Page 64 of When Storms Awaken

“You’re not getting your hands on that grimoire,” I interrupted, “ever.” There was a long pause as Tyr glanced from me to Nikolai, then to Puck and Tess, who still stood in the mouth of the alley.

“There are dangerous spells in that grimoire. It called tome. It came tomein a dream. It ismine,” I snapped.

“Yes, that’s all true. The grimoire chose you, but if I could just—”

“The lady said no. Now if I were you, I would be on my way. Run along now, and don’t speak a word of this. Toanyone. She was never here, you never saw her,” Nik said as he pinned him with a cold stare.

Tyr gathered his cloak around himself and, with one last look at me, he took off for the mouth of the alley. We followed him out to the street, but by the time we reached Puck and Tess, Tyr was gone.

“What the hell was that?” Tess asked.

“I was thinking the same thing. I didn’t know I had any magicalcousins. Family secrets, indeed,” I replied. “Did you get the glamour?”

“Yes, enough for each of us,” Nik replied, grabbing my shoulder and turning me towards him. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m ok,” I replied, rubbing my throat. It would be a little sore from where Tyr had pinned me. I believed Tyr when he said he hadn’t meant to hurt me. He was young, and Nik had scared the ever-loving magic right out of him.

“I fear that won’t be the last we see of him,” Puck said as he tucked the vials of glamour potion into the inner lining of his cloak pocket.

Thunder cracked loud overhead, the storm having moved much closer during the scuffle. I felt a single drop of rain fall on my cheek and I moved to wipe it away. My magic surged forwards again, as if it was begging to come out and play in the oncoming storm. It was buzzing right at the surface. I wouldn’t even have to dig deep into my well of magic. It was right there, ready to be called upon.

“We’d better get back before this storm descends,” Nik peered at the sky before starting back down the cobblestone street towards Eight Bells, and we all followed.

By the time we had reached the inn we were soaked through, having been caught in the deluge of rain. Without being able to use my storm magic, we hadn’t been able to outrun the storm. It had grown late, and we were all tired, retiring to our rooms for the night.

The first thing I did was claim the washroom for myself and strip out of my sopping wet clothes, indulging in a hot bath to warm my skin. The inn had left little bubbling, scented soaps on the edge of the tub and I let the hot water wash away the cold chill from deep in my bones. The thunder rolled forcefully overhead as I scrubbed my skin clean in the light of the lantern I had placed at the head of the claw-foot tub.

Was Tyr truly my cousin, or was he bluffing? There had to be some truth to it, because he had been able to open the grimoire himself. But the Kotova bloodline? What was my mom keeping from me? We had a long conversation ahead of us when I got back, that was for sure.

I washed my hair in the rich decadent shampoos and conditioners the inn provided and toweled myself off, sure that Nik would need to use the washroom, too. He must be freezing in his wet clothes.

From the appearance of the pub downstairs, I had never imagined the inn would be so tidy and comfortable. The rooms were spacious and clean, a stark contrast to the dark and sticky pub found below. I wrapped myself in a long white robe and exited the washroom to find Nik bent over the fireplace with a poker, a stern expression of concentration on his face. He had ditched his wet shirt and cloak and was barefoot and shirtless, his black jeans sticking to him as if they were a second skin.

“The fire should help warm things up,” Nik said as he stood, his defined muscles and tattoos on full display in the light of the fire. I had imagined his tattoos ran the length of him, but with his entire chest exposed I could see that they covered his chest. They peeked out at the top of his neck, then moved down his arms to stop above his elbows. His abdomen was left bare of markings.

His eyes turned molten under my gaze, and I suddenly felt self-conscious in only a robe. I wrapped it tighter around my frame. Nik was so confident. So arrogant. So cocky. I was the complete opposite, and I couldn’t help but wonder what he might see in me in this moment. As if he could see the thoughts playing out on my face, he returned the fire poker to the mantle and moved towards me in slow, measured steps. His feet were light against the hardwood floor.

“Don’t you want to wash up?” I asked, my voice cracking and betraying me. He reached out and grabbed the knot of my robe at my waist and pulled me flush against him, his skin still wet from the rain. He was flushed warm from the fire, his wet hair falling into his darkening eyes.

“That can wait,” he said, lowering his face towards mine, our noses only inches apart. His jaw was faintly lined with stubble, his full mouth pulled into a smirk.

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

“No chance,” I replied with a nervous smile.

“Ohhh, come on now, firecracker. I won’t tell,” he purred.

“That’s not what I’m worried about.” I swallowed hard. I could feel his warm breath on my face, and I could practically taste the cinnamon and Dragon’s Ale on his lips. Only a few inches between us. If I leaned up on my tiptoes, I could easily bring our mouths together and close the distance. But I was…afraid. Afraid he wouldn’t feel the same way about me. That he wouldn’t find my body as attractive as I found his. That I wasn’tenoughfor him. But the way he was looking at me now…as if he could devour me whole. There was no way I could misinterpret that. His eyes were molten lava. His calloused, battle-worn hands were gentle as they caressed the soft skin of my jaw.

I leaned up and pulled his mouth down to mine, erasing any thoughts of inadequacy from my mind the second his lips found mine. He kissed me back hungrily, like a man starving and I was theexactflavor he craved. He pulled my lower lip between his teeth and gave it a soft bite before sucking on it. I could feel my knees buckle, but his arms were around me, pressing me to him. He pushed me back towards the bed and as I lay against the pillows, his lips quickly found mine again, tracing the line of my jaw and moving down my neck.

He pulled back when he saw the slight bruise that now graced my throat, courtesy of Tyr. I had noticed it in the mirror in the washroom, the skin yellowing and purpling slightly. His expression heated as he met my gaze, and he covered the bruise with the sweetest kisses, his tongue licking the skin in agonizing slowness. He pressed his body into mine, but I could barely feel him through the thick cushion of the robe. I suddenly wanted to be rid of it entirely.

He continued to kiss down my neck and over my collarbone, his hand slipping inside the robe and pulling it aside to reveal my shoulder. I pulled eagerly at the loopholes on his jeans, hoping to peel them off.

“Impatient, are we?” he whispered against my lips, a laugh in his voice. He pulled back long enough to let me unbutton his pants and unzip them, his eyes on mine. The only sound in the room was the soft crackling of the fireplace and the sound of his zipper. He let out a groan as his mouth found mine again, but his jeans were stuck to him from the rain. We both dissolved into a fit of laughter as he tried, unsuccessfully, to shuck them off.

“Incredibly sexy,” I teased as he tossed the pants to the floor with a wet thud. His underwear and the fluffy robe were the only things between us now. Before tonight, I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted. But here, in this moment, the only thing I wanted was Nikolai. The feeling of his mouth on mine, the heat of his skin, the pulse between my legs that tightened every time he touched me. I wanted to take things slow, but I wanted this. I couldn’t feel any doubt in his affections when I met his eyes, and all I saw there was desire and warmth, like a slow, wanton burn.

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