It was unclear if ‘his kind’ meant grimm or criminals.
“I will gladly support any initiative that furthers the city’s interest in inclusivity and progress,” Kieran answered, and Sera had to clench her thighs to still the sudden pulse between her legs.Gods, was this really a turn on?
Wraith grinned, full teeth and Sera couldn’t tell if it was sinister or something else. “That’s all we can ask, yeah? I can appreciate a man who stands by his principles.” Wraith continued to the door, stopping halfway out of the room. “Apologies for the, uh, interruption, by the way. I did have an appointment.” He shut the door with a soft click behind him.
Sera went to the door and engaged the lock before falling with her back against it. “That was… unexpected.” She put a hand over her frantic heart, waiting for the tempo to finally return to normal. Her gaze drifted to Kieran. There was emotion in his face. A crease in his brow, concern in his eyes, a slight gap in his lips that was almost gaping.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, “Did I miss something? I think that went well, considering.”Was he still upset about Cole?
He remained immobile. “I…”
Sera waited, holding her breath. What? What was he trying to say? Was he worried? About her? About Wraith? About himself? What? She wanted to shake him and demand an answer. She would have, but she feared pushing him too far.
He cleared his throat, and his eyes grew distant. “I think we should return home.”
Sera’s jaw hung open as he tried to move around her and retreat. The… the fuckingnerve. She slammed her hand against the door. He did not look at her, but he did stop.
“No. Don’t shut me out like that. If you have a concern, tell me.”
“My concern?” He let out a breath that might have been a laugh. “My concern is that I can no longer see the shadow over you.”
Sera shrugged. “That’s good, right? We don’t want to see shadows, right? That means death isn’t coming and all that.”
He leveled her with a direct stare and fear shot through her. Not of him, she realized, she did not fear him whatsoever, but fear of what could possibly cause this sort of reaction from him.
He carefully curled his hands into a fist and it was extremely telling to Sera that she didn’t even flinch. “I cannot see death on you anymore. Which means either this conversation with Wraith changed something about Cole’s future plans, or that I am more compromised than I believed. I was…” he closed his eyes. “I was too distracted earlier to take proper notice. It was a dangerous lapse in judgment and now I have no idea if you remain in danger.” He cursed in a language that Sera didn’t understand. Probably Faery.
“But there is still a chance that I’m fine? The shadow might be gone for exactly the reason we think, Cole is no longer a threat.”
“And you are content to gamble your life on that assumption?” He said, almost a growl. “I have one job. One purpose above all others and that is to prevent death when prevention is possible. It has been my curse and function for my entire life. Long before my siblings, my gift was used to serve others. The power to sense Death is so rare that it has not been seen in seventy years. Not until me. I do not have the luxury of squandering it by indulging in my own selfish pursuits. Your life is important, Sera. I hold it in the highest regard. And I may have just sacrificed it simply because your touch unravels me in a way that I cannot seem to resist.”
Sera’s heart leapt into her throat, her mind clashed with the turns of his speech, unsure which track to follow.
“You are dangerous, Seraphina. Dangerous to the control I have worked a lifetime to maintain.” He advanced toward her. His speech was rushed, almost ranting, but his movements remained rigid and controlled. "The merest touch of your hand is enough to completely disarm any sense of reason or logic.”
Her back hit the door, where he had been teasing out the most exquisite pleasure she’d ever experienced before they were interrupted. His hands braced on either side of her, once again pinning her in place, though he did not move close enough to touch her.
“Hearing what Cole was capable of, the mere suggestion of him hurting you,” his eyes raked over her with such ferocity she felt it like fire across her skin, “I have never been so close to losing control. Theangerthat raced through me…” his body eased closer, like he couldn’t stop himself, “the vicious, possessive need to cause him physical harm. Because ofyou.”
She swiped her tongue through her dry mouth. Somehow his anger did not scare her, the intensity of his words, the way he shifted like he was desperate to touch her… she had never been more aroused. His eyes closed, head drawing forward before adjusting so his forehead hit the solid wood above her shoulder. She felt him breathe, no longer calm and controlled. Heard his fingers dig into the door, the shudder in his muscles as he fought whatever he was trying to resist.
“But do you not see the bitter reality of my gift?” He pulled back, stepping away from her, cold slapping her heated body.
“I can never care for anyone. There is no hope of relationships or love in my future, because the moment that bridge is crossed, the moment a person becomes important to me, I lose the power to protect them.”
She stepped forward, not sure what to say to such a confession, or if it even was a confession, but he shook his head.
Without a word he slipped past her, yanked open the door, and fled.
Sera stared into the empty room. Body heated, knees weak.
She should be scared. Terrified. His anger alone should have made her cower. He’d just confirmed that their biggest asset in keeping her alive might be out of commission. But fear was not the emotion cascading through her like an avalanche.
And a few days ago, his words would have terrified her.
A few weeks ago, and she would be packing her bags and slipping out in the night.
But now, she simply could not stop smiling.
