"Okay."
"Izac, stay on stand by to call. If we breach these wards, let Marwood know immediately. That way, if one of the sleepersishere as Brahm suspects, hopefully we can get the chancellor's approval to attack or not before it has a chance to run. And remember, the doe is to be brought in if it survives the blow."
Asher and I exchange a look.
They're using 'doe' as a code name because Ryan won't understand it, but they plan to bring Heidi in. They must suspect Kaenon came to Heidi when he escaped, and they're here to retrieve him.
Asher stops recording and pops his neck, pocketing his phone. "That should do it. Go hypnotize Sir Scratches-a-lot. I'll take care of the others."
"You sure you don't want help?"
In answer, he steps through the wards. The fae cry out, and suddenly it's a hurricane of blazing magic as they throw attacks that Asher deflects with impressive speed.
While they have at it, I dart around the five-to-one magic duel and grip Ryan by the front of his shirt. Using my thrall speed, I pull him away from the fight before I slam his back against one of the trees, much further away.
He cries out in surprise—but my temples are already tingling, and his eyes dilate at once.
"Get your phone out, dickhead.”
He pulls it out of his jacket, trembling. Normally, I tell the people I hypnotize not to be afraid since that makes the process easier. But I want this to be as unpleasant as possible for him.
"Time to message Heidi, and then you and I are going to have some fun."
By the time I get back to Heidi's house, it's almost nighttime.
I did a pretty decent job getting Ryan's blood off of me after I hypnotized one of Koasville's elderly residents into letting me use their shower. I'm in a new white hoodie, underwear, and jeans I swiped from a local clothing store, Heidi's envelope still in one pocket. I'm feeling a lot better since I had time to stop and feed on a few more hypnotized people.
Not a drop of blood spilled on my new hoodie, and no one killed by accident.
That's all the progress a thrall can ask for when it comes to taming bloodlust.
Except as I walk up Heidi's front steps, I have to pause on her porch and take a deep breath, determined to ignore the other type of lust beating steadily in my veins. I kissed her before we took on the intruders because I wanted to remind her that I meant everything I said in her bed last night.
But for the last few hours, even in the midst of everything I was doing, I couldn't stop thinking about her soft lips. And the way that, as soon as our mouths brushed, her feelings had flooded me, intense and layered.
Mostly it was surprise, but there were other things, too. Concern for us leaving. Her sweet affection.
And at the end, a burning desire for more touch.
It's all I've been able to think about.
I wantso muchmore, too, but I'm not going to push Heidi. For gods' sakes, she uncovered an ancient fae laboratory, got hit by a fucking bus, and had four obsessed men show up on herdoorstep all within a seventy-two-hour window. She needs time to adjust, even if it's torture for my cock.
Taking one more bracing breath to remind myself that blue balls can't kill an already-dead thrall, I step through Heidi's front door. Then I halt, blinking at the sight in front of me.
Asher is relaxed on one couch, boredly watching something on the TV like he didn't singlehandedly take out five fae earlier before turning them in to the new human-legacy government. I don't bother asking how it went and whether Marwood is going to be held accountable for sending people to attack a civilian, because the others are lounging in here, too.
Heidi is sitting on Zak's lap while Kaenon tries to feed her homemade bread.
She's mid-laugh, pushing the bread away. But when she sees me walk in, her entire face lights up in a way that makes me get lightheaded.
"Ian! Thank gods."
She's so fucking beautiful. And seeing her in here like this, with them, so relaxed and happy with the last light of the setting sun outside and the glow of lamps making this scene into something dreamy and serene…
I could get used to this.
Heidi tries to get off Zak's lap, but the half-demon wraps his arms around her tightly with a playful scowl.
