Page 57 of Ransomed to the World
Logan hesitated, then looked over his shoulder at the door. “I want to pick up a few supplies.”
“I’ll go with you.” Camden dragged himself to his feet. “I don’t want anyone going off alone.”
Edgar immediately reached into his pocket and handed over a piece of paper. “Would you stop at this booth and pick up this package for me?”
Camden accepted it with a nod, shoving it into his pants without even looking at it. Instead of being curious, Annora was warmed by the easy acceptance between the two men…like they were becoming a real family.
“What about food?” Annora protested.
Logan flashed her a smile, a tiny bit of mischief peeking out. “We’ll pick something up on the way.”
Her heart fluttered when he winked at her, and when heat crept into her cheeks, his smile turned smug. Then he and Camden headed back out into the streets, a cheerful whistle floating behind them, and she grinned…Logan was healing.
Edgar claimed the vacated spot next to her, pulling on the darkness to cast them in shadows, and Mason took a seat across from them, nearly taking up the whole bench.
Xander dumped the key to the room on the table and jerked his head toward the bar. “I’m going to sit at the counter. People are on edge, and I want to see if I can pick up any rumors. I also want to observe how people react around you and gauge if they will be a problem.”
It all sounded reasonable, but she knew he wasn’t telling them the whole truth. Before she could dig deeper, he took off, pushing his way through the crowd, not once looking back.
Annora sagged back in her seat, not liking the distance between them. “I don’t like him going off on his own.”
Instead of brushing off her paranoia, Edgar glanced after the gryphon. “We’ll keep him in sight, I promise.”
He reached under the table, found her hand, and gave it a squeeze, and she clutched at him, grateful for the comfort. They didn’t have to wait long before an older woman came to take their orders, her expression jaded and bored as she scanned them. The woman ignored Annora and focused on the guys, her smile flirty, but her faded green eyes remained cold.
Her dull red hair was swept up in a sloppy bun. Her makeup was light, not disguising the lines marring her face, but Annora doubted anyone noticed since the woman’s boobs practically bounced out of her bodice every time she moved. They were almost hypnotizing to watch.
Annora shook off the distraction, spotting at least three blades hidden on her, and one not-so-hidden blade curled up against her ribs. The implication was obvious—touch without permission and lose a hand.
While the woman flirted with the guys, Annora glanced at them, surprised to see they kept their tone respectful, not once looking at the woman’s breasts as they ordered. The woman gave them an approving nod, like they passed some sort of test, then bustled off to fill their order.
“What are we going to do while we wait for our ride over the river Styx?” Annora joked, but her smile wilted when Edgar didn’t laugh with her. “What?”
“You’re not that far from the truth.” Edgar leaned back, rubbing his thumb distractedly along her hand. “The ocean is the barrier between the world of the living and the phantoms. Styx means hate in Greek. While the port might need the commerce the phantoms bring to them, the people here are so afraid of them, it borders on hate. We originally kept ourselves separate from them for safety reasons, but it’s gone on too long and it’s now led to distrust, and we did nothing to stop it.”
He gave her hand a squeeze, then released her. “I think your father and the council planned it. They want the fear and the hate. But I don’t think they planned on being trapped on this island forever. The only thing holding them back are the reapers.”
Annora’s lips went numb. “Reapers he wants me to kill.”
Edgar gave a short nod. “Not many know it, but reapers keep the world in balance. When people die, their energy has to go somewhere. Reapers ferry it to the afterworld where it can’t harm anyone. Without the reapers, the energy from the dead would flood the human realm, and—”
“Phantoms would have unlimited access to power with no restrictions. They’d destroy the world.” Annora nibbled at her bottom lip, then stilled when another horrible idea slammed into her. “The witches…that’s why phantoms were killing everyone who could access dark matter. They wanted complete control and no one to stop them.”
“Fuck, man.” Mason ran his hands over his head, his hair standing on end in his agitation.
Annora rubbed her forehead, then glared at Edgar. “When were you going to tell me this?”
Mason turned toward Edgar with a massive frown of disapproval.
“I never concerned myself with the outside world until I met you.” Edgar ignored Mason and turned toward her, horror etched on his face. “I didn’t piece everything together until now, or I would’ve killed Daxion before he dragged you into this mess. None of us would ever have agreed to come if we had known.” He threaded his fingers through his hair, his perfect composure fracturing. Sincerity darkened his eyes, but the dark blue color drained away as his control fractured. “I wouldn’t lie to you.”
She believed him, and not just because their connection rang with his honesty. Knowing that he needed more than a casual agreement, she caught his face in her hands, then lightly brushed her lips against his. “I trust you.”
And she meant it.
His eyes widened, then he leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers in a rare show of emotion. He released the breath he’d been holding, and she sank her fingers into his hair, marveling when he shivered, a rush of delight tingling along her nerves.
Knowing Edgar valued his privacy, she reluctantly pulled back, trailing her hands down his chest. “Where does that leave us?”
