Page 128 of Spellbound
“They said the guy... What’s his name?”
“Raiden, you mean.”
“Yes.” She leaned forward. “They seemed to think he’d die for you. Is he your husband? Boyfriend?”
My stomach dipped. “Neither.”
“Do you love him?”
I couldn’t answer her. “He doesn’t want me like that.”
“Then why did they think he’d die for you?”
I looked down. “Because for a moment, I actually believed he would, so I’m not surprised they did. He’s good at faking it, it seems.”
“He told you he doesn’t love you?”
“He made his feelings about me perfectly clear.” I swallowed hard, trying to remove the lump in my throat. “But he doesn’t matter. I have you now.”
“Well.” She smiled. “It’s his loss.”
I stood, brushing the leaves and pines from the forest off my pants. “I’m taking you back to Dora, then coming back here. I need to know you’re safe.”
I glanced at the window. A storm was brewing outside. Time was running out, and if I didn’t get there in time, Lucius would kill them all.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Iwhite-knuckled Thalia’sdagger as the winds picked up. They howled through the forest and up the side of the mountain. The portal opened as I pressed my bloodied cut against the symbols. I held my next breath, turning toward Edmund, Maddox, and Naomi as the eerie fog crept through the opening, its fingers grappling for a taste of our world. “If anything comes out—”
“We know.” Edmund shivered against the cold, gripping the grimoire in his blue fingertips. “We have dark objects to capture any rogue demons. Don’t worry about us. We have everything we need.”
Maddox gazed at the portal, then turned his attention to me. “It’s not like we’re keepers who have years of experience and knowledge to—oh, wait.”
I sighed. “I know, I know. I just need to know you’ll be safe.”
Edmund’s expression softened. “I’m more worried about you. We’re out here. The biggest thing we have to fear is frostbite and a potential demon. Promise me, Elle, if anything happens in there, you will get yourself out.” He paused. “Even if you need to leave one of them behind. They’ve had lifetimes. You’ve not had one.”
