larissa took a few tentative steps closer. Her hands trembled. She’d never done this before. Could she screw up the attempt, and make things worse for Janie?

Roman put a hand on her shoulder from behind her. “It’s going to be all right.”

She let his velvety smooth voice caress her and calm her frayed nerves. She drew in deep, cleansing breaths, as her grandmother had guided her.

Placing her hands over Janie’s torso the way she’d seen Roman do yesterday, Larissa closed her eyes and focused. Roman had detected Janie’s lifeline. Could Larissa sense it, too? She attempted to get a reading on Janie. Perhaps, some sort of vibration or a sign of energy would indicate it.

For several seconds, Larissa focused on the quiet space within Janie. Nothing seemed to change. Breathing through the frustration, she penetrated deeper, seeking a signal indicating life.

There. A faint pulse of energy pulsed within. Larissa’s heart pumped. Had she found it? She followed the threads. Holy shit. Yes, it was Janie’s life force. How Larissa knew that to be true, she had no clue. Had she actually found a way in? Did she have a chance at helping Janie?

Larissa probed deeper–and hit something hard. What the fuck was it?

It was like a concrete wall of psychic energy that blocked her. Like a shield of darkness shrouding Janie.

Nothing like Larissa had ever encountered before.

Dark, delicate threads pulled away from the blackness. She froze as they reached for her. She wanted to retreat and run. Yet, she couldn’t. Besides, she couldn’t leave Janie to face them alone.

The dark threads curled around Larissa, like a wispy embrace of a specter. They were all she could see behind her closed eyes. Menacing whispers echoed in her ear. She couldn’t hear what they said at first, until the message grew louder, paralyzing her:

You’re not strong enough to handle this.

What happened the night of the eclipse was a fluke.

You’re not special, no matter what the gargoyle says. You’re not even a hero. You’re just a freak who had freakish luck one night.

If you try to help Janie with magic you don’t understand, you’ll hurt her. You’ll be locked up for murder. A disgrace to the badge. A disappointment to all who ever believed in you...

Larissa listened, entranced, as if listening to a dark, beautiful song that pulled at her soul’s strings and dragged her into a chasm of despair.

The dark whispers were right, slicing through her psyche. What was she doing here? She was in over her head.

What she had to do was pull back from magic, from all things she didn’t understand. Her father had been right to keep her far from it. She should follow his path, the way she always had. Be practical, sensible. Not follow some hippie-dippie ideas of magic.

She had to retreat down the path and rebuild her life. Separate herself from the gargoyles.

“No!”

Roman’s voice echoed from some faraway place, like it was underwater.

In the next heartbeat, she was yanked away from Janie. What felt like a fishhook through her gut lurched her backwards.

Her eyes snapped open. She was in the hospital room. Someone was holding her.

Roman.

“Larissa, are you all right? Can you hear me?”

He shook her shoulders, drawing her out of her daze. Her breath came out ragged.

Everything was so tight inside her, like her ribs had constricted like a corset over her heart and lungs. It hurt to breathe.

“Larissa, it’s me, Roman. Look at me.”

She pulled her eyes to his face and gazed at the man before her. She grunted. No, not a man. He wasn’t even human. Far from it. She’d been sleeping with someone who could shift to goddamn stone and some sort of strange winged creature.

Not fucking human!

She balled her hands into fists.

What the fuck was wrong with her? Why would she ever think it was okay to sleep with someone not even human? It wasn’t. It was fucking insane!

She stepped out of his grasp. “I need to get away from here.”

His brows drew closer as he eyed her. “What happened?”

A dark fog settled over her, numbing her.

“You got in, right?” the gargoyle asked. “Did the barrier stop you?”

She stared as if seeing him for the first time. Who the hell was he really? Nothing more than a stranger who’d sauntered into her life a few days ago, fucking up her world with his talk of fantastic creatures. What the hell did he know about anything? He might be a madman, dragging her into twisted hallucinations with him. All that talk of demons and gargoyles couldn’t be real. It had to be some dark thoughts he’d implanted there dragging her into his insane delusions.

“Who the fuck are you, really? And don’t give me the gargoyle answer. Who are you? And why have you been messing with me?”

His eyes widened, and then narrowed as he studied her with a keen gaze. “Larissa, listen to me. This isn’t you. It’s the dark magic clouding your thoughts.”

When he reached for her, she snatched it back. “Don’t touch me.”

His expression turned pained. “It’s exploiting your fears. Don’t let it.”

She raised her hands like a shield before her and stepped backwards. “No, you’re wrong.”

“You can fight this,” he said. “I know you can.”

“You don’t know anything about me.” She pointed at his chest. “I slept with you a few times, and you come up with crazy bullshit that we’re mates and meant to be together. That’s some twisted shit.”

He stepped toward her, eying her like she was a caged animal. “You need to get away from here. It will help you calm down.”

“Don’t tell me to fuckin’ calm down! And don’t take another step closer to me. What have you been lying about? Everything?” Her voice cracked.

He raised a hand. “Larissa, don’t do this–”

“No,” she cut him off. “I don’t want to hear another word. I don’t know how I’ve been sucked into this madness, but the more I follow it, the more fucked up everything turns.” Her lips curled into a sneer. “I came here thinking I could do some voodoo magic or some shit, and it didn’t help her at all. It’s because I listened to you.” She pointed at him.

He recoiled with a contorted expression. That weakness fueled the darkness within her.

He wiped any emotion from his face, but she’d seen his weakness–her. Somehow, she could use it against him and make him pay for fucking up her life.

Emotions burned through his stare. “You don’t mean this. We can fight any darkness if we take it on together. We’ve already defeated the demons together once.”

She raised her hand. “Don’t say that. Being with you makes things worse,” she spat. “How can I be normal when I’m with someone–like you! A gargoyle. Ha! How stupid of me.” She shook her head. “I can’t do this anymore. I don’t want to do this anymore.”

“You just need some space,” he said in a low tone, as if talking to a scared animal. “Let’s get some fresh air. It will help you detach from the darkness and help you become you again.”

“You are my darkness!” she spat, pointing square at his chest. “I was fine until you upended my life.” Rage pulsed through her veins. “Do you think I want to learn more about how fucked up I am! Don’t you think I already know it? Why would I want to exacerbate that?” She pointed at the door. “I don’t want you or your damn stone guards anywhere near her. Get your creepy bullshit out of here. It’s over, Roman. Leave us both the fuck alone.”

Roman’s expression hardened like stone. His amber eyes glowered. “I will leave. But I’m not leaving you alone with her, Larissa. Not when you’ve been affected by them.” He motioned to the door. “If you want me out, you walk out with me.”