The Final Calling Excerpt #2

I’d been keeping my eye open for another tidbit from The Final Calling to share with everyone while I’m getting the first half of the book finalized, and I finally found one! Granted, it’s not precisely the one I thought I’d be sharing, but I thought it might whet some people’s appetites lol :)

So what does a mage do when she finds out she’s a shameless demon’s mate? Talk to her friends who know about him, of course. And what do Isaac’s friends think of him, anyway?

• • •

“I can’t wait to hear about Mystikkar,” Charlotte mentioned. “Ulric’s told me some things, and it sounds impressive.”
“Yeah, impressive’s one way to put it, kinda like your home,” Edith grinned, looking the place over. “So when can I move in?”
Her friend laughed. “Don’t you want to check the inside first?”
“Don’t think I’ll need to,” she replied, her gaze anywhere but on her feet as Charlotte took her inside—and it was just as lavish as she’d suspected.
Knowing Charlotte as well as she did, it was easy to pick out which decorations were hers, and what had been Ulric’s idea. But though they had different tastes, the styles meshed extremely well, giving the home an inviting atmosphere while maintaining a sense of class.
During her brief tour, Edith mentioned, “This place is so badass. You guys have really put some work into it.”
“It’s still not finished, but it’s livable now,” Charlotte qualified, then gave a questioning look. “By the way, what took you so long? I thought you were just changing clothes or something.”

“Oh,” Edith sighed, hesitating over explaining what happened in her apartment, and Charlotte took notice.
“Is something wrong?”
They’d just adjourned to the game room where Edith was too distracted by the fact that her best friend had a bowling alley in her home to immediately respond. But she tore her attention away from it with a dejected sigh.
“I’m not sure, actually. It’s just … okay, after we hung up, I was attacked in my apartment.”
“Attacked? By who?”
Edith waved it away, promising, “I’ll explain that part in a minute, and don’t worry, I’m fine. Someone you know intervened before anything happened, and I’m not sure what to think of the things he said.” Or did.
Suspiciously, the confusion on Charlotte’s face turned to enlightenment. “Let me guess. Isaac.”
Edith quirked a brow. “That’s too accurate for a guess.”
“Okay, it wasn’t a guess,” Charlotte admitted, taking a seat at the bar. “What did he say?”
“He said I’m his mate, on top of other things.”
“Other things?”
“Uh huh,” Edith drew out blandly. “Let’s just say he’s been having erotic dreams about me, and wasn’t ashamed to admit it. In detail.”
As if such behavior was completely normal for the demon, Charlotte groaned and rubbed her eyes, leaving Edith wondering what, exactly, her friend might tell her about him. But their conversation was momentarily interrupted when Ulric entered the room.
“Hey, did I hear Edi—oh, guess I did.”
Charlotte grinned, leaning up to give him a kiss before she mentioned, “Yep, and guess who she just met.”
Looking between them curiously, Ulric drew out, “I see.”
Perturbed by his response, Edith asked without pause, “Okay, how bad is this guy? I mean really?”
Using Ulric’s nickname, Charlotte returned, “Ask Yules, he knows Isaac better than I do.”
Ulric shrugged. “Maybe you should explain everything that’s happened first.”
Without hesitation, Edith did just that, starting with the attack, and Ulric listened patiently. But by the time she reached the end of the story, he was pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Yeah, that’s Isaac.”
Edith had no idea what to think. “So should I be worried?”
“Not really,” he began, lifting his head to add, “Isaac would never hurt you, that I can promise. He’s just … tactless and impatient.”
“Crude,” Charlotte supplied.
“But loyal,” Ulric countered.
Charlotte conceded the point with a nod, and Edith groaned. None of their talk sounded completely promising, but just before she made up her mind to avoid the demon at all costs, a third voice qualified, “He’s also on his way here now.”
Edith looked to see her mentor standing in the doorway. “Chandra, why didn’t you tell me?”
“That you’re his mate? I thought to spare you as much heartache as I could for as long as possible.”
“Guess I should thank you, but a little warning would’ve been nice.”
“I told you a demon would be hounding you. But I’d like to speak in private if you don’t mind.”
Edith certainly didn’t, joining the sorceress in a study located down the hall to hear what she had to say.