Annie turned away from my sight as if trying to hide her blush as I observed the bite. I gave her a suspicious narrowing of my eyes, and she smiled tightly.
A loud bang went off outside the window, and I stood quickly, heart-pounding, not sure what I was preparing myself for. Tyran’s hand settled on my shoulder and squeezed. My body relaxed, and I looked at him questioningly.
“Fire users are probably exploding things.”
I nodded slowly, but it took me a second of heavy breathing to relax.
“The castle is empty, well almost,” I said, thinking about the Fae I heard having sex.
“Everyone is celebrating,” Ty explained.
When Annie tried to stifle a yawn, I pulled the blanket that pooled at her ankles up to her shoulders. “You need your rest. You have a long day before you go back to the human world.” She smacked my hands away. “Hey,” I exclaimed. “What the hell was that for?”
“I’m not going back.”
“Yes, you are,” I said slower. Maybe she hadn’t understood me. Now that Sabine was dead, Annie had a chance to live her life.
“I’m staying here.” She had that stubborn edge to her face, the mulish one she used to get when she was little where nothing I said swayed her.
Grabbing the base of my nose, I said, “You’re the one that’s going to give me a heart attack.”
Her expression didn’t change. I groaned and looked up at the darkening sky through the windowed ceiling. I sighed. “We’ll talk about it later. For now, relax if you can ignore all the ruckus outside.”
She smiled and nestled into the bedding as if she had already won the argument. I shook my head. She’d better be glad she was cute.
“I’m going to bed,” I said, mental exhaustion running through me. I eyed the space next to Annie, but I was hyperaware, and I knew it would take me forever to fall asleep, especially considering she was a kicker. “Ty, you should go enjoy the celebration.”
He threw Roark a look before turning back to me. “I was hoping we could talk?” His voice was so hopeful that a part of me wanted to agree, but I shook my head slowly before I chickened out.
“Maybe tomorrow, Ty, I’m exhausted.” I forced myself to yawn, and I turned away, but not before I saw the disappointment flash across his face. “I’ll sleep in one of the empty rooms down the hall. Yell if you need anything, Annie.”
I bent and kissed her forehead. She rolled her eyes and wiggled deeper into the bed. Filled with guilt at the look Ty was giving me, I took off quickly, hoping everyone would leave me alone for a couple of hours. I needed to get my head on straight.
Using Fae speed, I ran to a bedroom a couple of doors down, feeling hunted by something… or, more accurately, someone.
30
As the door snapped shut behind me, I leaned against it and banged my head a little, hoping it would jostle some sense in my brain.
The events of the last couple of days flashed through my memory, taunting me with could-haves and would-haves and all the pain that shimmered at the edge of my consciousness. Everything had happened so fast, and my emotions had flip-flopped at such a rapid rate that they hadn’t had time to level out. I concentrated on my breathing, trying to absorb the overload.
The most recent hurdle I’d been thrown was Annie’s refusal to leave. I knew arguing with her would be fruitless, but I would try, regardless. At this point, it looked like Annie was to be a new addition, and I needed to deal with it. Well, until I convinced her otherwise.
And here I thought I’d get to leave as soon as I’d managed to free magic. Ty had burst that bubble real fast. All I’d wanted was to finish my last semester of school, hang out with friends, and live my life. Now that was no longer an option, and I needed to put it behind me. Because, in retrospect, that vein of thought had been foolish. I’d done my part, but that didn’t change what I was, and I wanted to learn about this new culture I was a part of.
Bottom line, I didn’t know what I was. Now more than ever, I felt the change in my body. I felt strong, and my senses were heightened, but I still felt like myself. Still human.
The most unsettling thing out of all my changes wasn’t my sight or the magic bubbling in my sternum. It was this intense ache of longing I felt. It had persisted, tingling at the edge of my consciousness this entire time. It was an ache that made me want to rub myself all over Roark. I tried to breathe through my want and clenched my legs together as my teeth made an audible click.
Roark.
His very name brought a slur of emotions to the surface, making pressure push against my skin. I hadn’t fully forgiven him, but a large part of me wanted to. I was able to hold back that ridiculous desire with added fuel. He’d told me himself it wouldn’t work, and he was right. I could admit to myself that he’d weaseled his way through my defenses, but no more. I hated him.
Pushing off the door, I let out a frustrated groan. I wanted to smack myself because I knew that was a lie. I wanted Roark near me—even now. I couldn’t bring myself to regret giving him a part of me. It couldn’t have been more perfect. It just sucked that he was entirely in my system now. I knew how he tasted, how he felt, and God help me, I wanted more.
I caught his scent on my body, and it sent a rush through me. I was going to need a shower, stat. With a little help from my hand, I would get over it. I settled
