Demonica
By Megan Derr
4.5/5
()
About this ebook
Life as a mercenary isn't kind or easy, and Shale has lost much: one family, then another, one leg, one arm, one eye, and the love of his life when pain and medication left him disinterested in sex. The last thing he wants is to accept a job from his ex-lover's mother, but the pay is too good to refuse, especially as it should be a relatively simple job.
But crucial information was withheld, and the man they've been sent to escort home is like no one Shale has ever met—despite the dangerous reason he's spent so much of his life sequestered, and the fact he's part of the family that hurt Shale once before.
author's note This story was originally published in Magic And Mayhem: Fiction and Essays Celebrating LGBTQ Romance)
Megan Derr
Megan is a long-time resident of queer romance and keeps herself busy reading and writing it. She is often accused of fluff and nonsense. When she’s not involved in writing, she likes to cook, harass her wife and cats, or watch movies. She loves to hear from readers and can be found all over the internet.meganderr.compatreon.com/meganderrmeganderr.blogspot.comfacebook.com/meganaprilderrmeganaderr@gmail.com@meganaderr
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Demonica - Megan Derr
Life as a mercenary isn't kind or easy, and Shale has lost much: one family, then another, one leg, one arm, one eye, and the love of his life when pain and medication left him disinterested in sex. The last thing he wants is to accept a job from his ex-lover's mother, but the pay is too good to refuse, especially as it should be a relatively simple job.
But crucial information was withheld, and the man they've been sent to escort home is like no one Shale has ever met—despite the dangerous reason he's spent so much of his life sequestered, and the fact he's part of the family that hurt Shale once before.
Demonica
By Megan Derr
Published by Megan Derr
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission of the publisher, except for the purpose of reviews.
Edited by Samantha M. Derr and Amanda Jean
Cover designed by Michelle Seaver
This book is a work of fiction and all names, characters, places, and incidents are fictional or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people, places, or events is coincidental.
Second Edition May 2017
First published 2016 in Magic & Mayhem by Gay Romance Northwest in conjunction with Blind Eye Books
Copyright © 2017 by Megan Derr
Printed in the United States of America
Demonica
Megan Derr
Shale groaned as Keira set a plate heaped with food in front of him, along with a large pitcher of ale and a platter of biscuits, butter, and cheese. He’d cleared a quarter of his plate before she’d taken her seat.
Breathe every few bites,
Keira said with a sigh. Are you even tasting any of that?
It’s delicious,
Shale replied before shoving another bite of butter-soaked biscuit in his mouth.
Keira lifted her eyes to the ceiling. You’re disgusting. When your arm doesn’t work right tomorrow and you have to spend three hours cleaning out crumbs and dried gravy, don’t whine to me.
Shale paused long enough to glance at his left arm, but it was well-covered, from fingertips to just past his elbow, with a special-made, magica-treated leather glove that protected it from far worse than him being a messy eater. He’d also spent the better part of the day getting his arm, eye, and right leg tended, and most of what money had been left had gone to refilling all the medicine he had to take because of them. The Torrien Desert was always hard on his mechanica parts. Shut up, I’m fine.
Sighing again, Keira tucked into her own food at a much more sedate pace. They’d just started on second helpings when shadows fell across their table. Shale ignored them. Anyone worth taking a job from knew better than to bother them when they were eating.
Keira kicked his good leg under the table, but when Shale only grunted and started massacring another biscuit, she turned to their unwanted visitors—and choked. Shale tamped down on his annoyance and ate the bite of spiced potato on his fork. He chased it with ale as he looked at their guest—and damn near snorted all of it up his nose. He hastily set the mug down and wiped his face with a kerchief he pulled from a front pocket of his jacket.
Six guards stood clustered around the front edge of their table, dressed in the red-and-green garb of the Grand Duke of Soria Bell, who controlled the northeast section of Renmarkane. Peculiar. What would Her Grace want with them? Shale hadn’t seen her since, well, a time he was happier not thinking about. It had been made pretty clear to him that she and the rest of the family were done with him. Not a good sign she wanted to see him now, five years after they’d cut ties.
Keira grunted. We’ve been gone the past five months and have only been back in Soria Bellmane eight hours. Whoever the fuck said we did whatever Her Grace is pissed off about is lying.
The woman marked as a captain stepped forward, the torchlight gleaming in her dyed crimson hair. Are you Shale Teor and Keira Mark?
No,
Shale said petulantly.
Quirking a thin black brow, the captain said, The Grand Duke seeks to hire you.
Keira sneered. The Grand Duke can seek—
She broke off with a grunt when Shale kicked her under the table. Smiling stiffly at the captain, Keira said, With respect, Captain Whoever You Are, of what possible use could a couple of glorified fetchers be to Her Grace? Surely you’re capable of doing the job.
I’m Captain Tula Rumark, and if she wanted me to do it, I would. She wants the pair of you.
With a sigh grand enough to make Keira’s look a paltry effort, Tula motioned to her soldiers and said, Take them.
Shale barely had enough time to snatch up his bags and grab a last biscuit before the guards swooped in and hauled them