Page 91 of Ravenous
Freeing?“She canna hear the ghouls. She does no’ know!”
Jastorgh lifted a helpless hand. “I can’t force her to go.”
“You fuckingcan!” Thane growled. He reached for the gold coin in his pocket—bait enough for most demons—but Jastorgh vanished.
“Godsdamn it.”I’ll kill that motherfucker.He turned on Ditch. “Why risk this? Do you value your life so little?”
“I’m meant to be here with you on the eve.” She let her claws drift through mist, smiling as the red swirled around her fingers. “I’ve never seen fog so ominous. No wonder everyone gets spooked by this charming place.”
Charming? More like hellish. The woods looked as though they had grown in a northern forest, yet the air pressed thick and stifling, like the breath of the hottest jungle. Char and sulfur clung to everything, the River of Hell pouring out relentless heat. And beneath it all, something stirred.
Ghouls moaned again.Closer.
Thane carved Jastorgh’s sigils in the dirt with his sword tip—
“Ah-ah.” Ditch toed them away. “I’ll watch your back tonight.”
He cursed in Gaelic. Then her words sank in. “Watch my back? Have you a care for me as well?”
“No.”
He scowled, mostly at himself. After one night with her, he’d let hope get teeth.
“I care that Straegan doesn’t inherit your throne,” she said. “And I need to know you aren’t seeking a witch who’ll force me to love you.”
He couldn’t hide his interest. “Does such an ability exist?”
“Rare, but yes.” She slid him a look. “Would you use such a spell on me?”
He stepped closer until they were toe-to-toe. “I’ll no’ do anything to you that you doona want me to.” His gaze traced the line of her throat as she swallowed, the sensuous flick of her tail. “And I doona need to. You’re feeling a pull toward me. Last night was only a taste.”
Her lips curled. “Said the Hungry One.”
“Leave with me now, and I’ll demonstrate my appetites once more.” Every inch of her needed further exploration.
“Tempting, but I’m more concerned with what you’re doing here.”
When he hesitated to reveal his mission, her eyes flickered with magic. The grass green of her irises turned to demonic black, a dark canvas for moonlight.
“Using your power on me already?”
“I wasn’t. Now I’m tempted.”
He couldn’t compel her to go, couldn’t command her to stop. So he grasped for patience and said, “I’m asking you no’ to.”
She drew her head back with confusion. “What about me has given you the idea that I respect boundaries in any way?”
“Considering my arse was sore this morning, no’ a damn thing.”
“Oh, don’t pretend you didn’t love it—”
He held up his free hand to stop her. “We’ll discuss later. For now, I’ll reveal what I’m doing here if you give me your word that you will no’ use your abilities on me.”
“Why would I do that?”
“You told me to be wary should we meet off the Mount. I am. And if I canna concentrate, then our odds of getting out of the bloody Helter alive just cratered. If you want to know my deepest, darkest desires, then woman up and fucking ask me.”
After a pause, her gaze greened. “Okay.”
