Page 35 of Marked By Night

“You need to trust yourself, and your instincts, Sadie.” He punctuates his words with a poke to my heart. He’s right though. My instincts have never steered me wrong and I need to let them guide me.

Our eyes connect and subconsciously, I know that I’m inching closer to him and that Dante is still standing beside us, but I can’t seem to focus on anything other than his plush inviting lips as his gaze dips to my own. Every part of me longs to close the distance, so I do.

Apparently, he has the same idea as me. My breath hitches as my lips meet Kaos’s halfway and he instinctively lifts me into his lap. My fingers thread through his dark hair, making him let out a gruff moan that drives me wild, spurring our kiss deeper, into more intimate levels that I’m not ready for. Yet. I pull back slightly, his swirling blues meet mine and I realize I’m so fucking gone.

Without thinking, I reach down with my other hand to link our fingers together, pulling his hand up to his chest to rest it between our bodies. Our lips crash into each other’s again as I try to meld his body into mine. The little distance between us is too much. I need him closer.

Somehow, he reads what I need without me having to say anything out loud. Then again, he is the perceptive one. He coaxes my mouth open with his skillful tongue and I part with ease, allowing him entry with a soft sigh. It’s like we’re two star-crossed lovers and not two practical strangers. His tongue brushes against mine as we languidly explore each other’s mouths like we have all the time in the world. That’s the funny thing about time; you always feel like you have more than you do, but you’re never guaranteed tomorrow.

“Grab today by the balls,”Skylar always used to say. That’s the funny thing about grief too, it hits you out of nowhere. Sometimes years after the fact. I know that I’ll never fully be over my brother’s death and the only thing that brings me a small amount of comfort is knowing that when I run into Mickey Sinclair the next time, I’m going to kill him.

The thought jolts me from our kiss and I lean back to take a deep breath, trying to come back to earth from kissing the living daylights out of Kaos. That’s when our still connected hands start to vibrate. I glance down at them in confusion.

What the hell?

The odd feeling continues to intensify, sending spirals up my arm. My head whips up, eyes locking onto Kaos and his expression takes my breath away. The look in his eye is awe. He’s in awe over me. It’s absolutely the most transfixing thing I’ve ever experienced.

Dante’s sharp intake of breath startles me. “Holy shit, it’s happening. It’s really fucking happening,” he says.

My entire body starts to become heavy as little needles poke and prod me all over. All the muscles in my body simultaneously lock, rendering my defenses useless. I try to fight the sensations, but nothing happens. I strain and strain, but my lips don’t even move.

Kaos’s eyes widen at the same time a flare of black smoke surrounds us, stopping a knife inches from the side of my skull. I catch the tip of the blade in my peripheral before it clatters to the ground, leaving me unharmed.

You’re okay, my Little Flame. I’ve got you,he tells me, yet his mouth doesn’t move. So many questions want to tumble out of my mouth, but I’m frozen to the spot, paralyzed.

“Shit. Fuck. Shit!” Dante curses, springing into action. Every muscle in his body tenses as he shifts into action mode. It’s kind of freaky how easily his switch flips from carefree dancer to badass fighter.

I watch from my spot on Kaos’s lap as he dispatches two men with similar daggers in their hands stalking toward us. Unfortunately, he left our rears open and I sense a shift in the air as someone else rushes toward my exposed back. Before he can strike, the same black energy flares to life, saving us for a second time. Though if I’m guessing, I’d say the shield is coming from Kaos. His eyes are screwed shut in concentration.

Dante manages to end his fight, flicking his fingers to send a bright orange-blue flame over our heads at our attacker. The unsuspecting man grunts and falls to the ground. Dead.

Again I ask, what the hell?

I strain against the sensation plaguing my body, tugging and jerking against the invisible bonds until my jaw finally unlocks. Sadly, it’s the only part I’m able to unfreeze. I do not like feeling so helpless.

“What the actual fuck is happening?” I demand, voicing my thoughts aloud. “And why is no one helping?” I shoot a glare at all the unassuming patrons passing us by, blissfully unaware. “There’s a fucking dead guy on the ground for shit’s sake.”

Kaos’s eyes swing to mine. His body doesn’t seem to be cooperating either. “It’s called an Illusion. They can’t see us right now, or else it would cause a panic,” he responds distractedly. I can tell from the strain in his eyes that he’s wrestling as hard as I am against the paralyzing effects. His leg twitches underneath me and somehow, he manages to stand, but his moves are slow and sluggish.

“We’ve got to get her out of here!” he calls out to Dante.

Dante nods, rushing over to take me from Kaos who is still struggling to stand. “Let’s move. We’re surrounded and they’re only going to keep coming. We can’t keep dropping bodies,” he says.

Kaos nods. “Don’t worry about me. Get her to the limo.”

Dante obliges, carrying me out of the park, whispering words of encouragement into my ears, but it doesn’t settle my frayed nerves. If I were smart, I’d run away from them, but I’m too curious for my own good. They know what I am and what’s happening to me. I’m dying to know too, and it mightactuallykill me to find out.

17

Sadie

Kaos and Dante work like a well-oiled machine to get me out of the crowd, despite Kaos still being halfway frozen. They take me to a limo that’s waiting for us outside of the front gates. Dante slides me in first, arranging me inside before piling in behind me. Kaos climbs in after and slams the door shut.

After a few minutes, I’m able to move my neck and take in my surroundings. There’s a freaking crystal chandelier dangling from the ceiling, a fully stocked bar on the left, and it’s complete with a super hot Dante and Kaos sitting across from me. Fancy.

The rest of the feeling slowly starts to return to my body. The experience is like when your leg falls asleep and you get pins and needles until they finally go away. It’s uncomfortable, to say the least. When the tingles finally subside, I rub my aching temples, groaning as I stretch out my tight limbs.

“I think we lost them for now,” Kaos says, moving his gaze from the window to mine. “We have a few minutes at the very least anyway.”

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