We followed Mirella through the labyrinthine halls, and she led us to a hidden chamber fit for water gods, like the Library of Alexandria. Shelves upon shelves of ancient tomes and scrolls are just waiting for some curious soul to crack them open and unleash untold knowledge (or maybe a curse or two; who knows?).
I'm flipping through one of these dusty old books, handling it like a newborn baby made of glass, when Seraphina's voice cuts through the silence. "What have you got there, handsome?" she asks. The scent of vanilla, sugar, and spice that follows her everywhere is like a damn aphrodisiac.
"Not sure," I reply, carefully turning the crumbling pages. "I can't make heads or tails of this language, though. It's like trying to read a doctor's handwriting after they've downed a bottle of tequila."
Seraphina laughs as I hand her the book. She takes it with the reverence of a scholar handling a priceless artifact. Settling down on a nearby rock, the picture of grace and intelligence, "Let me take a look."
And just like that, I'm putty in her hands. Watching her work that brilliant mind of hers is like witnessing a master artist at work. I lean back against a coral-encrusted pillar, content to bask in the glow of my girl’s genius. "Take your time, Cupcake," I say with a grin. "I've got all the time in the world when it comes to you."
Mirella strolls back into the room, her fishy bits replaced with legs that would make a supermodel weep. "Ta-da! I've got Nixie's journal," she announces, waving the book like it's a golden ticket to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory.
"Hell yes! One more item crossed off our 'Save the World' scavenger hunt list. Now let's see if we can find some juicy tidbits about Dani and this prophecy nonsense."
I turn to Seraphina and holy hell. She's flipping through that book like it has a "self-destruct in 10 seconds" timer. Her eyes bounce across the pages faster than a caffeinated squirrel on a sugar rush.
"This is the Book of Shadows and the Dead," she announces, casual as ever, like she's just telling me what we're having for dinner.
My jaw drops. "What the actual fuck? How did you...? Are you shitting me right now?"
Seraphina nods, a smile playing on her lips. "I'm very serious, Sparky."
Jesus, this is the book Erik and I couldn't find at the Obsidian Enclave, even if our lives depended on it. And here's my angelic girlfriend, reading it like it's the back of a cereal box.
"Hold the phone. Are you telling me you just read that entire thing in the time it takes me to scratch my ass? And youactuallyunderstood it?" my voice squeaking like a prepubescent boy.
Seraphina saunters to me, hips swaying. She hands me the book and kisses my lips, making my dick twitch. "Yep, it's old Greek—speed reading is just one of my many talents. Didn't I mention that?"
I shake my head, feeling like a clue-by-four has hit me. "So, let me get this straight. You can read anything just by giving it the ol' once-over? Like, literally anything?"
"Mmhmm," she hums, looking as innocent as an angel in a lingerie store.
I spot another dusty old tome nearby and snatch it up, handing it to her. "Alright, Ms. Speed Reader Extraordinaire, what's this bad boy about?"
She opens the book with the grace of a ballerina, flips through it faster than I can say, "Holy shit," and hands it back to me. "This one's all about Asgard and the Norse gods. Thor's abs get a whole chapter, by the way."
Holy shitballs on a stick, folks! Not only did this walking wet dream of an angel decide to hitch her wagon to my crazy train, but she's also constantly blowing my fucking mind.
It's like someone took my brain, dunked it in a vat of LSD, and then plugged it directly into the Matrix. I can feel every single one of her emotions and desires buzzing through me like I just licked a 9-volt battery of pure ecstasy. We're talking next-level connection here, people—the kind that would make even the sappiest rom-com writer say, "Whoa, dial it back a notch, buddy."
I mean, seriously, how did I get this lucky? Did I save a bus full of nuns and puppies in a past life? Because being eternally bonded to this heavenly hottie who's equal parts sexy librarian and badass warrior feels like I've won the cosmic lottery, cashed in all my karma points, and got a 'Get Out of Hell Free' card all rolled into one mind-blowing package.
Dani is going to shit a brick when she hears of this.
Danica
65
My heart nearly leaps out of my damn chest as I watch Rhyland plummet into the gaping maw of the cavern. The bridge collapses beneath his feet and for a gut-wrenching moment, I'm convinced I'm about to watch my mate become a pancake on the jagged rocks below.
But thank the gods for Rhyland's lightning-fast reflexes. Somehow, he managed to grab onto the rocky ledge, his fingers scrabbling for purchase against the slick stone. Now, he's just hanging there, dangling like a worm on a hook over that gaping maw of darkness that seems all too eager to swallow him whole.
Erik's at the edge in a flash, his eyes scanning the area with a laser-like focus. I can practically see the gears turning in his head as he tries to figure out how to get Rhyland back to safety. We brought all kinds of shit in our trusty backpacks—rope included— but what the hell good is that going to do with Rhyland stranded on the other side of the cavern, separated from us by a chasm that looks like it could be the gateway to the underworld itself?
I watch, my heart in my throat, as Rhyland grips the ledge and starts to haul himself up. His muscles strain against the fabric of his shirt, veins popping on his arms and hands as he inches his way upward. It's like watching a real-life game of cliffhanger, except the stakes are so much higher than some stupid plastic mountain.
Rhyland finally reaches the top and pulls himself over the edge. I let out a breath I didn't even realize I was holding, my lungs burning with the sudden influx of air.
He takes a moment to catch his breath, his chest heaving as he stands and assesses the situation. "Get the rope and toss it over to me," he calls out to Erik, his voice echoing off the cavern walls.
