Page 103 of Ashes and Lilies
“Julian?” I blinked at him, but he reached for the bedside table and turned off the light. The sudden darkness made me shiver, and I looked out the window, thankful for the full moon.
“Bianca?” he hesitated.
“I…” My voice was low, and my heart began to race. “Can you keep it on?”
“Oh.” Julian turned the small lamp on again. “Are you afraid of the dark?” he asked. When I nodded, he tilted his head. “Any particular reason why?”
“It—it doesn’t need to be completely lit up,” I told him. “I just need to keep an eye out.”
“What are you keeping an eye out for?” Julian asked.
I didn’t answer, instead I was focused on the lamp. My eyes grew heavy as I watched it, and the tightness coiling through my muscles began to relax.
Julian watched me an instant longer and then took a long breath. “Okay, darling,” he said, touching my head. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” I told him as my eyelids drooped. I closed my eyes as I yawned, and by the time my ears popped, I was drifting into darkness.
Miles POV
My heart was racing as I watched Damen pace in front of the fireplace. Brayden was slouching on the couch beside me, also studying the onmyoji, and was probably wondering the same thing as me.
Something was bothering Damen, something terrible and big. Nothing else would distract him from one of his boring rants.
“Hey,” I began, looking between Titus, who’d been sitting with his arms braced over his knees, and Damen. “Why are you two acting weird?”
Bryce, who was seated on Brayden’s other side, nodded. “It’s true,” he agreed. He and Damen had been inseparable once, and Bryce knew Damen almost better than we did. “You’re worried about something.”
“I’m not worried at all,” Damen grumbled.
“Yes, you are,” I agreed. “You were about to rip off my head, but stopped when Bianca said that ghosts weren’t bad.” Ishivered at the thought—I couldn’t imagine why she believed such lies.
Earthbound spirits were unnatural to this world and, in my recent experiences, resisted attempts to redirect them from this realm. More than that, however, was how, if a witch wasn’t careful, a spirit’s presence could change the energy in a room and ruin a practice.
Damen glared at the floor, and the flames grew hotter. He was teetering on the edge of a furious explosion, and my skin tingled in apprehension of the cause.
“Bianca’s asleep,” Julian said as he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. He leaned against it, and now that I was paying attention, I saw that he shared the same tortuous look as the rest of my quintet.
“Okay,” I started before the fae could. I sat forward and touched my elbows to my knees. I hadn’t wanted to point it out, but they’d been acting strangely since before Bianca dragged me off earlier, but I’d assumed it was because Damen felt guilty about the exorcism.
I had been giving him too much credit. It’d been ages since I’d felt this level of unrestrained power. Hewantedto destroy, and obliterating a ghost would have been an excellent way for him to release his rage.
There was something bigger bothering them.
“So why is Brayden still alive?” I asked, inclining my head toward the younger fae brother.
“Hey!” Brayden sat up.
“Normally, you’d be furious that he went behind your back,” I pointed out. “Yet, you’re ignoring it.”
“So did you!” Damen finally glared at me.
“You can’t blame me. She asked me for help.” I shrugged. Besides, “I hate to see senseless destruction.”
“I can’t yell at him”—Damen gestured at Brayden—“if you’rehelping! What sense would that make?”
“Now, now,” I coaxed and held my hands up. It wouldn’t do to have us fight. “James Cole was a confused person in a bad situation. You would have felt guilty later. Besides, that’s not what’s bothering you.”
“Fine!” Damen’s fury finally broke. “She’s hiding something!”
