Rune flops back onto his bed. “Murder first though.”
“It’s important to prioritize,” I say, and he laughs again, more agreeable and less harsh this time.
“And I swear to all the gods that I amnevergoing to try to pick up any stranger at a bar again as long as I live.”
The lingering heat in my gut hardens into something more protective and fierce.
“Is that what you were doing when you were abducted?”
Rune nods. “He wasn’t eventhathot. I was just horny and it had been way too long since I’d had any action from anyone other than my own hand.”
Dammit, that image floods my mind too, of Rune with his hand around his hard, aching cock, his back arching off the bed as he lets out loud, panting moans. I don’t know why, but I imagine his tattoos glowing as his skin flushes, little sparks of his magic visibly flickering around him with his mounting pleasure.
I clear my throat again and move away from his bed, shuffling back to my spot on the floor. We’re being held prisoner, sex should be the last thing on my mind.
“Sorry, am I making you uncomfortable? I don’t know many supes who are prudish about sex.”
He’s right. Sex is hardly a taboo topic in our world. Not like humans, with their cloak of shame around the subject. Sex is too interwoven with most of our natures and even magic for it to be something we get shy about.
“No, it’s just been a long time for me too,” I confess with an awkward huff.
He hums in understanding. “I guess we really should try to get some sleep. It’s not going to do us any good to let our strength wane.”
“Right. Night.”
“Night,” he whispers.
RUNE
I’m notsure how much sleep I’ve actually gotten when the sound of Elvira’s clomping footsteps wakes me. Even after we agreed we should get some sleep, I laid awake for a long time trying to think of anyone who could fit the description of my captor. It didn’t get me anywhere, unfortunately.
I crack my eyes open just in time to see Atlas fade into the concrete floor. That’s a handy little power to have. I wonder if I could find a way to duplicate it for myself. It would be more useful if it worked with things other than stone, of course. A chameleon spell, or maybe a potion… I ponder the idea, wishing I had my notebook to start jotting it down. It always helps me work through ideas when I write them down. I have journals full of my attempts to perfect certain spells and rituals, noting all thefailed attempts and what worked so I can build on it and tweak it until I get it just right. Thank fuck I’ve protected them all with curses strong enough to keep anyone from stealing them.
I don’t bother saying anything to Elvira this morning. It’s not like it’s any use anyway. She drops the tray inside my cell and it clatters to the floor, rattling noisily and spilling bits of scrambled egg.
“Thanks,” I mutter sarcastically as she stomps back out. The way she moves, I’m even more sure of my necromancy theory. It’s like her body doesn’t work quite right, too stiff and clumsy.
Once she’s gone, Atlas reappears fully and sits up with a groan and a yawn. He reaches for the tray and carefully sets it on the foot of the bed for me.
“Here.” I use the fork to attempt to section off half the scrambled eggs for him. “There’s only one fork, so you can either use your hands, or we can rock-paper-scissors over who gets to eat first.”
He shakes his head. “You can eat it all. Your body needs it a lot more than mine does.”
I eye his rock-hard—no pun intended—physique. The man islargeand seems to be pure muscle. I doubt he has to work at it, either. It’s so unfair how naturally fit most supes are. Meanwhile, us poor human mages are fighting for our lives at the gym if we want six-pack abs.
“You won’t be any good to either of us if you pass out from hunger,” I point out, scooping a forkful of eggs into my mouth.
His lips twitch into a smile. “It would take weeks for me to start feeling any serious effects from hunger. And even then, I’d just turn to stone. Once you get out of here and get your magic back, you could fix me up likethat.” He snaps his fingers.
“If we’re stuck in here forweeks,I’m going to go fucking feral on Elvira,” I mutter, and he chuckles.
“We won’t be. We just need a plan.”
“A plan? That’s brilliant, why didn’t I think of that?”
He narrows his gray eyes at me, but I notice a twitch in his lips like he’s trying not to smile.
“The sarcasm is a great start, it’s sure to get things moving.”
