The Endings #23

Name: A.E. Martin
Title: Ravishing Midnight

Description:

After recovering from a heart transplant, Rieve returns to work as head Control Officer to the demons who are legally allowed to feed on the sex, blood, and emotions of human donors. In return, the witches can harness demon energy to strengthen their magic, which benefits the humans. Lately though, the witches’ magic has been going horribly awry, leading them to a deadly plan to overcome their dependency on demon energy.

When Rieve realizes she unknowingly received a demon’s heart, she uncovers the witches’ plot to destroy the demons using human/demon hybrids. Things are further complicated when Rieve finds her heart donor Haden, and realizes that his heart is keeping them both alive. However, the unique power Rieve gains through Haden becomes the strongest weapon against the witches, who don’t realize that eradicating the demons will destroy everything their magic is a part of, including Rieve’s new heart.

Ending:

“Fabulous,” I said. “Somehow while trying to save the whole damn country from destruction I’ve become tied to two demons, one of which I need to keep alive by feeding on the other.”

“It’s the best option,” Haden said. He could not have looked more amused. I wanted to slap him.
“It will be alright,” Lucen said. “We will figure out a way to manage this.”

“You realize that us getting close not only feeds Haden, which is freaky but I guess a lesser evil than me draining people for him, but also sets things on fire, right? And yet you’re oh so calm about this?”

“What can we do?” Lucen said simply. I looked from his calm expression to Haden’s amused one, and now wanted to slap both of them. Haden yawned again and stretched his arms above his head.

“Well, I think I’ll get back to my beauty rest,” he said. “If you two are going to try for another romp…well I suppose you won’t have to warn me, I’ll just know.” His laughter trailed him as he left the room, and I had to stop myself from running after him and kicking him in the nuts. Lucen took my hand and led me out of my smoky room and into his, which was a few doors down.

“Lucen…”

“Let’s not think about it,” Lucen said, pulling me onto the bed and wrapping his arms around me.

“You said you wanted to forget, so let’s go to sleep and forget for a while.” He kissed the back of my neck and snuggled against me. Slowly, the tension in my body drifted away, but I felt far from falling asleep.

“Just let it go for now,” Lucen whispered. “And pick it back up in the morning.”

It was quite the burden I’d have to pick back up in the morning. The witches were leaderless and scrambling, the demons were mostly massacred, the humans were scared and angry, and the Demon Council was still present, kept in check only by their fear of Haden’s power, which was a power he didn’t even have anymore because I did. Then there was the disturbing triumvirate I was now a part of with an incubus and the only demon/witch hybrid in existence, and I was the key in keeping us all together. I sighed, afraid that I would break under the strain of all of this.

As usual though, Lucen was very effective in making me feel as though everything would be okay. As his warm, sweet aura eased over me, I actually started to feel calmer, and less like my head was about to explode. We would figure it out; Lucen had said we would and I believed him. I lay there wrapped in Lucen’s arms, and eventually the soft beat of his heart against my back, and the rhythm of Haden’s heart in my chest lulled me to sleep.