Chapter 23
Stella
As the witch vanished in a puff of smoke, relief made me sag. The tension that had gripped my body released, leaving me unsteady on my feet. Before I could wobble, Oz”s arms were around me, pulling me close.
The world righted itself. I was inside the safety of his embrace. The sight of the shifter advancing on him had filled me with a fear so guttural that the panther inside of me had come fully awake. She had clawed to get out. I just didn”t know how to let her out. The helplessness of watching, unable to protect the one person who had come to mean more to me than anyone else was a torment I wouldn”t wish on my worst enemy.
No, scratch that. I would take joy in watching Ken and his hairy Neanderthal take our places.
As Oz”s hold tightened around me, I burrowed into him, seeking the warmth and protection that only he could offer. His scent enveloped me, a reassuring blend of the wild outdoors and something uniquely Oz. It calmed the storm of emotions swirling inside me. I nudged against him, a silent plea for him to hold me closer, tighter, to never let me go. He responded, his arms constricting around me in a protective cocoon that made me feel as if nothing could ever harm me again.
A sharp pain lanced through my forearm. It broke through the haze of comfort and security. I couldn”t stifle the yelp that escaped me.
Instantly, Oz”s embrace loosened. He pulled back to look at me, his eyes scanning my face and then my body for the source of pain. The sight that greeted him was the blood welling from the deep gash on my forearm, a cruel souvenir from the witch”s greed.
She thought my blood would get her out of here? Why, when it hadn”t gotten me anywhere?
Oz”s reaction was immediate, his hands gently cradling my arm, examining the wound with a focus that belied his worry. His hands went to the hem of his shirt. A ripping sound filled the air.
I should”ve stopped him. I was going to stop him. But I wanted a peek at what my man was packing first.
His abs did not disappoint. Hello, eight-pack.
”I”m fine,” I said, staying his hand before he shredded his entire shirt to form a bandage. ”I can fix it.”
I extended my arm, watching as my magic emanated from my fingertips. It was like weaving a complex fabric, each thread of the spell meticulously pulling the edges of the wound together, knitting the flesh back into wholeness. The sensation was a tickling tingle. The process was like the detailed work I put into my clothing. I imagined the threads of my magic as fine silk, weaving a pattern of healing over my skin. The edges of the wound closed, the magic mending the torn flesh as easily as it altered a garment”s fit.
I hadn”t known I was capable of that. Not until the moment before I knew my body needed it. And then, I realized I had the ability to do it.
The pain subsided, replaced by a cool, soothing sensation that spread through my arm. It was working. The wound, which had looked so angry and raw moments before, was now nothing but a thin, red line. I flexed my arm, testing the strength of my work. It was as if the injury had never happened.
”See? Good as new.”
Oz ran his fingers over my skin. I tingled in a very different way. Especially with the way he was looking at me. Whatever wall he”d had up between us was gone now. Funny how a near-death experience could do that to a person.
Breathing in deeply, I smelled the stench of death coming off the boat and not just the waters where the pirates had all jumped. As my gaze wandered over the deck of the riverboat, I saw I was far from the only one bearing injuries.
People were huddled together, many of them bleeding from their mouths where teeth had been brutally extracted, a horrific currency in the Crossroads. Others sported bald patches where clumps of hair had been torn out, and still others bore cuts similar to mine.
The air was thick with the scent of blood and fear, a pungent, metallic aroma that mingled with the earthy smell of the riverbank. It was a smell I knew would haunt me, a reminder of how close we had come to losing everything. The sounds of soft sobs and whispered comforts filled the boat, a low murmur of despair that was almost worse than the screams that had preceded it.
And there, lying on the floorboards as I”d predicted, was the fairy. Unlike in my vision, someone had closed her eyes and covered her with a dirty blanket. I took a step toward her but was halted.
”No.” Oz”s hold on me tightened.
His heart beat steadily against my ear. It was a reassuring rhythm in the midst of the calming madness. But even as I sought solace in his arms, I couldn”t ignore the pain of the others.
”I can help.” I”d never been able to help in a time of crisis. Unless there was a wardrobe malfunction or makeup mishap.
”No one is near death.” His hold on me was absolute. ”They”ll live.”
I wanted to protest, but I didn”t have the energy to. The adrenaline had left my body. Mending my arm had left me exhausted. Being brave and strong had been hard. I decided to let Oz manhandle me into being coddled and protected instead.
”I”m so sorry,” he murmured, his breath warm against my skin. ”I”ve got you now. I”ll never let you go, never let anything happen to you.”
His words were a balm to my frayed nerves, soothing the storm of fear and uncertainty that had been raging inside me since he”d frozen as I kissed him. I”d thought he was rejecting me. But it had been a bitch of a witch flipping my Oz to off.
Now it was on. He was on. His words were practically a declaration of love. Just without the L-word. Other than that, it was everything I had ever wanted to hear, a promise of safety and belonging I had longed for all my life.
I tilted my head up to meet his gaze, seeing the sincerity and resolve shining in his eyes. I leaned in and kissed him, a soft, heartfelt expression of all the emotions churning within me. This time, Oz responded instantly. His lips moved against mine in a kiss that spoke of protection, commitment, and a budding love. The kiss wasn”t the only thing budding. My nipples became tight buds of desire as he pulled me close and deepened the kiss.
”You two look like you”d be good in charge.”
Oz and I broke apart to find the kelpie standing before us. The woman was completely naked, her boobs up high and perky. Her waist was snatched like an actual hourglass which flared down into smooth hips and long legs. Even though she’d just saved my life, I hated her instantly.
”I”m turning this over to you.” She dropped the keys to the riverboat into Oz”s hands.
”Who are you?” I asked. I”d never seen a kelpie before.
”Name”s Styx. I came through the portal from Tartarus.”
All I knew of Tartarus was that it was a prison planet. But she didn”t have the desperation of an inmate. She looked like someone who was in charge and used to dealing with miscreants.
”I”ll be back to clean this mess up later.”
She waved her hand, not at the bruised and bleeding people on board the boat, but at the murky river water.
Before we could react, she leaped gracefully back into the water, disappearing beneath the surface with barely a ripple. I wondered who else had come through the portal and if they weren”t all bad. Styx was definitely one of the good guys.
The passengers, who had been watching in stunned silence, let out a silent sigh of relief. The tension that had been holding us all in its grip dissipated, replaced by a sense of safety.
I knew it was all because Oz was now in charge. That sensation everyone was feeling was all I was willing to share of my man. I laced my fingers with his as we made our way to the wheelhouse. Unfortunately, there were windows where onlookers could look inside. So I”d have to wait until we reached dry land to finally bang my new man. But I still had every plan to stake my claim. Publicly.
A low hum filled the space as the engine came back to life. Oz navigated the controls with ease. The man clearly possessed many skills that I was still discovering.
Finding my place in his lap, I wrapped my arms around his neck, drawing him closer for a kiss. Once again, he came willingly.
The riverboat”s steady thrum beneath us was just like his heartbeat, rhythmic and reassuring. Oz”s hands found their way to my back, pulling me closer, as if he couldn”t bear even a sliver of space between us. His touch ignited a fire within me, a desire that had been simmering since the moment I’d laid eyes on him. The ugliness of the world outside dimmed in the evening light, leaving only the warmth of his embrace, the taste of his lips, and the promise of a future together.