Page 119 of Never Kiss a Fae
I shook my head, not recognizing anything from the sights to the smells to the sounds. “He’s definitely underground.” My nose twitched, the scent of moss and rust apparent. The murmur of machinery followed, some sort of constant crank, and the cackle of a male voice. I pressed deeper, trying to hear more, only to be shoved out by an unseen force so heavy it sent me to the ground in a whoosh.
Cyrus grabbed me, his hands foreign on my exposed shoulders, his words gibberish over the rising volcano inside me.So hot. Too hot.I gasped, energy swimming over my skin and clawing at my being. I couldn’t discern what was happening, the inferno overtaking me until a sudden wave took me deep under water.
Choking, I sputtered, coughing up a mouthful of the sea, Cyrus’s palm a steady beat against my back.
“What the fuck?” Titus demanded.
I couldn’t stop gagging, ice suffocating me from the inside out. If Cyrus answered, I couldn’t hear him, the sounds of the ocean thick in my ears. Everything swam before me—the moon, the stars, the buildings.
Exos’s spirit brushed mine, a brief hint of concern in that soft touch, only to disappear behind a wall of ivy I couldn’t penetrate.
Someone is trying to break our link, I realized, my eyes flying open. My mouth tried for words, but all that came out was more water.
Titus was shouting.
Cyrus was hitting my back.
Chaos, I thought deliriously, trying to regain control of myself and my surroundings.
Deep breath, someone said.
I listened.
Now exhale.
I did.
Cyrus appeared above me again, his irises glowing with power and determination. His spirit felt foreign, unwelcome, his charming face one I never wanted to see again.
He smiled as if hearing my thoughts, his thumb brushing over my cheek. Only then did I realize I was in his lap, cradled against him like a baby.
Ugh.Not where I wanted to be. At all. I tried to squirm, but his arms were too strong, his grasp harsh.
“You tried to burn me alive, little queen,” he murmured, amused.
What?I did no such thing.
“So you tried to drown her in response?” Titus demanded, sounding furious. “You almost killed her!”
“I merely reminded her of her place,” Cyrus replied, his eyes still on mine. “Or rather, I informed whoever attempted to control her that I won’t be going down so easily.” He searched my face, spirit swirling in the depths of his gaze. “Whoever has my brother is tied to spirit and is very powerful indeed.”
I blinked. Was that what I felt force me out of Exos’s mind? The person trying to distort our link?
Cyrus nodded. “Yes, someone tried to use your bond to get to me.” Had I spoken out loud? Or were the comments in my eyes? “Which explains why my brother tried to cut you off,” he continued. “That’s the pain you felt hours ago—Exos trying to close the link, to keep you safe.” He ran his fingers through my hair and sighed. “That’s going to make it more difficult to find him, but I understand his choice.”
“So a Spirit Fae has him,” Titus translated.
“It would appear so, yes. A powerful one.” Cyrus continued to pet me, confusing me greatly. Mostly because Ilikedit.
No. No way.I wouldnotbe attracted to this jackass.
First, he was Exos’s brother.
Second, he was a dick.
Third, I really needed him to stop looking at me as if he cared. As if I amused him in some way.
He chuckled. “I’m starting to see the appeal,” he murmured, that head of his tilting. “She’s much more pleasant when silent.”
