Page 83 of Samhain Savior
Archer only nodded, his gaze still on me.
The feel of it, his heated stare tracking my every move, sent a thrilling shiver down my spine. I shouldn’t like it. I knew that. Archer and I were opposites in every way, destined to be enemies from the very start.
But that didn’t stop my thoughts from drifting back to the way his hands felt on me, the thick ridge of his cock beneath me, or the strange, satisfying humthat seemed to have settled deep in my chest. An awareness of him that I wasn’t sure how to explain, but didn’t ever want to lose.
Needing a distraction, I looked around, realizing that Vine was correct and everyone and everything were nearly exactly as we’d left them. The sun was hanging in the cool, gray sky, not having dipped even an inch compared to where it was when I’d fled the church. Vine and Corson stood side by side, Mal watching over both of them with his keen black eyes.
Even Persephone was in the same place, cowering at the edge of the cemetery behind the others, her eyes wide with panic.
The only one missing was Storm-bringer, his body no longer suspended between Corson and Vine, his shadow-wrapped body having vanished.
“How the fuck did you end up there?” Vine asked, eyeing us in disbelief. “And how the fuck did you get out?”
“I’ll tell you everything, but not here. I’ve had enough of this town.”
Archer waved his arm, and once again a shadow gate opened beside him. This time it showed a cozy-looking living room with plush furniture and tall windows that looked out on to a snowy mountain range. Mal went first, leaping off the headstone he’d been perched on and darting through like a shot. Corson wasn’t far behind him,one of his shortswords appearing out of a hole in the air as he stepped through. I watched as he looked from side to side, checking for any threats, I assumed. Once he was satisfied, he nodded, raising his arm in some signal that they all apparently understood.
“Go,” Archer barked, looking weary.
“What about you?” I didn’t mean for it to come out as needy as it did, but there was no stopping it. Something inside me panicked at the idea of being separated from Archer. I didn’t understand it, but then, there was a lot I wasn’t really understanding these days.
“I’m right behind you, witch,” he whispered, the word not holding the same malice it once had. Looking at him, I watched as his face softened, the harsh lines fading into tired shadows, and that little spark within me brightened, as though it was reaching for him, wanting to comfort him.
Panicked, I took a step back, unsure of what was happening inside me, but not wanting to let him out of my sight. Seeing my unease, Archer’s face hardened once more before he turned to Persephone.
“And you?” he questioned, his words harsh. “Are you joining us?”
Persephone’s eyes widened in her pale face. “No!” she blurted, then took a breath, schooling her features. “I mean, no, thank you. I—I can’t.”
Archer grunted his understanding, but it was Vine who moved toward her, sadness in his eyes.
“What will you do?”
“First thing is to get the Hell out of Boston,” she asserted, some of the color returning to her cheeks. “I’ve had more than enough of being caught up in whatever train wreck is followingheraround.” I snorted softly, impressed that even when she was clearly out of her depth, Persephone managed to throw one more dirty look my way. “I’ve got a life to live now, don’t I?”
“Will you be alright?” Vine continued, and I felt for him. He clearly cared for Percy, even if she seemed to have only ever had eyes for Archer. “Things are pretty fucked up right now. I want to make sure you’re gonna be safe.”
“Things are only fucked up for people inyourworld, Vine. And from now on, that world is no longer mine. I’m leaving everything to do with Guardians and demons and uppity little witches behind. If I never see another supernatural being again in my life, it will be too soon.” She cast a longing look at Archer, her sorrowful eyes saying everything she didn’t. When he gave her nothing in return, she sighed and turned back to Vine. “Take care ofyourself,” she said, pressing a kiss to his cheek before she turned and headed for the gate.
As she reached it, she paused, her smile vicious as she looked at me one last time.
“Oh, and Delilah? You look like shit in my dress.”
And then she was gone.
Chapter thirty-eight
Delilah
Letting out a deep sigh, I sank a little further into the tub, the warm water rising all the way to my chin, easing my tired muscles even as the bubbles tickled my nose. Before me, a wide bay window looked out onto a snowy, tree-covered mountain top, the star-speckled sky and waning moon making the snow sparkle in the darkness.
It was the most hauntingly beautiful landscape I’d ever laid eyes on, and I had no idea where in the world we were.
The moment we had entered the house, I had excused myself and dashed off to one of the bedrooms, desperate for a few moments of quiet. Finding a gorgeous attached bathroom with a clawfoot tub was a bonus I hadn’t beenexpecting, but one I was absolutely not going to turn down.
I was exhausted, my whole body ached, and my brain would not stop running in circles. Beneath the water, my fingers grazed my neck, alternately stroking the shadow collar that I still wore and the bite mark I couldn’t stop thinking about.
The fact that every time my fingers brushed over the bite mark my nipples tightened and my thighs involuntarily squeezed together was just one more thing I was curious about.
