Page 38 of Sustaining
My lips part without words when my heart dips a little.
Maybe romance is alive and well.
The sound of boots slowly pressing over wood has me glancing up to see two shifters watching us with curious attention. Both of them are clothed now. Chaos stands just a few feet away, looking relaxed as he leans against the frame of the ship. Rime comes closer, though. He doesn’t stop until his arm brushes Sinister’s. His cold palm slips across my jaw. Slowly, he leans in and presses his lips to mine.
In a conspiratorial whisper, he speaks to me like it’s something he wants to share with me and me alone. Which is impossible, given the way he’s leaning over Sinister. “If the demon didn’t get you off, just tell me, my Tamer. Sinister doesn’t know it, but I still remember what your fake orgasm sounds like.” His taunting smile shines in his eyes, but it’s only there for a second before Sinister places a hand against Rime’s shoulder and shoves him away.
“Ay, fuck you, Shifter.”
The simple rise Rime gets out of his friend seems to be exactly what he was looking for, because he saunters back to Chaos, leaning there with a smug smile.
Yes, everything is perfect in my love life.
Including the redheaded shifter who’s standing at the very end of the ship. Naked. And watching the four of us like he’s been here the entire time.
Fourteen
The Reckless One
As terrible mageluck would have it, Kain spends the majority of his nude time explaining what had happened in Valencia. He spends so much time on it that my head hurts, and the weight of the night presses down on my tired eyes.
“So they’re hunting her?” Rime doesn’t appear at all tired. Protective anger fuels him right now.
I lean against Chaos’ chest, his strong arms wrapped securely around me as we sit on the floor and watch Sinister provide Kain with jeans and a shirt as well as some shining black boots that match his own. With a twist of his wrist, Sinister supplies each article of clothing, neatly folded, unlike the heap of clothes I normally get. How does he do that?
His power must be calmer, easier to process maybe.
“Skov showed up to Helen’s almost the moment my mother walked through the door to meet me. It’s like he knew.”
“Shit.” Chaos’ slow whisper fans against my hair.
“Right. But he didn’t do what I thought he’d do. Surprisingly, it was the opposite.” Kain pulls his shirt over his messy, fiery hair, peering out into the endless sea before lowering his attention to where I’m seated on the ship’s deck. “Did anything happen on the island?”
“Tell me what happened in Valencia first.” I hold his serious gaze, and it seems to be a real challenge for him to follow my instruction.
I almost beam with pride when he does. A small part of me likes when he lowers his control just a little bit.
“Skov didn’t report me. In fact, he’s been leading Carlin in the opposite direction. He made it clear that you’d followed Ellise to Attika instead of coming home.”
I can’t describe the pain that lurches through my stomach at the sound of his words. Part of me is terrified they’ll harm Ellise before I get all my answers. But a wiser part of me knows she’d never allow them to find her.
“Why would he do that? Why trust Arlow, a mage he really doesn’t know?” Chaos’ hold on me loosens until his big hands brush slowly up and down my arms. He’s all calming energy right now, and it’s definitely working. He’s keeping me grounded while all this information is flying around.
“Because of Agatha.” The sea breeze catches at my hair, and I stare out at the inky sheet of waves.
My one friend in my life, the one I threw to the wolves just to save myself when three dragon shifters showed up, and she’s the one protecting me when I need it the most.
A smile pulls at the corner of my lips.
“So Carlin isn’t a threat? He’s not going to just let his daughter’s death fade from his mind.” Rime’s arms fold across his chest, his gaze held intently on his friend.
He’s right. Rime is smart, and he and I both know Carlin will go to the King. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but soon.
My friendship with the Prince won’t save me when his father knows I’m a mage.
Kain shakes his head and it takes him longer than a second to reply.
“The person Carlin trusts the most no longer trusts him.” Kain’s deep-green eyes seem darker now in the shadows of the night, but I see the look in them when his attention passes from Rime to Chaos with an indescribable uneasiness in his gaze.
