Page 83 of Princess Claimed

I’m boneless. Every muscle in my body was a participant in that massive climax, and none of them have an ounce of energy left.

“If you three are done,” a voice says. “We’ve got news to share.”

News? Whose voice is that? Flame? Is that Flame? Is Flame here? Where is here?

My eyes shift away from Phil’s, and I collapse against the mattress, sinking in at least a foot.

Phil’s fingers exit me, and shifting to sit against the headboard he gathers my limp body into his arms. “What’s going on?”

Chapter

Thirty-Two

Ana

“Absolutely not.” Standing firm, I fight to contain the trembling erupting from every cell in my body. Phil can’t be serious.

“Not a chance,” I say. “It’s far too dangerous.” And if anything happens to Phil, I’ll die too.

“I’ve made up my mind.” Phil’s posture is rigid, and he won’t look me in the eyes.

“My mind’s made up too.” I resist simultaneous urges to punch him and wrap my arms around him, even though I doubt either action would convince Phil to get on this private plane to Romania with the rest of us. He waited until the very last moment to spring this on me.

“Respectfully,” Crusher interjects, bowing slightly, “whether Phil goes or not isn’t your choice.”

“But it’s not safe.”

“I’ll be fine.” Phil’s voice is deep and powerful, fitting his stubborn determination, but his eyes emote much more. This separation, however brief, will hurt him too.

And he has logical reasons to stay behind. Logical and sacrificial and brave.

Blade thinks that the stab wound Phil suffered, while saving me from Rasputin, marked Phil in some way. Marked him in a way that lets the demon track him.

And because of that, Phil plans to stay here in America, acting as bait, while I take Blade to the vampiric palace to continue his research on demons. This plan is insane and beyond dangerous, and nerves have been icing my guts since the second I heard it. Phil didn’t tell me his plan, until we were on the tarmac about to board the plane. If I’d known, I never would have arranged the flight.

“You staying behind is unnecessary,” I argue, moving off the danger tactic. “We don’t even know if the demon survived. Or if he’s still in this…in this realm?” I glance toward Blade to confirm I correctly described what he’s told me about demons so far.

“That argument just solidifies my point,” Phil counters. “If the demon’s gone, me staying behind is super low risk.”

I frown. “Baiting a demon isn’t low risk.” I’m the one who’s felt the demon’s cruelty, although I’m still not positive how much of that was the demon and how much was Rasputin.

Crooking his finger, Phil tips up my chin and finally looks into my eyes. “I took the demon down once, my love. I can do it again.” His confidence calms me. Plus, he called me, ‘my love,’ in front of the others, and that helps to thaw some of my iced-up nerves. So does looking into his eyes. Phil truly believes that he’ll be safe. That we’ll see each other again, and soon. If he didn’t believe that he’d never leave me. I let myself bathe in his confidence.

“For this plan to work,” Blade breaks the silence. “We’ve got to act quickly. The demon may have already followed Phil to New York.” He runs his hand over his head. “If we have any chance of using Phil to keep the demon from Ana, we need to get some distance between you two. Besides, the sooner I get to the palace archives, the sooner we find out what kind of demon we’re dealing with.”

Blade’s words slice through the blanket of confidence and safety wrapped around me. Nothing about this is safe.

“What if the demon can track me too?” I scramble for more arguments against Phil’s plan. “What if the demon follows me to the palace, instead of following Phil?”

“We have no reason to think the demon can track you.” Blade softly touches my arm. “But if it can, that’s yet another reason you two shouldn’t be in the same place.”

I flinch. The demon tracking me is something I’ve never fully considered. And the idea of a long separation from Phil…

“Are you saying Phil and I can’t ever be in the same place?” Glaring at Blade, I shake my head. “That’s not going to happen.”

“Not forever.” Phil gives me a look of reassurance.

“Just until we’re sure what’s going on,” Blade adds.

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