Defying Instinct (Demon Instinct Series) by Jaye A. Jones Read Free Book Online

Looking at those inhuman, grey eyes, I
didn’t put it past him.
    “What
happened to their advisors when Iliana took over?  You survived.”
    Grayson
smiled, and the dullness in his eyes started to swirl, as if the Tempter didn’t
have complete power over the glamour that made him look more human.  Maybe he
didn’t.
    “Iliana
kept all but one of Nikolai’s advisors.  Nikolai’s Sorcerer—”
    “Kristoff,”
I offered pointlessly, allowing my arms to fall to my sides.
    Grayson
nodded, looking more amused than ever.  So glad I entertained him.
    “Kristoff
was replaced with a younger, far less powerful Devil named Octavia.  The young
immortal is only about a century old, but loyal to your mother.  Myself,
Stratton, Greta, and Apollo remain.  Also Matteo, your mother’s Razer, who has
been her lover for—”
    “I
appreciate you telling me all this,” I cut him off, my words clipped.  “But you
can imagine how much I don’t need to know about Iliana’s sex life.”
    Grayson
cleared his throat, and for a moment, I heard male laughter from the other side
of the door.
    “If
they can hear us, why the locked door?  An attempt to frighten me?”
    “Are
you frightened, Savannah?” Grayson asked, his words saying things to me far
beyond their simple meaning.  Was he baiting me?  Teasing me?  It was like he
knew I felt nothing, no fear, no attraction for him.
    “I’d
like to know what’s going on,” I said, satisfied by the evenness in my words. 
    “You
need to be protected.”
    With
a level stare, I said, “Not like this I don’t.”
    Crossing
my arms between us once again, I lifted my chin to say I wasn’t going to budge,
not for a second thinking what I wanted would matter to these demons.
    Without
another word, Grayson turned to leave the room.  When he didn’t secure the door
behind him, I hastily followed. 
    Only
to run face-first into a Hammer demon’s exceptionally warm, unreasonably hard,
impossibly broad chest.
    When
I looked up, Rowan was looking right at me for the first time.  I wasn’t quite
emotionless enough not to gasp.  After all, I wasn’t dead.
    He
was…I didn’t know what.  Wow was all I could think.  Not a word I used often. 
Or ever. 
    At first,
I’d thought the pale yellow color of his hair matched the color of his eyes. 
But his eyes were the color of champagne, and inexplicably glistened like tiny
bubbles in a light golden liquid would.
    “Faction
has declared open season on you, girl,” that deeply smoky voice ringing in my
ears, making me think wow for a second time.
    Suddenly
very much aware my hands were still pressed obviously to his hard chest, it
took me several seconds to step back and sort through what he had said. 
Especially since I could feel the vibrations of his gruff words dancing along
every nerve ending.
    These
feelings were not like me.  Maybe while getting tossed around the van, I hit my
head and hadn’t had the presence of mind to feel it yet.  That must have been
it. 
    “I
have a name, Rowan.”  The whisper came out without my permission.  I didn’t
even know where that husky, dreamy voice came from.
    I definitely
had a concussion.
    I
shook off the weird tone I had.  “What’s Faction?”
    He
opened his mouth, then closed it.  Cleared his throat, then leered.  I got the
distinct impression he was about to tell me things he knew he wasn’t supposed
to.  He maneuvered his huge body so his back was to the other demons.
    “Faction
is part of demonkind, but they don’t live among us, aren’t governed by our
laws.  Any bad press demons get, bet it came from Faction.  They aren’t
malicious, they just don’t follow the monarchy.  Generally, they keep out of
Royal business.  But when they heard about you, about the half-caste who chose
to live as human and was suddenly in a position of great power, they…” He
trailed off, studying me while not exactly looking at me.
    Peeking
around his massive chest, I saw Grayson