Page 82 of Dragon Unleashed
“Big fucking snake,” I tell him.
“Oh. That explains it.” He closes his eyes and sucks in a breath.
“You saw Constantine return to his book?” Hoc questions.
“The book was open, and then he disappeared, and it closed,” Aries says.
I exchange a look with Hoc, afraid to ask if that truly means he’s gone. One look at Hoc’s expression, and I know he’s wondering the same thing.
“We will lock the library down temporarily. At least until we’re sure he’s gone.” Hoc’s gaze lifts to my closet where Blossom and Mag vanished. “And we will magically seal that tunnel then ward it so no one and nothing will ever get through it again.”
As if on cue, Blossom and Mag step back out into the living room. Both shake off a layer of dust, and I notice Blossom’s boots are stained with blood. Again.
“What did you find?” I ask anxiously.
“A whole lot of guts and dead things.” Blossom shudders, which tells me more than her words ever could. “Your boy gave them hell down there,” she adds. “That was quite a fucking mess.”
“Mag?” I prompt when he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he’s looking at Aries, a growing amount of suspicion on his hard face.
“Even I’ll admit the destruction was impressive. And don’t take this the wrong way, mate, but who the fuck are you?” Mag asks Aries.
I look to Aries, who’s still trying to sit up despite my advice against it. “This is Aries. He’s my—”
“Boyfriend,” Hoc finishes with a wink at me.
Blossom’s eyes narrow. “How long have you known that damned tunnel was there?” she demands.
“Aries found it and went to check it out,” I reply, hoping to avoid the direct answer.
Unfortunately, my friend is too smart for that. “That doesn’t answer my question, Paige.” She crosses her arms.
“A few days,” I admit.
“And you didn’t think to alert any damn one of us? Damn, girl. The sex was truly that brain-melting that you weren’t concerned with a tunnel directly to hell? You know what? Don’t answer that.” She shifts her gaze. “It led directly into a fucking cesspool,” she tells Hoc. “Which is where that fucker was living from the looks of it.” She glares at me. “You should have told me.”
“I’m sorry. I—”
“Save it. I don’t do apologies. But don’t fucking keep shit from me again.” Blossom turns to Hoc. “We’ll seal it on this side, but I can’t find the other entrance. He was getting them in somehow, though.”
“Seal it. Set a ward so if he tries to re-open it, we’ll catch him.”
“He’s gone,” Aries insists.
“We have to act like he’s not, mate,” Mag replies. “Keeper protocol. Unless we see him dead or slammed shut, best to assume the worst. For now. Either way, he’s not going to get to our girl again.”
Aries growls low and deep in his chest, so I tighten my hold on his hand.
Mag grins. “He’s a good one, Paige. I approve.” He turns to Blossom. “Shall we go seal this bitch up or what?”
Chapter22
Paige
My fingers stroke Aries’s hair as we lie in my bed. It’s been nearly a full day since Mag and Blossom sealed the passageway and repaired my closet wall like the hole had never been there to begin with. Nearly a full day of me watching Aries breathe and stealing moments away to check on the passageway to ensure it remains closed.
It doesn’t matter that Hoc put a protection ward around my apartment stronger than anything the keepers are capable of. I still worry. The longer I sit here in silence and think, the more questions I have. It doesn’t make sense.
Constantine digging the tunnel. The monsters in the cavern. Attacking Aries. And for what? Why?
