The Demon's Half

Chapter 13

I should have stayed with Elena and Logan.

They both had made it painfully clear they weren't thrilled about me going back to work. But after a full week of keeping an eye on me, exchanging unreadable glances every time I so much as sighed—as if I was doomed or cursed—I needed to go.
I just needed to breathe.
To feel like I belonged to myself again. If I let fear dictate where I could and couldn't go, what kind of life would that be?
Besides, he couldn't hurt me.
Not yet, anyway.

The bargain bound us both in ways neither of us could break—not without consequences. And Oz didn't seem like the type to risk more than he had to.

I just needed time.

And then there was Carly.
She let me keep a job when I could barely function, let me fumble through shifts when I had no right to be behind a counter, and never once made me feel like I had to earn her patience.
Skipping work felt like betrayal.

"Morgan! I thought you already left." Jessica said as I wiped down the cappuccino machine—again.
No matter how much I scrubbed, the stink of spoiled milk clung to it, sour and stubborn. Ugh.
My shift had ended ten minutes ago, but I wasn't one to leave things half-done.

"You're coming to my party tonight, right?"

"Oh..." I hesitated. That was tonight?

"Come on, Morgan." Kate materialized behind me. "It's Jessica's birthday. You have to come."

Jessica practically vibrated with excitement, her hands landing on my shoulders as she leaned in. "And remember, you have a plus one! You can bring someone—"

In my peripheral vision, darkness slowly took over the corner.

Shadows were... moving?
I stiffened, the realization sinking in just a little to late, as a voice—husky, low, and unmistakably him—made my heart want to runaway.

"Anyone?"

We all turned at the same time, as if some unseen force had commanded it.
And there he was.

Oz Dravenkov.

My body completely locked up like prey caught in a hunter's sight. Every nerve stood on edge, hyper-aware of him.
I had been hoping—quietly, desperately—that maybe, after this past week, he had forgotten about me. That his absence meant he had let me go.
I was wrong.

I dared to look at him.
His black hair was perfectly tousled. Dark clothing clung to his body—elegant and expensive. Far more in line with what the wealthy wore around here. Gone were the fairy-tale robes of a long-dead prince.
I forced in a breath, readjusting myself.
This wasn't a man, no matter what my treacherous body thought.

His gaze swept over me, before flicking to Jessica and Kate. They were both gawking. Completely wide-eyed.

"Hi," Jessica's voice an octave higher than normal. "I'm—Jessica."

She reached out—actually reached out—offering a trembling hand. "Would you... would you like to come to my birthday party tonight?"

Wait, what?

"Wait—What?!" I yelled. A few customers glanced over, their brows raised like I had just completely lost it.
I probably did. Maybe Logan was right and I never actually had it.

Oz's gaze snapped to mine.

The corners of his mouth slowly curved up, and the whole room disappeared. My skin burn and tingle all at once. —the fuck?

His attention drifted back to Jessica.
The way he reached for her hand carried the weight of a crown long since turned to dust.
Jessica giggled.
I noticed how small her hand looked in his, how fragile. He brought it to his lips and pressed a feather-light kiss to the back of her hand.