Page 111 of Faerie Hunted

Time blurred, and only the increasingly nagging ache in my limbs reminded me of the journey. There were too many blank places in my head for me to feel comfortable.

What would I do without another Band-aid from Barbara?

Livvy finished her shower quickly enough and exited the bathroom with a belch of steam. Her long hair trailed down her spine and she’d wrapped a towel around her midsection. There were still dark circles under her eyes but she looked refreshed.

“Your turn.”

“Okay, thanks.”

The strangeness of the situation wasn’t lost on me. We were alone together after she beat the crap out of Uncle Will.

We passed each other and I made sure to keep a few inches of space between us. Shock rippled through me when Livvy reached out to brush her fingers against my elbow and stop me in place.

“We’ll need to talk,” she said in a low voice. “Soon. About…everything.”

The conversation was a long time coming, but thinking about it brought a sinking sensation to my stomach. I could only nod, holding my breath, waiting for her to drop her hold.

She did and I walked stiff-legged into the bathroom.

The first hits of hot water on my skin were a godsend.

I’d never felt anything this amazing before. The pulsing spray crashed over my shoulders and although the tightness remained, at least the layers of filth from traveling quickly washed down the drain.

Steam filled the tiny bathroom by the time I finished. In the bedroom, Livvy lay underneath the sheets.

“I cleaned your clothes for you,” came her soft muttered tone. “A quick spell.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it. Will you teach me?”

She let out a breathy laugh. “One of these days, Tavi, I will teach you everything I know. And you will surpass us all.”

I quickly clenched down on my teeth to keep from saying anything else. And when she began to snore, I knew I'd made the right choice by not engaging. I brought my clothes into the bathroom, scrubbing the towel over my skin to dry before sliding back into my pants.

The last thing I wanted to do was get dressed but it didn’t feel comfortable sleeping in my underwear in front of Livvy. Not yet.

Three quick raps at the door, loud enough to be intentional. I glanced over to Noren but he’d curled up on the end of Livvy’s bed with his snout tucked underneath his tail. If he wasn’t alarmed…

Mike stood on the other side with one finger pressed to his lips and the other crooked to follow him. Shit, just looking at him took every molecule of air from my lungs.

He’d had the same idea as the rest of us. Wet tendrils of hair curled around his pointed ears and his eyes were shadowed but clear, alert. Watching me as he waited for my answer. I cocked my hip to the side and leaned heavily on the door.

“Why do you want me to be quiet?” I whispered.

He rolled his eyes. “Just come with me,” he hissed back. “I’m stealing you away for a talk.”

Whatever he wanted to do to me, I’d let him. Heat curled in my lower abdomen at the thought before I glanced behind me at Livvy’s sleeping form. There were plenty of other things I considered doing with Mike besides talking but?—

I bobbed my head and let the door swing shut behind me.

He reached to take my hand, drawing me down the hallway to his room and pushing open the door. Laina was nowhere to be seen. The double beds rested against the far wall underneath three windows, their curtains already drawn shut.

When he turned to face me, his features twisted in a relaxed half smile, a piece of me swooned and the tension in my chest relaxed inch by inch. His eyes got me every time. Without fail.

Yup,that was the face I remembered from the first night I met him.

On the side of the road with my broken-down car and a stranger offering to help. I liked to believe our paths crossed for a reason but I still wasn’t sure what the reason could be besides love.

My heart skipped a beat. “What’s going on?” I wrapped my arms around my torso but I wasn’t cold.

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