Page 63 of Hunt the Dusk
His growl vibrated against me, and the next moment his bloody mouth was on mine, tongue deep and starved as heclaimed the heat within. The shock of his lips, firm yet pliant on mine, the taste of him, cinnamon tinged with the sweet iron of my blood, pushed me over the edge. He swallowed my moan as my body shook with release, tears leaking down my cheeks. He kissed me, over and over, sucking on my tongue, gnawing on my lips, fangs nicking me and leaving me bloody, raw, and desperate for more, until my head swam and my vision darkened.
He broke the kiss with a curse and returned his mouth on my neck to lick and lap.
“Orina? Orina, can you hear me?”
“Mmmm…” I was drowning. Falling deep into an abyss.
“Fuck. Drink.”
Blood on my lips. In my mouth. I didn’t want it. I didn’t?—
“Drink, dammit!”
I swallowed once, twice, and then darkness claimed me.
It was still darkwhen I woke, but my gut told me that much time had passed. Ezekiel was gone, leaving me tucked up in his bed. I needed to find him, but he’d been explicit about not leaving our quarters at night without him.
I pulled off the remnants of the dress and changed into my regular clothes, slipped my amulet back on, and hurried out into the sitting room, to find Godor waiting by the main doors in a crouch.
“Where is he?”
“To theCertamina pro throno.”
“Take me to him.”
“Master has said Godor must take you to Branwood.”
Of course he did. “I’m not leaving without him.”
His dark eyes gleamed with approval, but his words let me down again. “Godor must follow Master’s instructions.”
I bit back my exasperation, knowing that I wouldn’t get to Ezekiel without the bat boy’s help. “You helped me escape his dungeons against his wishes.”
“Godor did not.”
Oh hell, we were not playing this denial game. “Yes. You did.”
“Master did not say that Godor could not help you escape the dungeons. Godor did not go against any wishes.”
“Semantics, huh? Well, did he say Icouldn’tgo see him in theCertamina pro throno?”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “No.”
“And did heexplicitlysaywhenI had to return to Branwood?”
It was hard to tell, what with his bat features, but I was sure Godor was smiling now. “Master did not.”
“Then I can leaveaftertheCertamina pro throno. I need to be there. Everyone here wants something from him that they can only get if he loses. He needs someone there rooting for him to win. Please take me to him.”
Godor’s chest puffed up. “Yes. Godor will take you. Godor and the others will bear witness for Master to win.”
“Thank you!”
“We must hurry. It might have already begun.”
This time, I made sure to grab my blade before leaving the room.
Chapter 21
