Chapter 29
DEATH
“We should burn it,” Tor said in a quiet growl, the five of us grouped close together, heads bowed as we inspected the envelope that had just fluttered, on its own ghostly wind, through the open window on the library mezzanine where we monitored Cat’s detention. “Before Cat sees it.”
“Before Cat sees what?” the woman herself asked in a frosty voice.
When we turned to face the corridor behind us, Cat stood there with her arms crossed over her grey blouse and an eyebrow arched.
The reproach in her expression was the only thing keeping my eyes from dipping to the collar of her shirt and the cleavage I could see there from the corner of my eye.
I pushed back the urge to swoop her into my arms, tear off her clothes, and fuck her against the balustrade railing, uncaring of anyone in the library around us.
The vision was distracting enough that my wife was able to slip around me and snatch the envelope from my pocket.
She gave me a dirty look as she lifted the ripped edge and slid out the paper from inside.
Meet me at the bookshop in Ford’s End. Only bring one of your bonded.
O.F.
“O.F,” she mused, a furrow between her brows.
“It’s clearly a trap, and we’re not stupid enough to fall for it,” Tor said, a burr in his voice as he took the letter from her and stashed it in a pocket of his dark jeans.
“O.F. Orwell Ford,” Pain said, with a strange note to his voice. “We can trust him. Even if he’s a prick,” he added.
“You have history with him,” Cat guessed.
“Not that kind,” Pain said hurriedly. “But we’re friends.”
“Yeah, it sounds like it,” Tor muttered. “Let’s get out of here and figure out which two of us are going to meet the fucker.”
“Me,” Cat said, giving him a look that dared him to argue.
“Not a fucking chance, my beautiful little succulent.” Tor took her shoulders and turned her towards the staircase, dropping a kiss on her head. “You can stay here, where no one will attempt to murder you.”
“Good idea,” she snarked. “Let me stay in the school run by the personifications of Violence and Cruelty.”
Tor tried to argue with that one and failed.