Page 74 of Blood Oath
“What you can do is fuck off,” she interrupts, glaring at each of us in turn. “How many times do I have to reject you assholes before you get it through your thick heads that I don’t want you?”
Crane steps closer to her, a smirk twisting his lips as he leans down to whisper, “Keep lying to yourself if you want. But I reject your lies, sangfluir.”
That’s a fae word I don’t know, but Maven does because she presses her lips together before finally sidestepping Crane. Even with the oversized cargo pants she has on, we both watch the sway of her ass as she ascends the stairs to find a guest room.
When she disappears around a corner, I look pointedly at Crane. “Invite me in.”
“I think not,” he shrugs nonchalantly. “We’re all safer with you out there.”
I offer a dark smirk. “You think so? Because even with all his many intricate wards and blood-drenched dreamcatchers, it only took me a couple of hours to get through to your uncle and infest his mind.”
My taunt works. Crane is immediately on edge, his red glare pinning me, and I think we might finally get to draw blood for blood. But then Decimus appears from the hallway to our left, rolling his eyes at the two of us. As if we’re ridiculous when he’s the one wearing a frilly white apron.
“What part of play nice don’t you two dickheads get? Just come in already, Crypt.”
Immediately, the invisible wall disappears, and I step through the doorway, enjoying the way it makes Crane’s eye twitch.
“With pleasure.”
“Yeah, whatever, creep. Now, where’s Maven?” Decimus asks impatiently, his draconic-gold eyes slipping to the stairs as his nostrils flare. “Is she?—“
“Irritated? Very,” I supply.
He pulls off the apron and shoves it at me as he passes, stalking up the stairs. “Don’t let the pork chops burn,” he calls over his shoulder.
I snort. “Yes, because an incubus who feeds on dreams and hasn’t had physical sustenance in over a decade is the ideal sous chef for a romantic dinner.”
Crane ignores me, following the dragon up the stairs. And since I would much rather observe my quintet trying to find our footing with our keeper, I toss the apron over my shoulder and follow them, slipping back into Limbo.
22
MAVEN
It takes a lot to make me lose control. I’ve been through too much to be fazed by little things.
But they’re. Fucking. Getting. There.
I step into one of the suites of the over-the-top inn and glare at the beautiful decorations, massive four-poster bed, sprawling marble hot tub in the corner, and the connected bathroom that could fit a herd of rhinoceros in the shower. Everything looks straight out of those luxurious magazines Kenzie reads, from the display of blood-red roses and glistening crystal ware on the suite’s table to the kissing swan towels on the luscious bed.
Outside the large arched window across from the bed, wind howls and snow has turned everything white, obscuring even the trees nestled around the inn. It’s a blizzard of epic proportions, cutting off the outside world.
Cursing the gods under my breath, I put my bag on the nearest dresser and blow my hair out of my face in frustration.
Until it calms down, I’m trapped in here with these idiots just as they intended. They plotted together to manipulate my trip, forcing me to spend time with them. Trapped us all together, even though I’ve been making them miserable for days. It’s like they’re all fucking masochists and can’t get enough of me treating them like shit.
Ironically, that would almost make the gods right about making me their keeper since I’m something of a sadist.
This was supposed to be my chance to shore up my defenses against them, but now I don’t know how long I can keep my cool around my rejected matches. On top of that, my mission to get Lykoudis’s heart just got complicated.
I am nothing but deadly calm, I remind myself with determination. I feel nothing else.
But that does nothing to still the warm hum that washes over me when Baelfire knocks on the ajar door with a shit-eating grin when he sees me. Silas’s gaze burns like he’s seeing right through me. I can feel Crypt here, too, and I wish I knew where he was standing so I could flip that smug bastard off.
“There’s my cute little raincloud,” Baelfire greets warmly, tucking his hands in his hoodie pockets as he approaches like a conscious effort to keep from touching me. “How was the drive, baby?”
Exhausting. I never knew how annoying it was to drive on icy roads. Probably because Crypt guessed right about the fact that I’ve never driven at all. But I’d seen Kenzie do it whenever we’ve gone to Halfton, and the controls were simple enough to figure out. I didn’t crash into anyone, so I consider it a success.
“Peachy, until I was shanghaied into spending time with four assholes who can’t fathom the concept of boundaries,” I deadpan.
