“But we don’t know what’s happening, so let’s move faster,” Kiegan said over his shoulder, then reached for me as if he might pick me up for the sake of speed.
I went up all eight flights of stairs faster than I ever had before.
When we reached the landing, Bismyth’s door yawned open. A few Obsidian shifters, hands bound in their laps, sat with their backs against the wall. Their expressions suggested they’d weighed their options and found them limited. Asrael was watching them, sword in hand, and I felt a thrill of relief seeing him standing.
There was a smear of blood in the doorway.
“Not Bismyth,” Asrael assured us shortly.
I raced through the doorway, looking for Fear. Behind me I could hear their conversation even over the rush of blood through my ears.
Kiegan asked, “How many?”
Asrael answered, “There were eight that came through the door. More through the windows. If Fear had needed anyone to help him fight, they would’ve been able to search more rooms.” A wry, proud note in his voice. “But it was only eight Obsidian shifters. And he had Rees, anyway.”
Plaster crunched under my boots; there were gouges in the walls that were roughly shifter-shaped. More blood in the hall.
I came around the corner of Fear’s room.
His room was chaos.
But Fear was crouched in the midst of it, unharmed. He looked up, his face brightening when he saw me, and he shot to his feet. Then I was in his arms.
“Are you all right?” I put my hand to his cheek, examining his face. He looked unharmed. Untouched.
Eight?
His lips ticked up at the sides. “I’d happily let them beat me to see you look at me like this.”
I pulled a face. “I can’t stand you.”
“Hasn’t been true yet, wife.” Then his lips were on mine. His arm wrapped my waist, lifting me up so I could reach his lips. I wrapped my legs around his waist and kissed him back, my hands digging into his shoulders to steady myself.
He bent his head, still chasing kisses, as he set me on his feet. His hands lingered on my hips. For a moment, the room seemed as if it revolved around us, bright and glittering, before I came back to my senses. I’d forgotten Maura’s accusations when I thought Fear could be hurt, but now the glint of gold on one of the bedposts reminded me of how he had once hidden coins in my room.
Still breathless, I told him, “I’ll help you set this mess to rights.”
“No need,” he said.
“It’s our room,” I reminded him, and his lips parted in a wider smile. “But only if you let me.”
He caught my hand in his and pulled it to his lips. “I’d be honored.”
I knelt beside the bed to pick up the other necklaces that had been broken, snatched off by an impatient hand for no reason but destruction. The slick chains slid through my closed fist and pooled on the floor as I glanced around, wondering where Fear would’ve kept the coin or if the evidence had been stolen, if it even existed.
Fear was picking up each of his books and smoothing ripped pages. “I’m not sure if they really thought there was something hidden in here or if Obsidian was taking a moment to get revenge.”
“They must have known the knife could hardly be hidden in the pages.” I leapt to my feet, fear wild in my chest. How had I forgotten it in my worries for Fear?
“The knife!”
“It’s all right. Ander has it.”
I frowned at his broad shoulders as he set a stack of books carefully on their shelf again. “Why does Ander have it?”
He cast an arm to indicate the room. It was a difficult argument to contest. “Don’t worry. Ander will hold it for safekeeping and deliver it when you need it.”
I wanted to demand why he hadn’t asked me, but I set it aside, given Obsidian would’ve had the knife in their hands if he’d delayed.
