Page 87 of Cursed
He’s right. I can’t run away. Not now, not when it feels as if I’m so close to figuring things out.
“You’re right.” Squaring my shoulders, I stepped out of his embrace and handed four dollars to the clerk, who swung the gate open to let us onto the ride. “I need to at least try. I owe that much to Dad.”
I climbed onto the carousel, still unable to shake a tiny prick of earlier dread. I’d thought this place would bring me happiness by sharing it with Cain, reminiscing about the good times I’d had with Dad, but now it felt cold and ominous. More an empty tomb than a bright moment from childhood.
Boys and girls shrieked while running toward the inanimate horses in their various poses of flying manes and rolling, frightened eyes. The kids scattered like ants as they claimed horses and climbed on their backs.
“Here.” Cain gestured to a chariot. “I’d rather not straddle a plastic horse, if you don’t mind. Even if you saw my ass kicked by demons, I do have a little dignity left.”
My laughter surprised me, and the heavy feeling lifted. I stepped through the opening of the plastic door. “I thought you fought bravely, especially knowing you were up against Malachi.”
“I’ll be stronger when—” Cain shook his head and placed his hand against the small of my back. “Never mind. It’s not important right now.”
Is he referencing the plan he’s supposed to carry out by handing me over?But he wouldn’t do it, not now, not when he and I shared such a special connection.I’ll be his strength, and we’ll figure a way out of this mess.
As I settled into the seat, he released his hold, sliding into the red plastic sled beside me then slipped an arm around my shoulders. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a stranger date than riding a children’s toy.”
“Then you’ll never forget it.” I relaxed my head into the junction of his shoulder and chest, relishing the feel of his hardness and warmth. I didn’t care he was tarnished, broken, and cursed. No matter what he thought, he wasn’t evil. He’d been a victim of circumstance and terrible life choices, that was all.
“I could never forget any moment with you,” he said as he crammed his long legs into the front of the chariot.
I held back a giggle.
Bright music blared from the middle of the carousel and the platform slowly turned.
“Here.” Cain shifted a bit to raise a hand to the side of my head. “Relax next to me and I’ll do a light probe, see if there’s any kind of mental block in here.”
Nodding, I sighed and breathed in his unique, spicy masculine scent.
Out of the corner of my eye, shadows seemed to slither toward me, but when I stared directly, only normal shades of shadow and light played across my legs. I loosened my shoulders and took a deep breath.Cain won’t hurt me.
A light tickle, a feather stroking deep inside my mind, fluttered inside my brain. Out of reflex, I tilted my head as if the movement could scratch the invisible pressure.
“Careful.” He closed his eyes and smoothed his face. “This won’t take much longer. Keep your thoughts blank. I don’t want to go too deep, but in case I do, keeping your mind empty will add a layer of protection.”
Wind rushed through my hair as the ride increased in speed, and children laughed with delight. All around me, the horses moved up and down on their unseen gears, their frightened gazes—to me, at least—trapped in perpetual terror.
Focus on something else.
I fixated on Cain’s lower lip. How divine and right it had felt to have his mouth on mine.
He let out a quiet laugh. “Blank thoughts, remember?”
I blushed at the realization he read my mind. I stared at his broad chest, determined not to notice how the material clung to his chiseled pecs and tight trapezius muscles.
“Phoebe,” Cain snorted. “Try not to think about anything. Seriously.”
Imagining a wall of nothing, I inhaled and formed a white barrier.
His thumbs lightly pressed against my temples. A vertical line slashed his forehead and he stiffened. “I think I’ve picked up something.”
Excitement tried to rise, but I dampened the emotion and continued to picture my wall of nothing.
The tickle in my brain sharpened, becoming a digging needle, and I winced.
“You okay?” Concern flashed across his face.
Nodding, I licked my lips. “Yeah. Just a headache.”
