I gulped, the intensity of his irises drilling into mine only heightening the threat of his words. Flashes of Thax’s dungeon streaked across my mind, and a cold chill swept my insides. I couldn’t go back.
“Take it easy on her, T.” Hayden placed his hand on Talon’s shoulder, and a deep growl vibrated the dragon’s broad chest. My angel bunkie jerked his arm back and turned his reassuring gaze on me. “Don’t worry, pumpkin, we’ll figure this out like we always do.”
Talon leapt to his feet and the mattress bounced up, knocking the back of my head against the wall. Ouch. “Only things are completely different this time, Hayden. This isn’t Azara. I don’t even know who this person is.” His scathing irises shot daggers as he pointed at me, and I shrank under the covers. Double ouch. What the hell happened last night?
“Talon, she didn’t know. Vander—”
“Don’t even say his name, brother.” He raked a hand through his tousled hair and glared at the angel.
A chill skirted up my spine. Talon was scary AF. Even my demon thought so. I steeled my nerves and turned to Hayden. “Is someone going to tell me what else happened?”
My bunkie shook his head, his lips thinned out to a tight line. “You really don’t remember anything about the party?”
I searched my thoughts, but a deep fog blanketed the evening. I vaguely recalled my demon fighting to break free once the wine started taking its effect, but after that, nada. “No.”
Talon’s dark gaze spun to me, anger carved into his sculpted jaw. “So you don’t remember hooking up with Vander?”
My eyes widened, and all the air evacuated my lungs. “What?” I gasped.
“And that’s my cue to leave.” Hayden shot toward the door as I cursed the traitorous angel for deserting me after Talon dropped that bomb.
I curled my knees in and hugged them to my chest. “What are you talking about?”
He stalked forward, his murderous gaze intensifying with each step. He halted a foot from my bed and crossed his arms over his chest. “I saw you, Azara. I was following you guys all night. Trying to keep you safe. Stupid, right? Because you obviously were having a great time in the boneyard.”
Another gasp escaped through my clenched lips. The boneyard? My head whipped back and forth. “No way. Not possible.”
“I saw you two.” His nostrils flared, and his lips curled in disgust. “I can still smell Vander all over you.”
I wrapped my arms tighter around my middle to keep myself from falling apart. How could I hook up with Vander and not even remember it? “Talon, I didn’t—I don’t remember—”
His hand flew up, cutting me off. “I don’t want to hear it, Azara. I thought we still had a chance. I thought even with your memories gone, there was still something between us, but I was wrong.”
The pain etched into his face tore at my insides. My fingers itched to touch him, to take the hurt away, but I didn’t dare. Instead, I clenched my hand into a tight ball at my side and muttered, “I’m sorry.”
He shook his head and grunted. “Not as sorry as I am,” he whispered as he turned away and stomped out of our cell.
Chapter Nineteen
Logan watched me from across his massive desk as the boys of the Triad discussed strategy in the background. After hours of plotting, their words were a blurred jumble.
“Are you all right?” the warden asked.
“No.”
He reached across the mahogany and squeezed my hand. The reassuring touch sparked a wave of unexpected emotion, and I blinked rapidly to chase away the tears. Since when was I one of those weak girls that cried at the drop of a hat? Oh right, I had no idea who I was. Maybe that’s who I used to be.
“Azara, everything’s going to be fine.” Logan’s soft words drew me from my inner ramblings. “We’d never let Thax anywhere near you again.”
“What other choice do we have? According to Delacroix, he’s got guys everywhere in the prison. I can’t hide from him forever.”
“Then we have to get you of here. I’ll call your parents like I should’ve done in the first place, and they’ll take you far away.”
A pang of guilt assaulted my insides. Everything was still blurry, but the feelings the mention of my mom and dad evoked was enough to set me over the edge. I couldn’t face them. Not after everything I’d done while my demon was in control. “No, Logan, please. Don’t tell them, not yet.”
I’d rather face my evil cousin than admit everything I’d done to my parents. My heart clenched at the shadows of happy memories with my family. GG’s potion was helping, but he was right, I may not want to remember everything, or I’d have to live with even more blood on my hands.
He loosed an exasperated breath. “Azara, seeing them might be exactly what you need.”
My insides told me he was probably right. Not to mention everything I’d heard about my parents from GG. “Let’s figure out this stuff with Thax and go from there.”
“Easier said than done.” Dallas arched a perfectly shaped brow as he sauntered over. “You just couldn’t keep that naughty little demon in check, could you?”
Heat seeped up my neck and coated my cheeks. I swept my hair in front of my face hoping to hide behind the dark curtain. “Maybe I should just go to him.”
“No!” The word boomed from three sets of lips. One set blatantly mute.
Talon hadn’t said a word or even looked at me since yesterday. Despite my missing memories of him—of us, the pain and intense anger that radiated off him speared me like a scorching blade. Even if I did eventually remember us, would he ever forgive me for Vander?
Who was conveniently MIA, by the way. The guys told me he’d been sent to the SIA for some continuing education. Whatever that meant. A part of me was relieved he was gone. I wasn’t ready to face him and the consequences of my slutty she-demon’s actions. But the other part of me missed my friend. Out of all the guys, he’d been the one I’d connected with most since my return. With everyone else, I’d felt so much pressure to remember, but it had been easy with Vander.
And now my lusty demon had screwed everything up.
“Well, we still have two days,” said Logan. He’d stood up from his desk to join the Triad’s circle around the fireplace while I’d been distracted by my internal musings. Two days? Ugh.
“It’s not enough.” Talon drummed his fingers on the coffee table as he stared into the flickering flames. “We need more time to mount an attack that would finally put an end to the dark lord.”
“An unsanctioned SIA one at that,” Hayden added.
“What about Luci?” My grandfather’s name tumbled from my lips unbidden.
Four pairs of eyes swiveled toward me. “You remembered his nickname?” A tiny spark lit up Logan’s irises.
“I think so. I just had a feeling he could help.”
“I’ve been trying to get in touch with him for a while now. He’s been unreachable.”
“I think I know how to find him.” A flicker of a memory surfaced, foreign words dancing across my mind. “I need my magic though.”