14. Ashe

This is the best thing I could have done, the only thing that made sense in the short amount of time that I had to decide.

It was not like I had any forewarning.

The witches at headquarters had sensed the backdoor open up the moment it pulled me through the Veil. Once Public Affairs got involved, the path would only lead them back to Dani's apartment. Even if the secret of my ring somehow remained hidden, they would know who she is at that point.

At best, they would suspect that she was an unregistered witch practicing forbidden magic. They would pry into her routines as they assess her threat potential, but our laws would not allow them to act in broad daylight or without probable cause. The Tribunal loved their legalities and paper trails but the dirty work they often left to the shadows, and while Public Affairs usually dealt with trivial domestic disputes and with keeping the supernatural out of the public eye, only Reapers were authorized to carry out executions.

The balance scales and the sickle. Two arms of the same regime upholding the Tribunal's decree of secrecy in two very different ways. One keeping order by day, the other dealing death warrants at night.

At worst? They would uncover my secret. There are far worse fates than death for a demon bound to a soul ring, and although Dani's death was the quickest way to break the binding magic and return my life to normal, I knew it was not that simple. The ring would not let that happen.

Burning her apartment down was tempting, but that would only raise further suspicion and risk garnering the attention of humans. I might as well turn myself over and save them all the trouble with an obvious signal fire like that. No, bringing her here was the only way to keep my ring safe. It was also the only way I could guarantee that she would not summon me again. I got lucky today, but I doubt my luck would hold out now that she was on their radar—even if they did not fully know what it was they were searching for, yet.

Keeping her here until the threat of discovery passes? Well, I'll figure that part out eventually.

This is stupid. It was hard to argue with that logic, and it was not like I exactly thought this situation through. But what choice did I have?

“Do you have anything to drink?”

I look over at Dani, who has been sitting stiff-backed on the couch ever since we got to my apartment. Right, I should probably be hospitable or something.

“You good with whiskey?” I glance at Catalina's wine fridge in the corner. “Or wine?”

“Is alcohol all you ever drink?”

“Mostly.” I shrug as I make my way into the kitchen. “And coffee, on occasion.”

I had actually taken a liking to drinking coffee over the last six months. It was like a dose of normalcy, grounding me in a world that was constantly shifting, and my time at the café was the closest to being human that I had felt in a long time.

Dani helped with that, too.

I grit my teeth at the thought. This has gone far beyond harmless fantasies now. I may have indulged in the fascination of not being able to read her mind, allowing myself to enjoy the mystery of not knowing her innermost thoughts and desires as any mortal would, but it only served as a frustrating handicap now.

“Coffee's fine.”

Well, damn. I may like drinking the stuff, but I did not have anything around to actually make it. “You asked if that's all I drank,” I deadpan. “Not if I had any.”

Dani groans, an edge of annoyance in her tone. “And I guess me wishing for it would be crossing a line or something, huh?”

Genie jokes, really? I roll my eyes at her lack of originality. “That's not how this works.”

Altering a person's reality can have devastating consequences, and no one wants a demon to go rooting around in their minds convincing them that their wildest dreams—or worst nightmares—are coming true. There was a reason the phrase 'be careful what you wish for' ever came about, although I'm sure many would be surprised to learn that it had nothing to do with actual wishes. But it was not like it would work on her, anyway. Not now.

Mortals with their fucking misconceptions and propensity for taking things that did not belong to them.

“Just water, then.”

I grab a bottle of whiskey from the bar before walking back to the living room. “Here.”

“Thanks.” She takes the glass of tap water without a hint of a smile. “So are we going to talk now?”

Straight to the point. Maybe this will go quickly after all. “Well, I did promise you answers. So ask your questions.” I pause, considering. “You get three.”

Dani balks as her green eyes snap up to meet mine. “Only three?”

“I'll let that one slide, but yes.” I fight off a smirk as I add, “Consider them your wishes.” I can make jokes, too.

Something flashes across her face and once more I'm reminded that I'm unable to read her. God, that was infuriating!

“Fine, first question.” She holds up her hand, showcasing my ring as if it were some ancient artifact on display at a museum. “What exactly does this mean?”

I wiggle a pack of cigarettes out of my jacket pocket. The slight crinkle in her nose does not escape my notice. “Like I explained last night, we're soulbound.” I shrug. “It means I can't hurt you.”

“Or let me get hurt. Yeah, you've said as much. But that didn't answer my question.”

“Oh, you want specifics?” I unscrew the bottle cap and take a sip of whiskey. If she wants to know what it is she has gotten herself mixed up in, who am I to deny her that? “It's called a soul ring. They were fashioned by witches centuries ago to capture demons and bind them to their will.”

“Witches?”

I see her visibly flinch at the slip-up and a grin twitches at the corner of my mouth. I'll let that one slide, too. “You didn't seriously think that demons were the only things to go bump in the night, did you?”

The barista leans back. “I was hoping they were,” she mumbles as she tips the glass to her lips. “So this . . . soul ring, it keeps you from hurting me.”

She was treading the water, phrasing her words with the precision of a surgeon so as not to waste her questions. It was admirable, really, how hard she was fighting to keep the inflection in her voice steady. I was almost tempted to relent on the limit of questions I gave her—almost. I did not want to drag this on any longer than I had to.

“The magic in it won't let me hurt you, no.”

“And I suppose all demons have one of these rings.”

“Only the ones that were imprisoned by witches. In my case, though, I inherited it.” At Dani's perplexed gaze I gesture to her hand. “That one belonged to the demon who sired me, and as the blood of his blood I'm just as bound to it as he was.”

Just as cursed is more like it. I drown the urge to grimace with a mouthful of hard liquor.

“How can—” She hesitates, no doubt reframing the question that lingers on her tongue. “You said demons don't have souls.”

“They don't.”

“And yet it's called being soulbound for a reason.”

Clever girl. I purse my lips. “Magic may trap a demon's essence inside the silver, but the ring binds to the soul of the one who wears it. It's why you can't take it off.”

“Well that's comforting,” she mutters. “I don't feel any different, though.”

“You wouldn't feel its effects.” It wasn't made to control you.

“But you do.”

“The moment you put it on the ring called me to it.” I shake a cigarette into my hand. “I can't exactly say no.”

“So you've been bound before, to others who've worn your ring.”

“There have been others, yes.”

“And now you're bound to me. To my soul.”

“Essentially, yeah.” I tilt the whiskey to my lips. “For better or worse.”

“But you also said it could be removed. That you knew someone who could help get it off.”

“I said I might know someone.” And I have not seen her in years. I was not even sure if she could help. I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose. “Honestly, though, the only way someone's ever gotten free from being soulbound was through death.” And, clearly, I was still here.

Dani's quiet for a moment as she glances down and briefly I wonder if the same thought had crossed her mind. Then, without looking up, she whispers, “Is that what happened to the last person who wore this ring?”

I do not bother masking my frown this time.

“Yes.” I take a long drink before adding, “And that counts as your second question.” Memory lane was not exactly my favorite place to visit, and I was not about to open that door. Not after locking up those thoughts and burying them in the darkest corner of my mind for so long.

“T-that's not fair!”

“I'm half demon and bound to a fucking ring, Dani. I don't really care about what's fair.” I step out onto the balcony. I was more than done with this conversation. “I suggest you choose your next question carefully.”

An uneasy silence hangs between us, but I did not need to turn around to know that she was staring at me. Her gaze is burning holes in my back and I'm sure the gears in her head are working overtime.

My eyes sweep over the cityscape below as a breeze tousles my hair. The lights of downtown twinkle like stars in the distance and, other than the faint blaring of an occasional car horn or a dog barking during an evening stroll, there was hardly a sound. It really was peaceful out here sometimes, like a tranquil lake nestled deep within a forest. But I knew what sort of creatures swam just beneath the surface, lurking in its murky depths. Moments of peace rarely ever lasted in my world.

It was not long before Dani asked her final question. “Why did you bring me here?”

The soft click! of the lighter fills the air. “Precaution,” I mumble as I hold the flame up to my face.

“That's not an answer.”

“I said I'd give you answers,” I quip, my tone flat. “I never said you'd like them.”

“If I'm in some kind of danger, Ashe, I need to know.”

“Did I say you were in danger?”

“It was implied when you kidnapped me.”

Is that what she thought this was? A kidnapping? How ironic.

I take a few minutes to collect my thoughts, expelling clouds of smoke as I mull over my next words. I've already told her more than I probably should have about the soul ring. How much more did I want to divulge?

Taking one last puff, I flick the butt over the edge and stroll back inside. “I didn't force you to come here,” I say as I sink into the opposite side of the couch and take another drink. “And you aren't in any immediate danger. But you may have drawn some attention to yourself.”

“How?”

“When you summoned me, you opened up a backdoor. That kind of thing doesn't go unnoticed.”

As Dani combs fingers through her tangled hair with a disgruntled groan, my eyes follow her movements. The whole 'helmet hair' look was actually rather cute on her. If our circumstances were different . . .

“I still don't know how I did that,” she admits. “Or what the hell a 'backdoor' is.”

Right. I pinch the bridge of my nose and shove any lingering thoughts of her hair out of my mind. “I told you—”

“I know what you said. But thinking about you all day didn't work and—” Dani's eyes widen a fraction and her cheeks flush as she realizes what she said. She clears her throat and takes a sip of water. “Well, thinking alone doesn't work.”

She thought about me all day? Curious, but I would probably do the same if I were in her shoes. This is a lot of new information to digest in one day. Although, I've never had to actually explain any of it before. Least of all to a human untouched by our world.

I quirk a brow. “Even so, the fact remains that you did summon me. Believe it or not, this is the safest place you can be right now.”

“Great,” Dani huffs. “So, what, you plan on keeping me here for my protection? Is that it? Like I'm some sort of prisoner?”

Her words sound harsh, accusatory, and I bristle. “I didn't force you to put on my ring, either,” I snap. “Hell, I don't remember ever telling you to take it in the first place!” Fire boils in my veins and I curse, lifting the whiskey to my lips. Drown the anger, stay in control.

Once I feel calm enough to speak without snapping, I flick my gaze to the barista. “Our situation isn't exactly ideal, Dani. This affects me, too.”

Another heavy silence descends over us like a blanket, swaddling us in its discomfort for several painstaking minutes. The bottle of liquor is nearly depleted by the time one of us dares to break it.

“So,” Dani finally asks, her low tone shattering the tension. “Am I a prisoner?”

“No.”

“Then I can leave if I want to.”

I grit my teeth. “No.”

“Why not?”

“I told you, out of precaution.” I still contemplated on burning her entire building down. Risky, but it could work—although deep down I knew better, at this point I really just wanted to watch something burn.

“Don't lie to me, Ashe.”

It was a command. Shit.

I can feel the words bubbling at the back of my throat, drawn forth by her will alone, and I try to swallow them down. They spill out of my mouth despite my best effort.

“You're a human with a soul ring, Dani. You even knowing about the supernatural is breaking just about every law we have. And there are people out there, people from my world, who will do anything to get their hands on that ring.”

“They can't just—”

“They can and they will. And since I don't plan on being pulled through another backdoor the moment you're in danger, the safest place you can be is here with me.”

She sighs, a sound that is equal parts agitation and exhaustion. “It's just a stupid ring.”

I clench my fists until my knuckles turn white. Yeah, a stupid ring that gives you stupid power. People would kill their own mothers to have a demon at their disposal, bound to carry out their every whim as they exploit such power for personal gain. Wars have been waged to keep soul rings out of the wrong hands.

But the right hands were no fucking better.

I dare not disclose all of the ring's secrets to her, but the longer Dani wore it the harder they would be to hide. And when she finally learns the extent of the power she wields, what would she have me do then?

I never thought I would be back in this situation, bound to yet another soul. Not after centuries of being careful. Not after keeping it hidden for so long that blissful ignorance overpowered the memories I had buried. Not after—

“You have no idea what you've done,” I mutter, swallowing down the phantom echoes of a forgotten past as I relax my fingers and twirl the empty bottle in my hand. It was a miracle the glass did not shatter in my grip. “Jesus, you don't fucking get it.”

“So explain it to me. Why is this ring so important and why does wearing it put my life in danger?” She cuts her gaze to mine, eyes swimming with emotions that I cannot read as they bore into my own. She could drown me in their intensity if she stared any harder. “Why do I have to stay here?”

The bigger question was, could I even keep her here? After my attempt to retire it was not like I could take a vacation from work without drawing suspicion. And, short of tying her up to the bed, it was not like I had access to a cellar that I could lock her up in. People would notice her missing.

But would any of that even matter if she believes she does not have a choice?

This is the only option, for both of us.

I push myself to my feet and cross the living room in a blur of motion, startling Dani. “We're done playing twenty questions. I have a guest room you can stay in or you can sleep on the couch. I really don't care.” I lock my eyes with hers, hoping to convey the seriousness of this whole situation, and for the first time I'm thankful that I cannot sense whatever dwells just beneath the surface. “But you can't leave.”

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A/N: Yeah, good luck with that one, Ashe!

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