Chapter 16 #3
With my body an extension of the wards’ web, I throw my left arm towards the sphinx.
Magic explodes from me, my skin splitting in electrical crackles along the line the curses followed through me.
The sphinx screams. Burning hair and feathers choke me and my knees buckle, but I cannot fall.
The magic has me pinned as it uses me as a conduit, my eyes flicking green and black and blood smoking.
Miles away, I feel my shop’s pentagram flicker with the spluttering of my heart. Darkness claims my mind and the wet ground meets my skull with a crack.
Agony sizzles across my chest and I come to with a choked gasp. The pain that fizzes through every neuron, every sense, blinds and mutes me. My back bows and mouth stretches wide in a silent scream.
Hands grip the sides of my head firmly and a familiar baritone anchors me. “Breathe, Torment. Breathe.”
My lungs refuse to work, and I slap the table I’m on. Then something slams into my chest, forcing my back down, and magic pulses. Air sucks into me with a mighty gulp. I cough, eyes squeezing shut. An agonized groan vibrates from my throat.
Something cool smooths over my chest and my breath shudders, my eyes opening. Valen stands over me. His hair is a mess, his perfect shirt torn. There’s a tightness in his eyes, his forehead damp. He’s spreading ointment over my bare chest.
My eyes widen. My shirt is gone, but I can’t gather enough blood for a blush.
My arms are spread wide and an open, raw wound runs from hand to hand.
Someone must’ve already partially healed me because it’s not oozing.
I lift my head and hiss, thunking it back down on the wood table.
The branching curse laceration follows my right arm to my collarbone, then dips down my sternum to round below my left breast, then up my left armpit to ripple down to my fingertips.
Jinx is going to lose her mind when she finds out.
Someone strokes my hair back and I peek through my lashes.
Lucas beams at me. Blood smears across his forehead, but it doesn’t appear to be his.
“You are one crazy bitch, Torment. I’ve never seen anything like that.
” His nails snag on a matted knot. “You should come with me on acquisitions more often.”
“Yes. There’s a reason for that.” Valen’s deadened tone chills me.
I can feel his sharp gaze on my face without looking.
His fingers slide along the trail under my breast, adding more of the healing salve.
“Curses cannot usually be tempted away from the heart. The soul and magic housed within are too tempting. It makes me wonder how you convinced three powerful curses to bypass such a tasty treat.”
Lucas waves off Valen’s concern. “She’s fine. I unwound the ward webbing from her.”
I distract myself from the aching discomfort of my injuries by taking in the room.
We’re in the Bauer infirmary, where all the magic potions and ingredients live.
Like my back room, there are bunches of dried herbs hanging from the ceiling, but unlike my room, this place is immaculate.
Glass bottles, clearly labeled, fill rows upon rows of shelves.
Nora would have a field day if she made it in here.
I turn back to Lucas. “Where’s the amulet?”
He reaches into my pocket and pulls it out. The golden fangs glint in the light. I let out a heavy sigh, going limp on the table. My heart pounds and eyes mist. “We did it.”
“Yeah, we did.” He tucks it away again. “We’ll get that spider under control before you know it.”
Valen stills and my pulse spikes. “Spider?”
Lucas dips his fingers into Valen’s pot and starts working on my other arm. “The Arachnomicon.”
Valen hasn’t moved and I can’t look at him when he asks, “The book you two were talking about? I thought the amulet was for the Amur.”
Lucas’ brows furrow. “Dimitar? No, the amulet is to subdue a grimoire.”
Valen’s enraged gaze turns to me and I quickly inspect the jars of various newt parts suspended in amber liquid. He snaps, sounding distressingly like his father, “Astoria Rose Androclaria! Did you lie to me?”
My palms are slick, and not because of the ointment.
“Just a smidge.” Valen’s rage vibrates off him in a terrifying dark aura.
I speak very quickly. “I had no choice! Your demands were too great and you weren’t going to help me and I need to get back into my vault, which the spider book is keeping me from.
All my money is down there and Dimitar’s tithe is due! ”
His jaw drops. “Why didn’t you simply tell me that? I would’ve given you the money!”
“I don’t need your money; I need the amulet. Which, now I have, so it doesn’t matter and everything is going to be fine.” I refuse to feel guilty about omitting my grimoire from the story. It’s a necessary evil to keep my precious, very incriminating book a secret.
Valen’s jaw audibly snaps closed. His eyes burn and his nostrils flare.
I hold my breath, my fingers twitching painfully.
But instead of yelling, he turns away from me and snatches up a fresh pot of ointment.
He growls low, applying more ointment, his touch losing some of its gentleness.
“Out of all the overly complicated, ridiculous plans I’ve ever heard. The stupidity is astounding.”
Lucas laughs and I prickle. I shoot him a harsh glare. “Don’t side with him!”
The warmth in Lucas’ eyes has returned and the honey glows with his bright smile. “I can’t laugh?”
I grumble. “No. I don’t need you two ganging up on me.”
Lucas’ gaze slides over to Valen. “That was some fancy spell work you did back there. You think quick on your feet for a stuffy, stick-up-their-ass weaver.”
Valen glares, but some of his usual sharpness is gone. His voice drops back into an arrogant drawl. “Yes, the stick up my ass does come in handy to beat my opponents with when magic fails.”
Lucas’ eyes dance. “Was that a joke, V? Are we friends?”
“Not in the slightest.” Valen wipes his hands clean on a cloth and tosses it over to Lucas for when the magician finishes with my fingers.
“Please take this next statement to be as insulting as possible. I’m shocked that your little threads are so versatile.
I did not think they had the strength to catch the sphinx and trap her on her back. ”
“What can I say, V?” Lucas accepts the roll of gauze, his smile taking a heated edge that has Valen pausing. “I excel at getting things on their backs.”
I roll my eyes. “All the arachnid gods beyond, spare me.” But I don’t miss the way Valen’s gaze dips over Lucas, a glint of interest that wasn’t there before sparking. Lucas’ smile widens.
Working together, the two of them wrap me up quickly. Valen tips three potions into my mouth and drowsiness immediately floods my veins. I smile and giggle as the world tips and turns like on the deck of a boat, each sway taking away more of the pain until all that is left is a delicious buzzing.
“Oh fuck, you gave me the good stuff even after I lied,” I slur at Valen.
Valen glares. “Yes, how noble of me. I’m not the heartless bastard, after all.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Lucas adds as he swiftly unbuttons his shirt.
He shrugs out of it and slides his arm under my shoulders to push me up to sit.
It’s like my brain is oil and vinegar and he shook it.
I sway, not sure where gravity is anymore and marvel at my painless state.
He eases his shirt onto my body, moving my arms for me when I get distracted.
I groan as the heated cotton wraps around me.
Oh fuck, that tasty, masculine scent that I so strongly associate with Lucas surrounds me.
He doesn’t wear cologne, instead opting for a simple soap that mixes with the natural scent of his skin so nicely.
It’s rare that I find sweat an enjoyable scent, but somehow Lucas makes it work.
All I want is to curl up in it and stare at Lucas’ scrumptiously half-clad body for hours.
Lucas’ smile is lazy, like warm morning sex on the weekends. “Like what you see?”
I’m about to purr my agreement, but Valen asks in a far-off tone, “What is enchanted on your chest?”
I frown and study Lucas’ bare chest. Lucas looks down, too. “Oh, Tori did that. She’s hiding my scars.”
Valen’s brows draw together. “Why?”
Lucas shrugs and begins buttoning up the shirt to cover my chest. “You’ll have to ask her.”
I fall forward, smiling happily when Lucas catches me. “Clean slate.”
Valen asks something else, but I’m too far gone. I mumble, “Take me to bed, Lucas.”
Lucas huffs a laugh. “Gladly.”
He swoops me up into his arms and I giggle.
The door to the infirmary slams against the wall when Lucas kicks it open.
He saunters confidently into the hall before pausing and turning from side to side.
“Okay, I’m posturing here. I have no idea where we are.
Wanna get your ass up and help us, blueblood? ”
A little manic giggle bubbles out of me. My eyes are barely open. “Oh, Lucas, the ways he could kill you.”
“Yes.” Valen’s drawl is too close. I open my heavy eyes to catch him staring down Lucas. “The ways.”
Lucas smirks. “Oh, I’d like to see you try.”
There’s a sensual danger in Valen’s smile. “I don’t think you could handle me, magician.”
The simmering tension helps wake me up but for all the wrong reasons. A flicker of excitement sparks in my chest as my eyes dart between the men. Are they… flirting?
Lucas’ eyes sweep Valen. “You’d be surprised with what I can handle. Especially when I use my…” I shiver from his teasing tone. “Little threads, as you put it.”
My eyes flare and Valen draws in a subtle breath.
A heartbeat passes before those blue eyes return the same assessing sweep, like he, too, is imagining what those gold threads would feel like tight around arms and thighs.
My heart pounds. I sense an opportunity but can’t figure out how to seize it.
Damn these potions! Hopefully, they won’t need my assistance and they’ll take up the bait all on their own.
Valen turns away first. “Follow me.”
We make our way through the estate and I flicker in and out of awareness as we go, my head lolling with each step. There’s a pause. A door clicking open. Movement forward before a jostling halt.
“How did you so eloquently put it earlier?” Malice drips in Valen’s voice. “Over my dead fucking body.”
My eyes flutter open to behold the two men glaring each other down. Lucas snarls, “No way in hell am I letting her sleep in there alone.”
“She’s safer in this house than anywhere else. Now give her to me and go back to your room. I’ll stay with her.”
Lucas arms tighten on me and he glares murderously at Valen. “Like hell you will.”
“Guys…” I’m slurring again. The potions are dragging me down, but I have to do something. There was a moment before. That one, shining moment of potent tension that I can still exploit. I need to get my words together. I can do this. I’m good at this. And the reward will be great.
“Guys… Men…” I lick my lips with my too-thick tongue and try again. “Why don’t we all sleep together.” A giggle escapes. “Flip a coin on who gets front and back.”
There’s silence. Slowly, my own words echo in my mind, like the slow yawning of hell opening to swallow me whole.
Embarrassment hits me hard, nearly dousing the heat that flared at the tantalizing fantasy my words evoked.
All hopes that they couldn’t understand my slurring evaporate with the glint of amusement in Valen’s eyes.
At least Lucas is staring down at me with What the fuck did she say? written across his face.
My face is burning. I rip out of Lucas’ hold and nearly fall to the ground.
He snatches my bicep and it’s the only thing that saves me from a damaging fall.
Thank all the nonexistent gods that Valen is so talented at the healing arts.
I barely feel the sting of pain from my wound.
I stagger like a newborn fawn before getting my numb feet under me.
“You know what.” Another dangerous sway, but I rip my arm free. “No. I’m going to bed. Alone.” I stumble into my room, the words coming out too fast. “Do whatever you want. Maybe. Okay. Night!”
I slam the bedroom door shut and thump my forehead against it. I’m going to hate myself in the morning.