I nodded, my arms wrapping around my body to stop myself from reaching for him again. “Back to the car?”
“No. Too dangerous.”
His gaze flicked toward the tree line, his jaw tightening. He shoved something into my arms, and I realized it was the backpack. I quickly put it back on, hugging the precious cargo to my chest.
“I’m flying us.”
“To Darlington? Carrying me?”
“What? You don’t think I’m strong enough?” he asked with mock offense, and I realized that the playful tone was him trying to keep me distracted.
Before I could protest, his arms were around me, lifting me effortlessly against his chest. “You’re light as a feather. I can carry you all night, Trouble.”
And that had me thinking of other things he could be doing all night.
He groaned. “I can smell your lust. Try to keep that down, will you? Unless you want to distract me midair.”
I glared at him, anger rising that he’d made it seem like I was the one hounding after him when he’d just kissed me senseless. Infuriating man!
But before I could snap back, his wings unfurled, the membrane catching the moonlight. I had a moment of vertigo as the ground fell away beneath us, and the wind whipped my hair into my face.
Heart pounding, I clutched at his shoulders, watching the forest disappear beneath us.
Chapter 10
Graham
Flyingbywingtookquite a bit longer than I’d estimated, and by the time I landed in Desmon’s courtyard, it was already dawn. My arms were numb from carrying her, and my wings felt like lead. But I couldn’t take a break, considering I’d made it sound like it would be a breeze.
Ah, the consequences of my pride.
Meera had fallen asleep in my arms early on in our trip, and she made the cutest snoring sounds.
I couldn’t believe I’d kissed her. And I couldn’t believe how much I’d enjoyed it. And the worst part? I tried to dig up the guilty feelings by recalling Seraphina’s face and the desperation in her eyes as she pleaded with me to save her from marriage to her father’s friend. And when that failed. I focused on the anger and betrayal instead, when I’d realized the duplicitous female had only been using me.
I reminded myself that caring about any member of the distaff would only be a weakness. But nothing worked. The image of the long-dead woman wouldn’t stay. It kept fading, being replaced by a certain snarky little female. A troublemaker brave enough to try to brain me with a lock.
It was infuriating.
“We’re here,” I said as I landed.
Meera stretched electrically against me before I let her down.
We were cornered immediately by a giant golem.
It loomed over us, a monstrous construct of clay and jagged stone. Its limbs were thick and heavy, and its chest bore the crude imprint of a sigil that glowed faintly. Its face was almost featureless, just two hollow pits dug into the clay where eyes should have been.
Unlike gargoyles, golems were shaped from earth, clay, and other inanimate material, given the semblance of life throughmagic. They weren’t actually alive, though: consider it magical animation for a purpose. Once their purpose was complete, they turned back into whatever they’d been made out of. From my experience working with them over the centuries, they truly did not have any emotions or higher thinking.
They didn’t breathe, or eat, or sleep. And that made them ideal as guards. They couldn’t be distracted or paid off. They wanted nothing but to do their job. But they were also easier to outsmart because they lacked true autonomy and followed preset instructions.
This one recognized me, but not Meera. And they were programmed to stop anyone who made it through the gates and the magical wards. Meera wasn’t supposed to be here, and must’ve triggered the alarm. I really should have given Desmon or Seth a call before flying directly into the courtyard.
“Stay behind me,” I said, making myself as big as possible and spreading my wings to block her from the golem’s line of sight.
“What’s going on?” Meera whispered.
“It doesn’t recognize you. I’ll get Desmon to call it off.”
