Silas stares at me, appalled. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"
"I'm just saying, if it is...ice cream is Maven's favorite. She has a thing for frozen treats, meaning he might have an unfair advantage there. So if he's firing little Frosties?—"
"Shut up.Don't talk to me again tonight, you fucking freak," Everett grumbles, throwing the open water bottle at me. "And never bring up my…thatagain. Ever. Ugh."
I call after him as he storms toward the second bedroom. "We're gonna be seeing each other's dicks the rest of our lives. Get over it before you make it weird for everyone."
He slams the door.
Silas rubs his temple. "You've already made it weird for everyone, Bael. So incredibly fucking weird."
He leaves, too, and I glance at Crypt on the couch. He shrugs one shoulder.
"I thought it was a perfectly reasonable question."
Fuck. Seriously? I'm only in agreement withCryptof all people?
Maybe my curse is fucking up my head more than I realized.
10
MAVEN
I sit crisscrosson the bed in one of the suite bedrooms, observing my quintet argue about who will sleep in the bed with me, who's in the other room, and who's sleeping on the couch. Silas insists that newlybounds deserve closeness and privacy, which earns him a rough shove from Baelfire, who snaps that Silas doesn't need to rub it in. Everett says there isn't enough space for them both without crowding me on one king bed and calls them both dickheads.
I heard the shower come on earlier, but Crypt is in this room now, still unseen in Limbo. Silas said he healed the worst of any injuries, but we all need to sleep so my incubus can feed on my dreams and recuperate faster. I'm not thrilled that I can't see with my own two eyes that he's in one piece, but I at least trust Silas's healing abilities.
"You're too damn hot!" Everett snaps back at something Baelfire said.
"Weird time to hit on me, Snowflake, but tell me something I don't know."
"Quit being an idiot. I’m saying our poor keeper is going to swelter to death if you try to squash her all night long, youlumbering space heater. And if we don't watch Silas, he's going to make a snack out of her?—"
“How ironic thatyouare insultingmycontrol," Silas scoffs, gesturing toward Everett's frost-covered hands. "How is an obviously undisciplined ability like yours lauded so highly, anyway? It's downright bizarre."
Their arguing continues. I usually enjoy listening to a good verbal sparring match, but it's time to wrap this up so we can sleep and Crypt can feed.
"While it's flattering that you three feel so strongly about who gets to lay unconscious next to me for the next six to seven hours," I begin, "I think we should?—"
My voice gives out when agony explodes in the center of my chest, so unexpected and brutal that I'm left grasping at my chest as my head spins. Shouts surround me before I'm suddenly cradled in Baelfire's warm arms—an intentional move since my body temperature is plummeting as everything grows blurry.
Keep breathing,sangfluir.I'll be right back, Silas's voice echoes hurriedly in my head.
Everett tests my temperature, brushing my hair off my face while Silas disappears from the room. He returns with a vial full of liquid, but I see another goddamned needle in his hand.
"Don't—needle—" I manage to choke out. My chest squeezes painfully as my brain begins to fog.
Don't stick me with that fucking needle,I try again telepathically.
We have to try this, Maven. I promise you won't feel it.
My harsh attempts to breathe echo in my ears as I clench my teeth against the pain while he rushes to get the injection ready. My jaw grinds so hard I think my teeth will break.
Gods, the pain is so much worse than usual. It feels almost as excruciating as the moment Amadeus ripped my heart out five years ago.
Crypt's finger pries apart my teeth, slipping between my molars. I don't know when he appeared, but his violet gaze traps me. "Bite down, love. Use me for the pain."
I do, but I'm embarrassed when a soft sob still escapes. My vision cuts out. For a moment, everything starts fading as the agony overtakes me—but then warmth blooms in my chest. Silas whispers a necromantic charm and bit by bit, my eyesight gradually clears. I can hear my rattling breaths again.
