Her heart leaped and she would not delay any further. Opening her mouth, she reached into the back and gripped one of her molars. There was pain and a little blood, but with a serious tug she extracted the razor-sharp tooth.
Nick stared at the six-inch molar in absolute horror.
“I can make it smaller.” She closed and opened her hand again, and there was a small white pill in her palm. She brought it to his mouth.
He took it from her and tossed it to the back of his throat, then swallowed it down without the benefit of water. “See you on the other side.”
His eyes closed and his body went still. The clock began to tick again. Her magic drained from the room as if she’d pulled the plug in an overfilled bathtub. She curled her fingers and ran the back of her nails gently along his cheek.
Now there was nothing to do but wait.
* * *
For Nick,waking up after swallowing Rowan’s tooth resembled coming back to the surface after a long, deep dive in murky water. The air pressed thick and heavy against his skin, and he held his breath against it, against the darkness. He’d been swallowed by the dark, taken into the belly of a creature of the night and now regurgitated toward a light he could not see yet but whose gravity drew him like the North Star.
He broke the surface with a gasp, his eyes fluttering open to red velvet and candlelight. And her scent like a silk scarf drawn across the inside of his skull, the underside of his skin. He could taste her on his tongue, feel her, or a piece of her anyway, in the deepest corner of himself.
Her face came into view, breathless and waiting. “Nick?”
Filled with a new energy and possessing a body he realized was completely healed, he took her face in his hands and kissed her, kissed her like he could wash away everything dark that had ever happened to her with his own breath. His hands circled her waist, found red silk that slid softly between them.
She was not unaffected. Her nails scraped up his spine and along the muscles of his shoulders.
“I’m naked aren’t I?”
Her smile was close and bright. “I had to clean you up. You were covered in blood.”
“How long’ve I been out?”
“Three days. It didn’t take as long with Harriet, but Tobias thought it was due to the nature of your injuries. How do you feel?”
“I’ve gotta piss like a racehorse.”
She laughed. “The bathroom is there, and Flubell has prepared you something to eat.” She grabbed a pair of black sweats off the dresser and tossed them to him. “I also brought you some clothes from your apartment, against my better judgment. I rather like you naked.”
“Oh shit—Rosco!”
“He’s here and he’s fine. He’s sleeping in the library. I bought him one of those giant beds.”
He backed toward the bathroom. “Don’t go anywhere. I’m not finished with you.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Once Nick had made use of the facilities, he looked at himself in the mirror. Same old mug. Same sandy-brown hair. Same scar that cut through his lip and his eyebrow. But he felt different. He felt awake and alive. Rowan had replaced his batteries. And when he emerged again, he left the pants behind.
Rowan’s eyes flicked down his body appreciatively.
“Take off your nightgown,” he said, and his voice was all grit.
“Why? What do you plan to do with me naked?” she said through a smile.
He swaggered toward her. “I plan to show you you’re mine.”
Rowan crossed her arms, fisted the silk, and pulled it over her head. God, she was perfect—lush curves, red lips, and a body filled with dark secrets. His was ready in an instant, hard for her. Only for her. He closed the space between them and took her mouth. His hands explored the soft weight of her breasts, his fingers tugging her erect nipples, drawing them out. Her hips thrust against him and he moaned at the thrill. Their first experience had been good, but now he savored her. He planned to worship every inch of her.
He skimmed his hand down the slope of her waist and slowly, ever so slowly, between her legs.
“Fuck, you’re wet. Is this for me? Just for me?”
