The Alchemy of Desire by Crista McHugh Read Free Book Online Page A

there’s no need to for me sit back and watch you two do all the work.” She began loosening the bolts and sliding the tubes out of their harnesses. It took the three of them less than ten minutes to clear the table and pack away his equipment.
    After the last flask had been tucked away, Diah latched the small trunk closed. “I’m going to go get some food. Oni, would you care to join me for dinner?”
    “Oh, that’s kind of you, little brother. Go to the dining room and leave me here to starve.” Cager leaned back in his chair and propped his feet on the table, his bottom lip jutting out in a fake pout.
    Diah rolled his eyes. “Fine, Cager. Since you were kind enough to have food sent to me while I was working, I suppose I could do the same. Hell, I might be better off staying in the room tonight too. I must look awful.”
    Cager’s pout turned into a grin. “Well, I wasn’t going to say anything, but you could do with a shave and change of clothes.”
    Diah rubbed the stubble on his face again and grimaced. He was still handsome, in her opinion, even with a little bit of scruff on his cheeks. “I suppose you’re right.”
    “I don’t mind getting the food,” Oni said.
    “Thank you, Oni.” Cager reached into his pocket and pulled out a deck of cards. “Just have them charge it to our room. And if you can get me a bottle of scotch to go with it, I’d be grateful, since it sounds like I’m going to spend the rest of the trip in here.”
    Diah scowled, and when he began sharpening his razor, she slipped out of the room. Although the waiter assured her he would deliver the meals and the bottle of scotch to the room, she waited on the fringe of the dining room to give Diah some privacy. Her mind wandered and she imagined how his freshly shaven cheeks would feel if she kissed him. Would he still smell faintly of soap?
    Her skin grew warm, and when the waiter returned with the plates, she practically raced him down the hallway. Cager answered the door. Behind him, she glimpsed Diah putting on his shirt and her breath caught. His chest and stomach appeared to be carved out of solid rock like a sculpted marble statue. She marveled at how his muscles flexed in harmony with the simple motion. But when he saw her watching him, he turned away to finish buttoning it, leaving her disappointed that she couldn’t continue to watch from the doorway. She should’ve known he was the bashful type. Oni gave Diah a few seconds to tuck his shirt in before she entered and sat at the table.
    After the waiter efficiently cleared the cart and disappeared, Cager poured two glasses of scotch and held the bottle over a third glass. “Would you care for some, Oni?”
    “Why not?” It had been a while since she’d had a drink and, with the way her thoughts were going tonight, she might need one. She took a sip and savored how it burned down her throat.
    “How much black fire did you make, Diah?”
    “About thirty vials—more than enough for our purposes. This batch seemed a bit smaller than usual, though. Must be due to something I did.”
    Oni’s hand curled around the three vials in her pocket. She hadn’t expected him to miss them. Guilt tugged at her conscience for a moment before she shrugged it off.
    “I’m just glad to have them in case we run into any trouble out there.” Cager turned to her and she snapped her hand back up to her plate. “Diah said you mentioned something about ‘things unseen.’”
    She nodded. “Are you familiar with the term?”
    He frowned. “Yes.”
    “What are y’all talking about?” Diah’s eyes flickered back and forth between them.
    “Then you know how to deal with them?” she said, ignoring his question.
    “If I have to, but I don’t think they’re real.”
    A scowl twisted Diah’s mouth. “Will one of you tell me what the hell is going on?”
    Cager poured himself another glass of scotch. “We’re talking about demons and other unholy spirits,” he said in warbling