An abrupt snort halted her words. Travis then released a whooshing breath and went back to a steady respiration.
I could hear Emma resume picking at her cuticle. “Is it me?” Her voice came out strangled.
My hand raised of its own accord to the soft skin on her jawline. “No. Of course, it’s not you.”
She furiously tucked her hair behind her ear. “Oh man, this is embarrassing. I just met you and already I’ve thrown myself at you and been rejected. It’s not like I haven’t dated before it’s just,” she cocked her head to the side. “I feel such an intense attraction to you. Like you’re a magnet built just for me and I can’t help but be drawn to everything you are. Even if I’m not sure what that is.”
I dropped my hand and held my hands together in my lap to keep from touching her again. “Emma. You’re right. I am separate. I can’t be with you.”
The word came out just above a whisper. “Why?”
I closed my eyes. “Because as a servant, I am meant to protect humanity from the forces of the Stygian. I am not to belong to anyone or anyone to me. I belong to the gods until they deem I am done with my mission.”
“You mean until you’re dead.” It came out flatly, not as a question at all.
The word no was on my lips, but I stopped before answering.
Tell her. Tell her that one day you’ll earn your soul back and then you can belong to anyone. Even to her.
I couldn’t do that to her. I could earn my soul back tomorrow or the gods could deem me worthy in fifty years. Either way, it wasn’t fair to keep her waiting. She had her path and I had mine. Our meeting was by chance and my mission was to secure the Propheros.
“When I have vanquished the soul eater, you’ll return to your life and forget all about this.” I tried to smile but it felt like ice on my face.
Emma snorted. “Vanquish. You sound like one of the guys in my romance novels.” She ran both hands over her hair to tug at her ponytail, tightening it, and took a deep breath before exhaling dramatically. “Okay, officially hitting the reset button on my crazy run-away emotions. It’s probably all the stress of being attacked by evil spirits and demons making my feelings all cuckoo toward you.” Then she grinned at me. “It just doesn’t help that you are wickedly attractive.”
“Wickedly attractive?” I asked, unsure how wickedness could possibly be attractive.
“Oh yeah,” she said with a seductive, sly smile. “Those baby blue eyes set against the chiseled jaw and slightly curled hair? I have never seen a real man with a face sculpted like a Greek god.”
It was like she was trying to make me blush. Knights of the Light didn’t blush.
Seeing my discomfort, her grin widened. “You also got a warrior body, all lithe muscle with some bulk and build, but not too much.” Her eyes darkened as she ran them over my body. “Perfectly shapely. And did you know you have this little perfect dimple right here?” She reached out a slim finger to press at the middle of my chin where I was aware of a permanent indent. “I mean, total babe-magnet.” She crossed her arms, relaxing back in her seat with a light chuckle. “Krystan says I read too many bodice rippers, and right now, I’m beginning to see what she’s talking about. But for the record, I don’t feel sorry one bit for trying to take a pass at you.”
No one had ever described me in such a way. My Master only served to point out my failings so that I could better strengthen them. Never had I received such praise, no less for features that I viewed as a disadvantage.
Her grin widened and she released her arms. “Handsome, you better stop blushing because I might try to kiss you again.” With that she pulled a lever to lean her seat back several inches and nestled up to the driver’s side window. Crossing her arms across her body, she dropped her chin to her chest and closed her eyes. “Wake me in fifteen minutes. I’ll have some more driving juice in me then, and I’ll be better able to fight my urge to kiss you silly.”
The pounding of my heart from the image was the drum that kept me more than alert for the next hour while Emma and Travis slept.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Who orders a salad at a diner?” Travis asked in disgust.
Emma shot a scathing look at Travis from where she sat next to him, in the bright red booth. The garish seats squealed whenever I moved. The sun had not yet revealed itself from behind the mountains, but the sky grew lighter by the minute. Thankfully, the diner only had a handful of patrons this early in the morning. Though I tried to convince my companions we could eat in the car or out in a nice snow-covered patch of field, they both dismissed my suggestions.
Emma glibly answered Travis’s question. “A guy who’s got a body that won’t quit and who can vanquish demons from hell.” She turned and gave me a cheery smile over parroting the use of my term ‘vanquish’ last night. I tried not to smile, but it was impossible.
“Maybe you should try a salad sometime yourself, Trav,” she drawled out the nickname.
Instead of shooting back yet another barb, Travis rolled his eyes as he took the first bite of a burger so big it barely fit in his hands. Grease dripped down his wrists and onto his plate with alarming speed. A tomato slipped out and plopped on the plate next with a loud splat. I suddenly felt queasy.
With his mouth still full, Travis asked, “So how much longer until we get to your safe house?”
I had to break my focus away from the half-masticated bread and cow-parts in his mouth. The sight of Travis eating was fascinating as it was revolting. Concentrating on my own food, I attempted to brush off any feelings of self-consciousness. This was the first time I had ever eaten at the same table with others.
“About half a day,” I replied to his question.
I let Emma sleep for an hour before waking her up, putting my coat over her body for warmth when she began to shiver in her sleep. She could only drive for another hour before she became too groggy. She cursed herself for sleeping with her contacts in. She kept mumbling something about ‘damn vanity,’ before she pulled the car over to shake Travis awake. He managed to drive for a whole forty-five minutes before he started vigorously complaining about hunger pains.
