Page 24 of Lost and Stolen Gods
War? There was a war going on? A war with the revenants?
A crackle of power rushed over me before I could question him further, the jolt forcing me to tense. I grabbed hold of him as bright light seared my vision, and a violent gust of wind slapped my ass.
At least I hoped it was a gust of wind. “Is it the revenants? Are they back?”
“No,” he said stiffly. “Now let go of my buttocks.”
His…Oh fuck. My hands were cupping his ass like a lifeline. I let go of his assets as if I’d been burned. ”I’m sorry.”
A growl of displeasure was his only response.
“I didn’t do it on purpose.”
“Of course, you didn’t.”
God he was insufferable, and I was about to tell him, but it was hard to focus on words when I was being dragged down his body and forcefully rubbed against ridges and planes of taut muscle. Every synapse in my brain was suddenly hyper focused on every point of contact between us.
A rich, clean, and fruity smell, like fresh cranberries, spiked in the air for a moment, then was gone. Had I imagined it? But my boots were on the ground now, and there was commotion behind me.
I should step back and turn around, but I was captivated by the play of moonlight across his face. The way it tipped each dark lash in silver and highlighted the smooth high planes of his cheekbones, settling in the dip above his top lip and sweeping over his full bottom one. He had a wide mouth, nicely formed, that curled slightly at the edges as if urging him to smile, but there was no humor, no mirth in his eyes.
Why were the beautiful ones always assholes?
His left eye twitched, and when he spoke, his tone was cruel and cutting. “Stop embarrassing yourself. You’re pathetic.”
He might as well have dumped a bucket of ice cubes down my top. “Go fuck yourself.” It was the best I could do around the lump of embarrassment clogging my throat.
“Everybody brace yourselves!” Umbra yelled. “Vortex incoming.”
I tried to pull away from Araz, but he grabbed my waist with one hand, holding me still as the wind buffeted us and a vortex of air descended from the sky.
“What the fuck is that?”
“That, little mortal, is the stairway to the Asura domain.”
The whirlwind descended directly on us, and my boots left the ground. My scream buffeted into silence as air filled my lungs and panic took over because I had to be free, I had to get away.
The world swirled and smacked me in the face, and I was upside down then right way up and floating, unable to breathe.
Then silence.
Weight settled in my belly, but I kept my eyes closed listening to someone’s pathetic whistle of a scream.
“Close your mouth,” Araz growled against my ear. I did so, and the scream cut out because it wasmypathetic whistling scream. “Now let go of me.”
Oh, fuck, I was wrapped around him like a koala on a tree. Legs around his waist, arms wound round his thick neck.
“This one seems to have taken a liking to you, Araz,” one of the other monolith warriors said.
Someone snickered, and my cheeks flamed as I ordered my body to move, to unlock and let go of him.
Araz grabbed my arm and tore me off him, flinging me to the ground.
I hit hard, a shock of pain shooting up my spine. Tears sprang to my eyes, blurring his looming form.
“Hey!” Dharma rushed forward, insinuating herself between us. “What the fuck is your problem?”
Araz lifted his chin and looked down his nose at her, his top lip lifting in revulsion, then strode off.
