"Unless you'd like me to perform a laryngectomy on you with my bare hands, you won't breathe another word around my keeper again," I warn him darkly.
Although Kenzie shoots me an exasperated look for threatening her match, I don't miss the way Maven's lips twitch in amusement when the vampire goes pale at my threat. Her enjoyment of others' fear is delectable and something I intend to explore in the future.
"He's right that it's practical to transport from here," Maven muses. "Kenzie, I'll need you for the spell."
"Me? Why?"
"Because we're going to your hometown."
"We are? Why—oh! You're trying to get me home because you know my parents are probably worried sick about me after everything that just happened here at Everbound, and since they haven't heard from me since before the university went on lockdown, right? Not to mention, you probably know how much they want me home for Starfall Eve, right? That's really considerate and sweet of you, May!”
My keeper wrinkles her nose. "Stop. I'm just taking you somewhere relatively safe. Since you're from the middle of nowhere, it will also be a good place for us to lay low."
"Uh-huh, yeah, sure. Just admit that deep,deepdown, hiding under all that hardcore badassery, you're a total sweetheart."
"Keep insulting me, and I'll leave you here to be the hellhounds' chew toy."
Kenzie laughs and moves toward Maven, but I tense.
"Wait, love. Let's not do the spell so close to the castle, or Douglas will be able to track it."
Frost swears. "Asher Douglas is here? If they sent him, they're sparing no resources."
"Maven just offed Somnus fucking DeLune. Of course, they're freaking out," Decimus points out.
Luka's head jerks back. Dirk does a double take at Maven, his eyes perfectly round.
"What? She…what now?"
The temperature drops sharply as Frost pins him with a look. "So? What will it be? Keeping your trap shut, or death by hypothermia?"
"Enough!" Kenzie snaps with surprising fire. Even when I glare at her, she doesn't cower as usual. She just swallows hard and lifts her chin. "Of course, we aren't going to tell anybody, so there will be no more threatening my quintet, do you hear me? Everyone in here is exhausted and really fucking crabby, so how about you three keepyourtraps shut until you can calm your tits?"
Did she just raise her voice at me?
I should remind her why they call me the Nightmare Prince.
But Maven's laugh stops me from scaring an apology out of the blond shifter. The temperature returns to normal when Frost glances at her, and Decimus gazes at her like a lovesick puppy. The big brute has to hunch slightly because this tunnel wasn't built tall enough for him.
Kenzie huffs, embarrassed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to snap."
"You did. Don't apologize for it." My keeper looks at me. "Will this Douglas guy be able to track my magic from the woods?"
"Not nearly as easily as he'll track it if you were to cast it here, in such close proximity to him."
She nods, glancing down at Crane, who is looking worse by the minute. She's careful to conceal her emotions, as always, but her voice breaks slightly. "Okay. We need to get him somewhere safe, and you all need rest."
Decimus frowns. "You need rest too, Boo."
"I told you to stop calling me that," she mumbles as she starts down the tunnel, but there's none of the usual fight in her voice because the dragon shifter is right. Today has been taxing, especially for her.
We make quick progress through the catacombs. Luka holds the flashlight, Dirk carries their elemental, and although Decimus gripes about having to carry Crane's "nerdy ass" bridal style, he at least makes sure Maven doesn't hear his complaint.
After several minutes, I move through Limbo to emerge at Maven's side. When I glance down at my obsession, she has a frown on her beautiful face, her very biteable lower lip protruding slightly.
"Something the matter, love?"
"It's fine."
