A surge of shame sours my gut. “You know I’d never let you go back there alone.”
Her eyes snap open, irritation clear on her face. “It's not really up to you toletme do anything, is it?”
Though it might be an idiotic move, I reach for her hand. She doesn’t pull away, though nor does she squeeze my fingers back when I wrap them around hers.
“I know. But if you’re going, I’m going, star. Unless you can seal the Veil and keep me from following, there’s nothing in any of the thirteen realms that could stop me.”
Her eyes narrow, as if she’s seriously contemplating whether she might know some bit of magick that could do exactly that, but eventually she sighs.
“Well, whatever I decide, I’m not going there tonight. Alright if we crash back at your place and talk about it again after a good night of sleep?”
“Alright,” I agree, and something deep and primal inside me purrs its satisfaction that even though she might not be happy with me right now, my mate is still willing to let me offer her a safe place to rest her head.
Even if I don’t deserve it, I’m not going to pass up another night with my witch.
The two of us leave the vehicle—cloaked in a protection spell to render it invisible—and head back into the darkness of the coven woods toward the Veil and whatever might wait for us on its other side.
35
Seren
The walk through the woods is as silent as the last couple of hours Callum and I spent in my car.
Not a companionable silence. Not a comfortable one.
He’s made his position about going back to Faerie clear, and I think he knows where I stand.
There are too many reasons it makes sense to go.
I’ve never been a very altruistic person—and certainly, the reasons I have for wanting to face the fae queen again aren’t entirely selfless—but between the fact that we may have enough to win the bounty, and the added benefit of stopping a hoard of hunters from trying to get into the human realm, I think we’ve got enough reason to at least try.
But Callum’s obviously not convinced.
He’s not being entirely honest with me, either, about his reasons for being in this hunt. Even though I let it go last time when we still barely knew each other, now I want to know.
Maybe I still don’t have the right to know, but… damn it. I want to know.
All of it has me in a mood as we approach the edge of the wards.
A good night of sleep will probably make it better.
Especially a good night of sleep in Callum’s big, comfortable, fur-covered bed. With him curled around me, of course.
Even if I’m a little mad at him, I’m still only human.
“Glamour,” I say, holding out my hand.
He slips his ring off and transforms. Wings stretching behind him, tail whipping off what I’m sure isn’t the most pleasant of sensations after wearing the glamour that long, I’m thankful to have my demon back.
“I’ll keep it safe until we get to your place,” I tell him, slipping it into one of my bag’s secure pockets. “And I don’t think Angelique wants it back. You can keep it for if…”
For if you ever need to come back to this realm.
Willhe ever need to come back to this realm?
In the rush of the last few days and the way we’ve fallen so easily together, it’s strange to realize we haven’t talked about any of it. Not what happens after. Not what any kind of future might look like.
After the hunt, I remind myself. We’ll talk about it after the hunt.
