Page 41 of Rise of the Witch
We were close enough for her breath to tickle my face as she replied, “Nothing that didn’t need to happen, but it doesn’t matter anyway. He despises me.”
The sadness in her voice wrecked me, but I realized she didn’t need me pushing the issue or leaping down to the main level to punch Nox in the face again like I wanted to. That man and I were going to have a serious come-to-Jesus soon about how he treated my witch but now wasn’t the time. Vasi herself had said this entire situation was as unexpected to her as it was to the rest of us. While I knew I was already hopelessly addicted to her, she might need a bit longer to adjust to suddenly having three men in her life.
After all, she’s been by herself for hundreds of years.
Obediently removing my hand from her upper thigh to chastely rest on her hip, I deposited a soft kiss on her perfect lips and drifted back to sleep.
Breakfast was undeniably tense, although the level of awkwardness between Vasi and Nox was enough to reassure me he was sufficiently suffering and could be dealt with later. A small sleuth of bear shifters had arrived in the early morning hours to solemnly retrieve Misha’s body. After they departed, Vasi made it clear our number one priority was to move the hut and try to outrun her old nemesis. Part of me wanted this Koschei to find us so I could kill him myself, but I knew I needed to better understand what sort of creature we were up against before I went in there, guns blazing.
A tap on the window signaled Anthia’s arrival, so I rose to let her in. The swan surprised me by shifting and immediately pulling me into her arms for an enthusiastic hug. “Oooh, pretty boy, your magic dick saved our lake!” she squealed excitedly before turning to face Vasi. “My father also sends his—very, begrudging, very grumpy—thanks to both of you for your sex magic.”
Desperate to redirect the attention away from me and my reddening face, I quickly interjected,“Vasiis certainly deserving of your appreciation. She’s the one with the real power around here.”
Vasi shot me an amused look. “Oh no, Asa, that was a combined effort. I’m not meant to simply siphon power off the three of you. The legend statesyourpowers will be awakened as well. It’s an equal exchange.”
She stated this so matter-of-factly that it took my brain a minute to process that she was sayingIwould be gaining magical powers. That we all would. A quick look around the table confirmed Tan and Nox were also absorbing this bombshell with similar expressions of disbelief. I took the silence as an opportunity to think back on what had happened at the lake. The part of me still lucid at the time had been mainly focused on the glorious feel of Vasi’s pussy, but I did recall the sensation of somethingelse.Something running along my skin—undermy skin to be exact—that felt hot, like a live wire, ready to explode upon contact.
“Just show me where you’ll be relocating on the map so I can deliver your next Amazon order,” Anthia’s lilting voice brought me back to the present as she took a seat across from Vasi at the table.
“Amazon order..?” Nox mumbled, his expression oddly lost for someone who usually looked relatively unfuckablewith.
“Ooh, ooh! Can we get in on Vasi’s delivery?” Tan asked, raising his hand and looking so hopeful that I had to stifle a smile. One of the things I admired most about Tan was his ability to make the best of any situation. Even with how much I’d emotionally withdrawn from him these past several months, he’d never wavered in his devotion to me. And here I was, closing myself off more and more each day, unable to talk about what was going on with me as if that withdrawal wasn’t killing a romantic like Taneer.
I can’t even remember the last time I told him I loved him...
“Of course, Tan,” Vasi smiled at him adoringly, in the way he deserved to be looked at. “What would you like?”
Tan grinned like he’d won the lottery. “Well, I’ve been dying for some Doritos—the ones in the blue packet—and all of us could probably use a few more changes of clothes and...Oha!”he suddenly shot up, startling Nox from his uncharacteristic stupor. “Anthia! Can youpleaseget Vasi a shirt that says ‘It’s Too Peopley Outside’? Oh, that would be fucking brilliant!” Vasi looked confused, but Anthia smirked and nodded as she added it to her list.
I cleared my throat. “And I certainly wouldn’t mind if you got Vasi some more yoga pants…” Tan let out an explicit groan of approval at my suggestion before I turned to Nox. “Do you think we should also get a satellite phone for us to share? Were you ever able to get any of ours working?”
Nox got that suspicious deer-in-the-headlights look again, but before I could address it, he shook his head. “No. I smashed our phones after we returned from Harbison’s.”
“Elaborate, please,” I replied, my brain still trying to process what he’d said.
“I sent my father an email before the séance,” Nox sighed. “Instead of offering a rescue, he simply told me to continue my original mission…” his wary gaze flickered to Anthia before returning to me. “Something didn’t smell right and I started to suspect our phones were tracking devices. That’s why I suggested moving locations—to get out of range before the Facility pinpoints our last known location.”
Tan and I looked at each other in astonishment. Nox idolized his father like he was a god, regardless of how poorly he’d been treated over the years. Him committing an act so blatantlyagainsthis father—against what the Facility stood for—was a line in the sand I never thought I would see him cross.
Nox shifted his gaze between Tan and me. “You two can stay out here if you want, but I’d actually like to get back to the Facility for a closer look at whatever’s going on with this shifter ‘research.’ I think I may be in a unique position to discover the truth.”
My blood ran cold. Not only was Nox planning on returning to the very organization who’d sent us out here with questionable intentions, but he’d be putting his life in jeopardy by investigating them. These people did not play, and it wouldn’t matter that he was Matthew’s son—they wouldn’t hesitate to kill him if they felt he was a threat. All the anger I’d been harboring toward him evaporated as I realized this may be the last time I saw one of my dearest friends. Even though I thought it was a terrible idea for him to go back to base, I knew better than to try to talk him out of it. When Nox set his mind on something, he followed through.
Then my gaze landed on Vasi.
She was staring down at the table, clearly struggling to hide the whirlwind of emotions coursing through her, butIcould feelher anguish as if it were my own. Judging from Tan’s confused expression, he looked to be having the same strange insight into her inner turmoil, and this concerned me. Who knew how deeply connected the four of us were, as fated mates. If one of us left—if one of usdied—what effect would that have on her legacy?
And what would a loss like that do to Vasi?
Chapter 34
Vasilisa
The hut suddenly felt like it was closing in on me. Like I couldn’t breathe. Whatever happened between Nox and me last night, however unresolved it was, had still felt like a turning point of sorts. But here he was talking about leaving as if it were an easy decision to make. As if none of this meant anything to him.
Probably because it doesn’t.
I didn’t know what to say that wouldn’t betray the utterrageI was feeling. This man had been nothing but trouble since the moment we’d met at the thermal pools. I didn’t believe for one second that he was truly concerned about shifters—he simply wanted to put as much distance between us as possible, even if it meant leaving his close friends behind.
