Page 124 of Infernal Bonds

A hint of surprise flickered across Cyn’s face, his perpetual scowl softening into a look of uncertainty. If he hadn’t seemed so endearing, I’d have laughed at how out of place that expression was.

“You want me to stay in here?”

I shrugged. “I got used to it.”

We’d spent all our time together in Feranzis, sleeping close to one another for both protection and warmth. It felt strange not to have them both nearby on the first night home. I needed time to adjust.

“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “Yeah, sure. I guess I can stay. Not like we haven’t slept in the same bed before.”

I held back a laugh. The last time we shared an actual bed, we’d ended up having sex for the first time next to Zeke.

Zeke slid down on the pillows and tugged me toward him, wrapping his arms around me from behind when I lay down. Cyn turned off the lamp and settled with his head on the pillow, staying on top of the covers.

It didn’t take long for them to fall asleep. But even with Zeke rolling over to give me enough space to keep from overheating, I couldn’t seem to fall asleep myself.

Despite the comfort of a quiet home and a soft bed, I remained restless and wired, waiting for something to happen. But what did I expect? A deformed and cursed lesser infernal to crawl out of the closet and drag me downstairs into the kitchen for a late-night snack?

I focused on Cyn’s profile illuminated by the moonlight, hoping that’d help keep my mind off things, but even that didn’t work.

Before I could get out of bed and head downstairs for a small snack and maybe a warm drink, Cyn turned his head and opened his eyes, catching me staring.

“What’s wrong?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re not asleep.”

I sighed. “Can’t turn my brain off.”

“Why? What is it?”

“I just can’t settle down. Are we actually safe here? Like, I know there are huge walls around Elyrdin, so lesser infernals shouldn’t be able to get in here, but what if they do?”

Cyn turned on his side, studying me. “They won’t.”

“But what if whoever dropped us in Feranzis brings lesser infernals here like Shane did on Earth? What if they use portals? Remember how they flooded into the parking garage? What if that happens—”

He leaned in, silencing me with a soft brush of his lips. I sucked in a sharp breath before I melted into the kiss as it turned slow and languid, chasing away my spiraling thoughts. He lingered as he pulled back, his breath ghosting my lips.

I blinked up at him. “What was that for?”

“You’re thinking too hard.”

“So you kiss me?”

“You’re not thinking about it anymore, are you?”

“Well, no, but…”

“But nothing.”

I snort-laughed. “You’re ridiculous.”

He brushed a strand of hair from my face and pushed himself up to lean against the pillows propped against the headboard, crossing his arms over his chest. “Go to sleep. I’ll keep watch.”

It seemed absurd for him to remain awake and on guard as if we were still in Feranzis. But after the kiss, knowing he’d protect us like he had before and trusting he wouldn’t simply drift off the moment I did, the overwhelming exhaustion I’d been fighting finally settled in, pulling me down into sleep.

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