Page 64 of Shackled to the World
When Sadie came near, sword in hand, he looked up, and any bit of warmth vanished from his expression, a clear warning to the other phantom.
Sadie gave a nod, then held out her hand imperiously, as if they were doing her a favor by bringing her back to the human realm.
Annora rolled her eyes, grabbed the girl’s sleeve and watched as the world around them shifted and the shadows retreated. Visibility became clearer as the dark particles slowly winked out of existence. The sun hovered on the horizon, light barely stretching across the land as it began to sink. The air felt heavier here, less charged, the world duller.
Just as she released Sadie, Camden came up behind the girl, pressing his bare hand on the back of her neck. The phantom tightened her grip on her sword, only for Camden to clamp his hand around her wrist. They struggled for dominance for a few seconds before Sadie’s eyelids fluttered and she dropped to the ground with a heavy thump.
Which left Annora staring at a very pissed-off Camden.
His hair shimmered in the darkness, the iridescent colors always more dominant when he was upset, but it was the scaly diamond pattern imprinted on his skin that gave him away.
He’d come to do war.
He scanned her from head to foot, and she barely stopped herself from fidgeting under his intense gaze. She waited for him to shout or vent his anger, but instead he strode to her side and inspected the now-unblemished skin where she’d been cut.
When she reached for him, he retreated, and a pit opened up in her stomach. He bent, then scooped up Sadie, tossing the girl over his shoulder like she weighed nothing, and laid his hand on her skin, the toxin in his touch keeping the girl from waking.
Annora frowned when he took off toward the house without a word, and she scrambled to catch up with him, not exactly sure what she could do or say to take his rage away. His anger made her anxious, and she hated the bitterly cold distance he was putting between them.
Edgar followed her, giving her a commiserating glance. “Give him time. He doesn’t like that you vanished and he was unable to follow. Men like him don’t understand a helplessness like that…they can’t bear it.”
Annora nodded, feeling dejected.
But Edgar was right. Being helpless destroyed something inside a person.
She gazed at Camden’s back, nearly distracted by the delicious flex and pull of muscles as he slipped in and out of the shadows. She winced at the hurt she’d unintentionally inflicted, determined to find a way to make it up to him.
As they entered the house, the guys were already waiting, fully decked out in their battle gear, every one of them looking lethal and intimidating as hell.
And fucking pissed.
She ducked her head and mutely followed Camden into the living room, where he dumped—or more like tossed—Sadie’s unconscious body on the couch. When he made to head toward the kitchen, still refusing to acknowledge her, she scowled and stepped into his path.
“What was I supposed to do—let her kill you?” She plopped her hands on her hips, not about to be cowed. “I won’t apologize for trying to keep you safe.”
To her shock, Camden grabbed her and crushed her to her chest, burying his face in her hair. After a minute, he spoke. “You’re my grá. Mine to protect.” His grip tightened possessively, and she did the only thing she could…hugged him back. “I know what you did and why, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
He pulled back, staring down at her, his green eyes devastated at the lack of control he had over his own life since she’d crashed into it. She reached up and cupped his cheek, watching the battle patterns slowly fade away under her touch. “I’ve never cared enough about a person to worry about them getting their feelings hurt. While I can’t always keep myself from harm, I can promise I’ll always come back to you…if you promise the same.”
Breath exploded from Camden, like Mason just punched him the gut, and he gave her a crooked, broken smile. “Deal. I can’t say I’ll ever like seeing you in danger, but I know you’ll do everything possible to keep yourself safe for us.”
Annora placed her hands on his shoulders, dragging them down his chest, then smiled up at him. “We did learn one thing of interest tonight.”
He gave her a questioning look.
“Your touch works on phantoms.” She lightly scratched her fingernails across his chest, then stood up on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against his. “Logan is right…I was created for you guys.”
He let out a tortured groan, and she slipped out of his arms just as he grabbed for her, sauntering out of the room with a grin, loving that she had the ability to throw him a little out of whack. She was conscious of the way his heated eyes followed her and couldn’t stop the way her stomach fluttered in anticipation.
Camden needed surprise and love in his life or he was going to suffocate, and she was determined to give it to him.
She entered the kitchen and gazed at Edgar, Mason, and Xander, her determination hardening. She’d come too far, fought too hard, to lose them now. She was made for them, which meant if she had to set the world on fire to keep them safe, she would bring marshmallows and fucking watch it burn.
Chapter Seventeen
As the sun finally set, more and more people showed up at the house, until a veritable army had assembled in the clearing out back. They were waiting for the official call with details about the exchange.
Greenwood was on his phone, his expression thunderous. He turned and faced campus, as if he could see the person on the other end of the call. One hand rested on his hip, fury radiating from every line of his body. He ended the call and slipped the phone into his pocket with a cold, controlled violence that made her shiver.
