We began. His lips pressed against mine, his hands tracing my body with practiced intent. His mouth trailed down my skin, igniting each touch as our tongues entwined, our bodies merging in perfect rhythm.
Then I heard it—the howl of Daniel.
I turned my gaze in time to see him lift a dagger, its blade catching the moonlight. He drove it into my sister’s heart, the silver glinting as blood poured from her chest.
Karina would survive. The mating demanded death for the resurrection to take hold. That was its purpose.
For Daniel and Karina, mating meant death. But for Devon and me, survival came with a babaylan’s magic. We only had to match their ritual perfectly, performing in unison.
Their torment kept us alive.
“Moan my name, Karylle,” Devon commanded darkly. “Make them hear us both in their minds.”
When my voice mingled with his in the mind link, Daniel’s growl filled the night.
That was their consequence. They had to die for the bond they broke. We lived by cheating on them.
“In two months,” Devon whispered after the ritual, “you’ll return with a new name, a new face, and seduce him again.”
I smirked wickedly.
“I will. And you…” I traced his jaw with my fingertips.