“Wake up,” he says softly. A warm hand rubs my back, his touch as comforting as his voice, like soft waves nipping at bare summer toes. “Wake up, Miss Avery. Open your eyes, love…”
“No!” I jolt awake with a gasp, awareness slamming back into me from all sides.
Another fucking nightmare.
I’m lying in Jude’s bed—naked, per his request, the sheet clutched to my chest, my heart pounding. My bare back is exposed to the gargoyle currently tracing gentle circles down my spine with the tips of his claws.
Goddess, that feels so good…
“Jude,” I breathe, smiling as I turn to face him.
“No, love,” he says. “It’s me, I’m afraid.”
It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust in the darkness. “Draegan?”
Draegan jerks back abruptly—a kid caught with a hand in the cookie jar.
“What are you doing in here?” I hiss, then immediately regret it.
Shit. I didn’t mean to sound so harsh, but… I’m naked. In Jude’s bed. And Draegan is sitting on the edge of it as if my skin suddenly burned him, and now he’s just staring mutely at my…
Awesome.
Hello,boobs. I see we’re just hanging out there now, bobbing around for all the world to see!
I yank the sheet up to my neck and glare at him, but do you think the broody beast will actuallyadmithe’s acting like a grade-A weirdo? Ha! I’ve got a better chance of sprouting wings and a tail and declaringmyselfa gargoyle.
“Considering this is my home, Miss Avery,” he snaps, folding his arms across his chest and turning his nose up in the air, “I’m free to enter any room as I see fit. Perhaps I should be askingyouthe questions.”
I didn’t see him at all last night—haven’t seen him once since he carried me up to his bed after what shall forever be known as the Night of a Thousand Finger-Bangs, andthisis what he’s leading with? Attitude and evasion?
Still clutching the sheet to my chest, I sit up and make a show of bowing my head. You know, to really send the message home. “Oh, by all means, yourlordship. Ask away. I live to serve you, especially when you wake me out of a dead sleep for no other reason than to harass me.”
He scoffs at me, but his anger fades quickly, his eyes filling with concern and—if I’m not mistaken—tenderness.
That, more than anything, sets off my alarms.
“What is it?” I ask, dropping the snark. “What’s wrong? Is it Jude? Did he find Metal and—”
“Jude’s fine.” He turns away from me to give me a bit of privacy, his wings slumping. “Wedidfind Nesterman—at home in Bayside with his girlfriend. A witch by the name of Kelly.”
I swallow hard. “Did Jude…”
I don’t need to finish the sentence.
“Oh, he wanted to. Took some monumental threats on my part to keep him from waltzing in there and causing a bloodbath. Can’t say I blame him—Nesterman inspires violence in us all.”
“So what happens next?”
“We’re not sure yet. We’re going to discuss it with Rook later—see what other intel he’s come up with from those cell phones.” Draegan sighs. “Jude promised to behave himself. I just hope he can last another night.”
“I’ll talk to him.”
He nods, then glances at me over his shoulder. “Still having nightmares, then?”
“Unfortunately, yes.” I press a hand to my chest. My heart is still slamming against my ribs, the last of Zorakkov’s tendrils not quite ready to recede from my mind.
“It would seem your ‘nocturnal reframing’ efforts aren’t going so well,” he teases, finally getting a smile out of me.
