Page 105 of The Howl
He patted the spot beside him.
“Let’s give you more time to cool off before we join the others.”
He was right. I could still feel the hunger crawling under my skin. The last thing I wanted to do was unintentionally tempt Ashlyn. I sat beside him, shifting around to find a comfortable spot on the rocks.
“So, about that glowing stripe down your middle. Want to tell me about it?” he asked.
“Not really.”
“It smells like the brownie.”
“Because it’s from the brownie.”
He tilted his head at me, his grin widening.
“His explosion? His very first magic dust that marked you for life?”
I groaned.
“I’m just repeating what Marshal said. I didn’t fully understand the conversation in the marshes, but now I do. It’s cute.”
“Cute’s the last thing it is,” I said.
“Show me again.”
“No. My mark of shame will remain forever hidden.”
Fenris snorted a laugh.
“Mark of shame? It’s not your shame but his. He obviously missed by a long shot because the line starts under your bra.”
“I really hope it’s not there for life.”
“I really hope the smell fades.”
I groaned again and made a pained face.
“It’s not that bad, I promise.”
Fenris’s name faintly echoed down the tunnel.
“Come on. I think the girls are done.”
He extinguished the torch, and his fingers laced through mine.
I followed him through the dark, appreciating the irony of the moment. Without Fenris, I would have been lost.
* * *
I usedevery kind of body wash I owned the next morning to try to scrub Piepen’s mark from my skin. It didn’t fade. Not even a little. I hoped all the washing would at least help with whatever Fenris could smell.
While wrapped in nothing but a towel, I walked from my bathroom, enjoying the freedom of dressing not only in private but also in whatever I wanted. After last night’s chilly walk through the trees, I wasn’t in the mood for any type of skirt.
Dressed in jeans and a brightly colored top, I slipped on a neutral pair of flats then returned to the bathroom. I took the time to style my hair in soft curls but skipped the makeup. It’d be nice to have a normal day at school. Well, semi-normal.
A cool breeze tickled my skin, and I saw the bathroom window was cracked open just a bit. With Piepen around, most of my windows had been opened at one point or another. I closed it, remembering all that had happened yesterday.
Taking a last look at myself, I weighed the wisdom of my decision to use the druids to remove my mom. It was rash and dangerous. But, mostly, just for me. And that’s exactly why I needed to do it. Adira and Mom thought I was incapable of embracing the non-human side of my nature. Having the druids cast a spell to get my mom out of Uttira was me embracing my succubus side in the way I was willing to embrace it. None of that made the decision any easier. I loved my mom. If only she didn’t have to be so…her.
