“No weapons, magic, fangs, or claws to be used to cause damage to the rooms, or other guests,” he said politely. “Doing so will cause a violation. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
A beep, the wall panels to his right opening.
“Your lift, ma’am.”
Rae frowned, the lift operated by a small women in yet another black suit. “What about the…”
The receptionist held out a gold card.
“Key,” Rae finished. “Thank you.”
He didn’t nod, or acknowledge her expression. “Enjoy your stay, Mrs Liu Wood.”
She was too tired to correct him.
The lift barely fit all three of them, Titus pressing himself between her and the small, straight-faced woman. The card was metallic in her hand, a mirrored finish with the number thirteen scratched in the centre.
“Lucky number thirteen,” Rae whispered, amused as she waited until the lift stopped before stepping out. The woman hadn’t made a sound, her back ramrod straight the entire time. The corridor was much the same as the atrium, the wallpaper white with beige stripes, the doorframes all edged in even more gold. The sconces were the only other colour, a matt black that faced each room.
The door clicked open when Rae pressed the card against the little infrared box, revealing a four-poster bed, chaise lounge and dressing table. Candles were placed on the end, three tall, twisted columns with crackling flames.
“What a surprise,” she muttered as Titus pushed past to check it out, his wing tucked neatly to his side. “More gold.”
Locking the door behind her, Rae took in the room, the colour scheme warm, and comforting. Titus jumped on the bed, three of his seven tails wrapping around the wooden frame. Her body continued to gently shake, goosebumps pricking down her arms.
“Are you going to stay like that the whole time?” she asked him, checking out the side where he’d ripped his wing clean off. There was no evidence of anything beneath his fur, no mark or wound that she could see. “Because if you are, you can sleep on the floor.”
She dropped his rucksack by the door before turning her back, checking out the bathroom, the bath big enough to fit a football team, with luxurious bubble baths, soaps and shampoos presented on the side. She caught her reflection in the mirror above the sink, her makeup smeared, but not too terrible. Her hair had started to curl as it dried, and there was a slight cut on her cheekbone as well as one on her lip. She sure as hell didn’t look like she’d fallen from a cliff, and then almost drowned.
Reaching down her side she found the zipper, easing it down the teeth. The fabric sagged at her waist, sodden, uncomfortable. Wiggling it down her hips, she stepped out of the dress, leaving her in nothing but a thong and her pendant. It glistened blue, beautiful with the adjoining stones as it lay flat against her skin. She tried to remove it from her throat, but it didn’t matter what angle she tried, an invisible block stopped her.
She wasn’t sure why she’d never tried before, years of wearing the pendant and chain, and not once had she wanted to remove it, a gift from the person who’d loved her unconditionally and without motivation.
Dropping the pendant, it landed just above her sternum, the guild mark almost black, her time essentially up.
“Beautiful.”
Rae flicked her eyes up, catching Titus in the reflection. He’d changed back to the man, leaning against the doorjamb, a living work of art with his arms crossed. His wing arched high above his shoulder, the muscles strained as he held it poised.
“Turn around.”
She debated on disobeying, but decided she needed to see him properly, to convince herself he really was alright. His eyes remained on her face, her nipples pebbling at the hunger etched across his features. He didn’t move, staying exactly where he was.
“I thought you’d died.” She swept her gaze across his body, finding nothing but perfect, unbroken, tattooed skin. Not even a single mark.
His mouth curved, and she realised his lip, as well as his nose rings were missing. “You think I would let anything but you kill me?”
“You can’t do that again.” Rae held her pendant between her fingers, hard enough to sting. “You can’t make me feel things and then almost die.”
He finally moved, and she found she’d held her breath until his palm cupped her jaw. “You drive me crazy,” he whispered against her skin, lips brushing along her shoulder. “Who would have thought I would jump off a cliff for a woman who’s tried to kill me three times.”
“Four,” she said. “Don’t make it five.”
A chuckle against her throat, teeth biting down as his hand swept up her side to cup her breast. “I haven’t felt fear like that since I was a child. The utter terror of watching you fall, so much so that I grew fucking wings.”
Rae brushed her hand across a few feathers, Titus flinched at her touch, pulling away until her fingers dropped. “Let me see.”
