Chapter 8

Chapter

Eight

GENEVA

G eneva stared at the blank wall in front of her—and the wall stared back. The sterile smell of antiseptic filled the air, but it did little to clear the haze clouding her mind. The events of the previous night kept running through her mind like a bad TikTok video, and no matter how hard she tried to focus, her thoughts kept circling back to those they had not been able to free—and to Ash.

Their encounter with Asmodeus could have been a complete disaster, but it wasn’t. They had thought they would be able to free the victims of the traffickers, but before she and Ash could launch and complete their rescue, Asmodeus had appeared, forcing them into a retreat. Someone or something had tipped him off… or maybe it had been a trap all along, but to what end? They had saved some of the captives, but not enough.

But it wasn’t just what had happened with the traffickers that lingered in her mind—it was Ash. The way he had thrown himself between her and Asmodeus, risking his life for her without hesitation. The way his presence had a magnetic pull on her, even when everything in her screamed that this was dangerous. More dangerous than she wanted to admit.

She rubbed her temples, her mind racing with questions she didn’t have answers to. Why did she feel so connected to him? He was half-demon, everything she had been taught to fear and avoid. Yet, he hadn’t abandoned her. He might not have saved her outright, but surely the way he had fought by her side had protected her. And now, her emotions were a tangled mess of confusion and desire.

A knock at the door broke her thoughts, and she looked up to see Savannah walking in, carrying two cups of coffee. Savannah’s expression was lighter than her own, but Geneva could see the underlying concern in her sister’s eyes.

“You look like you could use one of these,” Savannah said, setting a cup on Geneva’s desk before taking a seat across from her.

Geneva sighed and picked up the coffee, taking a slow sip. “Thanks. I didn’t sleep much.”

“I figured.” Savannah leaned back in the chair, her eyes scanning her sister’s face. “So, are we going to talk about what happened? Or are you just going to sit here and pretend you’re okay?”

Geneva frowned, her fingers tightening around the coffee cup. “I don’t know what to say, Sav. Dinner was messed up. We were having a lovely time and then bam! It’s like we don’t get a normal life.”

Savannah grinned. “Normal is overrated. You saved some of them…”

Geneva shook her head but returned her sister’s smile. “But not all of them. I just don’t know that it was enough. And now…” She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

“And now, Ash is stuck in your head,” Savannah finished for her, raising an eyebrow.

Geneva shot her a glare but didn’t deny it. “It’s more complicated than that.”

“Is it, though?” Savannah’s tone was gentle, but there was a knowing look in her eyes. “You’re struggling because you care about him. And I get it, Geneva. He’s complicated. But you’ve got to face the fact that you have feelings for him.”

Geneva let out a heavy breath, leaning back in her chair. “I know. I know I care about him. But he’s… he’s half-demon, Sav. We’ve been taught our whole lives that demons are dangerous, not to be trusted, and to stay away from them. And now… everything’s upside down. I don’t know what to do with this.”

Savannah studied her for a moment before leaning forward, her expression more serious. “Geneva, more than anyone else, I understand. But you need to be careful. I’m not saying Ash hasn’t proven himself, but demons are unpredictable. Even the ones who mean well can get pulled back into the darkness. And you know the fae council won’t accept this. If they find out you’re involved with him, there will be consequences.”

Geneva scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. “Consequences? Really? You’re lecturing me about the fae? Gage is half-demon, and you didn’t let that stop you from being with him. And he’s not just half-demon; he’s Rougarou—half wolf-shifter, too. If anyone should be worried about consequences, it’s you.”

Savannah grinned, the tension between them easing slightly. “True. But in my defense, the sex with Gage is pretty spectacular, so it’s worth it.”

Geneva rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at her lips despite herself. “You’re impossible.”

“I know,” Savannah said, her smile widening. “But seriously, Geneva. I’m not saying you have to make any decisions right now, but you need to be aware of the risks. Ash isn’t like Gage. A wolf-shifter is stronger than a human, and Ash has been through a lot. His role as one of the ‘good guys’ is relatively new. He’s only been fighting against his demon half for a while. He was one of them for far longer, and that’s not something you can ignore.”

Geneva’s smile faded as her mind returned to the feelings she had for Ash and the danger they represented. Savannah was right—Ash was different. Gage, despite his dark side, had a stability to him, a balance. But Ash… there was a constant war within him, a darkness that could consume him if he wasn’t careful. And if she wasn’t careful, it could consume her, too.

“I’m just… I don’t know if I can trust him completely,” Geneva admitted quietly. “I want to. But I keep thinking about what could happen if he loses control. If he falls back into that darkness…”

Savannah reached across the desk, placing a hand on Geneva’s arm. “Then you keep your guard up. Don’t let him in too easily. But don’t push him away just because you’re scared. You’re strong, Geneva. Stronger than most. If anyone can handle this, it’s you.”

Geneva nodded, but the uncertainty still gnawed at her. “I just don’t want to lose myself in this.”

“You won’t,” Savannah said firmly. “You’ve got me, and you’ve got the rest of us. We’ll make sure you stay grounded. But you need to figure out what you want. Don’t let fear stop you from exploring something real, something that could be important.”

Geneva stared down at her coffee, her thoughts swirling. The fear, the uncertainty, the danger—all of it loomed large in her mind. But beneath it all, there was a pull toward Ash that she couldn’t deny. A connection that, despite everything, she didn’t want to sever.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Geneva finally said, her voice soft. “But I know one thing—I can’t keep running from this. Not anymore.”

Savannah squeezed her arm gently before standing up. “Take your time. You’ll figure it out. And when you do, I’ll be right here.”

As Savannah was about to leave—her hand on the door—Geneva thought she heard the sound of retreating footsteps outside her office, but when her sister stepped through, there was nothing. Geneva looked up and down the empty hallway before returning to her desk, leaning back in her chair, staring at the ceiling. The decisions she knew she would have to make weighed heavily, and she knew that whatever she chose, it would change everything. But as much as she wanted to run, to hide from the intensity of her feelings for Ash, she knew she couldn’t.

Because no matter how dangerous it was, no matter how complicated it became, something deep inside her told her that Ash was worth the risk.

L ater that day she sat hunched over her desk in the morgue, the dim glow of the overhead lamp casting long shadows across the room. Books were strewn across every surface—ancient tomes filled with runes and forgotten languages. Her notebook lay open in front of her, filled with pages of hastily scribbled diagrams and notes. The victims they had rescued had borne strange, intricate tattoos, and Geneva was determined to unlock their meaning. She had been working for hours, trying to unravel the magical code hidden within the symbols.

Each rune held a secret, but they weren’t just random symbols—they were part of a larger system, one that might lead her directly to the traffickers. Her fingers traced over one of the designs she had sketched, her mind racing with possibilities. If she could decode the runes, they could find the traffickers’ base, stop the trade of supernatural beings, and maybe—just maybe—she could make up for not rescuing all the prisoners. But even as her focus sharpened on the task at hand, a darker thought lingered at the edges of her mind.

Ash—her emotions were a tangled mess she couldn’t seem to unravel. Their connection was undeniable, but it was everything her upbringing had warned against. He was half-demon. Half of the very thing she had spent her life hunting. How could she reconcile that with the man who seemed to be risking so much just to help her and her sisters? The man whose presence had become both a comfort and a complication she didn’t know how to handle.

Geneva pushed the thoughts away, forcing herself to focus on the symbols in front of her. She couldn’t afford distractions right now, not with so much at stake. If she cracked this code, maybe she could stop the traffickers before they could do any more damage. That had to be her priority.

Her pen scratched across the page as she connected a set of runes that seemed to be repeated in the tattoos. There was a pattern here—something ancient and dark, older than the fae magic she knew. Whoever had placed these marks had used a blend of magic that felt both demonic and fae, a twisted hybrid of the two worlds. It made sense, given the traffickers' methods, but the complexity of it unnerved her. This wasn’t just about control; it was about domination, enslavement.

The thought of how close they had been to rescuing all of the victims gnawed at her. She had failed them. But it was the memory of Ash standing between her and Asmodeus that haunted her the most. He’d protected her, shielding her from the blast of dark magic without a second thought, and she had felt it—the strength of his power, the raw force of his demon side that he always kept restrained.

Why did he make her feel this way? She was torn between what she had always believed and what her heart was trying to tell her.

The sound of footsteps in the hallway snapped her out of her thoughts, but she paid them little attention. The morgue was mostly empty at this hour, but some of the night staff still roamed the halls. She leaned over her desk, squinting at a particularly complex rune, her hand brushing absently at her hair.

She didn’t hear the door creak open, didn’t notice the faint shuffle of someone pausing just outside her office. The conversation she’d had with Savannah earlier lingered in her mind as she worked, the tension from their talk about Ash still fresh.

“What are you going to do about him?” Savannah had asked.

Geneva had avoided the question, deflecting back to the task at hand. “I can’t think about that right now. I need to focus on deciphering the tattoos I saw on those people. If I don’t, more people are going to get hurt. Ash and I… that’s complicated. But this trafficking ring? That’s immediate.”

Savannah hadn’t pressed her further, but her words echoed now as Geneva worked alone. She couldn’t avoid Ash forever, not when their paths seemed to be so tightly intertwined. She had felt something between them, something more than just attraction. But what would her family think? Sure, she could probably count on Savannah’s support, but what would the others think? What would the fae council do if they found out she had feelings for a half-demon?

She didn’t know how long she worked after that, lost in the symbols and their intricate meanings. It was a welcome distraction from the emotions she was trying to keep at bay. Hours slipped by, the room growing colder, but Geneva didn’t stop. Finally, something clicked—a series of runes she hadn’t recognized before, but which now made sense in context. A location. A possible stronghold.

Her heart skipped a beat. This was it—the key they needed.

Excitement surged through her, but it was tempered by the dark knowledge that this discovery came with immense risk. The base of operations wasn’t just a hideout. It was a fortress, steeped in dark magic. And if the traffickers were as powerful as she suspected, going in without a plan would be suicidal.

She reached for her phone, her fingers hovering over Ash’s number. Everything in her wanted to call him, to tell him what she’d found, to share her discovery. But what would that mean? Would working with him push them closer, make things even more complicated than they already were?

Before she could decide, a soft knock at the door startled her. She turned to see Jenny, one of her co-workers, standing just inside the threshold, her expression curious and hesitant.

“Hey, Geneva, I… I overheard part of your conversation earlier. With your sister.” Jenny shifted uncomfortably, her eyes darting to the open books on Geneva’s desk. “You were talking about something… strange. Are you okay?”

Geneva’s stomach twisted. How much had she heard? She had been so focused, so distracted by her own thoughts, that she hadn’t realized someone had been listening. A cold wave of panic washed over her, but she kept her expression neutral, trying to assess the situation.

“I’m fine,” Geneva replied carefully, closing one of the books with a quiet thud. “It was just... family stuff. Nothing to worry about.”

Her co-worker didn’t seem convinced, her eyes lingering on the symbols scattered across the desk. “It didn’t sound like nothing. You were talking about trafficking and… magic?”

Geneva’s pulse quickened. She hadn’t been careful enough, and now someone from her human life was asking questions she couldn’t afford to answer. If her two worlds collided here—if her co-workers started digging deeper into the supernatural side of things—it could unravel everything she had worked so hard to protect.

She forced a smile, though her mind was racing. “It’s complicated, but trust me, it’s not what you think. I appreciate your concern, though.”

Her co-worker hesitated for a moment longer before nodding slowly. “Okay… just let me know if you need anything.”

As Jenny left, Geneva felt the full weight of what had just happened settle over her. She had been careless, too wrapped up in her emotions and everything that was happening to realize how fragile the barrier between her worlds had become.

And now, that barrier was starting to crack.