Page 59 of Broken Shadows

I slap my hand over my mouth, snort-laughing behind my palm while Ezra and Rosa’s hands are on their knees as they belly laugh. The only one not impressed by Ezra’s stunt is Gideon, who swiftly strides next to Aiden, taking a protective stance that Aiden seems to lean into.

Do I detect something there? Gideon bridal carrying him was one thing, but now it seems Aiden reciprocates. Well, fuck. It seems we all might end up with a demon brother, although I am determined to keep Rosa from Ezra. Mostly because I don’t quite trust his intentions and she deserves so much better that a demon who can’t feel love.

Aiden places his hand over his heaving chest and groans. “Fuck the pair of you.”

“I’m good,” Lorcan replies.

Ezra chuckles and says, “Me too, although I’m sure Gid will take you up on that offer.”

Aiden’s cheeks turn tomato red. “That’s not what I meant,” he says but checks to see Gideon’s response, who has gone so still he could almost pass as a statue.

Lorcan pulls his pack of cigarettes out and pushes one between my lips. His zippo lighter flickers blue as he flicks the lint a few times until it flames orange. I inhale deeply, closing my eyes as I bring the smoke to my mouth, hold it there for a couple of seconds before dragging it deep into my lungs.

Mmm.

My shoulders relax and I look at the group, Rosa in particular, who’s tapping her nail over her bottom lip. “Are you going to tell us what happened? Don’t tell me I have to hear it from him?” She points at Lorcan.

“No,” I reply, exhaling a puff of smoke. “The so-called asylum runes here is actually an old mill. But the violent energy many feel here is real. What most don’t know is that just a little past the ruins of the old mill is the birthplace of my great aunt Evangaline, before she moved to my hometown. This is the original place where the Fallenmoore Coven originated and it’s also where they practiced a lot of dark magic. She’s the reason these gateways exist.”

Lorcan scrunches his lips. “Unfortunately, she’s right. Evangeline wanted a link to the human world so she could come back after her death andvisit.”

Aiden pulls on the strings of his hoodie. “That’s not that bad. You made it sound like something really creepy happened here.”

“It did,” I bite out. “My ancestors loved practicing sacrificial magic, meaning a lot of men, like yourself, were strung up in these woods and slaughtered.”

His eyes widen twice their size, the moonlight making the blue in them even more potent. “You scare me sometimes.”

I smirk. “Good.”

Rosa rolls her eyes. “She’s not as frightening as she thinks she is.” Her hand disappears into her bag, surfacing with a fistful of granola and feeds it to Gomez who grabs it in his tiny claws, from on top my shoulder. “We should go before the ghosts of all those men start haunting us.”

The group moves in tandem, and Aiden whispers to Rosa, “Do youhaveto say that?”

Lorcan presses his lips into a tight line and speaks into my mind,He’s really not going to do well once we’re in Hell.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Evie

Remnants of dark rituals litter the open spaces. Half-burned black and purple candles, salt wrappers, and scorched rope lay captured under a scrawl of vines, as if the woods claimed the items for itself.

We must be close.

I place a hand on Gomez’s back, keeping him in place on my shoulder as he naps. At least he’s warm against the side of my neck.

Rosa’s voice sounds from ahead, her phone light, along with Aiden’s, guiding us through the woods. “Does anyone else feel like we’re being followed?”

I glance behind me as a rustle of leaves sweeps the twig-strewn ground. A shiver skittles down my spine when I turn my head and spot a ghostly figure flicker in and out of the darkness, entrenched by shadows. “Yes. We must be close.”

She cocks a hip, then continues walking ahead. “Try saying that again without smiling.”

Lorcan’s voice penetrates my mind.Scared, Little Witch?

A little,I admit and keep walking.

Thought so.A growl reverberates in his chest, earning him a glance from Ezra.I can smell your arousal from here.

Jealous?I tease, and he yanks his fist into his hair.

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