Steal the Day (Thieves #2)(101)

I looked up and this time I didn’t let him push me away. “Yes, you’re the one saving your brother.”

His eyes widened, obviously startled. “Zoey, I took them all that day. I let them do things to me you can’t imagine. You know that magic I have? I turned it on, and it was an orgy. I turned that pain to pleasure and, god help me, I managed to enjoy some of it.”

And the pleasure had turned to guilt and self-loathing later. I could see that plainly. “And Declan?”

“Declan got away because they were all concentrating on me,” Dev admitted. “Why go after him when I was so willing to please?”

Which had obviously been his plan all along. I wasn’t shocked at Dev’s actions. He’d sacrificed for his brother, but damn I wasn’t happy about the way his twin had acted. “He left you?”

“Yes, Zoey, he left me. He ran and shortly after this day, we left this sithein and returned home.”

I tried to focus on him and not the sounds in the background. It was a perverse version of what Dev and Daniel and I had done. Dev had used his magic for protection instead of pleasure. “At least tell me he was grateful to you for saving him.”

Dev laughed, but there was no humor in it. “I wish I could, sweetheart. When I managed to get my very sore, bloody body back to our brugh that night, he asked if I even wanted to go home since I enjoyed the perversions of the Unseelie so much.”

“Bastard.” I looked at him through the tears clouding my eyes. “He was a bastard, Dev.”

“No.” Dev used his thumb to gently wipe my tears away. “He was a king, and I was his deviant, mortal brother. I was an embarrassment to him. Don’t cry for me, Zoey. I’m pleased to see you do not think less of me, but I would rather not have your pity.”

“Idiot,” I said with all the passion I felt for him that moment. “I’m not feeling sorry for you. I’m proud of you. I’m so proud to be your lover. You were brave. You were unselfish. He’s the one who should be ashamed.”

Dev pulled me to him and kissed me for all he was worth. He held me and sighed into my hair. “I would like it if you could meet my brother.”

I hugged him tightly, willing him to feel my love for him. “He wouldn’t. I’m going to kick his ass if I ever meet him.”

“That would be one reason I would love for you to meet him.” He became serious again. “Zoey, I would prefer to keep this experience between the two of us.”

“Of course.” It wasn’t something I would ever gossip about.

“I would rather Daniel not know about this part of my life.”

Stroking his face, I considered his request. I would never tell Daniel, but Dev should know that he could if he wanted to. “Daniel wouldn’t care. It wouldn’t make him think less of you.”

“Daniel already believes me to be a man of no discretion. Let him believe my perversities are contained within the fairer sex.” Dev looked out in the distance. “I think we can leave now.”

He pointed to a spot behind me. I turned, and a dark mansion had popped up in the middle of all that light. There was a menace to its elegant lines. The amulet lit up like a lantern.

“Come on.” There was excitement back in his eyes because with this over, he was all about the adventure again. “I would like to leave this place once and for all.”

We hurried off, the amulet leading us up the path to the mansion. I pulled out the globe Stewart had given us. So far we hadn’t seen anyone except Dev’s ghosts. The charms Stewart gave us seemed to be working. I could only hope that the key and the globe worked as well. I passed Dev the globe. He took a deep breath, obviously feeling the same trepidation I was.

The amulet practically screamed in my hand. It shone with a bright light and pulled me toward the mansion. Felix Day was somewhere in that house, and I had to hope Sarah was with him.

We were silent as we approached the big porch, moving carefully over the stairs that led up to the heavy doors. I slipped the key in and it turned. It took strength to open the door. I struggled with it, but it glided open once Dev put his weight against it.

Dev and I stepped through and were immediately confronted with a very surprised demon. Her small mouth made a startled O, but before she could set off an alarm, Dev smashed the globe. It crashed against the floor, a pulse of red energy scattering everywhere. The female demon went down without a sound, her body slipping to the floor.

The house was utterly silent.

“Is it still working?” Dev asked.

I looked down and the Revelation had gone dead. Frustration welled. I moved further into the house, hoping that putting some distance between me and the sleeping demon would help. Dev followed and after I got a wall in between us, the amulet flared to life again. “Got it.”

“Good. Let’s get moving.” Dev took my hand.

“Down there,” I said as the amulet started to pull me toward a steep set of stairs.

The top floor of the house was richly decorated. It looked like a lushly appointed mansion, but now as we made our way into the lower section of the house, it started to look like I expected. It was dark on the stairs, the light of the Revelation guiding us. I almost tripped on a sleeping demon but managed to keep my balance. When we reached the bottom, I saw another heavy wooden door. I hesitated.

What was waiting for me? Even if Sarah was behind that door, how much damage had been done?