Ties That Bind: A Muse Urban Fantasy (The Veil Series Book 5) by Pippa DaCosta Page A

—he gestured at the burns on his chest— “mean something.”
    Guilt sliced through me. “I didn’t want to hurt you.”
    “I know.” Stefan rolled his shoulders and winced, working out the pain from seized muscles. Li’el gripped his shoulder as he wavered on his feet. He smiled, and his face softened. “I know, Muse. It’s all right. We’ll talk. When this is over. We’ll say everything we need to say. You owe me a date, remember? No backing out.”
    He was being nice, too nice. My lip quivered. “With ice cream?”
    “Exactly.”
    “As delightful as this lovely reunion is,” Li’el drawled, “I would rather be elsewhere when Asmodeus discovers his pet is missing. Winter King, will you leave with me?”
    Stefan lifted tired eyes to the Prince of Pride and nodded.
    “Li’el, I will destroy you if anything should happen to him.” My wing arched wide—a reflex—the demon equivalent of cracking my knuckles before a fight. My threat gained more weight if one considered the dead demon at my feet. Li’el inclined his head the smallest of degrees. I slid my glare to Stefan. “Don’t do anything stupid, heroic, or typically you. Just don’t do anything until I can get to you.”
    “I’m sure I can refrain from the heroics for a while.” We looked at each other as though we should shake hands, hug, or pat one another on the shoulder. He was beaten up and hurting for sure, but the glint of mischief hadn’t left his eyes. Maybe my burst of lust really had just been a temporary state. I hoped so. I couldn’t stand it if he hated me all over again.
    Li’el cleared his throat.
    “Right.” I backed up. “I’ll find you, and soon.” I wanted to go with them. I didn’t care where. The dungeon, the fortress, my father… I wasn’t sure if I could survive it all.
    Stefan straightened, flexed his wings, and gripped Li’el’s outstretched hand. Black vapor swirled up and embraced them, and in the next moment, they were gone. A cloud of powdered dust drifted where they’d stood a heartbeat before.
    I knelt by Samien’s body and pushed fire and flame into his flesh, burning his remains to ash. I’d killed a demon with my bare hands and felt nothing. This was different than when I’d devastated hundreds on the battlefield. I’d hungered for Samien’s death. I’d wanted it. I get my wants. I wasn’t sure if I was becoming the monster my father wanted me to be or if I’d always been one.
    I made my way out of the stalls and back through the fortress, readying myself for Asmodeus’s wrath.

Chapter 13
    I woke with my father’s hot breath searing my cheek, his hand clamped on my arm, and his demon body smothering mine. His breath hissed through his teeth, and his flesh blazed with enough heat to scorch the bed.
    I’d known this moment was coming.
    “Where is he?” Asmodeus seethed.
    “I—” the hand around my arm tightened, squeezing flesh and muscle in his fist.
    “Lie to me, and I’ll take your wing and your mind. I will bury you in fantasy so deeply you will lose all sense of yourself. I have broken minds far stronger than yours, Daughter.”
    The ghost of my brother drifted back to me in my father’s words, and fear clamped its icy grip around my heart. My element thrashed and knotted around me, eager to protect, but at the same time wanting to combine with my father’s ethereal touch. “I don’t know.” His massive wing arched over me while his huge crimson body pushed down, crushing me. Relentless waves of heat pushed down. I drew it in through my demon skin, embraced it, welcomed it. My father could snap my neck with ease. Inside, I locked my humanity away and wrapped demon thoughts around the most vulnerable parts of me. If I submitted, he’d tear into me. Mammon wouldn’t have looked twice at me had I not been the fighter he’d suspected.
    I was the Mother of Destruction. I was every demon’s nightmare. I had the Prince of Greed wrapped around my heart and a lifetime of