Page 112 of The Hunt of Night

“Fine, don’t tell me,” I mutter, waving a hand at him as I drop my gaze at the book I’m nursing.

“It’s not a bad thing, Dagger. You can be hot, feisty,andnerdy. Your secret is safe with me.”

My gaze whips to his, eyes narrowing as I give him my best death stare, but it doesn’t hit the mark I intend.

“You’re only making my dick harder when you give me that look.”

Ass.

Rolling my eyesagain, I turn my focus back to the book in my hand before I close it with a thud. “This one is a dud,” I grumble with a sigh. The stack of books we’ve been through is growing taller than those we haven’t gotten to yet, and it makes concern swirl in my gut.

Concern. Worry. Tension. Three feelings I sense more than usual at the moment, and there’s a part of me screaming that it’s leading to something big, but I’m quite sure our situation can’t get any messier than it already is.

Wordlessly, Brody stretches, grabbing a book from his desk to hand to me. His room is lost to the stacks of leather binders, old books, and tattered papers. When he said he had gathered some research, I don’t know what I expected, but the mage in him definitely took over.

I’m sure we’ve got half the library here.

A yawn takes over my mouth as I settle back into my spot on his bed. I open the book to the content page to see if anything worthwhile stands out.

“Do you want to call it a night?” Brody asks, pulling his cell phone from his pocket as I shake my head.

“No way,” I insist, suppressing another yawn as I turn the page.

“You should eat.”

“I’m good.”

“If I don’t feed you, I worry my balls will be cut from my body, and I rather like them where they are.” His random statement draws my attention to him. His arm is already extended, his cell phone in hand as he flashes the screen my way.

Raiden: Have you guys eaten?

Brody: Not yet.

Kryll: It’s been hours.

Brody: Our girl says she’s good.

My cheeks heat at the mention ofour girl, but I don’t linger on it; I focus on the next line and bite back a scoff.

Cassian: Feed her. Now.

“Fine, I could eat,” I relent, watching him visibly relax in his spot on the floor with a sigh.

“You’re a lifesaver, Dagger. Is there anything in particular you feel like?”

“I’m not fussy, but I want snacks, too,” I decide, nodding eagerly. If we’re going to make it through all of this, snacks are definitely needed. Maybe I should have gotten Flora involved. She’s the queen of snacks.

He doesn’t pester me any further for an answer, and I smile, turning back to my book, knowing the decision has been taken out of my hands. I’ve reached my limit of decisiveness for one day, and having someone else take the reins is nicer than I want to admit.

“Whatever the Princess of the Dragons wants, she gets,” he sings, tucking his cell phone away as I grab the pen at my side and throw it at him.

His eyes narrow, but he manages to catch it with little effort. “I’m watching you,” he warns, raising his eyebrows at me, and I scoff, turning away again.

“I know. I can feel your eyes on me.”

“You can?” The lilt to his voice reveals a degree of surprise that I don’t expect.

“Always,” I confirm with a nod, feeling it even more than ever as I skim my finger over the text before me.

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