Page 23 of Crossing Between
Elias held up his hand. "Before we begin, I wanted to ask Zoey a question." His stare made my skin tingle as I thought about our shared kiss. We hadn't spoken privately since, but I still thought about it.
Quilith gave an exaggerated sigh but waved their hand.
Elias stood and moved from where he sat to stand in front of me and bent on a knee before he took my hands. "You're in pain. Will you let me heal you?" His touch gentled my anxiety and offered some reprieve from the pain throbbing throughout my body, even though he hadn't used any of his magic. "What happened?"
I glanced at Quilith, who shrugged. Alright. They were leaving it up to me, I guess.
"You might not want to once you hear why you're here." I met Elias' gaze again, feeling overwhelmed. I didn't want these three men to hate me. I don't know if my heart would take it, even though there were no reciprocated feelings. Tears filled my eyes involuntarily. How could I like these guys as much as I did already?
"Whatever it is, we'll get through it together,Kærasta." Elias' eyes glowed as he summoned his magic. "I'm going to have to bring out some of my actual form to heal you. Don't be scared, alright?" His arms shifted into tentacles. He seemed wary of my response, even though we'd had this conversation when he came over to make breakfast.
I touched his tentacles with no hesitation, running my fingers up to his shoulders. "Remember, you get ten times cooler?"
He offered me a grin, his face lit up as he moved his tentacles so his right one was touching my cheek and his left around the back of my neck. "Just breathe."
I closed my eyes as warmth, almost too hot, spread through my veins. His magic felt familiar, and my power, which had been exhausted earlier, swirled to awareness as his magic danced within me, helping the pain just disappear. The mark on my side flared with heat, and Elias pulled back when his magic brushed against it. He jerked back slightly but made sure he didn't hurt me with his sudden movements.
When I opened my eyes to meet his again I could see within his gaze that he knew. The horror in his expression hurt worse than the physical pain I'd experienced. He stood abruptly and took several steps backward before his back ran into Quilith's chest, who gripped his shoulders.
"Settle down, sushi boy. There's an explanation, and you're going to sit and be quiet until it's over. After you apologize to Sweet Cheeks, because she didn't deserve that look from you." I saw Quilith's claws digging into Elias' skin, drawing a little blood. "Savvy?"
They shoved Elias into his chair before brushing back their hair. "Now. Let's get started."
"Wait, just a second." Kenji glanced over at his partner. "Elias? What happened? Are you alright?"
"Let's hear Zoey out." Varon interrupted Kenji as he looked at me. "I figured you had secrets. Let's hear what you want to tell us." Varon folded his left leg over his right and folded his fingers together.
Elias just shook his head at Kenji, and his eyes burned where I felt them looking at me. I was too scared to look at him in case I saw that look of horror again.
Quilith pulled their chair over next to mine and took my hand with a squeeze. "Go on, hunny. You start and I'll finish."
Their support gave me the courage to begin. My voice shook, and I couldn't stop it.
"First, I've never harmed anyone before. I'm self-taught thanks to a family grimoire." I met Varon's eyes steadily, even though my voice betrayed my inner trepidation. "I'm not a Medium."
Kenji leaned forward in his chair, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. His happy-go-lucky personality was nowhere to be seen. Elias just looked at me with that look of horror still on his face.
It was Varon who didn't move and spoke up. "I figured as much." He kept my gaze. "A necromancer?"
Kenji whipped his head to look at his boss. "A necromancer?! How?" He glanced back at me as he stood up. "How can you still be alive?" His shock was written clearly on his face.
Elias and Quilith kept quiet, but Quilith snapped their fingers at Kenji with a warning glare which made him sit down immediately.
A deep breath later, I nodded at Varon. "Yes. I'm a necromancer. The first of my family in generations. My brother isn't one." I had to protect Ryan no matter what. He didn't even know about my powers.
Varon stood, walked over in front of me, and held out his hand to me. "This truth you've told us could get you executed, you know this?" His stare was making me squirm, so I nodded silently and took his hand. He pulled me up against him. "Will you allow me to check your honesty?" His touch had made my skin erupt in goosebumps.
"Now, Varon, that's not called for!" Quilith objected, reaching for me, but Varon stepped backward, bringing me with him and into the circle of his free arm.
"It is." He tilted my chin up to look at him with his free hand, all the while his chest was pressed tight against my own, and all I could concentrate on was the feel of his muscles under his shirt that I gripped in my hands. "Allow me to test your blood and the truth of your words."
We stared quietly into each other's eyes for several heartbeats. I knew this would happen one day, I just hadn't thought I would be the one who told my secret. I figured I'd get caught somehow. I didn't have a choice, yet I knew deep within me that Varon wouldn't harm me. I didn't have any idea how, but the feeling was one I trusted.
"Alright." I tilted my head, exposing my neck to his gaze. "Have at it."
Varon let out a small snort, amused by my words, before moving his mouth to my neck. My heart rate sped up at just his hot breath on my skin. When I felt his tongue lick a line, my knees wanted to disintegrate right there. Varon's arm around my waist tightened as his teeth pierced my skin.
Pain raced through me for less than a second before his vampire saliva flooded my veins, causing euphoria. My eyes shut as my mind began to whirl. Memories from when I was little flashed by, and I knew that Varon was using some of his power to sort through them. Even as he did so, he made sure that I felt safe and let the pleasure flow through my body. I was on the verge of an orgasm without even being touched.
