My body shuddered; now that my kidnapping was over, exhaustion was taking control. “I want to go home,” I whispered, burying my face in Severn’s shoulder. “I want to see Henry and May.”
Puck was wagging his tail happily, gazing up at me. I dropped a hand down to pet him.
Still holding me close, Severn turned to address Jack. “Meruvis, can you lend us a car to the airport?”
Jack nodded and went to discuss some things with the werewolves. It all felt like a blur; Severn was the only thing that felt solid. I let myself sink into the security of his arms. I closed my eyes, telling myself that it was really over. I was done with the werewolves, done with Black Ember and the Sun Court. I’d never again set foot in the glittering Bristol hotel with its eclectic mix of monsters.
Severn released me with a soft kiss to my temple as he went to speak to Jack about the arrangements to take us to the airport. As soon as he was gone, Coral sidled up to me with a smug smile.
“Drop in if you’re ever in town,” she said slyly. “You always have an invitation to the Deep.”
Shuddering, I threw her a scathing look. “Yeah, I don’t see that happening. Give my regrets to the demons.”
She gave a faint laugh as she turned away. It struck me then that Puck had disappeared somewhere. I glanced under the table and behind the deck furniture but didn’t see him.
“Puck,” I called and then finally spotted him with his snout pressed against the deck railing, sniffing at the cattle in the distance. I rolled my eyes and went over to kneel next to him. “I know this is a paradise for dogs,” I said, “but it’s time to go home.”
I gathered him in the basket of my arms and stood but suddenly went still as another figure blocked my path.
I swallowed hard as Black Ember blocked me in.
“Enjoy New York,” Black Ember said in his dangerously quiet voice. A flicker of mischief touched his eyes. “But if you want my advice, don’t get too comfortable.”
He turned away before I could ask what he meant; my heart was racing. I told myself it was just another taunt. Treating me once more like a plaything to torture.
I carried Puck to the door where Severn was waiting for us.
As we passed through Jack’s house to the driveway out front, where a car waited for us, I didn’t glance back once to Black Ember. But the truth was, his face filled my mind’s eye no matter how I tried to banish it.
ChapterThirty-Seven
I slept the entire plane ride from Aspen to New York.
My body was exhausted from the trials of the past few days. Once relief had come, my body had surrendered and given in to sleep. I’d woken only briefly when we landed, and Severn helped me groggily to the car, where I fell asleep again on his shoulder as he stroked my arm, whispering in my ear that all was well now.
I roused myself when our car entered Manhattan, blinking up at the towering buildings, the streets packed with humans and Gifted Ones alike. It was all so deeply familiar, yet I saw it with fresh eyes. I couldn’t help but compare every aspect to Los Angeles. New York was all black and gray, sleek and sophisticated, whereas LA had been vibrant and disorganized. I liked the order of the buildings in New York, the regularity of the grid-like blocks. When the driver started to take us into the underground garage, I asked him instead to pull around the front. I wanted to enter Wilde Tower from the golden turnstile. I needed to reassure myself that it wasn’t just a dream.
All eyes turned to us as we entered the lobby. Immediately, a hush fell over the bank of secretarial phones and computers. The fae in the lobby flashed curious glances at me. Then, a figure in black came striding out of a back office.
“Kell!” I said and threw my arms around the werewolf.
“Miss Willow,” he said gruffly, flustered as he extracted himself from my embrace. “I owe you an apology. At the airport… I should have done more…”
“It wasn’t your fault,” I assured him. “You saved Henry and May.”
He still looked guilt-stricken, but then another figure ran up from the direction of the elevators, crashing into me.
Azalea threw her arms around me, hugging me tightly. “Willow! You’re back!” Grinning, it was my turn to wiggle out of her embrace. She pulled back and looked me over. “We were all so worried! It was all the tower could talk about. What happened? What did those asshole LA fae do to you?”
“I’m fine,” I said. “Just tired.”
“Of course.” She waved us toward the elevator, shooing out the fae who were already inside it, waiting to go up. Once we were inside, she pressed the controls for my apartment. “It’s so good to have you back.”
Severn rested his hand on my waist, holding me close. Ever since we’d left Jack’s Aspen chalet, he’d barely taken his hands off me. But nothing about it felt possessive now, merely full of concern. Even love.
We stepped out into the lobby. Locke’s door was cracked open, but there was no sign of him. Severn opened my apartment door, and I ran in, letting Puck down onto the carpet, where he wagged his tail and went sniffing around for any new scents that might have appeared while he was gone.
It was oddly quiet, and I turned to Severn with a raised eyebrow. “Where are the kids?” I asked.
