“I never asked for your help!” I spat back, my fists curling. “Stuff your ego back into your pants, Farkas.”
“I have other ideas where I can stuff it.”
“Whoa-whoa.” Ash tried to push us apart, only able to move me a few steps back. “Take a breath... both of you.” His gaze bounced between us. “You two are going to have to address thisobvioussexual tension disguised as anger thing as soon as possible, but for the time being, it has to wait.” Ash glanced at the guard close by, his voice lowering. “I have an idea.”
“Fuck.” Warwick rubbed his face. “Those never turn out good.”
“Hey.” Ash pointed to him. “Don’t even start with me after all the shit you got me into. The number of times I should have died.”
“But you didn’t.” Warwick shrugged.
Ash glared at him until Warwick dipped his head, his lips twisting, likefair enough. Ash flicked his chin, his eyes moving to the soldiers. “Let’s go somewhere we can’t be overheard. Follow me.”
Tracking back up to the surface of the church, a weight pushed down on my bones, my head spinning, my heart pounding harder.
What the fuck was going on with me? So much had happened I hadn’t even had time to contemplate why I passed out earlier. Why did I keep feeling like my energy was being siphoned?
Clamoring out of the faux grave, my limp legs didn’t quite make the edge, and I tripped forward, my body falling toward the ground.
In a blink, Warwick whirled around, his arms grabbing me before I hit. He growled in my ear, tugging me into his chest, getting me on my feet. The feel of his solid warm frame, his heartbeat, the energy pulsed off him. It was like I could finally breathe, the weight gone.
“Is everything all right?” Ash slanted his head in worry.
“Y-yeah.” I tried to pull away from Warwick, but he didn’t let go. Peering up in his eyes, his brows furrowed like he was trying to sense the truth of my response or feel it.
“I’m fine.” I pushed his chest, his arms dropping away. The moment his hand left me, a force plowed into me. Voices filled my head so loud I started to black out, and bile choked up my throat.
“Kovacs.” Warwick grabbed for me again, taking most of my weight. “What the fuck is going on?” With his skin on mine, the darkness dissipated, and the muddled voices cleared away.
“It’s nothing.”
“Don’t give me that bullshit. You almost blacked out...again.” His teeth gritted, his hands gripping my biceps firmly. “I can feel you... you can’t fuckin’ lie to me. You passed out earlier up here.”
“I-I don’t know what’s happening to me.”
“I might.” Ash’s somber tone jerked both of our heads to him.
“What do you mean, you know?” Warwick grunted.
“I saidI mightknow,” Ash said to him, keeping his focus on me. “Keep holding on to her.” He moved up to me, his green eyes full of raw sexual energy and compassion. “Look around you, Brex.”
This was my second time up here, but for the first time, I fully took in the small Roman Catholic church. It had rounded doorways and gothic design, but it was not the structure that made this place unique.
“Holy shit.” My jaw dropped as I inhaled sharply.
Human bones were draped everywhere. Used as macabre art, thousands and thousands of bones were strung together like garland, dripping the room like streamers. Wall art made of femurs and skulls, sconces from a pelvis, a crest of rib bones. Every inch was covered, every part of a skeleton used. Skulls were piled from floor to ceiling or made into artistic statues. The most fascinating was a ghoulish chandelier, using every bone in the body, hanging in the middle. Chilling, but at the same time morbidly beautiful. Like it wasn’t just our faces or muscular torsos that made us beautiful but our framework, stripped and bare, with no costumes or facades to hide behind. The truth that we were all the same underneath it all created true beauty. Not one skull or bone showed you what race, sex, religion, social standing, or species they came from.
Fae or human. Sick or healthy. Woman or man.
We were all one here. The same.
Equal.
Joining together to create something beautiful.
“It’s... it’s amazing.” My head craned around, taking in every inch.
Ash smirked, amused by my answer. “Not surprised.”
