He turned to give her an annoyed eyebrow arch, but he couldn’t hide the darkly amused expression. He balled up his shirt in a fist and moved out of the way, his weapon posed as a spear as he watched the dark and shadowy openings at their feet.
She turned to the side and slipped through quickly, careful to watch her feet and the tilt of her upper body. Once she was past the trouble area, he held out his shirt.
I’m not carrying that for you,she said in confusion.
No shit.He nudged her with it.Wipe away the discharge.
Ew. I don’t want to.
He huffed in annoyance, but a grin tweaked his lips.You’re going to have to look at it, regardless. Would you rather look at a bunch of pus or a wiped back with only a little? I’m sure the wounds will close quickly enough, though the radiating burn is growing stronger. That’s not ideal.
She did want to look at that incredible expanse of back with the really cool design, but no, not the other stuff.
Fine,she said, taking the shirt. He turned his back to her, and she grimaced again. Her expression surely curdled into a look of disgust as she got the job done, then handed the shirt back.
Throw it on the ground.He walked forward.I can’t hold it, and I don’t want something grabbing at it if I tuck it into my waistband.
The plants pulled back some up ahead, leaving various-sized pockets filled with unnatural black shadow. Her eyes couldn’t pierce the gathered darkness, and so she stopped trying, instead putting outfeelers for presences or danger. For paws or claws poking out of those dangerous hiding places.
Tarian seemed to be doing the same. The wounds on his back wept, no longer pus but now blood, the holes not closing even though they were small. Even though his healing should’ve been as fast and efficient as hers. Skin had started to bubble and peel away, the acidic property burning anything in its path. The poison might not kill him, but it was causing a lot of destruction and pain. Good thing it was only on a small portion of his back.
The pain feels like it encompasses a lot more than just that,he murmured.
A small rustling was the only warning they got. Something large shook the plants a moment before an ear-splitting roar echoed around Daisy’s skull. Panic gripped her, fear riding on a manic urge to flee.
Tarian’s hand shot out to grab her arm and keep her put. She shook him off. She knew this was magic. She recognized the signs from encountering the Faegate. This was very similar, if not as potent.
An unnaturally large mouth burst through the plants. Anything in its way magically vanished, allowing it full admittance. Kinda like a tiger and very much not, the thick body came after it. Its trajectory would make it plow into Tarian, forcing him into the plants at his back.
Daisy charged, slamming her shoulder into it with all her might. Its mass matched hers, and it might nothave budged if its four feet had been on the ground, but in the air, it didn’t have anything to grip. Its body veered enough that Tarian could step to the other side and pierce the creature with his blade. This time, he didn’t leave it in or reach for hers. He yanked it out and thrust it in again while grabbing the creature with his other hand, curling his fist into its stringy fur. His upper body flexed as he spun the creature into the other wall. If he was trying to impale it on the plants, he had no such luck. The plants disappeared entirely as its body went through. He yanked his hand back when they reappeared as his arm neared.
He halted, and Daisy stabbed her now-sword through the space between his arm and body. The blade pierced the creature. She pulled it out and did it again. And again until it stopped struggling.
All that muscle is very useful,she thought, panting with effort and adrenaline.
If my back didn’t hurt so much, I’d make a lewd joke about what this muscle could do in a bedroom.
It’s probably for the best.She stepped back to give him space.I’d then make a small-dick joke at your expense. This way you get to keep a little dignity.
I’m ecstatic.He wiped his forearm across his forehead, catching his breath.
She caught sight of his chest. It held a much simpler and smaller design that was no less beautiful and interesting. It draped around his neck and down like a metallic black necklace. It cinched near the neck,coming to a point, then looped down as far as the bottom of his pecs, like a breastplate. The middle portion was hollow, giving him something like man-cleavage. Within the thick band that might make up the chain of the necklace curled an intricate design with twists and swirls. Equally as beautiful—or maybe more so—was his fucking chest.Holy hell.She’d thought she’d been a back girl. Maybe a butt girl if the right one came along.
No, she was a chest girl.
Perfectly sculpted pecs curved atop his defined abs, leading down to delicious obliques that flared before dipping into his trousers. A dusting of dark hair ran from his belly button and down the flat lower portion of his stomach. The man was a specimen. She didn’t even care that he heard those thoughts—he deserved the ego for all this. He deserved the praise. He’d earned it.
Staring is rude.His tone was fully amused, and his pecs popped.
She watched like a sex-starved woman. Drool escaped from the corner of her mouth, and she wiped it away in embarrassment.Speaking of losing one’s dignity…
She didn’t just jerk her gaze away, knowing it would wander back—no, she jerked her whole head away. She looked at the other side of the tunnel and then straight in front, desperately ignoring the new type of adrenaline gushing through her body. Theintense arousal. The need to touch. Her desire for him was getting stronger the more she learned about him. His struggles and her compassion for his situation were fraying her resolve. She could feel it. She didn’t know how to stop it.
Let’s get through this and you can touch all you want,he said, starting forward again.
Obviously she wouldn’t, but…she might dream about it. Hopefully shewoulddream about it.
They encountered another small creature. This time it let Tarian pass, and then Daisy before it swiped from behind. She took the strike, staying in one place, and then she turned and jabbed it. Like Tarian, she dragged it out and made sure to end it. She didn’t need the thing crawling up behind her.
