Page 63 of Shadow Weaver
I swung my legs out of bed. “Does Hyde know?”
“Yeah, and he’s not happy.”
“Am I on the rota?”
He grinned. “Two hours with Brady.”
My heart jumped into my mouth.
“Um, I suggest you shower …”
I hit him with my pillow. “Cheeky bastard.”
But he was right. I didn’t know what ogre senses were like, but I didn’t want him to smell Hyde on me. I did, however, need to tell him what had happened. My stomach tightened. He deserved to know, even if it meant I might lose him.
And the thought of losing Brady frightened the fuck out of me.
Nineteen
Shit, my palms were all sweaty, and I couldn’t even wipe them on my armor. Brady and Carlo would be here any moment. Brady to pick me up and Carlo as his mist partner. The rule was to be in pairs at all times when out in the mist, so Carlo would take a shift at the barracks until Brady and I finished our guard shift.
I hovered in the lounge, my insides all screwy. The sound of boot falls echoed down the corridor that led to the exit, and then Brady entered the room. His frame filled out his armor, accentuating the breadth of his shoulders. His gaze zeroed in on me straight away, and heat lanced through me. My instinct was to run into his arms. To hug him hard.
But I locked my knees and held my ground. “Hey.”
“Hey.” One word uttered in his deep baritone. One word that sent shivers over my skin.
Oh, God. I’d missed his voice.
Carlo strolled in behind Brady and then crossed the room to me and gathered me into a hug. Our armor clinked together softly. “Justice is back on her feet.”
I hugged him back. “You miss me?”
He set me on my feet. “Like ham on rye, baby.” He graced me with his signature lopsided grin. “Did you miss me?”
“Like cheese and pickles.”
“We need to go,” Brady said softly from the door.
Carlo rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes, you’ll have her all to yourself for three hours soon enough.” He leaned in. “Guy’s been like a bear with a sore head.”
“Carlo …” Brady’s voice was a warning rumble.
Carlo backed away from me, his hands up. “Maybe you can improve his mood.” He headed to the armor room to change, leaving me alone with Brady.
He looked me up and down. “You look good.”
“So do you.”
His eyes warmed in a smile. “Come on. We can catch up on the way to the tunnels.” He didn’t lead the way but waited for me to pass and then made up the rear. I wanted to turn around and hug him, but I kept walking because I had something to tell him, and after he heard it, he might not look at me in the same way again.
* * *
We barely spokeon the trek from the barracks to the tunnel entrance. It was an entrance a quarter of a mile from the rise that led to the fortress, and one of the most heavily guarded ones. Two cadets I didn’t recognize were waiting for us. They’d fixed a lamp to a post by the hole in the ground and were sitting leaned up against a boulder. They stood as we approached.
“You’re late,” one of them growled.
The other one shook hands with Brady. “You want to borrow my cards?” He held out a pack of cards to Brady. “It gets pretty boring keeping watch.”
