“Don’t fight it.”
“What the fuck are you doin’?” Arric demanded, pulling away from my touch.
I swayed, almost losing my balance, but finding Arric wrapping an arm around me to steady me, then removing his touch just as quickly.
“Who’s Sindri?” I asked.
“No fuckin’ clue,” he growled. “What did you just do to me?”
I scowled up at him. “I was trying to comfort you, but then I think I saw you—”
“This is the kind of shit I’m talking about.”
“I was trying to benice,” I hissed.
“Yeah, well, every time one of you tries to be nice, I’m sent into some fuckin’ spiral of messed up magical voodoo bullshit.”
I gasped. “There’s no voodoo here, arsehole. Cauld Ane are pathologically honest and feel the need to help those in need…” I jabbed my finger in his sternum, “…even if they don’t deserve it.”
I turned to storm away, but Arric grabbed my arm gently, pulling me into the library and closing the door before pushing me against it and covering my mouth with his. I fisted my hands in his shirt as his hand slid to my neck, tipping my face up higher and pressing his tongue against mine.
I couldn’t breathe. In the very best of ways.
I let out a quiet sigh as he continued to kiss me like I’d never been kissed before, but out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the tattoo on his neck start to glow and I pushed him away.
“What the hell did you do that for?” I snapped.
“What are you talking about?” he breathed out. “You told me to kiss you.”
“I absolutely did not,” I protested. The problem was Ihadthought it. In fact. All I wanted at that moment was for Arric to take me into his arms and kiss me. I’d thought it but hadn’t said a single word out loud.
“Isla, I have no idea what’s going on here, but I’d swear you asked me to kiss you. So, I did.”
“Look,” I said, trying to regain my composure. Both from the kiss and the shock of once again crossing psychic wires with Arric. “I don’t know who you are or why you’re here but let me make myself perfectly clear once and for all. This week is filled with both especially important and totally stressful events, and the last thing I need is a walking glow stick getting all grabby with me in the castle halls,” I squeaked, and spun on my heel, rushing out of the room as fast as I could.
Arric made no attempt to stop me, so I ran home, like the coward I was, closing myself into my bedroom, hoping no one came looking for me.
My hopes were dashed when a knock at my door brought my brother.
“What do you want, Callum?” I asked.
He took my hand and settled it to his chest and I immediately calmed.
Direct blood relatives had the ability to heal each other, including helping with our emotional well-being, and it came in handy when things were overwhelming. One of us simply had to touch the other and we’d begin to feel instant relief.
“Better?” he asked.
I sighed, nodding, wrapping my arms around him. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be such a cow.”
“Does this have something to do with the mysterious stranger everyone’s buzzing about?” he asked, giving me a gentle squeeze.
“You mean the day-glow arsehole who thinks he’s god’s gift to women?” I pulled away from him and flopped onto the bench at the end of my bed. He closed my door and sat across from me in the chair by the window. “And what do you mean, ‘everyone’?”
“Cat.”
“Oh, the traitor.” I wrinkled my nose, pulling my knees up and wrapping my arms around them. I settled my chin on one and sighed. “Yes, she’s fallen in love with him.”
“Dad said he has abilities.”
