“Then I guess I should let you fuck me often,” I said teasingly in an effort to lighten the mood.
He snorted. But although his body relaxed, his eyes still expressed a certain reserve. It struck me as odd that it would sting him this much that I might feel suspicious about his actions or intentions towards me. We barely knew each other, so me still being on guard only made sense. Surely he didn’t blindly trust me either, right?
He drank your blood and now knows you intimately. Probably better than you know yourself.
That gave me pause. Lyall would indeed have a very different take on me than I could possibly have on him. In minutes, hegot to find out what type of person I truly was whereas it would take me years, even a lifetime, to barely scratch the tip of the iceberg with him. Another wave of guilt surged within me. Then again, guilt wasn’t quite the appropriate word. I couldn’t feel bad about my reaction as it was a healthy self-preservation response. But I did feel bad that I couldn’t reciprocate the type of trust he seemed to wish from me just yet.
“That might be a good idea,” he replied with a smile. “But we need to feed you.”
“I don’t need a hearty meal. I’d be happy with something small that I can eat while on my way back to the Mortal Realm,” I replied absent-mindedly. “I must go back to the Sanctum as soon as possible before Elliot’s trail goes completely cold, not that we even truly have one right now.”
“Actually, I believe we do,” Lyall countered with a smug grin that had me perking up.
“We do?” I repeated, eagerness and hopefulness audible in my voice.
He nodded then proceeded to tell me about the glowing sanguine crocuses he had seen in the Onis’ memories.
“Hmmm… That’s a lot of locations that we’ll need to visit. But it’s a good starting point,” I mused aloud, excited at the prospect of something tangible we could work with. “But I still want to see what else the girls may know. With luck, it might help us narrow down the correct spot.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Lyall replied. “I’ll go fetch you something to eat while you finish getting ready.”
“Thank you,” I said, feeling confused about that unusual male as he gracefully strutted out of my room.
My gut told me that he wasn’t the type to run errands or serve people. He struck me as the type used to be waited on, hand and foot. Yet, he was showing a propensity to take care of me, something I never would have expected from the terrifyingbeing who had slaughtered the Onis and Lammathens in the crematorium.
Lyall was proving to be a mystery I would take great delight in unraveling.
He returned ten minutes later with a leather bag filled with all kinds of food and a skin of water. He smiled at my surprised expression.
“Once we are done questioning the two women, we will fly around the forest and swamps of Willow Grove. It might take hours. I won’t have you feeling faint from hunger,” he replied in a slightly teasing fashion.
“You know, I’m really starting to like you,” I said, touched by such a kind foresight.
I wasn’t used to people looking after my welfare that way. While Inquisitors were trained to protect each other during a mission, we were all expected to be self-sufficient and see to our own needs during prep times.
“Of course you do. Who wouldn’t like this?” Lyall said with an exaggerated arrogance, spreading his arms wide while glancing down at his scrumptious body.
I burst out laughing, relieved that he was reverting back to his irreverent self.
“Indeed, who wouldn’t?” I echoed mockingly.
“Come. Let’s take you back to that Sanctum,” Lyall said, taking my hand as he led me outside of the room onto its private patio.
He handed the bag to me, and I put the strap over my head so that it would dangle sideways on my hip. Simultaneously, I watched with fascination as my companion shifted back into his Gharlakan form. Once more, I marveled at just what a powerful being he was. He easily measured nine feet in that form.
Unable to resist, I reached for his chest and gently caressed the soft fur that covered it. Lyall turned his hybrid fox-bird facetowards me. Knowing that he could see me despite this creature not possessing eyes made it a bit freakish. To my surprise, Lyall leaned forward and carefully rubbed his temple against mine, marking me with his scent.
Normally, I instinctively rebelled when a man attempted to display any form of ownership over me. But being claimed like this by this specific man had a pleasant fuzzy feeling settling in my chest. He picked me up with care and cradled me firmly but gently in his massive arms before taking flight.
I feasted my eyes on the breathtaking landscape of Nephilim Valley. As I slept through our journey here due to the poison coursing through my veins at the time, I had missed out on all that beauty. Or rather, due to Lyall knocking me out to keep me from casting healing spells that would instead accelerate the progression of the poison. I was so taken by the view that I forgot to eat. Lyall’s telepathic voice resonating in my head reminded me to feed myself.
I retrieved a sandwich from the bag and all but wolfed it down. Until now, I hadn’t realized how hungry I actually was. When I offered one to Lyall—not that it would have done much for a creature his size—he shook his head. By the way his massive chest vibrated against me, I assumed he was chuckling. To my delight, he described some of the landmarks we flew past and gave some insights into the various people and creatures who lived in the area. This truly was a secret paradise. Who would have thought the Shadow Realms harbored this type of safe havens?
But a glowing light around a swirling darkness in the distance reclaimed my attention. I realized it was one of the many portals connecting the two realms. I had never seen one before, although I’d heard of their existence.
“Fear not, Eleni. It is safe. I will not let any harm come to you.”
I’d never been the skittish type, but his words alleviated the fear I hadn’t even realized had insidiously wormed its way into my heart. I snuggled deeper into him and caught myself holding my breath as he dashed forward into the swirling shadows contained within the circular frame covered in glowing runes the likes I’d never seen before. My stomach lurched like when riding a boat rocked by massive waves, and then we were on the other side within barely a second.
