Page 62 of A Bond in Flames

CHAPTER19

Death

Growling,I rushed down the stairs, across the wide entrance hall, and into the kitchen. “Where is she?” I barked at Egon. I felt her close, but she wasn’t inside the castle.

He looked up from chopping vegetables and pointed his knife toward the door that led to the back garden. Of course that was where she was. My heart thumped wildly in my chest. She spent hours out there every week, tending her herbs; I should have known that was where she’d be. Still, my heart refused to slow until I saw her for myself.

Shoving the door open, I strode out to the gardens. The oxygen was punched from my lungs the moment I saw her.

She was on her hands and knees, her wild red hair tied back in a messy knot on top of her head. She was singing low, something I’d never heard before. The kind of music they probably listened to at the hellhounds’ compound or the wolf shifter keep or while she was with those twisted fucking crows. Where all those males no doubt watched her, wanting her.

My fingers curled into tight fists just thinking about their eyes on her.

Hemlock poked his head up from behind one of the bushy herbs, and Zinnia chuckled, making my heart fucking squeeze.

The last few nights had been unbearable. I told her I was punishing her for her carelessness over her safety, and I was, but it was me who was suffering. Especially since she was taking every opportunity to tempt me.

I rubbed at the ache in my chest. The thought of her leaving me in a week’s time for another month twisted my insides. Every time she came back, the month passed by faster than the last.

It always caused me pain when she left, but this time, above all others, felt the worst. So much had changed between us this last month, and I’d actually contemplated breaking our deal and forcing her to stay, but I never broke my word; it was part of the foundation of who I was. Not to mention, forcing her to stay would not only push her farther away from me, it would be breaking her trust, and she’d never forgive me.

I also could never hurt her in that way.

Biting back a groan, I took her in. My body had reacted to the sight of her instantly. Gods, I wanted to lift her from the garden, pull her into the small orchard behind it, and claim her all over again, but I couldn’t, not yet, not until she understood how important her safety was. She’d teased me about it again while we’d eaten dinner last night, making light of it. I didn’t know why she insisted on testing me, but if she made light of something so important, how could I trust her to heed my warnings?

She glanced up then, spotting me, and stood.

I strode toward her. She was irresistibly beautiful, and her soul, it shone through her eyes, so bright and warm. It was all I needed—those eyes on me, that glimpse of her soul—and I was home.

I was no longer alone.

I missed you.The words lingered on my tongue, but I didn’t speak them. I’d seen her less than an hour ago, but the way I felt about her, it surpassed love or any descriptive word for the emotion. What I felt for her surpassed explanation. “Your garden looks healthy,” I said instead of all the other things flying around my head and filling my heart.

“Checking up on me?” she said, dusting her hands off on her jeans.

Yes. “No. I was simply passing by and saw you.” She was looking at me as if she didn’t believe me. I brushed my hand over a particularly bushy plant. “So what’s this one for?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

No other being made me feel this mortal, or what I assumed it felt like to be mortal, than the female staring up at me, her lips quirked up on one side. The last three weeks, the shadows had receded more and more. It’d been so long, so long in the darkness, consumed by rage, I’d forgotten who I was. Until Zinnia. Until she drew me from the cloak and touched my soul.

“Do you really want to know? Or are you just trying to cover up that you were, in fact, checking up on me?”

She was making fun of me again, and I liked it. I was also interested. I was interested in every part of her. “I want to know.” Hemlock poked his head up again, squeaked, and lifted onto his back legs. I scooped him up. The tiny rat seemed to like me. Zinnia watched as I placed him on my shoulder, and he tucked himself in close, but she didn’t comment.

“Okay… well, this one here is licorice. I use it in a few of my healing tinctures. The root is good for an upset stomach, for example,” she said and pointed to the one beside it. “This one, on the other hand, will give you an upset stomach if used… irresponsibly.” She smirked. “So watch yourself, my lord, or you may find yourself making frequent and urgent visits to the bathroom.”

“Are you threatening me with diarrhea, little witch?” I said and fought a grin.

“Possibly.”

“Threatening your consort is never a good idea, especially when he’s a god.” I tilted my head to the side, studying her pretty lips. “Do you require more correction, do you think?”

Her face flushed, and my body heated with hers. “That would be a no, thank you.Correctiondoesn’t work on me. I have my own mind, and no amount of spanking from you will change it.”

“Apparently not.” I took a step closer. “It will make you come very hard, though, won’t it, Zinnia?”

She grinned wider. “Tell me, my lord, exactly how blue are your balls? Still planning on holding out to teach me a lesson, or have I been punished enough?”

She enjoyed mocking me, playing, teasing, and I liked that as well, even if I feared she didn’t take the reason behind my actions seriously. “My balls are fine, thank you, love. I have my hand and images of you riding my cock locked away in here.” I tapped the side of my head. “So I’ll survive just fine.” It was a lie. I was suffering so goddamn badly. “But if you’re struggling, a quick blood oath will put this all behind us, and I’ll happily spend the next few days in bed curling your very pretty toes.”

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