happened to your father?” Alex asked. Balthazar blinked at the unexpected question.
“He was assassinated,” he said, his voice and eyes suddenly hardening. “In his bed, while he slept. His protection was Baal’s responsibility, and he will pay for his failure.”
Balthazar looked away from her, his jaw tensing. Alex felt a sharp pang of sadness. She knew more than anyone how he felt. Memories of Aunt Tamy flooded her and she felt a sting grow behind her eyes. The demon smelled the salty mixture of tears and turned back to Alex.
“Why do you cry, girl?” he asked, puzzled.
“Because I know how it feels to lose someone so important to you,” Alex said, a tear dropping down her round cheek. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Balthazar said nothing more, and the two fell into a comfortable silence.
“The last conversation I had with my father,” Balthazar said, suddenly shattering the quiet, “I was disrespectful. I will regret that for the rest of my life.”
He wasn’t sure why exactly he felt compelled at that moment to tell her . It was something he thought he would never divulge to anyone. But once he had, he felt instantly better.
“I will help you,” Alex said, “I promise, in any way that I can.”
Chapter Twenty Five
Sunlight beamed through the foliage of the tree, stirring Balthazar awake. He immediately noticed the human snuggled against him. The thin blue silk of her robe was parted, revealing a creamy white thigh. Her onyx hair splayed out across the green grass, and her bare backside was pressed against his thigh. Balthazar reached out to nudge her awake, his hand feeling the soft skin of her hip. Alexandra moaned softly, turning over and curling into him. A thick chunk of hair flopped over her face and Balthazar pushed it aside, trailing his finger down her chin. She instinctively lifted her face to his.
Balthazar was in a mild daze as his eyes focused on her barely parted lips. He bent his neck closer, teetering on the edge of a kiss, her delicious scent swirling in his nose. Alexandra opened her eyes, yawning widely.
“Balthazar?” she questioned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes before she realized the position she was in. She rushed to straighten her robes as a heavy blush heated her cheeks. She knew it would only be a moment before the demon sensed her change in mood, and she pressed her thighs together, hoping to stifle the growing sensation. Balthazar’s eyes widened fractionally as he smelled the subtle shift in her scent.
A shriek in the sky above snapped Balthazar back to attention. A shadow blotted out the sun, and the demon prince growled out, angry that he had allowed the girl to distract him. They were in trouble now.
A griffin smashed into the ground, tearing up the earth beneath its massive paws. The beast loomed over them, his solid black eyes unblinking as he snapped his beak.
“Are you lost demon,” the griffin spoke, his head turned, with one eye trained on the pair.
“You can speak,” Alex gasped softly, a hand covering her lips.
“That I can,” the griffin replied, “Now you speak, demon. Why have you come?”
“An egg,” Balthazar said flatly, rising and squaring his shoulders.
The griffin’s beak parted, his tongue pulling back as he cawed. The strength of his cry shook Alex straight through her core and she moved closer to Balthazar. The creature pawed at the ground as it shook his head, ruffling the thick feathers that covered his neck. His long furry tail whipped back and forth behind him.
This was not how Balthazar had planned on facing the griffin, but all he could do now was make the best of his situation. The one thing he had against the griffin was his speed. He could not best it in strength, and the beast’s claws would shred him to pieces in an instant. If he handled things just right, this could turn out better for him.
“You can try,
“He was assassinated,” he said, his voice and eyes suddenly hardening. “In his bed, while he slept. His protection was Baal’s responsibility, and he will pay for his failure.”
Balthazar looked away from her, his jaw tensing. Alex felt a sharp pang of sadness. She knew more than anyone how he felt. Memories of Aunt Tamy flooded her and she felt a sting grow behind her eyes. The demon smelled the salty mixture of tears and turned back to Alex.
“Why do you cry, girl?” he asked, puzzled.
“Because I know how it feels to lose someone so important to you,” Alex said, a tear dropping down her round cheek. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Balthazar said nothing more, and the two fell into a comfortable silence.
“The last conversation I had with my father,” Balthazar said, suddenly shattering the quiet, “I was disrespectful. I will regret that for the rest of my life.”
He wasn’t sure why exactly he felt compelled at that moment to tell her . It was something he thought he would never divulge to anyone. But once he had, he felt instantly better.
“I will help you,” Alex said, “I promise, in any way that I can.”
Chapter Twenty Five
Sunlight beamed through the foliage of the tree, stirring Balthazar awake. He immediately noticed the human snuggled against him. The thin blue silk of her robe was parted, revealing a creamy white thigh. Her onyx hair splayed out across the green grass, and her bare backside was pressed against his thigh. Balthazar reached out to nudge her awake, his hand feeling the soft skin of her hip. Alexandra moaned softly, turning over and curling into him. A thick chunk of hair flopped over her face and Balthazar pushed it aside, trailing his finger down her chin. She instinctively lifted her face to his.
Balthazar was in a mild daze as his eyes focused on her barely parted lips. He bent his neck closer, teetering on the edge of a kiss, her delicious scent swirling in his nose. Alexandra opened her eyes, yawning widely.
“Balthazar?” she questioned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes before she realized the position she was in. She rushed to straighten her robes as a heavy blush heated her cheeks. She knew it would only be a moment before the demon sensed her change in mood, and she pressed her thighs together, hoping to stifle the growing sensation. Balthazar’s eyes widened fractionally as he smelled the subtle shift in her scent.
A shriek in the sky above snapped Balthazar back to attention. A shadow blotted out the sun, and the demon prince growled out, angry that he had allowed the girl to distract him. They were in trouble now.
A griffin smashed into the ground, tearing up the earth beneath its massive paws. The beast loomed over them, his solid black eyes unblinking as he snapped his beak.
“Are you lost demon,” the griffin spoke, his head turned, with one eye trained on the pair.
“You can speak,” Alex gasped softly, a hand covering her lips.
“That I can,” the griffin replied, “Now you speak, demon. Why have you come?”
“An egg,” Balthazar said flatly, rising and squaring his shoulders.
The griffin’s beak parted, his tongue pulling back as he cawed. The strength of his cry shook Alex straight through her core and she moved closer to Balthazar. The creature pawed at the ground as it shook his head, ruffling the thick feathers that covered his neck. His long furry tail whipped back and forth behind him.
This was not how Balthazar had planned on facing the griffin, but all he could do now was make the best of his situation. The one thing he had against the griffin was his speed. He could not best it in strength, and the beast’s claws would shred him to pieces in an instant. If he handled things just right, this could turn out better for him.
“You can try,
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