Leth’s breath hitches. “Evain.”
Eyes ablaze, Evain steps easily from the array. Swirling shadows still obscure the rest of the world. Leth’s gaze climbs with his approach, forced to look up as the distance between them vanishes. Evain removes his right glove, and when he reaches out, Leth doesn’t flinch away from the claws tracing the line of his jaw. Desire burns between them, and Evain leans down to claim Leth’s lips.
He doesn’t need any runes to bind him to Leth. Just this.
?
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
LETH
Leth never wants to forget the sight of Evain responding to his summoning. Eyes burning crimson, hair swirling in the wind. Nothing hidden, more beautiful than ever, his aura spills out to oppress the very air around them. His presence should fill Leth with fear or revulsion—but all Leth feels is relief.
And desire. Evain’s kiss burns away all Leth’s uncertainty. Evain’s tongue sweeps between his lips, warm and wet against Leth’s. With a desperate groan, he tastes Evain’s sharp teeth. Arousal ignites his blood. Every nerve in his body sings as Evain’s lips move against his.
Evain’s tenderness is inescapable. Clutching Evain’s coat, Leth rises on his toes as Evain grabs his arms. His waist. Evain’s claws never pierce his skin.
Then Evain cups his ass with both hands and squeezes. Leth whimpers into the kiss, and whimpers again when Evain lifts him. As the ground disappears from beneath his feet, Leth’s legs instinctively hook over Evain’s hips.
The strength in Evain’s arms, easily holding him up, is almost as exhilarating as the feel of Evain’s cock hot and hard against his.
Leth can’t see if any of Anton’s soldiers are still in the destroyed campsite. The whirling shadows of the summoning are dispersing, but Leth is too preoccupied with Evain to pay attention. He’s too enraptured to care about anything else—if Evain wants to fuck him right here, right now, he’ll gladly give himself. He wants far more than that from Evain, after all.
If Evain is willing. For all Evain’s promises, Leth may still be asking too much of him.
Evain breaks away with a final kiss to the corner of his mouth. “You’re hurt.”
I’m fine,Leth almost says on reflex. But he’s tired of pretending to be fine. Pressing his forehead into Evain’s neck, he inhales the familiar cinnamon and smoke scent. “I shouldn’t have left you.”
“I want to agree, but I remember you had a pretty compelling reason to leave me.” Evain’s arms tighten around him. “You know I’m still a demon, right? How’s your memory?”
“I know what you are.” Leth’s memory is sharp, but he’s not thinking about the last time they parted. He’s thinking about carved silver pendants, ravenous kisses, and a paper-wrapped pill forced on a cranky, fevered witch. Eyes stinging, Leth inhales once more. “Set me down?”
“I don’t want to,” Evain says, but he returns Leth’s unsteady feet to the ground nonetheless.
Leth’s heart sinks as he recognizes their surroundings. Javius was right; that’s the half-arched gate of the summoning chapel to their west. The snow-scoured roof cuts sharp angles against the sky. If Javius was truthful about everything, Anton’s in there. But he doesn’t have a sacrifice ready anymore, so dealing with him can wait another minute.
The campsite around them is destroyed and deserted. The closest tents were crushed and scattered by the force of the summoning, and remnants of campfires smolder out in the snow. There are signs of retreat to the north. Leth doesn’t know if they’re truly fleeing or just circling around.
As Leth looks around, Evain pushes up Leth’s left sleeve and inspects his cuts, accidental and intentional alike. Transformation shivers through his bare hand, and Evain’s fingernails are blunt and human when he touches broken skin. “Tell me who hurt you.”
The soothing touch keeps Leth grounded. “I was stupid, and you were right. Anton’s trying to summon that demon, but sacrificing one of his soldiers wasn’t enough. When I showed up, he decided family would work better.”
Evain’s eyes blaze red.
“That’s not the important part,” Leth says.
“I rather think it is.” Despite his fury, Evain’s hands remain gentle around Leth’s arms.
“Anton isn’t strong enough to control a demon like that. I have to stop him, or more people will get hurt.” Leth takes a deep breath. “But I’m not strong enough either.”
“There are rope burns on your wrists.” Evain’s gaze is shuttered and dark. “Would you be terribly mad if I slit your brother’s throat?”
That probably shouldn’t sound as seductive as it does.
“You said this demon was beyond both of us.” Leth touches Evain’s neck, leaving bloody fingerprints. “But that’s with you unbound, and me without a contract.”
Evain grabs his hand, heedless of the blood. A tremor passes between them. “Don’t tease me like this, Leth.”
