Demonstorm: Heart of a Vampire #6 by Amber Kallyn Read Free Book Online Page A

of them. She had to believe it was only because they were still in the demon realm, rather than this one. She couldn’t stand to think anything else.
    “What is it you’re not telling me?” Sean asked, his voice full of sympathetic kindness. “No one in my clan will harm you, or force you to do anything you don’t want. I know words are useless, but they’re the only thing I have right now.”
    She met his strange gaze, his eyes ringed with both vampire red and demon black.
    A half-breed. One who could turn crazed at any moment.
    Those creatures usually went insane amidst a bloodbath of destruction and death by their hundredth year. This man was a hell of a lot older than that, by the bite of power she could feel from him.
    If he’d lasted this long without going nuts…
    The waitress shoved a plate in front of Sean, another in front of Mayah. “The rest are coming,” she stated, spinning and heading back to the kitchen.
    Mayah lifted her burger and took a bite. It was delicious, and sorely needed. While they ate, she turned the problem over in her mind, relentlessly poking at her worries.
    And she thought about the note that had been written on Sean’s map. He’d said Jezamine had given it to him, and Mayah believed it, for she’d recognized the old witch’s handwriting.
    Written in a looping scrawl, and protected by magic only a demon could see through, the woman’s words were clear in a way, confusing in another.
    “If you allow it, Sean can save you. You can save him. Trust is a necessary part of life.” Jezamine was one of the few she knew she could count on for support. For truth. Always.
    Mayah took another large bite.
    There was no way in all the hells she could put such trust in this man. This stranger.
    But…
    Perhaps she could use him, as his clan wanted to use her. Her escape hadn’t been planned out, therefore she’d failed. Maybe she could bargain, convince him to take her closer to her brother.
    Not for her freedom.
    Never that.
    But she could pretend to agree with his clan’s desires.
    The waitress set more plates down, covering the table with food. Sean ate as heartily as Mayah.
    She continued to think through the ups and downs, as well as pushing away the niggle of distrust. What if he suddenly showed his demon colors and became exactly like Brüs? Or worse.
    The more she thought it over, the more it looked like her best—possibly only—hope was to risk it. She didn’t have time to play cat and mouse with both this man and Brüs, not if she wanted her brother to survive. Which meant trusting Jezzie’s words. But could she truly do this?
    With a sigh, she pushed the last plate away. She’d try. See how it went. For now. “I’m not going anywhere without freeing my brother from Brüs’s dungeon first.”

 
    Chapter Six
     
    “W hy didn’t you say something when we were leaving the castle?” Sean demanded, caught off guard by this new complication.
    “Because, obviously, he wasn’t kept in the same place.” She looked up at him, her face blank. “That would make it too easy for us to try escaping.”
    “Where?” He was starting to think her mask was a defense mechanism. A way to hide her emotions.
    “I’m not sure… exactly. Only that it’s north. But my brother’s release is the second condition of my helping your clan.”
    “You just escaped from the demon, and now you want to go knocking on the door of his summer house?”
    Her lips compressed once more into a thin line. “The only reason Cyrus still lives is to be used as a bargaining chip for my cooperation. If Brüs doesn’t get me back soon, he will kill my brother.”
    Sean didn’t even have to think about his answer. “No. Let me take you to my clan. You’ll be safe. I can gather some men and rescue your brother.”
    “You seem to think this is a request. I will be rescuing my brother, and I will do so now. There is no time to lose. I’m merely giving you the option of coming with me.” Her voice