Oh lord. I need to get my clothes off. I need to get his clothes off. I need him to rail me until I can’t see straight.
“I made you something!” declares Lello’s voice from the stairs.
I detach myself from Jade just in time to see Lello fling open the door and skip into the dungeon. The kelpie prances over to us, holding a piece of paper aloft. He shoves it in front of our noses.
At first all I see is sparkles and rhinestone. Glitter and a riot of color. Then my mind registers that the sparkle explosion is in the shape of letters.
‘Do not disturb.’
“There is sticky tape on the back so you can stick it on the door when you want to have nooky!” Lello says proudly.
I stare at him. Jade stares at him.
Lello puts a hand on his hip. “I saw Mal dragging Gray away from here, so I thought I’d give it to you now.”
It’s very sweet of him, it really is. Thoughtful and considerate. Lello really is a sweetheart.
“Thanks Lello, you are the best!” I grin.
Lello beams at me. His whole face lights up like the sun. It makes my heart ache. I don’t want to believe that anyone was cruel enough to keep this little ray of light locked up and used as a sex slave.
“Hey, Lello,” Jade says gently. “How about you stick that on the door right now?”
Lello’s bright blue eyes grow enormous. Then he grins. “Oh! Okay! Have fun!”
He twirls around and skips out, slamming the door behind him. I wince from the force of it.
Jade turns to me. “Goddess, I’m so sorry! My friends are a lot.”
I smile and lean in close. My fingers trace along his jaw. “Your friends are amazing. Just like you.”
His green eyes narrow in disbelief.
“Come on, Jadey,” I chuckle. “Have you met me? What part of chaos and noise and glitter do you think I don’t love? Living with your friends is going to be like living at the fairground.”
He blinks, and then he laughs. A real laugh. One full of happiness and genuine amusement. My heart flutters in response. Jackpot. I think this is the best laugh I have coaxed out of him so far.
“You’re the amazingone,” Jade says.
“I know,” I smirk. Then I flop back on the bed and stretch out. “Why don’t you come and show me how amazing I am?”
He laughs again, then he is on top of me and his lips are attacking mine. I moan in bliss as I melt into the kiss. Life has taken a strange turn indeed, but it’s a very good one.
Chapter twenty-five
Jade
I’m staring at the pages of this book, but the words are not going in. Instead of painting vivid pictures in my mind, they are simply marks on paper. Meaningless symbols.
I sigh and rub my eyes. My thoughts are slow and sluggish. I feel like I am shutting down. Withering. Fading. I’ve been in this dungeon for weeks, and now my very soul is giving up.
I put the book down in defeat. The same four walls stare back at me. It could be worse, far worse, I know that.
My lovely friends are keeping me safe. They installed a proper toilet and shower down here. I’m never alone, unless I want to be.
I’ve accumulated a mountain of DVDs. I’m learning how to knit with Lello. Pink and I are learning Spanish together, as well as pouring through old magic books from Monty’s library, hoping to uncover something that might help find Monty’s brother.
It’s not as if I’m short on things to do.
