Page 81 of Cursed Lifeline

His forehead falls against mine. “Trust me when I say, what awaits you tonight does not have the honorable intentions I do.”

“Liar,” I sass. His jaw ticks, but he remains silent. “Your intentions are not at all honorable.”

“My first priority is finding a way to break this curse so I can marry you,” my heart soars, his grip tightens, and my hand closes around the dagger. “All other intentions will be deemed honorable after that.”

Before I can stop myself, I ask, “And what if I die before you can make good on that promise?” Heartbreak swims in his eyes. Nervously, I say, “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have said that. I promise I’ll do everything in my power to remain safe.”

“And how do you plan on doing that?” his tone is half mischief, half inconsolable torment.

“I’m a woman,” I smile. “Skilled in the art of distraction.”

I grip his dagger and pull it out of its scabbard quickly, but I’m not quick enough. Felix’s hand, which was moments ago gripping the back of my neck, drops and wraps around my wrist while his other snatches the one holding the dagger. Flinging me around, he firmly presses my back against his chest and raises both our hands, sharply pressing the blade into my neck.

“Oh, Esme,” his breath feathers against my ear. “You’ve yet to remember how easy it is for my kind to read your mind.” My breathing quickens, but it isn’t from the weapon dangerously pressed against my jugular vein. No, it’s from the way he lowers it and tenderly presses a kiss against where it was formerly resting. “I knew your intentions the entire time. Your assailant tonight will, too. Promise me you’ll guard your mind, as well as your body.”

“So many promises,” I tease.

My heart speeds up as he lowers our hands and presses his dagger into my palm. Spinning around, he takes the belt tied around his waist and fastens it around mine.

“There’s nothing I wouldn’t promise you,” he says, taking the dagger back from me and placing it into the scabbard.

“I suppose you expect me to do the same?”

He studies me momentarily. “There was a time when you wouldn’t hesitate to do the same,” he says. I go to speak, but he continues, “I understand I broke your trust. Though it wasn’t my hand that ended your last life, it was my family. For that, I will spend the rest of my immortal existence begging for your forgiveness and finding endless ways to repeatedly repay that debt.”

“How?” I smile. He eyes me curiously. “Will you grovel?” He grins, and I add, “Preferably on your knees.”

“I can think of no better way to show you how sorry I am than to worship you on my knees, doll,” he grins, pulling me closer. “Make it through tonight, and I promise I won’t make you wait until we’re wed to start benefiting from the pleasure my mouth intends to give you.”

“If you’re both done flirting, can we please find out who did this before it’s too late,” Caelum groans in the doorway.

I attempt to step back and put some space between us, but Felix’s hands grip my waist and keep me firmly anchored.

“Remember, inhale,” I take a deep breath, and he mimics the same, “Exhale,” I release it slowly. “Focus. Commit.” My hands shake as my fingers lace with his. He feels the tremble, the worry in my touch. Shaking his head, he leans forward, places a kiss against my cheek, and whispers, “You’ve got this, doll.”

“It’s cold,”Caelum shivers next to me on the bench outside the train station.

Glancing down the platform, I watch as some passengers get off and others board. From where we’re sitting, I can only make out their shapes, whether they are men or women. Other details are too hard to memorize since we thought it smart to sit so far away. Now, that decision doesn’t seem as clever as when Caelum and I first made it.

If something goes wrong, we are that much further away from help.As I debate moving closer, a raven catches my eye on a lamp post near the train. I stare at it blankly as its presence jogs a memory from my past, and the bird eerily reminds me of the fowl that used to watch me at my father’s estate.

“Isn’t it cold, Esme?” Caelum asks again. “Damn, it’s so cold. Any colder and I swear I’d freeze to death.”

Rolling my eyes, I glance his way. Alarm shoots through me as I watch the green of his irises darken, his pupils enlarge, and his canines glisten in the moonlight.

“How long did they say it would take for the venom to take over again?” I stammer nervously.

I debate standing and running. Screaming. Begging for help from anyone that would be brave enough to take my place right now. But then I remember, I’m the slayer. I’m the one that everyone else is counting on for help. I can’t let them down before I ever even tried.

Plus, it’s only Caelum. He wouldn’t hurt me, right?

“Two to three days,” he huffs, looking back across the train yard. He shrugs, “Who knows, since I’ve turned fae, maybe it will be shorter.”

“Yeah,” I mumble as a dark shadow catches my eye. “I’ve been meaning to ask you about that. Since I wasn’t around for the big change, how did that come about?”

He laughs, “Don’t ask me, ask Felix. He’s the one that found Evangeline and brought her to the three of us.”

“Three?” I ask.

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