Chapter 28 #2
I held up my hand, eyes squinting open despite how it made everything spin. It was dark, and abnormally humid. I wasn’t sure if I was moving because I was dizzy or if the room was actually unstable.
“I’m going to give you one last chance to tell me you didn’t sneak out after me. That we aren’t both captured by the guy who almost succeeded in killing you not once, or twice, but three times, and that you aren’t once again at the mercy of a motherfucking psycho.”
Silence. My shadows grew restless with every roll of what was now obviously a ship, and not my living room couch, and I opened my eyes fully to see Eryn sitting on a dingy little bed beside me.
Her eyes glowed, an iridescent green like a cat caught in the beam of a flashlight.
Lavender was still heady in the air—I’d be suffocating on it if it wasn’t my favorite fucking scent in the world.
“You can be mad at me later,” she started.
“Oh, I’m going to be mad at you right fucking now, princess. I can be mad and get us out of this at the same time. Multitasking.”
I can’t fucking believe she didn’t listen to me.
Actually, strike that. I one hundred percent should have expected it, and I had.
What I didn’t account for was being knocked out and waking to find not only myself trapped but my bonded as well.
Of course she came after me. She was going to whether I was in danger or not, it’s who she was.
But, fuck, I wasn’t used to feeling like this.
Out of control. Like every step I made was the wrong one.
I had to get us out of this. We were obviously out on the ocean, but if I could get up top and see how far from shore…
Possibly drive the boat back if there weren’t many djinn on board…
We had options. I could work with options.
“Are you done being a control freak and trying to figure this all out on your own, or can I tell you my plan now?”
Eryn stared at me with the grumpy frown I loved so much, the one that made the spot between her eyebrows furrow and her delectable lips pout. My girl had a plan.
I grinned, pride filling me all the way up. “All right, let’s hear it.”
“I reached out to Ezra,” she said, and my brows flew up.
“Like, you called him from my cellphone that you secretly snuck in here with us?”
She smirked and tapped the side of her head. “Like, I’m done pretending to be powerless because I’m scared of what might happen when I show the world I’m not.” She reached out and grabbed my hand, easing her fingers between mine. “I’m not scared anymore, Kai.”
I swallowed past the lump growing in my throat. “No?”
She shook her head, and I got another look at those eyes, so full of magick and confidence. “Ask me why.”
“Why?”
She leaned forward and placed her lips on mine.
It was tender and slow, like what our first kiss would have been had I not ravished her against that stairwell wall.
What I always dreamed our first kiss would be.
Her lips were soft and plump and yielded with the slightest bit of pressure.
I tasted her slowly this time, losing myself in the swirl of her tongue on the roof of my mouth and the little gasp she made when I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close.
Her small hands clutched at my shoulders, nails digging in and leaving behind the sweetest burn. I could stay here forever, but a large wave and the room tilting sideways was a harsh reminder that now wasn’t the time.
“What was that plan, princess?” I whispered against her lips. “Tell me, and if it gets us out of here, then maybe I’ll go easy on you for not listening and putting yourself in danger.” I rubbed my finger over the deep crease in her brow. “Glare later. Explain now.”
She did, and with every word, my pride for her grew. So did my fear. I wasn’t aware that Kol was on this boat. Four djinn was no problem when I wasn’t caught by surprise with a knock to the head. But four djinn, Kol, and his damn pit bull? I wasn’t liking those odds.
“If we can get the guard close enough for me to touch, I’ll ensnare him,” Eryn explained again. “That’s one less dude on their side and more buffer for us.”
“It’s also a major distraction for you,” I argued. “Your attention will be split. That’s too dangerous.”
She crossed her arms. “I can always command him to jump overboard. One less distraction.”
I chuckled; she was fucking adorable when she tried to be vicious, but my girl didn’t have a mean bone in her body. It was all well and fun to plan to hurt someone. Actually following through with it and living with the consequences was a different matter entirely.
“I don’t want that on your conscience.” I cupped her chin when she tried to look away. Tears filled her eyes, but they didn’t fall. “Could you live with yourself if he didn’t make it back on board and drowned?”
“They killed Rani.” Her admission was followed by a spike of sorrow down the bond. She’d been hiding it behind adrenaline and rage, but it was there. “One of the hunters told me they tossed her overboard once they had you. So yes, turnabout is fair play when you murder my best friend.”
Gods. Rani didn’t deserve any of this. I knew Eryn blamed herself, but I was the one at fault.
I played my games instead of being truthful about who I was.
I allowed us all to get so involved in the human world when I knew the dangers that were after us.
And most of all, I allowed my confidence to overshadow the obvious actions I should have taken to protect our friend.
I pulled Eryn close and tucked her into my chest. “I’m so sorry,” I murmured into her curls. “I know that doesn’t mean much, but they will pay for what they’ve done. I’ll make sure of it.”
I held her as the boat rocked and the night wore on.
Any minute, one of Kol’s men would come down here and check on us, and this little bubble of calm would be broken.
Eryn would have to tap into more power than she’d ever used before and potentially commit acts that would leave scars on her kind heart.
It was ultimately up to her. She was my partner, my bonded. We were stronger together, and it was just about time to show these fuckers what happened when you messed with us…but part of me would mourn the sweet girl I knew would be left behind in the process.