Chapter 5 #2
Aidan looked at a loss as she cackled and snorted at her own terrible joke. Still laughing, she didn’t see him change tactics. Faster than she could track, he was tipping her head back and pouring the tonic down her throat as she gagged and spluttered.
Wiping her mouth, she scowled at his satisfied expression. “Hey. That’s my move.” All at once, reality slammed into her, the beautiful, honeyed warmth and kaleidoscopic lights fleeing to another dimension. She stood still for a moment, jarred by the abrupt return to reality.
Aidan glanced at the bottle before tossing it into a bin. “I did learn that move from you, but we can talk about that another time. You need to get to Ryspur, now.”
She barely held back the retort that she was going to Kava.
Per the usual, life was easier when you simply told people what they wanted to hear but did what you needed to do.
It was better that he didn’t know. He’d just worry and waste more precious time trying to sway her.
If he did realize what she’d done thanks to his stalking ways, it would be too late, and wouldn’t that just suck for him.
He handed her a small coin purse, which she shoved into her trouser pocket. “Tell me you’re going to the Bone Temple.”
Elysia fixed her face like a good little indentured woman. Gods knew she’d had enough practice doing it for everyone else. “I’m going to the Bone Temple,” she parroted back.
“Only the Bone Temple.”
A dark tendril of soot tilted her chin, and she sighed, answering him. “I am to go to the priestesses. Only to the priestesses. And then return to you, my deep, dark deadliness.”
Grimacing, he dropped her chin. “Again, if you want to give me a nickname, I can think of a few others I’d rather hear.”
“Dream on, dead boy.”
“You don’t even understand how ridiculous that statement is.”
“I thought we were bonding.” Elysia smiled with her lips closed, blinking up at him with her big brown eyes.
He shook his head. They were back at the front door now, where she put on the shoes and coat she had just taken off. Aidan looked down at her, becoming serious. “Twenty-four hours. Twenty-four hours max, and you’re to report back here.”
She saluted sarcastically before holding out her hand and curling her fingers. “I need a dagger.”
“I would have to be decidedly insane to arm you at this point.”
Eyes narrowed, she kept her hand out. “You would have me defenseless?”
He just looked at her.
“Soot and storms, I’m not going to stab you with it. Probably wouldn’t even kill you anyway,” she grumbled.
Aidan’s blue eyes lightened. “You’re right, it wouldn’t, but somehow I don’t think that would stop you.”
She smiled sweetly. “Maiming is fine when killing won’t do.”
Defeated, he released a slow, suffering exhale and pulled a sheathed dagger out of his back pocket. “Thought you might want one.”
Red gems encrusted the bronze handle. Weighty and just right in her hand, she grinned until Aidan plucked it back out of her palm.
She started to protest, but then the man knelt on one knee, his hands sliding up her thigh, carefully buckling on a leather holster and securing the dagger against her.
Hands still pressing into her thigh, he looked up and Elysia almost combusted on the spot.
His fingers squeezed gently. “See something you like, Thorn?”
Her eyes pinged around the god below her, from his hands to his face and back again. “Absolutely not,” she mumbled with bright red cheeks.
Aidan grinned. “And where are you not going?”
She pursed her lips in silence.
“It feels like I shouldn’t have to say this, but stay away from the king. Stay away from his spawn. If you set one little foot in that godsforsaken land—”
“You’ll wait for the next fated mortal girl to tumble through her dreams into your Deathlands? You need me every bit as much as I need you, so I’d be careful with those threats.” She kept her voice pleasant.
An inhuman growl sounded in the back of his throat as his hands tightened on her thigh. “Try me, just try me.”
Elysia blinked, her tenacity running from the room like she should have.
Smiling at her stunned silence, Aidan took advantage of her mouth not flapping. “You go to Bellia. You learn what you need to learn from those who have kept the god of the dead’s stories alive. And you come home. No detours.” His final words were both a threat and a warning.
She twitched, growing damp with perspiration beneath her heavy sweater. He needed her. And couldn’t stop her. It would be fine.
She managed a nod.
“Good. I spoke with Maya and while you will need a natural source of water to travel from the mortal realm to here, you should be fine without water for all other travels. The fates’ mark on your ear allowing you to travel is a boon, and I am asking you for the last time to not abuse it or endanger yourself. Can you respect that?”
Not waiting for an answer, he spun her around and gave her a little push as if she were about to go through the front door instead of disappearing from one realm to the next.
She forced herself not to look back. She really hadn’t planned to do this two inches away from him.
It kind of ruined everything, but she was nothing if not determined and possibly obstinate.
Leaning away from him, she whispered as quietly as she could.
Gage, Gage, Gage.
But not quiet enough. She could still hear Aidan’s curses ringing in her ears as she landed.