Page 75 of Touched By Death

Dmitriy’s lazy drawl cuts through the stunned tension. “You’re not just fire-bonded with Aurelia, but with each other too. She’s the bond that glues you together.”

“Fuck,” Alaric says, using his own magic to put out the flames. His jeans are in charred tatters. “I’ll have to borrow a pair from Daemon.”

Dariana follows him out of the room, leaving me alone with Dmitriy, who’s back to staring at the flames in the fireplace.

Rising from the couch, I walk up to him. His attention slowly shifts across the room, and he looks up at me with dark eyes that hold enough secrets to sink a ship. Trying to decipher or unravel them is of no use.

“You seem to know a lot about the light.”

“I don’t,” he drawls, watching me. “I know nothing more than you do.”

My gaze slides down his body, pausing briefly on the bulge in his jeans before sliding back up to his smirking face.

“Ever sucked a dick, Ronan?” he asks, his voice dripping with amusement.

Not one to back down from a verbal challenge, I dart my tongue out to wet my bottom lip while appraising him. “Ever let anyone fuck you in the ass, Dmitriy?”

“Touché,” he says with a deep, lazy chuckle that shoots right to my dick in the most delicious way. “Why don’t you bend over the coffee table, and I’ll fuck yours.”

A scoff rips from my lips. Entertained as hell by the glimmer of mischief in his gaze, I look behind me at the open door before turning back and leaning forward to grip the back of the couch. Trapping him with my hands on either side of his head, I look him in the eye. “It’s a good thing you amuse me, or I’d make your fucking life hell for thinking you can show up here and mess with our dynamic.”

“Where did the friendly Ronan go that told me time is my ally?” He pretends to look past me to the door. “Did he leave with the others?”

“Very funny,” I mock. “Do anything to come in between my friends and me, and I’ll make you regret it.”

“I thought you were the easygoing one in your little trio. Maybe I have you pegged wrong.”

My cock throbs, straining so hard in his presence, I damn near give in to the urge to do something about it. “We all hide sides of ourselves,” I reply. “Are you as bad as you’ve let on all this time?”

His lopsided smile takes on a dangerous quality, and he reaches out to hook a single finger in my jeans pocket. “I’m worse.” His eyes glow with flames. “So much fucking worse.”

Pushing off the armchair, I straighten up and point an accusing finger in his direction. “Don’t mess with my friends or me.”

“I’m just here for Aurelia.”

Snarling low in my chest, I surge forward, but his hand shoots out and grabs me in a chokehold. Sitting forward in his seat, he digs his fingers into my throat and bares his incisors. “I have, in fact, fucked a man in the ass. And let me tell you, Ronan. Yours looks damn tempting in those jeans.” He shoves me away just as fast, causing me to stumble against the coffee table. Rising to his feet, he walks out without another word, leaving me to stare after him with gritted teeth and clenched fists.

Asshole!

Chapter Twenty-Six

AURELIA

Blinking against the bright sunlight, I stir when soft fingers stroke my hair away from my brow. “There you are.” Freya’s soft voice rouses me further from the clutches of sleep. I lift my head from her lap and look around the field. “Don’t worry, you haven’t been asleep for long.”

Confused, I peer back at her, and she hurries to add, “Today’s lesson is about the importance of forgiveness…” Her voice drifts away as my gaze wanders the expanse of the field. Angels with white wings that shimmer beneath the warm sun listen intently to the Elder on the podium. A tickle on my shoulder draws my attention to a small, blue butterfly.

“Are you listening?”

The butterfly takes flight. I look at Freya. “Huh?”

“Colossians,” she says, reaching out to brush away a strand of hair stuck to my damp bottom lip. “He has delivered us from the power of darkness.”

I startle awake with a gasp, my hand flying up to my sore throat where the sensation of gnarled, pale fingers that dig into my skin still lingers. Choking on air, my lungs burning, I roll over onto my back. Overhead, thousands of twinkling stars burn brightly while somewhere in the distance, a fox barks.

Footsteps approach from my left and Amenadiel crouches down beside me in the clearing, his long cloak pooling on the grass. His calloused fingers trail over the bruises on my cheeks, and he lets his gaze sweep over my face before whispering, “Fight it. Fight her.”

Pain rips through me as shadows seem to dart from the tree line to snap their vicious teeth at me.

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