I fling my arms around Alexis’s neck. “Please be careful. I-I need you to be OK.” I stand on my toes and press a kiss to Alexis’s cheek.
It’s brief but the contact sizzles.
“I’ll see you soon,” he murmurs. “Go with Ludo now.”
Ludo takes a step closer to me as Alexis reluctantly lets me go.
“OK.” My hand lingers in his for a moment longer, then drops. “See you soon.”
—Come, Nymph. Before anyone sees us out here—
—OK, Lu—
We walk silently through the woods.
The path is wide enough for us to walk side by side, and Ludo’s hand brushes against mine.
Take hold of my hand, Ludo. Do it, you can do it.
Our fingers graze once more, and my heart beats a million miles an hour.
Yes, we’ve hugged, and he’s picked me up and carried me. But Lu has never made a move towards me that isn’t purely formycomfort or safety.
And I want him to kiss me so badly, but I know that Ludo has to make that move. He has to be in charge of anything sensual that happens between us.
My Janitor will never bemadeto do anything against his will, ever again.
Our hands brush once more, and this time Ludo allows his pinky to hook with mine. The tiny joining makes me deliriously happy.
—Come. It’s not safe out here—We need to get you back to the basement—
We start walking faster, but our fingers remain linked.
19
I’m a rag doll hanging in the air.
The magic that swirls around my body is nauseating, but also slightly intoxicating. I’ve never been around a spell-cast so powerful, and what burns is that it’s from the combined forces of Feniks and the dud.
Ido notlike being at their mercy.
The power of Theodora Wilson wraps around me as I’m lowered gently to the ground. I can taste it. It pools in my mouth, tangy, salty and fresh, like ruby grapefruit with a shot of tequila.
Or what I imagine her pussy tastes like.
Why am I thinking about her and sex?
It’s the power thing. Power turns me on, that’s all. I quickly cast the girl out of my mind and send out a seek-spell. I’m the powerful one here. My cast lets me know no one other than our group is close.
“Well, fuck me,” Max grins, “that was quite the ride.” Wes and Donovan are also looking equally stunned.
Wes.
What’s going on with him? I stride over and put a hand on his arm, gripping it firmly. “Do you remember traveling through a portal?” I ask him. “Entering another realm?”
Months, or maybe years, have passed. Are they all a blank for him?
His face is pale and hard. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about, or what is going on. I do know that whatever that dud and her boyfriend just did was dark magic and needs to be reported.”
