“Most people don’t learn this particular lesson until they’re eating painkillers like candy and permanently strapping on the heating pad.” She comes around behind me and wraps her hands around my shoulders. “May I?”
“Do you worst.”
She squeezes hard enough to make me sit uprealstraight, then lightens the pressure, slowly working her way up the sides of my neck, then back down, kneading the muscles between my wings with her knuckles and thumbs.
“You’re one big knot, Rook.”
“At this rate? Not for long.” It’s taking everything in me not to moan at her expert maneuvering. “Damn, you’ve got strong hands for such a little witch.”
“Just tell me if I’m doing it too hard.”
“Not possible.”
I reach for my peppermint mocha, enjoying a deep drink, enjoying everything about this moment, really. It’s sheer perfection—all of it. The crackling fire, the birds fluttering around the rafters, her warm, firm touch, the soft breath stirring my hair, her eager little grunts as she works those knots out of my muscles…
Fuck.
No wonder the others can’t keep their hands off her.
“You okay, professor?”
“Mmm. More than okay. Keep this up, Wild West, and you’re going to put me to sleep in no time.”
“Is that such a terrible thing?”
“It is when we’ve got a dangerous, bloodthirsty demon to assess and a stolen Codex to disarm.” I sigh, the temporary perfection already fading. “I also promised Jude and Auggie I’d rig up a few more magic-dampener cuffs for their… mission.”
Shit.I didn’t mean to bring up the stuff about her past. But before I can apologize for sticking my big clawed foot into my big dumb mouth, she says, “It’s okay, Rook. I know the guys told you about what happened to me.”
I nod, no point denying it. “I was only able to track down two out of the three ringleaders so far, but don’t worry. I’ll get the last guy soon, and from there, we’ll find every single one of the assholes involved.”
“That’s a lot of dampener cuffs.” She laughs. “Too bad they’re mages and not fae. We could send some Midnight’s Lullaby.”
“Not to worry. Your man Rook has crafted the perfect cuff, unbeatable by any mage or witch for a hundred years running.”
She lets out another laugh, but once again the moment—in that sneaky way of all moments—slips away.
With a deep sigh, she says, “You’re working around the clock on all this research and tech stuff. Draegan’s trying to keep the Archmage off our trail, not to mention fending off that asshole investigator. Jude and Auggie are gearing up to hunt down those mages…”
“And we’d do it all a thousand times over if it meant keeping you safe.”
“I know. It’s just… You’re all risking so much for me, and I’m… I don’t know. I want to help, too.”
“Youarehelping. Right now, for example, you’re keeping your chief researcher in top form.”
“An important job, to be sure,” she says, increasing the pressure on a particularly stubborn knot. “But you know what I mean. I feel like I should be more involved.”
“Jude told me you’re going with them tomorrow. I don’t think you can get much more involved than that.”
“I was planning on it, but now… I’m not so sure.”
“Change of heart?”
“Draegan’s worried I’ll distract them and screw the whole thing up, possibly putting everyone at risk. He didn’t exactly give me a chance to tell him I agree with him on this, but… yeah. He’s right. If I’m there, Jude and Auggie will be more focused on keeping me safe than on getting the job done, and that’s how mistakes happen. So as much as I’m dying to see the look in those bastards’ eyes when Jude goes all… well,Judeon their asses, I think it’s best if I let the guys handle it alone.”
I try not to sigh in relief. “Good call.”
“Besides,” she says, her voice brightening, “Jude might decide to bring them back here to his workshop, and if he does? I’ll volunteer to be his assistant. Win-win, right?”
