Page 86 of The Hunt
He was barefoot and shirtless, steam once again rolling off his torso.
“Damn,” Anne whispered. The scent of her lust clouded the air.
“Tone it down, Anne,” Meg said. “You know what she did to your brother.”
I blinked, realizing I’d been staring at Anne, and blushed.
“I didn’t—”
Anne waved a hand at me.
“Don’t bother explaining. He told me what he was going to try to do. His failure taught us a valuable lesson.”
“They won’t underestimate you like he did,” Fenris said.
“So, about our offer? Are you sure you want to use the spell supplies for this instead of escaping Uttira?” Lauv asked.
“What’s the point of leaving when she’s tracked?” Fenris asked.
Instead of questioning me further, they each picked up a bowl.
“Ready?” Lauv asked.
Fenris leaned against the sink and watched me with an impassive expression. Knowing he’d run from wherever he’d been, just to be here to support me, did weird things to my insides.
I gave him a small smile then faced the druids.
“I’m ready.”
“Focus on the flames. Whatever you do, don’t look away.” Lauv put a match to the central bowl, and purple flames danced to life.
The low murmur of a chant filled my ears. Then, the druids repeated the verse. This time, I felt it on my skin. Then in my skin. The flames licked higher in the bowl. The words became the flames. Inside of me. Heating me. Burning me.
Sweat broke out on my brow.
The druids’ voices grew in volume, murmuring the same words again and again.
A small whimper of pain escaped my lips, but I didn’t look away from the flames. I didn’t want to end up like Ashlyn, a casualty of a spell gone wrong.
My skin burned hotter and hotter, and my vision sharpened in response. I could see the edge of the pink centers of the purple flames and how the very outer edges of them had a hint of blue. I panted, feeling like I’d go crazy if I had to endure another second.
Then, the flames exploded. Inside the bowl and inside me.
I cried out and fell back into a shivering heap. Fenris was there, scooping me up.
“Is it done?” he asked.
Lauv sounded weak when she answered that it was.
He strode out of the bathroom, and without any warning, plunged into the pool. His arms kept my head above water but only for a second.
“Big breath,” he warned.
I inhaled and held it a second before we both went under. The water felt like heaven against my hot skin. Our gazes held as small bubbles floated between us. His dark hair drifted around his head like an angelic halo and made me smile slightly. He didn’t smile back. Instead, he pulled me close and hugged me as we resurfaced.
“Let’s hope you never have to go through that again,” he said softly.
“Agreed,” I whispered, hugging him back.
