Page 79 of Hunted in the Shadows
Warmth rushed through me—along with the startling revelation that Cliff was haunted by that first night. Ithadbeen his gunshot that had forced our fateful meeting, but sometimes I wondered if the stars hadn’t had some plan set into motion long before I had ever flown beyond Elysia’s perimeter.
Despite everything, I managed a watery chuckle. “What’s with all the petting? Were youthatworried about me?”
“Nah, I knew you’d be fine.” He pointedly continued stroking me, and perhaps just to alleviate my tears a bit more, he added, “Actually, it’s starting to make me feel better, too. But if you tellanyoneI said that, I reallywillchuck you out the car window.”
“Consider my lips sealed—Oh!”
My giggle seized up when his gentle touch swept under my wings and grazed the base of them at my back. The contact was thoughtless, but it stole the breath from my lungs and made warmth flood me like wildfire.
“Don’t touch me there!” I blurted, squirming.
He stopped at once. “Shit—did I hurt you?”
“No, it’s…” I snickered, resting my forehead against his neck. “Stars. That spot issensitive, you know what I’m getting at?”
Cliff pulled me away like I’d burned him, gaping at me in horror. “Ew, did I just give you a fairy boner?”
My face surged with heat, but I burst into laughter. “Oh, shut up! As if you’re not going to fall asleep memorizing what Jon and I looked like pitted against each other.”
Healmostdenied it.
When Cliff unlocked the motel room, I pulled to a shocked hover just past the threshold.
“Are we under attack?” I breathed.
The wardrobe door was entirely removed from its hinges and propped against the wall. The supply of silver lay strewn about, bullets and blades half-sorted. The paper they’d lifted from Rhett lay atop it all. I couldn’t bring myself to examine the sheet, not with the way Jon sat at the edge of his bed, head in his hands with a half-empty bottle of liquor threatening to spill its meager contents on the sheets beside him.
“Hey, man,” Cliff said far too casually as he closed the door behind him. “Dumb question, but you doing okay?”
Jon looked up, blinking hard like he’d only just noticed our presence. He averted his eyes from me and regarded the broken closet door.
“Oh. I was—I was just trying to put away some clothes. Dunno what happened.” He started to get up to fix it, but Cliff ushered him back to the bed.
Stars,I’d never seen him so drunk. His high cheekbones were flushed, giving his eyes an unfocused, glossy sheen. His wavy hair was disheveled with a lock falling across his forehead that I longed to reach out and tuck back into place. He sank into the bed, head resting heavily on the pillows as the room no doubt spun around him. Despite everything, my soul tugged at the sightof him—wanting nothing more than to offer some kind of solid comfort.
But as I watched Cliff prop a second pillow under his head, I wasn’t sure I could do it likethis.
“Thanks,” Jon mumbled.
“You know the drill. If you puke, you’re on your own,” Cliff said, clapping him on the shoulder.
Jon scowled at this. “Jódete.I’m fine.”
I glided over the nightstand, weaving between them. The way Jon’s face fell at the sight of me nearly threw my resolve.
“Would you grab the burlap bag in the bottom drawer?” I asked, turning to Cliff. I didn’t miss the way his expression clouded for a moment. We both knew what was in that bag.
“Sure that’s a good idea?” He gave me a somewhat reproachful look as he moved to pull open the nightstand drawer.
I landed delicately on the pillow and faltered, registering that the concern buried in his gaze was forme, too. I offered him a small smile.
“This spell won’t drain me like typical magic. I promise. If anything, it recharges me to visit.” Although it didn’t do the same for Jon… I imagined he would benefit in another way. I worried my lower lip with my teeth, softening my voice as though Jon wasn’t lying directly beside us.“I think he needs to see me.”
“Sometimes I think you make up these magic rules just to shut me up,” Cliff muttered, setting the bag down and loosening the drawstring.
I smirked. “If I’m lying, then I’m learning from the best.”
I knelt and gathered fistfuls of the earth we had collected in North Carolina. It had become bone dry from our travels, more difficult to work with as I hurried to form the spectral rune across the taut surface of the pillowcase. Jon watched me intently, but he didn’t say a word, either in protest or encouragement.
