The Witching Hour: 11 Enchanting Novels Featuring Witches, Wizards, Vampires, Shifters, Ghosts, Fae, and More!, page 193
Fuck, was he getting that from the bond? Or was it just some weird misunderstanding. Oh, gods, how did this conversation get so awkward and difficult?
He pricked his ears and shot up the stairs. I ran after him, not knowing what was going on or what else to do. The bond filled with the alert sense of him hunting. There was an intruder. That bond could be handy in the future.
He was prowling back and forth in the hallway outside of the bedrooms when I got to the top of the stairs. There was a gentle tapping sound coming from my window. Gideon held his finger to his lips.
“Let them come in. We will corner them,” he whispered.
I pulled my daggers and waited, listening to the soft footsteps coming across the room. I heard two distinct sets. Gideon flattened himself against the wall, and I followed suit. It took every fibre of restraint to remain still as I watched them crack open the door and peer out. The moment the door opened fully, they darted out into the hallway. Gideon leapt on the one at the back of the trio, and I blocked the way to the stairs as I slashed at the throat of the leader. They were wearing all black and wore those ridiculous red masks. I moved away from the stairs as the wannabe-ninja almost landed a heavy kick to my stomach. We kept darting in and out, me slashing at their thighs, wrists and throat, them trying to punch me in the ribs and take my feet from under me.
Gideon tore the first ninja apart. So much for being a broken puppy; he did a good job there. It would have been nice to have something left to analyse, but the body turned into a puff of smoke anyway. He turned his attention to the middle member of the trio, the small one that kept trying to slip in and slash the back of my thighs.
My wannabe-ninja was distracted by Gideon’s sudden presence, enough that I managed to pin them against the wall. I slashed open their inner thigh with a deep cut that would bleed them out in a few minutes. I held my other blade against their throat before I ripped their mask off.
“Who sent you?”
The woman bared her teeth at me in some semblance of an insane grin. The final gurgle of death came from behind me and, given I could still feel Gideon, I assumed that was him killing the last free wannabe-ninja. I pressed my blade tighter against the captured one’s throat.
“Who sent you?”
Gideon grabbed onto her wrist and yanked up the sleeve.
“The tattoo will tell you more than she will,” he said.
I glanced down at it.
“Give me your spare dagger. I will preserve it,” Gideon said.
The ninja squirmed at that. “No, that grants me entrance to the afterlife.”
“Shouldn’t have tried to kill me, then, should you? Why did you come after me?”
“You are a threat to our bright and glorious future,” she spat.
“Do you have anything less cliché?” I said as I handed the dagger to Gideon.
He wasted no time in cutting the tattoo off her. She screamed in frustration and anguish only to vanish into a puff of smoke ten seconds later.
Gideon looked at the flap of bloody skin in his hands as though it were a normal piece of paper.
“This symbol is talked about in the infernal realm, but I was not high enough ranking to know why,” he said as he handed it to me.
He was covered in blood, and none of it his. He was still alert, his ears pricked, but gone was the fragile broken puppy that I’d seen only a few minutes prior.
“Were you screwing with me? With the need for affection and everything…?”
He looked alarmed, his focus entirely on me.
“No… I, I’ve been alone for a long time. My instincts took over. Did I fuck up?”
The deep crease between his eyebrows was back as worry filled the bond.
“No, no you did fine. I mean, it might have been nice to not get coated in blood,” I said with a smile.
He pulled off the t-shirt and began unbuttoning the jeans.
“No, keep those on. We’ll buy some new ones,” I said.
“Does my body offend you?”
I dragged my fingers through my hair. Why was this so hard?
“No, but it’s not appropriate to walk around naked,” I said.
“My previous master-”
“I’m not them.”
He smiled and moved his hands away from his jeans.
“I’m not going to use you. There will be nothing non-consensual happening here. You’ll have to work because I’m broke, but we’ll figure it out. Ok?”
He grinned at me and closed the space between us before he gently nipped my throat and pressed his cheek against mine.
“What’s with the biting?” I asked.
“Hounds show affection and appreciation with their teeth,” he said, the worry back.
“Well, just… don’t draw blood,” I said.
It was weird, but I wasn’t complaining at the sinful shivers it sent down my spine. Now to figure out what to do with the scrap of skin in my hand. I led the most glamorous life.
43
I looked at my phone, trying to decide whom to ring about this latest development. The scrap of skin had been wrapped in a hand towel and put out of sight.
It didn’t matter which one I rang, the other would be grumpy because I didn’t ring them about it. I opted for the coward’s way out and sent a group text to them both.
WREN: Been attacked again. Gideon kicked ass. Got souvenir this time. Lead?
It took a grand total of five seconds for them to reply.
KANE: You ok!?
DANTE: You’re in one piece? Any injuries? Souvenir?
WREN: I’m fine, all good. I have a tattoo thanks to Gideon.
DANTE: Be there in five mins.
KANE: Gideon ok?
WREN: Not a scratch on him.
I almost said the clothes were ruined, but given we didn’t know who was tracing our texts I decided it was best not to add the blood part in.
Gideon had relaxed and sat next to me his arm resting against mine.
“You really need the tactility?” I asked.
“Does it bother you that much?”
“I’m just figuring out how to give you what you need.”
“Yes, being tactile with pack is important to me.”
It felt so weird being called pack. I wasn’t a shifter.
The skin was in the towel on the table in front of us, and while I wasn’t really squeamish, I had my limits. I turned on the tv and waited impatiently for the guys to get back. They came in the front door like they were expecting a full-blown war, bursting in on high alert.
“I told you we were fine,” I said with a smile.
They both looked at Gideon with a frown, likely due to the amount of blood on his jeans, although I bet the lack of shirt wasn’t helping.
“What happened?” Dante asked.
“You sure you’re ok?” Kane asked, looking between me and Gideon.
“Attempted assassins broke into Wren’s bedroom window. We dispatched them and kept the tattoo marking their origin,” Gideon said, nodding towards the towel.
“We’re fine,” I said to Kane.
“You’re sure?” Kane asked Gideon.
Confusion flickered over Gideon’s face before he smiled.
“I don’t have any injuries. The deaths were messy. All of the blood is theirs.”
Dante picked up the towel and looked the skin within. His deep frown slowly turned into a triumphant grin.
“We can track this,” he said.
He held it out so we could see it. It was a simple black outline of a sword with a large drop of blood dripping from it. Classy.
“So, they’re blood witches?” I asked.
“I’ll analyse the blood from Gideon’s t-shirt and confirm,” Kane said.
“It seems very likely. Gideon will accompany me to the cult boundaries, and we’ll see if we can figure out how to break in.”
“We don’t know it’s the cult. There are still options to be explored,” Kane said.
“I’m not leaving Wren,” Gideon said.
Dante raised an eyebrow.
“She is my bond. I am not leaving her side,” Gideon said, the deep sense of protectiveness filling the bond.
I stood up.
“So, I want to clear something up here. I am perfectly capable of looking after myself. I started hunting feral lycans when I was ten. I have taken down many redcaps, lycans, witches, and other deeply unpleasant beings.”
Dante took my hands in his.
“We don’t mean any offense,” he said softly.
Kane put his hand between my shoulder blades. “We care. We hate seeing you hurt.”
“And he’s a hellhound,” Dante said.
I glared at him.
“Gideon is a person. He is far more than a hellhound. I don’t know if it’s your father’s blood, your high-society upbringing, or what, but he is a person, not just a hound,” I growled.
He smiled at me, a bright genuine smile.
“You have a beautiful heart, Wren Kincaid.”
“And I am still not leaving her side,” Gideon said.
“You will be able to feel out magic that I can’t. Wren and Kane can research the history of the tattoo while we try and find a way in. Splitting the resources this way is efficient,” Dante said.
I could feel Gideon digging his heels in through the bond.
“He won’t hurt you, and the quicker we find out how to get in there, the sooner this is over and done with,” I said to Gideon.
He stood and pressed his forehead to mine.
“I will keep you safe,” he said before he walked to the front door.
“You’ll need fresh jeans,” Kane said, pointing to the blood on those.
He pulled them off and shifted into his hound form. I got the distinct sense of him being a smartass through the bond. Dante picked up the jeans.
“We’ll be back as soon as possible,” he said.
“What are we supposed to do about Dante knowing I’m a witch?” I asked as I flopped back down onto the sofa.
“We’ll figure something out. It’s not unrealistic for you to not know what your magic is, given you’re from hunter lines,” Kane said, sitting next to me with his laptop.
“I don’t want to go on the run. That’s a shitty excuse for a life, and now I have to think about Gideon, too,” I said.
Kane put his arm around my shoulders and kissed my temple.
“We’ll figure it out, together. At least Gideon seems to be settling in.”
“I don’t know what to make of him. One minute he’s needing gentle affection, the next he’s tearing an assassin apart.”
Kane smiled.
“He’s a hellhound, it’s hard for him. From what Dante said, he’s too lean and pretty to have been favoured by the demons down there, so he will have been heavily abused. His instincts tell him to fight and protect you, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t need a gentle touch. He’s never been loved; I expect the craving for that is pretty intense.”
I sighed. I had no choice but to do my best and hope I could give him some happiness in his new life.
“I’ve been working on access to the Council archives. Dante gave me the access he has, but I’m going to break into the higher levels. There’s something going on with this cult, and we need to know what.” Kane said.
“I guess I’ll Google…” I said with a smile.
“There’s an online database for brands, tattoos and such - a supernal one - I’ll link you. That should give you some insight.”
“You’re such a geek sometimes,” I said, nudging him with my shoulder.
He grinned at me. “You wouldn’t have me any other way.”
I chewed on my bottom lip. “Gideon thought you and Dante were my mates…”
He laughed riotously at that. He doubled over and clutched at his stomach, his laptop almost tumbling onto the floor. He finally looked at me with tears in his eyes.
“Gods be with me, that’s fantastic.”
“Hey, what’s so funny about that?” I said.
He grinned at me and stroked my cheek. “Because he has more insight from spending an hour with us than you’ve gained in years.”
I had no idea what he was talking about with insight, but it was not a topic I wanted to discuss. I’d had a crush on him for years, but I hadn’t dared do anything about it for fear of losing him.
“So, I just search ‘sword and drop of blood,’ right?” I said.
His hand moved to the back of my head and his smile became small and hopeful.
“Don’t run from me, Wren, please,” he whispered.
I frowned, “I’m lost…”
His smile broadened a bit as he leaned in.
“Gideon was closer to the mark than you realise,” he whispered, his breath curling over my lips.
“Don’t tease me,” I whispered back.
His lips were almost against mine, something I had dreamed of for years. I’d never gotten over him, and I was an idiot for telling myself I had.
He slowly pressed his lips to mine, a tentative kiss that tasted of chocolate and sea salt.
“I can’t lose you,” he whispered.
I kissed him slowly, still unsure that this wasn’t some weird game of chicken or a joke.
“You’ll never lose me,” I whispered back.
He kissed me harder, deeper. I dug my fingers into his hair and pulled him to me, kissing with a hunger I’d kept buried for five long years.
44
When we broke the kiss, I felt like my world had imploded.
“What now?” I whispered.
Was that a one-off? Was it the start of something much more?
“We’ll take things slowly and see where they lead,” Kane said with a soft smile.
And just like that, he turned to his laptop and everything was as it normally was. I frowned at my laptop and clicked on the link Kane had sent me to the archive. It gave me something to focus on. Oh, gods! Gideon would have felt that down the bond. I blushed at the thought, and he was going to know when I (finally) got laid!
“Everything ok?”
“Gideon’s going to feel when I get laid, isn’t he?”
Kane laughed. “Yes, I’m afraid he is.”
“Fuck.”
Kane laughed harder.
“You’ll get used to it.”
“I don’t think I want to!”
I turned my attention to the plain website before me. It was one of those very clean sites, without any excess information such as how to use it. There was a search bar at the top, so I looked for ‘tattoo with sword and drop of blood,’ and to my horror three thousand results came back. I settled in for a long (and boring) afternoon.
I’d made it through the first 774 results when Dante and Gideon walked into the apartment. Gideon changed back into his human form right there in the middle of the living room. He stood there in his nakedness until Dante tossed the jeans at him. I tried very hard to keep my eyes above his collarbone, but it was difficult.
Dante cleared his throat, and I noticed the blood on his shirt and the bruise on his cheekbone. I went to him and caressed the small bruise that was blooming.
“What happened? Did you bash your head against the barrier?” I teased.
He smiled at me and leaned into my touch.
“The cult had it better defended that we anticipated. The barrier extends for a mile in either direction, and after that there’s a series of traps and guards.”
“We only killed one guard, but they know we were looking around,” Gideon said.
He came up next to me, and I felt his desire for touch down the bond. He slowly reached out and pressed his fingertips to the palm of my hand.
Dante kissed my forehead. “I’m going to get a shower and some fresh clothes. We’ll go to dinner once I’m done.”
I sat back down on the sofa next to Kane, and Gideon took the other side, where he leaned against me and rested his hand on top of mine.
“Did you learn anything useful?” Kane asked.
“There’s blood magic woven with earth magic in the barrier. There’s a lot of blood magic deeper within the cult. Wren should be careful around there. It isn’t a good idea for her to get too close.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “We covered the whole ‘I can defend myself’ thing, remember?”
He smiled at me.
“I’m aware of that, Dante spoke highly of your fighting abilities. I had meant the blood magic.”
I looked to Kane with alarm. Could Gideon know?
Gideon leaned in and whispered, “There are no secrets from the bond.”
I turned to face him with a stormy expression.
“That was just creepy,” I scolded.
He shrank away from me, and I instantly regretted it.
I cupped his cheek in my hand and said gently, “Just, try and think about stuff sounds before you whisper it in my ear…”
He gave me a weak smile and nodded.
“Do you understand the consequences of people knowing?” I asked.
“Execution. I wouldn’t put you in harm’s way like that,” he said, the protectiveness kicking in down the bond.
I breathed a sigh of relief. Of course it wouldn’t benefit him to harm me. Then again, if he ever bonded with another witch, I could be royally screwed.
“What else did you learn?” Kane prompted as he squeezed my hand.
“The blood magic there matched with the blood magic of the assassin, but Dante needs to get permission from the Council before we can break in. The paperwork here is tiresome,” Gideon said.
“Yea, it really is. Just wait until you have to fill in all the paperwork for jobs,” I said.
The hound wrinkled his nose at that.
“Did you make any progress with the tattoo?” Dante asked as he came back into the room.
His hair was still damp, as was his skin, which glistened in the sunlight. I felt Gideon’s amusement, and tore my eyes away from Dante only to see Kane smirking at me. I was surrounded.
45
“We’re going to have to get some clothes for Gideon. I don’t have enough spare with me,” Kane said.
He pricked his ears and shot up the stairs. I ran after him, not knowing what was going on or what else to do. The bond filled with the alert sense of him hunting. There was an intruder. That bond could be handy in the future.
He was prowling back and forth in the hallway outside of the bedrooms when I got to the top of the stairs. There was a gentle tapping sound coming from my window. Gideon held his finger to his lips.
“Let them come in. We will corner them,” he whispered.
I pulled my daggers and waited, listening to the soft footsteps coming across the room. I heard two distinct sets. Gideon flattened himself against the wall, and I followed suit. It took every fibre of restraint to remain still as I watched them crack open the door and peer out. The moment the door opened fully, they darted out into the hallway. Gideon leapt on the one at the back of the trio, and I blocked the way to the stairs as I slashed at the throat of the leader. They were wearing all black and wore those ridiculous red masks. I moved away from the stairs as the wannabe-ninja almost landed a heavy kick to my stomach. We kept darting in and out, me slashing at their thighs, wrists and throat, them trying to punch me in the ribs and take my feet from under me.
Gideon tore the first ninja apart. So much for being a broken puppy; he did a good job there. It would have been nice to have something left to analyse, but the body turned into a puff of smoke anyway. He turned his attention to the middle member of the trio, the small one that kept trying to slip in and slash the back of my thighs.
My wannabe-ninja was distracted by Gideon’s sudden presence, enough that I managed to pin them against the wall. I slashed open their inner thigh with a deep cut that would bleed them out in a few minutes. I held my other blade against their throat before I ripped their mask off.
“Who sent you?”
The woman bared her teeth at me in some semblance of an insane grin. The final gurgle of death came from behind me and, given I could still feel Gideon, I assumed that was him killing the last free wannabe-ninja. I pressed my blade tighter against the captured one’s throat.
“Who sent you?”
Gideon grabbed onto her wrist and yanked up the sleeve.
“The tattoo will tell you more than she will,” he said.
I glanced down at it.
“Give me your spare dagger. I will preserve it,” Gideon said.
The ninja squirmed at that. “No, that grants me entrance to the afterlife.”
“Shouldn’t have tried to kill me, then, should you? Why did you come after me?”
“You are a threat to our bright and glorious future,” she spat.
“Do you have anything less cliché?” I said as I handed the dagger to Gideon.
He wasted no time in cutting the tattoo off her. She screamed in frustration and anguish only to vanish into a puff of smoke ten seconds later.
Gideon looked at the flap of bloody skin in his hands as though it were a normal piece of paper.
“This symbol is talked about in the infernal realm, but I was not high enough ranking to know why,” he said as he handed it to me.
He was covered in blood, and none of it his. He was still alert, his ears pricked, but gone was the fragile broken puppy that I’d seen only a few minutes prior.
“Were you screwing with me? With the need for affection and everything…?”
He looked alarmed, his focus entirely on me.
“No… I, I’ve been alone for a long time. My instincts took over. Did I fuck up?”
The deep crease between his eyebrows was back as worry filled the bond.
“No, no you did fine. I mean, it might have been nice to not get coated in blood,” I said with a smile.
He pulled off the t-shirt and began unbuttoning the jeans.
“No, keep those on. We’ll buy some new ones,” I said.
“Does my body offend you?”
I dragged my fingers through my hair. Why was this so hard?
“No, but it’s not appropriate to walk around naked,” I said.
“My previous master-”
“I’m not them.”
He smiled and moved his hands away from his jeans.
“I’m not going to use you. There will be nothing non-consensual happening here. You’ll have to work because I’m broke, but we’ll figure it out. Ok?”
He grinned at me and closed the space between us before he gently nipped my throat and pressed his cheek against mine.
“What’s with the biting?” I asked.
“Hounds show affection and appreciation with their teeth,” he said, the worry back.
“Well, just… don’t draw blood,” I said.
It was weird, but I wasn’t complaining at the sinful shivers it sent down my spine. Now to figure out what to do with the scrap of skin in my hand. I led the most glamorous life.
43
I looked at my phone, trying to decide whom to ring about this latest development. The scrap of skin had been wrapped in a hand towel and put out of sight.
It didn’t matter which one I rang, the other would be grumpy because I didn’t ring them about it. I opted for the coward’s way out and sent a group text to them both.
WREN: Been attacked again. Gideon kicked ass. Got souvenir this time. Lead?
It took a grand total of five seconds for them to reply.
KANE: You ok!?
DANTE: You’re in one piece? Any injuries? Souvenir?
WREN: I’m fine, all good. I have a tattoo thanks to Gideon.
DANTE: Be there in five mins.
KANE: Gideon ok?
WREN: Not a scratch on him.
I almost said the clothes were ruined, but given we didn’t know who was tracing our texts I decided it was best not to add the blood part in.
Gideon had relaxed and sat next to me his arm resting against mine.
“You really need the tactility?” I asked.
“Does it bother you that much?”
“I’m just figuring out how to give you what you need.”
“Yes, being tactile with pack is important to me.”
It felt so weird being called pack. I wasn’t a shifter.
The skin was in the towel on the table in front of us, and while I wasn’t really squeamish, I had my limits. I turned on the tv and waited impatiently for the guys to get back. They came in the front door like they were expecting a full-blown war, bursting in on high alert.
“I told you we were fine,” I said with a smile.
They both looked at Gideon with a frown, likely due to the amount of blood on his jeans, although I bet the lack of shirt wasn’t helping.
“What happened?” Dante asked.
“You sure you’re ok?” Kane asked, looking between me and Gideon.
“Attempted assassins broke into Wren’s bedroom window. We dispatched them and kept the tattoo marking their origin,” Gideon said, nodding towards the towel.
“We’re fine,” I said to Kane.
“You’re sure?” Kane asked Gideon.
Confusion flickered over Gideon’s face before he smiled.
“I don’t have any injuries. The deaths were messy. All of the blood is theirs.”
Dante picked up the towel and looked the skin within. His deep frown slowly turned into a triumphant grin.
“We can track this,” he said.
He held it out so we could see it. It was a simple black outline of a sword with a large drop of blood dripping from it. Classy.
“So, they’re blood witches?” I asked.
“I’ll analyse the blood from Gideon’s t-shirt and confirm,” Kane said.
“It seems very likely. Gideon will accompany me to the cult boundaries, and we’ll see if we can figure out how to break in.”
“We don’t know it’s the cult. There are still options to be explored,” Kane said.
“I’m not leaving Wren,” Gideon said.
Dante raised an eyebrow.
“She is my bond. I am not leaving her side,” Gideon said, the deep sense of protectiveness filling the bond.
I stood up.
“So, I want to clear something up here. I am perfectly capable of looking after myself. I started hunting feral lycans when I was ten. I have taken down many redcaps, lycans, witches, and other deeply unpleasant beings.”
Dante took my hands in his.
“We don’t mean any offense,” he said softly.
Kane put his hand between my shoulder blades. “We care. We hate seeing you hurt.”
“And he’s a hellhound,” Dante said.
I glared at him.
“Gideon is a person. He is far more than a hellhound. I don’t know if it’s your father’s blood, your high-society upbringing, or what, but he is a person, not just a hound,” I growled.
He smiled at me, a bright genuine smile.
“You have a beautiful heart, Wren Kincaid.”
“And I am still not leaving her side,” Gideon said.
“You will be able to feel out magic that I can’t. Wren and Kane can research the history of the tattoo while we try and find a way in. Splitting the resources this way is efficient,” Dante said.
I could feel Gideon digging his heels in through the bond.
“He won’t hurt you, and the quicker we find out how to get in there, the sooner this is over and done with,” I said to Gideon.
He stood and pressed his forehead to mine.
“I will keep you safe,” he said before he walked to the front door.
“You’ll need fresh jeans,” Kane said, pointing to the blood on those.
He pulled them off and shifted into his hound form. I got the distinct sense of him being a smartass through the bond. Dante picked up the jeans.
“We’ll be back as soon as possible,” he said.
“What are we supposed to do about Dante knowing I’m a witch?” I asked as I flopped back down onto the sofa.
“We’ll figure something out. It’s not unrealistic for you to not know what your magic is, given you’re from hunter lines,” Kane said, sitting next to me with his laptop.
“I don’t want to go on the run. That’s a shitty excuse for a life, and now I have to think about Gideon, too,” I said.
Kane put his arm around my shoulders and kissed my temple.
“We’ll figure it out, together. At least Gideon seems to be settling in.”
“I don’t know what to make of him. One minute he’s needing gentle affection, the next he’s tearing an assassin apart.”
Kane smiled.
“He’s a hellhound, it’s hard for him. From what Dante said, he’s too lean and pretty to have been favoured by the demons down there, so he will have been heavily abused. His instincts tell him to fight and protect you, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t need a gentle touch. He’s never been loved; I expect the craving for that is pretty intense.”
I sighed. I had no choice but to do my best and hope I could give him some happiness in his new life.
“I’ve been working on access to the Council archives. Dante gave me the access he has, but I’m going to break into the higher levels. There’s something going on with this cult, and we need to know what.” Kane said.
“I guess I’ll Google…” I said with a smile.
“There’s an online database for brands, tattoos and such - a supernal one - I’ll link you. That should give you some insight.”
“You’re such a geek sometimes,” I said, nudging him with my shoulder.
He grinned at me. “You wouldn’t have me any other way.”
I chewed on my bottom lip. “Gideon thought you and Dante were my mates…”
He laughed riotously at that. He doubled over and clutched at his stomach, his laptop almost tumbling onto the floor. He finally looked at me with tears in his eyes.
“Gods be with me, that’s fantastic.”
“Hey, what’s so funny about that?” I said.
He grinned at me and stroked my cheek. “Because he has more insight from spending an hour with us than you’ve gained in years.”
I had no idea what he was talking about with insight, but it was not a topic I wanted to discuss. I’d had a crush on him for years, but I hadn’t dared do anything about it for fear of losing him.
“So, I just search ‘sword and drop of blood,’ right?” I said.
His hand moved to the back of my head and his smile became small and hopeful.
“Don’t run from me, Wren, please,” he whispered.
I frowned, “I’m lost…”
His smile broadened a bit as he leaned in.
“Gideon was closer to the mark than you realise,” he whispered, his breath curling over my lips.
“Don’t tease me,” I whispered back.
His lips were almost against mine, something I had dreamed of for years. I’d never gotten over him, and I was an idiot for telling myself I had.
He slowly pressed his lips to mine, a tentative kiss that tasted of chocolate and sea salt.
“I can’t lose you,” he whispered.
I kissed him slowly, still unsure that this wasn’t some weird game of chicken or a joke.
“You’ll never lose me,” I whispered back.
He kissed me harder, deeper. I dug my fingers into his hair and pulled him to me, kissing with a hunger I’d kept buried for five long years.
44
When we broke the kiss, I felt like my world had imploded.
“What now?” I whispered.
Was that a one-off? Was it the start of something much more?
“We’ll take things slowly and see where they lead,” Kane said with a soft smile.
And just like that, he turned to his laptop and everything was as it normally was. I frowned at my laptop and clicked on the link Kane had sent me to the archive. It gave me something to focus on. Oh, gods! Gideon would have felt that down the bond. I blushed at the thought, and he was going to know when I (finally) got laid!
“Everything ok?”
“Gideon’s going to feel when I get laid, isn’t he?”
Kane laughed. “Yes, I’m afraid he is.”
“Fuck.”
Kane laughed harder.
“You’ll get used to it.”
“I don’t think I want to!”
I turned my attention to the plain website before me. It was one of those very clean sites, without any excess information such as how to use it. There was a search bar at the top, so I looked for ‘tattoo with sword and drop of blood,’ and to my horror three thousand results came back. I settled in for a long (and boring) afternoon.
I’d made it through the first 774 results when Dante and Gideon walked into the apartment. Gideon changed back into his human form right there in the middle of the living room. He stood there in his nakedness until Dante tossed the jeans at him. I tried very hard to keep my eyes above his collarbone, but it was difficult.
Dante cleared his throat, and I noticed the blood on his shirt and the bruise on his cheekbone. I went to him and caressed the small bruise that was blooming.
“What happened? Did you bash your head against the barrier?” I teased.
He smiled at me and leaned into my touch.
“The cult had it better defended that we anticipated. The barrier extends for a mile in either direction, and after that there’s a series of traps and guards.”
“We only killed one guard, but they know we were looking around,” Gideon said.
He came up next to me, and I felt his desire for touch down the bond. He slowly reached out and pressed his fingertips to the palm of my hand.
Dante kissed my forehead. “I’m going to get a shower and some fresh clothes. We’ll go to dinner once I’m done.”
I sat back down on the sofa next to Kane, and Gideon took the other side, where he leaned against me and rested his hand on top of mine.
“Did you learn anything useful?” Kane asked.
“There’s blood magic woven with earth magic in the barrier. There’s a lot of blood magic deeper within the cult. Wren should be careful around there. It isn’t a good idea for her to get too close.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “We covered the whole ‘I can defend myself’ thing, remember?”
He smiled at me.
“I’m aware of that, Dante spoke highly of your fighting abilities. I had meant the blood magic.”
I looked to Kane with alarm. Could Gideon know?
Gideon leaned in and whispered, “There are no secrets from the bond.”
I turned to face him with a stormy expression.
“That was just creepy,” I scolded.
He shrank away from me, and I instantly regretted it.
I cupped his cheek in my hand and said gently, “Just, try and think about stuff sounds before you whisper it in my ear…”
He gave me a weak smile and nodded.
“Do you understand the consequences of people knowing?” I asked.
“Execution. I wouldn’t put you in harm’s way like that,” he said, the protectiveness kicking in down the bond.
I breathed a sigh of relief. Of course it wouldn’t benefit him to harm me. Then again, if he ever bonded with another witch, I could be royally screwed.
“What else did you learn?” Kane prompted as he squeezed my hand.
“The blood magic there matched with the blood magic of the assassin, but Dante needs to get permission from the Council before we can break in. The paperwork here is tiresome,” Gideon said.
“Yea, it really is. Just wait until you have to fill in all the paperwork for jobs,” I said.
The hound wrinkled his nose at that.
“Did you make any progress with the tattoo?” Dante asked as he came back into the room.
His hair was still damp, as was his skin, which glistened in the sunlight. I felt Gideon’s amusement, and tore my eyes away from Dante only to see Kane smirking at me. I was surrounded.
45
“We’re going to have to get some clothes for Gideon. I don’t have enough spare with me,” Kane said.
