A Case of Possession (A Charm of Magpies #2)

by K.J. Charles

Inspector Rickaby turned Crane’s card over and back as though he expected to find a clue on it. “Earl Crane. Shouldn’t there be an ‘of’ in that?” “No. It’s like Earl Grey.” “The tea?” “The lord.”

I imagine those acts in detail every night you’re not there. In fact, I’ve imagined quite a few more that I have every intention of subjecting you to when I get a chance.” “Really?” murmured Stephen, shifting closer. “Like what?” “That’s for me to know and you to find out when you’re chained to my bed. And I do mean chained. With iron, next time. I want you helpless.”

he would find a way to make sure the little sod was curled up in his bed every night, returning home to him, instead of vanishing wordlessly off to unexplained dangers. My little witch. Mine.

Stephen shrugged. “I don’t believe in demons and pitchforks. But I think, if you had to define hell, you could take a good man and deny him the rites he believed in, and condemn his soul to a slow process of madness and vengeance and corruption until it was nothing but a mass of rage and hate and seething evil that his true self would have loathed. I think that would be hell.”

We have a rule of thumb,” Stephen said. “Always start with the fanatics.”

“That’s giving me ideas.” Stephen’s eyes widened. “Not in a church, Lucien.” “I’ll have ideas anywhere I damned well please.”