Page 90 of Torn Ivy
Torin’s fangs retract, and he rests his forehead against mine, both of us panting. “Fuck,” he breathes.
I let out a shaky laugh. “Yeah.”
He pulls back slightly to look at me, his expression full of concern and lingering desire. He reaches up to twirl a lock of my hair around his finger. It’s pink and bobbed. I’ve shifted. “Are you okay? I got carried away.”
I nod, still feeling dazed, but in a good way. “I’m more than okay.”
We reluctantly disentangle ourselves, adjusting our clothes as he gives me back my magickally discarded jeans. As the afterglow fades, reality starts to creep back in. We’re still in a fractured dimension, still have a ritual to undo, and still have so much at stake.
“We should get back to the others,” I say, suddenly feeling awkward.
Torin nods, his expression sobering. “Yeah. We’ve got work to do.”
As we start walking back, he reaches for my hand. I hesitate for a moment, then lace my fingers through his. I may not remember everything, but I know this feels right.
“When did I shift?” I murmur, feeling a bit embarrassed.
“The second before I buried my cock in you.”
“Fuck,” I mutter.
“Poison,” he whispers. “You may not remember everything, but you are still inside there.”
I nod, wondering if I should shift back, but when I try, I find that I can’t. Between losing my blood, the initial shift and the damn good fuck, I’m drained. But I won’t admit it. So I smileand stay as Poison. Maybe it’s better this way. She was always stronger. Always more confident.
We make our way back to the others, my hand still clasped in Torin’s. As we approach, I see Bram’s eyes widen slightly at my pink hair and altered appearance.
“Well, hello there, Poison,” he says with a smirk. “Nice of you to join us.”
I resist the urge to give him the finger, instead focusing on the task at hand. “Did you figure anything out with the snake?”
Tate holds up the book, his expression grim. “Maybe. There’s a potential undo that might work, but Bram is reluctant.”
“Reluctant?” I ask. “Why?”
“It involves us doing everything in reverse,” Tate states.
“Okay, so we rewind. What’s the problem?”
“That snake. Came out of. My mouth,” Bram snaps.
I press my lips together, fighting the urge not to laugh at the look on his face. “Okay, I can see how that would be unpleasant,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. “But if it’s our only option?”
Bram runs a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. “I know, I know. It’s just, fuck. The thought of swallowing that thing consciously. Yeah, eww.”
“Hopefully, you will be too caught up in the ritual to notice,” Cathy says.
Bram growls at her, but Torin squeezes my hand and draws my attention. “Are you sure you’re up for this? You look a bit pale.”
I straighten my spine, channelling Poison’s confidence. “I’m fine. Let’s do this.”
Cathy eyes me sceptically but doesn’t comment. Instead, she holds up the bag containing the snake. “So, what exactly do we need to do?”
Tate flips through the book, his brow furrowed in concentration. “According to this, we need to recreate the ritualcircle, but with everything in reverse. The snake needs to be reabsorbed in the opposite order it was expelled.”
“Meaning I have to go last,” Torin states.
“And I have to die first,” Tate says quietly.
