I see you.
He saw her, and he loved all of her. Every smile, every flaw, every nice thing she’d done that she thought no one noticed.
As she moved her body against his, he pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it on the floor. His hand grazed her exposed skin. She was beautiful. She was beautiful, and she was his.
Elyse ground her hips slowly, savoring the feel of Killian inside her. He grasped her hips, and she inhaled deeply, invigorated by his touch. He guided her motions, slow and steady, their breaths growing sharper. When he couldn’t take any more, he pulled herface down to meet his. He pressed their lips together, pouring all of his love into that kiss. He lifted his hips, driving himself into her, adoring the way she gasped. He held her tight, his hand wrapped around the nape of her neck, their brows pressed together. And when they both met their end, they did it together, with panting breaths and hope in their hearts.
22
Elyse
Lazaruswas a man of his word.
Or rather, a demon of his word.
He’d been lying low, as he’d assured them he would. Each day, Elyse and her friends made their rounds, seeking out information on any unusual happenings around the continent. Manny met with King Maelor and the royal advisors while Killian, Sera, and Elyse went about Sevhella, checking in with old acquaintances and informants. Even Mrs. Southwick, who was staying at home again now that Killian was there to ensure her safety, had asked around with her friends and neighbors. An entire week had passed, and to Elyse’s relief and disappointment, none of them had any disturbances to report in Rhodan or beyond.
With nothing new to go off of, they spent most of their time researching ways to incapacitate demons. The morning after thecard game, they’d split into pairs to gather research materials. Manny and Sera had visited the royal library at the palace and taken out every book they could find on demons, which wasn’t many. Elyse and Killian had gone to the Emporium, then to Jaime’s, and acquired a decent selection. When they’d returned to the house with wrinkled clothes and tousled hair, Manny and Sera had been courteous enough to pretend like they hadn’t noticed.
It had been…difficultfor Killian and Elyse to contain their ardor. It seemed like every moment they were alone, they were tearing off each other’s clothes. Elyse was very much enjoying Killian’s suggestion to share something about themselves before each “rendezvous.” With each passing day, she felt more connected to him. And the emotional intimacy only intensified their physical affection.
Ten days after being reunited with her soul, Elyse sat on the porch of Mrs. Southwick’s home, her chair nestled among the potted flowers. She and Sera had been reading there for a few hours. The sun was setting, casting a lovely pink hue behind the city’s skyline, and all along the street, candles were starting to flicker in the windows.
For the second time in five minutes, Elyse found herself glancing to the end of the block. That was the real reason she’d suggested coming outside. Killian would be returning soon with his mother in tow. Now that Mrs. Southwick was staying at home but still working at the palace, Killian wanted to make sure she got there and back safely. At first there’d been discussion of using a transportation potion, but Mrs. Southwick had refused to use the “gods-forsaken brew.”
“It’s not right for man to travel like that,” she’d said, shaking her head. So instead, Manny escorted her to the palace each morning, and Killian walked home with her in the evenings.
There was no sign of them at the moment, though. Elyse sighed and tried not to fidget. She hated being away from him, even for a moment. Each time he left, she was struck with the memory of his death, of watching the light fade from his eyes. Each time, she feared she’d never see him again, and all would be for naught.
She chastened herself for worrying. Killian could take care of himself. She tried to return to reading, but the text was so droll. The book described the fourteen different types of demons, but it gave no insight on how to trap or weaken one. She glanced at Sera to see if her friend was faring any better.
Sera sat with a book in her lap, her inky black hair braided away from her face. She occasionally flipped through the pages, but not frequently enough to pass for actually reading.
Elyse watched her friend through lowered lashes. The fortune teller’s eyes were distant. They seemed duller than usual, the lilac muted to something like pewter. Shadows had smudged their way beneath her eyes, and her cheekbones seemed more pronounced than before.
Elyse had noted the changes in Sera back when she was soulless, but she hadn’t cared at the time. Sera had seemed like herself the night Elyse got her soul back, and Elyse had simply written off the behavior as Sera being worried for her. Over the last few days, though, Elyse had watched her friend slip back into a tired, glum stranger.
Elyse was about to open her mouth to demand that Sera tell her what was wrong when two figures turned down the street—one tall with broad shoulders, the other a curly-haired woman with conspicuous curves. They strolled down the street, Mrs. Southwick waving her hands about as she talked.
“Hi,” Elyse called as they approached. She said it so pitifully, like she was a school-girl speaking to her crush for the first time. She kept her eyes trained on Killian as she tried to calm the butterflies in her stomach. His answering grin was no help.
“Hi,” he said back, and the low tone, even one word, had Elyse’s toes curling.
Elyse shifted her gaze to Mrs. Southwick and smiled at her, though it felt more like a wince. She’d been waiting for Killian’s mom to snap and berate her for betraying Killian months ago. But over the last ten days, the woman had been nothing but welcoming. In fact, when they’d first been reunited, Mrs. Southwick had wept as she embraced Elyse. She’d thanked her more times than she could count while Elyse tried not to melt from sheer embarrassment at her gratitude.
“That’s my favorite spot to read,” Mrs. Southwick said with a nod toward Sera’s chair.
That seemed to pull Sera from her stupor. With wide eyes, she snapped her head up and looked around like she wasn’t sure how she’d gotten there.
“Dinner will be ready in five,” Mrs. Southwick called to no one in particular as she bustled through the front door.
Sera followed her in, and Elyse finally stood. Killian held out his free hand and gestured for her to go through the door. Elysedid, but she walked slowly, letting Killian trail closely behind her.
Manny joined them in the kitchen as Killian set a sack of food on the table. That was the biggest perk of having Mrs. Southwick around—a delicious meal every night. There were always leftovers from the palace, which she brought home and shared with them. Elyse had probably eaten better this week than she had in her entire life.
Elyse was helping set out plates when strong hands touched her waist. She immediately leaned into the caress, her insides puddling with heat.
“I missed you,” Killian murmured in her ear.
