“Thisisto keep you safe, Eva.” He nodded toward the pepper spray. “I need to speak to the fae to find out what they know, but I want you by my side. It’s the safest place for you.”
“And what about Anya and Sarah?” From my perch on the stool at the kitchen island, I had a clear view of where my roommates had set up camp in the middle of Caim’s loft. They’d commandeered the sofa and had piled it high with blankets, pillows, and snacks. I’d thought I’d be joining them in their quest to binge all theLord of the Ringsmovies tonight. I’d even changed into a plaid onesie.
“Phenex won’t let them out of his sight.”
“And if that’s good enough for my roommates, then that’s good enough for me. If you don’t think it’s safe for me here, then—”
“There’s more to it than that,” he said roughly.
I lifted my brows. “What do you mean?”
He leaned across the marble-topped counter and wrapped his warm hand around mine. His touch shot electric fire through my veins, momentarily distracting me from the conversation. We hadn’t had a moment alone together since this whole ordeal had begun. The taste of his lips felt like a distant dream.
“That orb did something to you, Eva. And I think it’s time we found out exactly what that was.”
I shuddered and pulled back. “Yeah, it somehow infused my blood with its magic.”
“Maybe so, but that shouldn’t have worked.”
“Whether or not itshouldhave worked doesn’t matter, does it? In the end, it did work. And now we have to find a way to deal with it.”
His eyes flickered with darkness. There was something more he wasn’t saying. Frowning, I cocked my head at him. “What?”
“I’m not sure,” he murmured, sighing as he ran his fingers through his dark strands. He cast a glance across the apartment, his gaze landing on Valac, who gave him a quick shake of his head and a shrug. “Something isn’t right, but I don’t know what it is. Neither does Valac.”
Chill bumps stormed across my arms. “You think the orb did more to me than just infuse my blood with its powers, don’t you? But what?”
It was a thought that had crossed my mind. The orb itself had only been a part of the spell needed to transform a human into a demon. Plus, there was something odd going on with me. My memories flickered in and out. My entire body ached. And yet the inflammation was down, according to Dr. Wilkes.
None of it made much sense.
“I don’t know.” He rounded the island and gathered me into his arms. My face pressed against his chest, and the thunder of his steady heartbeat grounded me in a way I hadn’t even known I’d needed. He was so sturdy, so certain, so calming, even as his touch brought to life a flame of heat in my core.
“We’re going to find out, Eva. That I can promise you.”
* * *
Halfway to the ‘faerie court,’ it occurred to me that I could use this situation to my advantage. My boss wanted a scoop? Looked like I was going to be able to give her one. I was heading straight into the world of the fae. Maybe I could get enough evidence to steer the story away from the cult and everything that went along with it.
Caim filled me in on the court lifestyle as we sat in the back of his sleek black car. The fae lived in their own little pocket of the city, and they mostly liked to keep to themselves. They weren’t too fond of demons. Or vampires. The only supes they didn’t hate were werewolves because they tended to prefer nature to steel.
In the past, the fae had helped the Legion. But they never did anything for free. Much like demons, they traded in deals. If they did a favor for us, and gave us the information we needed, they’d ask for something in return.
Often at the most inopportune moment.
“Let me take the lead,” Caim said as we climbed out of the car, along with Bael and Phenex. Stolas and Valac had hung back to protect the apartment. I’d argued for Phenex to stay with Anya and Sarah, but he wasn’t having it.
“I’m not letting you out of my sight,” he’d grunted. And that had been that. There was no arguing with Phenex.
“That sounds like a nice way of saying, ‘Keep your mouth shut.’” I lifted my brow.
“I don’t want them to trick you into agreeing to something,” he said with a frown. “They’re more clever than you think.”
“I think I can handle myself.”
“’Course you can.” Phenex chuckled, turning to Caim. “I really do like this girl.”
Caim shot him a glare. “Well, then you’re not going to be happy when the fae trick her into stabbing you in the heart.”
