“Something is about to happen.”
Silas nods. “We’re about to pass through the first wards once I use the key spell.”
“What's on the other side? A fight?” she asks, sounding hopeful.
“Possibly. The security of the exterior ring is constantly being changed out, so it may be a dangerous terrain, guards, monsters, shadow fiends…still, to gain entry into the next layer of—” He cuts off, like his voice has just stopped working, and sighs. “It’s a blind risk we must take.”
Maven’s cute nose wrinkles. “I don’t do blind risks. Hang on.”
We watch as Maven steps away from us, removes her gloves, and makes the same weird symbol with her hands as she did when we were hunting the changeling—which feels like fucking forever ago. Darkness swirls around her, climbing up her legs and waist as she whispers magic words I don’t understand.
And then, just like when we were hunting the changeling, she falls into some kind of trance.
“What the fuck is she doing?” Everett whispers like he doesn’t want to interrupt.
“She’s about to sacrifice you to dark spirits,” I offer. “Probably because she was wildly disappointed by your first time with her, but hey. Don’t feel too bad, Professor. I'm a tough act to follow.”
He glowers at me. “You’re a damn idiot.”
“Yeah, but I’m her favorite idiot.”
Crypt snorts, brushing snow off the shoulder of his leather jacket. “Not even in your dreams. Everyone knows I’m the favorite.”
“And yet you’re still not bound to her,” Silas smirks.
Dick. He doesn’t have to keep rubbing it in our faces.
But on that note…
“So, what’d you do?” I ask, turning to the ice elemental.
“Excuse you?”
I wave him on, impatient. “When you popped your frozen cherry with Maven. What exactly did you do to make the bond snap into place? And did you listen to the stuff we told you about?”
Everett’s face turns red. “It's not your business, so fuck off.”
“Bonding with Mavenisour quintet's business, actually,” Crypt drawls. “So is her pleasure. If you didn't treat her right, we’ll leave your body buried in the snow just here.”
“I treated her right,” the Frost grumbles.
Silas arches a brow. “Really? Tell me, did you last long enough to get her to finish, or did she have to do that part all by herself?”
Everett’s glacial eyes flash with insult, and he lifts his chin. “Not all of us fuck and tell like you and the dragon, so if you’re looking for a play-by-play, you can go fuck yourselves. And it was really obvious that Maven had never squirted before with any ofyouassholes, so you can all shut your fucking mouths.”
Crypt's brows go up, and Silas blinks in surprise. They're not the only ones.
“What?” I blurt in excitement. “You're kidding. My mate is a squirter? Fuck, yes. Okay, but how the hell didyouget her to squirt? Was it some trick with ice, or—actually, scratch that. Instead of telling me, you're going to show me as soon as we find privacy and a bed for her. Gods, I can't fucking wait to see Maven squirt.”
Too late, I realize the others have all started mimingcut-it-outmotions and shaking their heads because…Maven's done with her trance, and now she's staring at me with one dark eyebrow arched.
I grin. “Hey there, my pretty little Angel of Death. Don't mind us. That was just guy talk.”
She rolls her eyes, but there's a definite flush to her cheeks before withdrawing her favorite dagger.
“All right. Let's do this. Leave the fight to me because I know what to expect.”
“What? How?” Everett asks, baffled.
