Well, shit. I might have just given Dominic the good news that his demon wasn’t dead, but I’d also given him the bad news that Adam had known and hadn’t told him. Although I hadn’t done it consciously, I think there was a small, spiteful part of me that wanted to stick it to Adam for what he’d done today. But sticking it to Adam by hurting Dominic was just low and mean.

“He couldn’t tell you,” I said, wondering if it was even possible to heal the wound I’d just made. “It’s against their laws.”

It sounded lame, so I shut up. I was pond scum. Yeah, I thought Dominic should know his demon was still alive, but this sure as hell hadn’t been the way to go about it.

The door to my room slammed open. I jumped and let out a startled yelp. Dominic didn’t even look up.

Adam looked from me, to Dominic, then back to me. The look on his face was deadly.

“What did you do?” His voice sounded calm, but he wasn’t anything like calm.

I felt awful, but I wasn’t going to admit it to Adam. I held my chin up and met his angry gaze. “I told him his demon isn’t dead.”

If looks could kill…

“Fuck!” Adam shouted. He strode forward.

I thought he was coming after me, so I leapt out of my chair, but he was going to Dominic, who still hadn’t looked up. His sobs were loud and heartbroken, and he was rocking back and forth in his chair.

Adam knelt in front of the chair, putting both hands on Dominic’s shoulders.

“Dom,” he said softly, gently. “I couldn’t tell you. I’m so sorry.”

Dominic stopped rocking and looked up with tear-reddened eyes. “How could you let me believe he was dead? How? ”

“Because I thought I had to. If I’d known Lugh had lifted the injunction against it, I would have told you in a heartbeat.” He drew Dominic off the chair and onto his knees, then wrapped his arms around the still-sobbing man.

Cradling Dominic’s head against his chest, Adam glared at me with such malevolence my skin tried to crawl away and hide. I considered making a break for the door, but I wasn’t sure I’d live through the escape attempt.

“If you weren’t hosting Lugh,” he growled at me, “I’d kick your ass out the door and hang a big bull’s-eye on your back.”

A chill snaked down my spine. The humanity had disappeared from his eyes and his demon shone through. Literally. His eyes were glowing, like Lugh’s did in my dreams.

Usually when I know I’m in the wrong, all my defenses go up and I go into full-out bitch mode. I always regret it afterward, but that’s how I react in the heat of the moment. This time, I felt too shitty to mount even the most pathetic of defenses. It wasn’t just because I was scared of Adam, either, though I was. Big, strong, fireman Dominic brought out something in me I hadn’t known I’d had — a protective instinct that I might almost have called maternal.

I met Adam’s furious glare. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think before I spoke.”

He didn’t say anything, just kept staring at me with those glowing eyes until I had to look away.

I heard him stand, heard him urge Dominic to come with him so they could talk. Their feet passed in front of my field of vision on their way out, but I was too ashamed of myself to look up.

The door closed behind them with a deafening slam.

CHAPTER 15

There was another round of whipping later that night. Only this time, it was Adam’s voice I heard crying out in pain — not even a hint of pleasure — and there were no sex sounds afterward. My guess was that Adam had done penance for keeping that crucial secret. I hoped it was cathartic for Dominic.

I hadn’t bought any PJ’s on my shopping trip, and I wasn’t about to sleep naked in this house, so I curled up in bed fully clothed. I don’t think I’d ever felt so miserable about myself in all my life. My mind kept going over and over how I’d treated Brian and the rift I’d caused between Adam and Dominic. Asking myself when I’d come to be so hateful. Wondering if it was too late for me to change.

I must have drifted off eventually, because the next thing I knew I was in Lugh’s living room — or whatever it was.

I was sitting on the sofa, and Lugh sat on the love seat facing me across the coffee table. His right ankle was propped on his left knee, his arms spread out across the back of the love seat. He’d backed off from last night’s aggressive outfit. Black leather pants and boots seemed to be a uniform for him, but tonight he topped it with a plain black T-shirt. He still looked good enough to eat, but I didn’t feel an unbearable urge to fling myself at him. That was a plus.

My native defensiveness made an appearance, and before he had a chance to speak, I asked, “So are you going to tell me what a miserable bitch I am for what I said to Dominic?”

He smiled faintly. “Should I?”

I sighed. “Probably.”

“You’re too hard on yourself.” His voice was rich and dark as molasses. “You meant well.”

I sank into the sofa and crossed my arms over my chest. “Did I? Adam sure didn’t think so.”

“Adam barely knows you.”

“And you know me better?” Dumb question. He probably knew me better than I knew myself, even though he was a total stranger to me.

He just smiled. “Your technique could use some work, but your heart was in the right place.”

I suddenly remembered something Adam had said, something I hadn’t paid much attention to at the time. If I’d known Lugh had lifted the injunction …

Lugh had lifted the injunction? Just how “I” was this VIP?

“So,” I said, “Adam seems to think you’re worth protecting.”

Lugh slid his ankle off his knee and put both feet on the floor. “As I happen to be inhabiting your body, I should think you’d agree.” He smiled at me. It was a friendly, disarming smile. But I’m not that easy to disarm.

“Wanna tell me who you are?”

“Not particularly. You haven’t shown yourself to be the soul of discretion.”

He scored a hit. I tried not to let it show. “Considering all the shit I’ve gone through because of you, I think I deserve to know anyway. I was almost burned alive last night, if you remember.”

I think I scored on that one, though Lugh’s expression didn’t change much. He leaned forward and propped his elbows on his knees, looking at me as if trying to puzzle me out. His gaze was disconcertingly intense.

“Stop looking at me like that!” I snapped.

One corner of his mouth lifted, but he didn’t let it become a full smile. “I suppose you do have the right to know how high the stakes are.”

I kinda thought the stakes were pretty high already, what with people trying to crispy-critter me, but I kept that opinion to myself.

“I told you I’m a reformer,” Lugh continued.

I made a “keep talking” motion with my hand.

He seemed to brace himself. “I frighten my own people because I have the power to make my reforms come to pass. You see, I’ve just ascended to the throne. I’m their king.”

Well, that was a stunner, no doubt about it. I was possessed by the king of the demons? Hell, I hadn’t even known they had a king. Then I realized he said he’d just ascended to the throne, which suggested that beforehand, he’d been a prince. Named Lugh.

I think for a moment, my heart stopped beating.

Lugh laughed at me. “No, I’m not Lucifer,” he assured me. Either he’d read my mind, or my face gave away my thoughts. “Although I suppose it’s possible some of the mythology is loosely based on me.” I probably didn’t look any less alarmed. He rolled his eyes. “Remember, this is the same mythology that says demons live in the fires of Hell. There have always been segments of the human population who find us frightening and therefore vilify us. That doesn’t make the stories true.”

He had a point. Much as I disliked demons, I’d never subscribed to the hellfire-and-brimstone point of view. There was no reason to change that now. I nodded to indicate I was over my moment of superstitious dread.