Page 82 of Ransomed to the World
Mason chuffed, and she glanced up, then blushed to see him smirking at her, his hair gently swaying as if amused too. Instead of teasing her, he carefully lowered her to her feet, then kissed the top of her head. “We’ll find a safe place and get you out of these wet clothes soon.”
Her whole body tingled at the promise in his husky tone. He leaned closer, but instead of kissing her, he nudged her toward the ladder, swatting her lightly on the ass. “Stop trying to tempt me.”
She chuckled and started up the ladder, spotting a light up ahead.
Freedom.
Her heart pounded hard with the need to be topside, and she scrambled up the rungs. She’d only gotten halfway up when Xander reached back down, grabbed her wrists, and pulled her up, then pushed her ahead of him, as if he knew the walls were beginning to close in on her.
An open door stood in front of her, and she wasn’t ashamed to admit she sprinted the last few feet. As she burst out into a small courtyard, Camden caught her close, cupping the back of her neck as she struggled for air.
“We’ve got you.” He ran a soothing hand down her back. “Breathe deep.”
The exotic scent of wildflowers eased the tightness in her chest, something she associated only with him, and she squeezed him back, not giving a fuck that he was using his abilities to help calm her. “Thank you.”
He grunted, then pulled back. “Always.” He tipped her chin up and kissed her, his tongue tangling with hers, not giving her a chance to even think. As a distraction, it was the best. When he pulled away, she nearly followed him, and his green eyes brightened with invitation.
A hum of voices jolted them apart. The rest of the guys were at the entrance, giving them privacy, and she was grateful. Now that they were aboveground and she was on her own two feet, she scowled down at her still-damp clothes. They clung to her awkwardly, making her skin feel clammy.
She reached forward, tugging on the back of Edgar’s shirt. He immediately dropped back. “Now we’re topside, I can use magic to dry us off, right? They won’t be able to tell us apart from other magic users, will they?”
He pursed his lips, obviously reluctant to agree, and she pushed home her point. “We’ll only draw more attention if we try to walk around the city looking like drowned rats.”
He finally relented and nodded. “Just be careful. Not many can use dark matter the way you do, so it’s important for you to keep a low profile. The less we’re noticed, the better.”
Annora deflated at his cautious warning, unable to argue with his logic. She slipped into the shadows and summoned forth the darkness. It immediately leapt forward at her call, slithering up her legs and twining up her body, the warm air drying her clothes on the way.
Logan instantly joined her, giving her a crooked smile as he invaded her space. She took the opportunity to allow the air to caress him, careful to make sure she didn’t push him too far. Instead of retreating, his electric blue eyes darkened with lust, the scent of snow filling the space between them. Once he was dry, he gave her a quick kiss on the tip of her nose, then backed away and allowed Xander to take his spot.
The gryphon didn’t hesitate to swoop down and ruthlessly kiss the shit out of her. The darkness swirled around them, caressing them both. He tore away from her much too soon, and she barely stifled a groan. He leaned down, nipped at the crook of her neck hard enough to send a jolt of lust through her, but stepped back before she could reach for him.
She pouted, but he only winked, his eyes smoldering back at her with a promise for later. By the time she glanced at the others, Edgar had finished drying them. Annora sighed in relief, not sure she’d be able to handle more sexual tension and keep her hands to herself.
“We’re near the center of the city. Unfortunately, the closer we are to the center, the wealthier the people and the more patrols.” Edgar studied the street again, then leaned back against the building. “The upper-class usually wear their best finery, women in dresses and men in suits. The only exception are the troops, who wear polished uniforms.”
“So we wait until dark.” Xander crossed his arms, his legs splayed, prepared to stand guard.
Logan grunted, peered out into the streets, and jerked back with a frown. “The patrols are thorough. They’ll find us long before then.”
“Can we walk through the afterworld?” Annora glanced at Edgar, not sure whether it would be undetectable or not.
Edgar crossed his arms, rubbing his jaw. “Not many people have the ability, but the few who do are located here. There’s a slim chance we could cross paths with someone in the other realm.”
“So we have a decision to make,” Camden stated, his hands on his hips. “Which of us is the least likely to get us caught?”
Mason ducked and ran a hand over his head. “There’s no way I’ll be able to blend in.”
Edgar dropped his arms before they could come up with an alternative plan, clearly not happy as he faced her. “Are you able to bring us all with you but keep your magic contained so it doesn’t affect the outside world?”
“Yes.” She’d have to be. There was no other choice. “Just tell me how.”
“Liar.” He thrust out his hand toward her, and she willingly went to his side. “Keep us in the afterworld,” he said, “and I’ll keep the darkness contained.”
She suspected he had the much harder task. Annora inhaled deeply and allowed the darkness inside her to rise to the surface. It exploded out of her, seeping into the outside world until they were surrounded by darkness. Particles floated in the air.
Edgar’s grip tightened on her hand, his breathing rough as he shaped the magic around them so it didn’t touch anyone or anything else but her and the guys. The outside world remained completely unaffected, like shadows moving beyond their circle.
“We’re in a bubble,” Annora murmured with awe.
