THE BAZAAR (The Devany Miller Series) by Jen Ponce

Goosebumps sprouted over my arms. Whoever Cyres was, Tytan loved her. Or him. Right now, I loved her too. Her name saved me. Nex saved me.
    Tytan's brown eyes were thoughtful. "You can go. Go. Before I change my mind."
    Nex bobbed in the air like a buoy in the water. "I go with her."
    "Uh." There were many things I couldn't explain. A floating head would be in the top three.
    "You would fade there, long before your body could regenerate." Tytan's voice held a trace of his old amusement. His set shoulders, however, told of his stress.
    Nex tipped me a courtly bow. I boggled at how a floating head could appear mannerly. "In that case, I shall await you here. Thank you for sparing my life."
    "You're welcome." I started to raise my hand to shake with him then remembered he didn't have anything to shake with. I lamely patted his cheek, whispered my own thank you, and snapped at Tytan. "Send me home."
    Tytan's laugh was familiar. His touch made me jump—but only a fraction—and in an instant, I stumbled into my bedroom. Early morning light streamed in through the windows.
    The dark angel stood in the same spot we'd left her in. 
    “ You said it would be like I never left!”
    Tytan shrugged. “If you had stayed in the Slip, yes. Your side trip to Midia cost you some time, however.”
    My head pounded, I was so damned angry. Tight-lipped and trembling, I rounded on the woman. Her dark, sorrowful eyes met my gaze.
    “ No harm came to your children.”
    I nodded, unable to talk. She gave me a slight bow then glanced over at Tytan. He flicked his hand and she vanished.
    "Go away."
    He didn't step closer, didn't touch me, but danger pulsed from him in waves. "Don't test me again."
    "I didn't test you this time." My gaze focused hard on him. "I won't kill." My voice shook as I said it, but my eyes stayed steady.
    His anger melted away and a slow smile curved his lips. He reached out a finger and I refused to flinch. Warmth spread over my skin at his touch. "You will. I'll help you develop a taste for it." He moved closer, until his breath warmed my cheek and the length of him stood but a deep breath away from me.
    I feared he would kiss me but I couldn't move away because desire froze me in place. He was sending lust in waves over me as if he knew how to paralyze me.
    I hated that he knew anything about me.
    My eyes dipped to his mouth.
    His laughter ghosted the air between us.
    I rushed from my room, banging my hip on the dresser in my hurry. Both kids were sleeping, safe, and though I yearned to touch them, to gather them to me to be certain, I made myself go back to my room. I sat down heavily on the floor and stayed there, my body having decided to have its breakdown. The events of the night jumbled in my head, my brain picking out pieces in random order to analyze. Like a frenetic bee in a field full of luscious flowers, it flitted from subject to subject, unable to choose, unwilling to settle on any one thing. I finally curled up into a tiny ball and stared under my bed at the detritus of my life that had fallen into its shadows. A balled up sock. A shoe. A book.
    I needed to tell someone, even though I knew I could never tell a soul. I didn't have anyone I could tell. The unreal sights and events fought with my rational mind for dominance. I could go insane if I thought too much about what had happened. Especially since I'd lost my anchor: my marriage and my husband. Nothing now to tether me to reality and keep me from being swept away by the demon and his grotesque world.
    Worse, I could feel the seductive pull of what he offered me. Power. Danger. An escape from the pain in my life.
    I shoved myself off the floor, horrified at myself and the direction my thoughts had taken. I paced the room twice over before I realized I was truly alone. I couldn't turn to anyone for help. I had to deal with this myself. For my kids' sakes. For my own sanity's sake, I had to deal with it, not shove it to the back of my mind to let it