Page 217 of A Soul to Steal

I’m not the only one who has had nightmares about them.

Gideon wondered if he handled them better because he’d died. Emerie had suffered years of them tormenting her dreams, after they had taken everything away from her.

For Gideon, he’d died, and woken back on Earth with Aleron, who had used his wings to comfort and protect him. To warm him from the cold and mesmerise him with their little flutters.

As much as he felt for her, he understood right now she was having an intense trauma response, so he grabbed her face with both hands. With her cheeks squished, and her nose pointed up to him, Gideon... licked her face from chin to forehead.

She let out a squeal, her lips twisting with disgust. Ingram let out a roar in reaction, but it suddenly cut out. He chanced looking behind him, sucking in a horrible gasp, when it looked as though Ingram had leapt to attack him, only for his back legs to be snagged by Aleron.

Shit. That could have been bad.

“Ew! You did not just lick me!” She pushed at his chest and even started kicking him. At least it’d snapped her out of it, as he thought it would – honestly, it’d been the only solution he could think of. “The hell, Gideon? What’s wrong... with... you?” Halting halfway through wiping her face, her arm dropped and her lips parted so far he thought her jaw would unhinge and fall off. “Gideon!”

She leapt forward and put her arms around his neck to force him into a tight hug. She let out a broken, relieved sob.

As much as he wanted this reunion, he grabbed her biceps and pushed her back.

“Yes. Hugs and kisses. I missed you too,” he quickly stated, and hurt dulled her features. “Now... if you don’t mind. Help me with the fucking Duskwalkers!”

She gasped and shoved her head to the side to peer over his shoulder. Her eyes grew wide once more. “Oh fuck.”

“Tell me about it!” he yelled, rolling back so his heels could touch the ground and he could stand. He took her with him. “I think they’re in a bloodlust or rage or something? Aleron was hurt. I don’t know how to stop them.”

If Gideon got hurt in the process, he feared Aleron wouldn’t calm down at all until he returned.

Unslinging his guitar case from his torso, he placed it safely on the snow-covered ground.

Cheeks wincing, guilt radiated in her crinkled face. “Sorry. Ingram probably heard me scream and thought the worst.”

“No shit.” He gestured to the wrestling twins, one trying to get above the other. “What do we do? I’ve never seen a Duskwalker’s rage before.”

Her eyes flickered over them before darting to his face. “My advice? Stay the fuck out of it. There’s nothing we can do. One will win, and the other will come back tomorrow.”

His lids lowered in annoyance. “Weren’t you a Demonslayer or something? Surely you have something that can help.”

Averting her gaze, she rubbed the side of her neck. “I have some enchanted rope, but it won’t do much with both of them.”

“Good enough. You handle Ingram, and I’ll deal with Aleron.”

Her hand came away in shock. “What?”

“I’ve already been mauled to death – a second time can’t be worse.”

Her face paled, and she looked moments from stamping her foot in outrage. “Gideon!”

With an irritated groan, he threw his head back to sigh. Then it fell forward so he could grab her shoulders.

“Aleron has been looking forward to seeing his brother for over a month. This is not how he wanted to greet him.” He squeezed her shoulders with his brow crinkling beseechingly. “Please. Just trust me.”

She absolutely should not trust him right now. What he was about to do would be stupid, but he really didn’t mind if he got hurt.

Gideon couldn’t be trusted, but he absolutely trusted Aleron with his whole heart. Even in the midst of this... he didn’t think Aleron would hurt him. Ingram, yeah, absolutely.

A Duskwalker would never hurt their bride even when enraged... right? He may be narrow sighted on this, but he was choosing to have faith.

“Ugh, fine!” Emerie shouted while stamping a foot.

She uncoiled a whip from one side of her weapons belt situated over her blue dress, and a loop of rope from the other. Then they both turned to the Duskwalkers.

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