Ties That Bind: a New Adult Fantasy Novel (The Spire Chronicles Book 2) Read Free

bodies away from the leaves so I can burn them?”
    “Depends,” he shrugged, “what do I get for it?”
    “Me not worrying about them being really dead on the way back.”
    “Relax.” He cupped my cheek, swiping some of the blood away. “I’ve killed plenty of demons like this. You don’t always have to set things on fire.” A grin tugged at his lips as he spoke. “Maybe you should see someone about that.”
    “Oh, please.” I scoffed and grabbed his wrist. “Maybe you should see someone about your fetish for stabbing things into people.”
    “Not things. My sword.”
    “That just reinforces my point. In so many ways.” I stuck my tongue out and immediately grimaced as more blood got on it. Demon blood always tasted so smoky, not to mention that it was bad to consume large amounts of it. “Can we just finish this up and go home? I want to shower for, like, days. Maybe with company,” I added with a wink, getting blood into my eye. Fuck this.
    “All right.” Alex moved closer, presumably to place a kiss on my forehead, but backed away with a frown. Yeah, good luck finding an unbloodied spot on my face. “Let me just ‘work out my issues’ first.”
    With those words, he walked towards the un-decapitated bodies, twirling his sword around with a bit too much enthusiasm.

    By the time we got back to my place, the blood had dried and was starting to crust in some very uncomfortable places. The house was empty. Lily, Lady Cassandra’s niece and my aforementioned sort-of cousin, had been staying with me ever since she discovered her aunt’s body last month. She was probably still helping out over at the clinic, but I figured she’d be home soon enough; Lily rarely missed a night of Alex’s cooking.
    Alex still had a room booked at the local inn, but he spent most of his nights with me. It was awkward the first time he offered to come a bit earlier and make dinner, but I forced myself to move past it. Apparently, my stomach was the real decision maker in my life.
    When I became a hunter, I told myself that it would be pointless to get romantically invested in someone, that it was better to stick to casual sexual relationships. This was a dangerous job, after all. It would be selfish of me to get involved with a person and then die, leaving them alone. And getting involved with a hunter? That topped the list of dumb things I could do.
    I didn’t want to be left alone, either.
    “Home sweet home.” I peeled off my ruined jacket. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I definitely do not feel like having sex while caked in blood. Wet blood, maybe. But dried blood? Completely limp.”
    “I think I can let it go just this once,” said Alex.
    Showers were a blessing beyond belief. I took in the soothing heat as I watched the red tinged water slide down the drain until the only color left was the white of the marble beneath my tired feet.
    The familiar feeling of my flesh pulling together tugged at my back. I still didn’t understand how my regeneration abilities worked. I guess I never really bothered to – who cares as long as it saved my life, right? All I’d figured out was that it tended to kick in sooner the graver my injuries were and that it only worked on cuts and breaks. So, getting stabbed, clawed, shot, or breaking any bones and losing teeth would trigger the regeneration, but punches, bruises, and all that other stuff was up to me.
    Which meant I couldn’t wear earrings and that I was going to be sporting a lovely bruise thanks to that psycho ginger Tinkerbell. At least my nose wasn’t broken, though Alex did have to reset it. He better be baking me a cake for that experience, the brute.
    I practically skipped down the stairs in my oversized t-shirt, the smell of chicken luring me over to the kitchen. Alex was setting the table while wearing that ridiculous “Kiss the Cook” apron Lily gave me one year as a joke. There really should be a law against letting me anywhere near a stove. I