She raises an eyebrow. “Like what?”
“Well…” An idea sparks, though I might already know the answer. “Any chance Hazel could come down here temporarily? Just to help me come up with ideas?”
Natalie’s eyes widen in surprise.
Before she can argue, I add, “You know as well as I do that she’s the brains of this operation. I need her help. You said yourself that technology has become better than magic in some ways. Maybe we can invent something amazing that will keep me out of prison.”
Natalie purses her lips. But to my astonishment, she nods. “Okay.”
I look at her sharply, stunned. “Really?”
She lifts her shoulder. “I know it’s hard for you being a non-magical person in the coven. I want you to feel supported. We’ll pick a time when the Directors are busy—Fiona and Agnes, at least—and smuggle Hazel down so you can come up with a plan. Sound good?”
Relief trickles through me. “Yes.”
Wow, I can’t wait to tell Hazel she’s allowed to come to C.S.A.M.M. She’s going to be so excited. And while we’re working, I can hear all about this dreamy new girl who’s sweeping her off her feet.
At the door of Natalie’s suite, she presses her palm to the lock to let us in. The second we step inside, she takes the net from me and drops it on the floor. She cups my face in both hands, her eyes searching mine. “I’m continually amazed by you, Katie Alexander.”
Before I can argue, she kisses me, gently capturing my lips with hers.
I soften, leaning into her. The guilt crushing me eases a little, and as her fingers graze my neck, it’s easier to forget the chimera’s pleas. Her touch grounds me in the present, reminding me what I’m fighting for.
And I guess itisworth celebrating that I’ve caught one. One down, fifty-five to go. The math is overwhelming, but at least we’ve crossed the starting line.
“We should—get cleaned up—” she says between kisses, pausing to tug a lock of my mud-caked hair.
I glance at the large shower and cock an eyebrow, reaching for the buttons on her fake uniform. The fabric is damp and gritty beneath my fingers, and I can feel her heart racing.
A hungry look flashes in her eyes. “I like where this is going.”
We stumble to the shower, leaving a trail of muddy clothes on the floor. Our hands never leave each other’s bodies, as if breaking contact might shatter the fragile bubble of peace we’ve created.
Her shower is full of plants—ferns, vines, moss, and flowers grow right out of the stone walls, all thriving in the humid air. A copper rainfall shower head hangs in the center, and as she turns it on, steam billows and curls like a protective veil.
Her lips stay on mine and her hands roam down my bare waist as she backs me into the stream. A pleasant ripple cascades through me as the hot water hits my head and trickles down my back and chest, rinsingaway traces of our battle with the chimera. But my muscles ache and the chimera’s pleas still echo in my mind, and no amount of water can wash that away.
Natalie steps closer, her hands on my hips, pressing her forehead against mine. We stand like that for a moment, letting steam swirl around us.
“You’re bleeding,” she whispers, noticing a scratch on my arm I hadn’t felt. She reaches for a jar of something on a stone shelf and dabs it gently over the cut. Her touch is gentle, and the salve sends a cooling, pleasant sensation rippling outward.
“I’m fine,” I murmur, but I don’t stop her. I don’t mind this—being tended to by her. Being cared for.
“I know today was hard,” she says, her fingers tracing the ridge of my collarbone. “I saw it on your face.”
I swallow, surprised she noticed. “I don’t know if I can do this fifty-five more times, Natalie.”
“You can.” Her eyes find mine, water droplets clinging to her lashes. “Because I’m going to be right beside you for every single one.”
I kiss her again, deeper than before, like I’m trying to absorb her strength to get me through the coming days. Careful to avoid her cuts and bruises, I run my hands over her wet skin, my strange sixth sense picking up on the contrast between us—the magic pulsing through her veins, and my ordinary heart pounding against my ribs.
She backs me up further, her tongue dipping into my mouth, and I gasp as my bare back meets the cool stone and soft plant leaves. She pulls back, grinning, looking irresistible with beads of water rolling down her cheekbones, neck, shoulders, and breasts. Moments like this are my favorite—when she’s not a powerful witch and a Guardian, but just Natalie, normal and vulnerable andmine.
I trail my fingers over her breasts and down the curve of her waist, closing my eyes to let the water wash away my fears about what’s goingto happen to me. No worrying about chimeras, about my future, or what it means that I can hear things Natalie can’t. None of that matters right now. The world narrows to her lips and fingers, our bodies sliding together, warm steam wrapping around us, moss tickling my back.
I glide my hands down her soaked back, over her toned curves, around her thighs, and between her legs. She moans and tilts her head back, looking like a goddess as her skin glistens under the falling water.
“I need you,” I whisper against her neck, and I mean it on multiple levels. I need her strength, her belief in me, her certainty that I belong here despite everything.
