As annoying as he was, his comment lacked any bite. Was he goading me on purpose? I didn't understand what he was doing.
"Look, what do you want from me?" I asked. "No offense, I know you're an important spirit and all, but I'm kind of busy here."
Animus dropped his arm and regarded me with a long look, like he was sizing me up. I shuffled uncomfortably under his piercing white gaze. Was this really the spirit who blessed Quinn's daughter? He gave me the creeps. Though I had to admit he hadn't done anything harmful yet except scaring the crap out of me and making a shitty pun.
What was Animus even the spirit of? I knew Nautilus governed water, and Mistral air. I'd only ever heard of Animus being malicious, but that didn't explain much. He was a mystery to me.
Animus smiled. "Then I'll be straight with you, Ashe. I want the power you can give me."
"What?"
He sighed, exasperated, as ifIwas the stupid one for not immediately knowing what he was talking about. "Do you need me to spell it out for you? Come now. You're a smart omega. I'm sure you can figure it out yourself."
"I have no idea what you're talking about. And stop calling me 'omega'."
I couldn't stand it when alphas called me that, spirit or not. Could a spirit evenbean alpha? I didn't know and I didn't care.
Animus wrinkled his nose as if he wanted to say something but refrained.
He sighed, mumbling to himself. "Suppose it's no fun if I do all the work..." He waved me off dismissively. "Go, then. Find your alpha. If you can."
What did he mean by that? Did he know something I didn't?
"Okay," I said, raising a brow. I tentatively turned my back on Animus, half expecting him to lunge at me when I wasn't looking, but he just stood there with a smug look on his face. Weirdo.
My first encounter with Animus, the so-called malicious spirit, was more anticlimactic than I thought it would be. Maybe he wasn't as bad as I expected. Or he was doing it on purpose to lure me into thinking I could trust him.
In any case, it didn't matter. I had to find Bear.
"Wait," Animus called.
I stopped. "Yes?" I asked, turning back to him.
He narrowed his eyes. They glowed like ice shards in the darkness. "I know you'll think this is rich coming from me, but you shouldn't trust every spirit you meet."
I snorted before I could stop myself. "Didn't plan on it, but thanks."
Animus nodded. He didn't seem to be offended. "Right. Go on, then."
Confused by my strange encounter, I went to find Bear. Were all spirits as weird as Animus?
And would they truly help Bear like he thought they would?
14
Bear
Darkness.Everywhere I turned, it was pitch black.
The glowing mushrooms still lined the walls of the tunnel, but the slow panic was creeping up on me again, staining the edges of my vision until all I could see was the cramped chasm ahead of me. The longer I spent underground, the worse I felt. My skin was cold and clammy, and I was sweating from breathing too fast.
I had to get the fuck out of here.
Kissing Ashe calmed me down significantly, but a single kiss could only go so far in staving off my trauma. It was crawling back fast, like the rhythm of a tide.
Maybe holding his hand would help.
I reached out for him, grabbing the air—and felt no purchase.
