Page 79 of Fire of the Fox

“Good night, Bria,” he whispered, his voice deep yet gentle.

“Good night, Rune.”

He shut off the lamp, and the room flooded with darkness. There came the soft click of the door shutting behind him, and then, I was alone. Part of me wanted him to lie with me or stay and talk. His presence had become such a part of my life that, without it, I felt exposed and lonely. I wanted him here with me.

Sleep came surprisingly fast after Rune left. My body and mind were exhausted, so rest was much needed. Unfortunately, my dreams had another idea. I tossed and turned in a fit, my mind taunting me with images of Jonah and his torment. His eerie voice filled my head with promises of pain and death, haunting my waking and sleeping thoughts.

You’re going to die tonight, and you don’t even know why.

My eyes shot open, and I gasped for air. My body flared hot with a renewed burst of pain. It was as if Jonah had hit me all over again. I didn’t know how long it had been since I’d taken the pain medication, but it was still dark outside. I couldn’t have been asleep very long at all, which didn’t surprise me given what waited for me in dream land.

The dark room suddenly felt too small. Chills swept down my arms. I didn’t want to be in here by myself, so I slowly pushed away the covers. After my failed attempt to walk the first time, I decided to take it slower and easier this time. It still hurt, but I managed to get up and stumble to the dresser. I braced myself on it and quietly opened the door.

The faint sound of the living room TV came from down the hall. All the lights were off, but there was a glow from the TV. Figuring Rune was still awake, I decided to go sit with him instead of trying to fight off invisible demons in his room.

I leaned on the wall for support as I crept down the hall. Rune was lying on the couch, covered with a throw blanket. He was in his Fae form, so his tail peeked out from beneath the blanket, draped over the edge of the couch. His fox ears twitched slightly as he lay there in a sound sleep. His chest rose and fell with his soft breathing.

Seeing him sleeping, my chest bubbled with warmth. He looked so peaceful and beautiful. More than anything, I wanted to crawl up next to him and fall asleep in his arms, but I knew I couldn’t do that. I didn’t want to wake him.

Still, I didn’t want to go back into his dark room alone, so I tiptoed further into the room. Gripping the back of the loveseat, I maneuvered around it. The soft cushion welcomed me, and I reached to grab the throw blanket that was draped across the back.

I covered myself up and snuggled into the cushions. My eyes found Rune as I got comfy. Even though I wasn’t right next to him, I still felt more at ease falling asleep so close to him, and his presence helped me drift off to sleep and kept the nightmares away.

Chapter Thirty-Three

MY EYES FLUTTERED open. Immediately, I was face to face with Marlow, who stood directly above me in his Fae form. He stared down at me with his glassy eyes. The brown and gold skin along his face shimmered with a fine layer of moisture. Caught off guard by his close proximity, I nearly jumped out of my own skin.

“You’re funny when you’re scared,” he said, leaning in close to me. His eyes roamed from my head to toes, where I was still stretched out on the loveseat. When his eyes found mine again, he cocked an eyebrow and asked, “Why did you sleep in such an uncomfortable place?”

I glanced at my makeshift bed. “It’s not uncomfortable.”

Peeking over at the couch where Rune had slept, I saw he was no longer there, and the pillow and blanket he’d used were gone.

When I looked back up at Marlow, I found his face mere inches from mine. I jumped back a little, not expecting him to be even closer.

He studied my face and mumbled, “Your eye and cheek are so puffy. Can I touch them?”

I grimaced and tried to think of a gentle way to tell him no. Talking to Marlow sometimes felt like talking to a child. He said strange things and acted unusual, but he never meant anything callous by it.

Luckily, Bassel came into the room from down the hall. When he saw Marlow crowding over me, he rolled his eyes and said, “Hey, goober, leave Bria alone.”

Bassel was in his Fae form as well. Not only that, but he was shirtless, too. Gold and brown striped fur ran along his hands, trailing up his dark arms. The fur went over his shoulders and just barely started down his built chest before stopping. His striped ears peeked above his sleep-tousled hair, and when he yawned, I could see all of his sharp teeth. If I didn’t know Bassel as the softy he was, I would’ve been terrified.

Marlow frowned at him. “I just wanted to touch her eye.”

Bassel growled, deep and throaty. The sound was eerily similar to a tiger who was seconds away from pouncing on its prey. His sharp teeth were bared, and he stalked closer to Marlow.

Marlow, knowing he was in trouble, backed away from me. He glanced at me with a pout, then turned to go sit in the high-backed chair across from me.

I turned back to Bassel as he came all the way into the room. He smiled at me and approached the loveseat. I moved my legs aside to make room for him. He flopped down next to me, his liger’s tail landing in my lap.

His brows pinched in concern as he asked, “How are you feeling?”

“Somewhat better after sleeping all night.”

“That’s good. You looked really bad last night when Rune showed up with you. Both of you guys were covered in your blood. I can’t believe Jonah did that to you. As soon as we find him, he’s going to wish he never set foot near you.”

Chuckling, I said, “Oh no. He’s invoked the wrath of the mighty Bassel. Whatever will he do?”

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