Page 17 of Sinful Curses
It was dangerous to be out here while feeling like this. He had to get Sahira to feed from him, and she was being stubborn about it.
She would cave if he could get her to drink his blood again. Getting her to do it was the tricky part.
She didn’t want Elsa or Zeth to get hurt; he could use that to his advantage. Surprisingly, this was one game he wasn’t eager to play, and he so loved his games. The moves, the back and forth, and the banter were great fun to him, but not this one.
His anger with her faded after her revelation about Zeth and his family. Yes, she’d misled and flipped the tables on him when she’d fed from the demon instead of him, but she hadn’t betrayed him.
Betrayed me?Where had that thought come from?
They weren’t in a relationship; there wasnothingto betray. Yet, now that he was halfway up a four-hundred-foot wall, Orin realized that’s exactly what he’d felt when he believed Sahira slept with the demon.
And he’d been jealous—that ridiculous emotion he’d never experienced before her—because of it. He’d hoped never to experience that emotion again, but when Zeth and Elsa offered her their blood, his entire body clenched as he prepared to murder someone.
There was no way he would let her drink from anyone but him, and he didn’t care how much she fought him. He wouldn’t stand by and let someone else take care of her when he could.
What kind of an idiot was he becoming? What kind of an idiot hadsheturned him into? Andhowhad she done it?
Sure, she was a great fuck, but he’d had those before. Maybe nothing as intimate as what passed between them that night, but still fantastic. He’d have great fucks again too. He hadn’t yet, but he would.
Maybe you should tell her there hasn’t been anyone else.
Have you completely lost what’s left of your mind?
He wasn’t sure about the answer, but everything in him rebelled against admitting that to her. He should have moved on after her; he’d tried and failed.
The woman already had too much of an effect on him. However, he’d never give her that knowledge; he didn’t know what she’d do with it, and there wasnoway he’d ever leave himself vulnerable to the unknown.
No, she could stay angry at him for the nymph, but eventually, she’d get over it. And she would never know the truth of it.
CHAPTERSIXTEEN
They were onlytwenty or so feet away from the top of the cliff when a shadow fell over his face. It was barely more than a flicker but briefly blocked the sun.
Tilting his head back, he searched the top of the mountain; nothing moved up there, and no clouds floated across the pristine, blue sky. Orin’s fingers tore into the stone as he froze.
He almost looked back at the others but stopped himself from making what might be a terrible mistake. Heights weren’t exactly his favorite thing, and while being on this wall was better than being on the back of a dragon, he still didn’t like it.
Ensuring his feet and hands were secure on their holds, he leaned back a little to try to see more of what was above. Still, nothing stirred, but he hadn’t imagined that shadow, and since there were no birds in this realm—at least not yet—it hadn’t been from one of them soaring overhead.
He wished there were birds here. He missed the crows the dark fae used for messages. Sometimes the beautiful, highly intelligent, black birds would sit on his shoulder for a while. He’d always kept dried fruit in his pocket as treats for them.
“What is it?” Zeth asked from below and to his left.
“I don’t know, maybe nothing.”
“But maybe something?” Elsa inquired.
“There’salwaysmaybe something in this realm.”
He studied the top of the wall a minute more, but nothing emerged to cast a shadow over him again. Someone else might have convinced themselves the shadow was only their imagination, but he didn’t have a good imagination, and he’d never made mountains out of molehills.
When he saw things, hesawthem.
However, they couldn’t stay here, clinging to the side of a mountain. Eventually, someone would fall.
Going back down wasn’t an option either. They’d have to return to the desert, losing more days, time, and supplies along the way. They’d committed to this course and would have to see it through, even if something waited above for them.
Keeping more of his attention focused overhead, he started climbing again. He steadily closed the distance to twenty feet, then ten, and finally five.
