Smolder Chapter 16

“We’re stopping here,” Benjamin said, halting in a small clearing surrounded by towering trees.
Jade looked around, squinting at the unremarkable forest. “Here? Why?”
“Oh, nothing,” he replied with a mischievous glint in his eye. Before she could press him further, his hands were around her waist, pulling her close, and his lips were on hers.
She knew they should be focusing on the mission, but she couldn’t resist tilting her head to deepen the kiss. One hand slid around his neck, the other clutched his arm as their bodies molded like two pieces of a perfect puzzle. Dizzy with excitement, she let him guide her back until her shoulders pressed against the rough bark of a tree.
His arms caged her in, palms planted on either side of her head, but she felt nothing but safe. Excited nerves danced in her stomach, and she started to smile against his lips. He felt it too and broke into a grin, their mouths mirroring each other like they were connected by an invisible string.
When he finally pulled back, their foreheads touched, their lips just a breath apart. Both of them were breathing heavily.
“I thought you deserved a proper hello,” he murmured, his grin wide and teasing.
She brushed her thumb over the dimple on his cheek. “It’s okay. I know you find me completely irresistible.”
“That I do,” he said earnestly, his gaze searching hers. She wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but after a moment, he sighed and pulled back. He offered his hand. “Come on, we need to find the estate.”
She took his hand, letting him lead her deeper into the woods. His silence wasn’t lost on her. The slight scrunch of his eyebrows, the distant look in his eyes something was bothering him. After a few minutes, he finally broke the quiet.
“What was Summer talking about earlier?” he asked, his voice soft, hesitant. He sounded like he didn’t want to know the answer but needed it anyway.
Jade’s heart sank. “Nothing, I promise.” She tried to sound casual, but even to her, it felt like a brush-off. She squeezed his hand, trying to reassure him. Nothing happened, she reminded herself. But why does it feel like something did?
He stopped walking and turned to face her, his expression serious. “It doesn’t sound like nothing. I want to believe you, but I know better. The tension in your muscles, the higher pitch in your voice, the way your pulse jumps it’s all telling me you’re hiding something.”
Stupid hypersensitive demon senses. Jade cursed silently, tugging against his hold to make him stop. Some things were more important than the mission, and this was one of them.
“Have I ever given you a reason not to trust me?” she asked, her voice steady despite the ache in her chest.
“No.”
“Then trust me when I say nothing happened nothing that matters to me anyway. I’ll explain everything later, I promise. But right now, we need to focus on the mission.”
Benjamin studied her for a long moment before nodding. “Alright.” The doubt lingered in his features, but he accepted her answer for now.
Jade cupped his cheek, her thumb brushing his skin. “I love you,” she said, emphasizing the words. She needed him to know how deeply she meant them. He smiled a genuine, wide smile that lit up his face.
“Let’s go,” he said, turning and holding his hand out for her to take. Together, they pushed forward through the forest, the snap of twigs beneath their feet the only sound.
A few turns and countless branches later, they reached the edge of the woods. He pulled her to a stop and pointed through the trees. “There.”
A large, two-story estate came into view, complete with oversized pillars and a wrap-around porch. The white-washed exterior and black shutters gave it the plantation appearance, but the bright red door was its only modern touch. It looked abandoned. No cars in the driveway, no movement in the windows, sounds from inside. The stillness was eerie.
“Are you sure this is the right place?” Jade whispered.
“Definitely,” he said. “I’ve been here before. It was much more… alive back then.”
He stretched an arm in front of her as she started to step forward. “Wait here. Something’s wrong.”
Before she could respond, he was gone, a blur across the open yard. He crouched under a first-floor window, peering inside. A leap later, he was hanging from a second-story windowsill, his eyes scanning the upper floors.
She watched him move, her nerves momentarily replaced by admiration. His supernatural grace was mesmerizing, but it didn’t stop the unease building in her chest.
Then, in an instant, she was yanked backward, a hand clamped over her mouth. Her scream was stifled as a second arm pinned her against a cold, solid body.
“Not a good place to get lost,” a voice hissed in her ear, followed by a shrill, hyena-like laugh. Cold breath brushed her neck, and her heart raced as sharp teeth grazed her skin.
Jade didn’t let fear take over. Fire burst from her hands, engulfing her captor in a ring of flames. The arms around her released instantly, the demon recoiling with a shriek. But Jade didn’t let him flee. She called on her powers, trapping him in place with a cocoon of fire.
“Benjamin!” she screamed, straining to hold her control as the flames began to sear the demon’s skin. His body twisted boils erupting along his arms, and his screams grew louder.
“I’ve got him,” he said, appearing behind her. Jade extinguished her fire, and Benjamin grabbed the demon, slamming him to the ground.
“Where are they?” he demanded, his voice cold and commanding.
The demon only cackled, his wild, dark beady eyes locked on Jade. “You’re her,” he said, his voice filled with twisted glee. “You’re her!”
“She’s who?” Benjamin pressed, tightening his grip.
The demon didn’t answer, continuing to laugh like a madman. His ramblings were incoherent, but Jade began to piece together the fragments.
“Aiden,” she said, pulling out her phone. “Get back here now.”
“What’s going on?” Aiden asked, his voice muffled by the sound of honking cars.
“They’re not here. They’re headed for Crystal River.”
Benjamin’s gaze snapped to hers, the gravity of her words settling in. Jade turned back to the demon, whose laughter continued to ring in her ears.
“Benjamin, step aside.”
“Jade—”
“Now!”
He moved just as Jade unleashed a final wave of fire, consuming the demon in seconds. His body cracked and burned, collapsing into ash.
She turned to Benjamin, grabbing his hand. “We have to get back. Now.”