Page 37 of Marked By Night

This is truly insane.

Maybe I really am still stuck in a dream and this is all a figment of my imagination. I pinch my leg since I pinched Dante’s earlier instead. The sharp sting confirms that this is indeed real life. Is that a drum I’m hearing or is that my heart beating too fast?

I force myself to start taking deep breaths to keep the panic under control. Inhale. Count to ten. Exhale. I repeat the process over and over until the thundering pulse in my ears even out. This is not the time to get flustered.

When I look up, I find both Kaos and Dante staring at me with such sincerity and vulnerability that it makes my stomach flip-flop. Then the logical part of my brain catches up and I shake my head. “I need proof. I can’t…” I take a deep breath. “You can’t expect me to take all this at face value.”

Kaos nods as if he expected as much. Then he slips his hand into mine. His calloused fingers rub small circles on my wrist, and the sensation sends tingles down my spine. Suddenly, the limo feels hotter and more closed in, like a sauna, and not an air-conditioned box. I barely resist the urge to fan myself, despite the cool breeze flowing through the vents.

“Don’t worry, I’ll show you. Are you ready?”

My eyebrows dip in confusion, but I nod. Even though I’m kind of scared of what all this means, I’m more curious than anything. I’d rather know than be left in the dark.

Kaos slowly turns my hand over and I gasp, staring at the inky design in wonder. A black crescent moon now adorns my wrist, next to a large ‘K’ which I’m assuming stands for Kaos. The curve of the moon rests to the right of the letter and small lines connect them together.

With shaky fingers, I run them over the pattern, sucking in a breath as the black morphs into a glittery silver. “Whoa. It’s beautiful,” I whisper in awe.

Kaos turns over his arm, showing me a matching design, only my initial is next to his moon instead. Tears spring to my eyes unbidden and I close them, actively holding them back so they don’t run down my cheeks.

“What are they? Tattoos?” I ask.

He nods. “The marks only appear like this when the bond is real.”

“When a bond is real? Can a bond form without being real?”

He shudders, suddenly looking uncomfortable. “Unfortunately, but I’ve heard it’s excruciating as hell, and the bond never fully settles, always clawing at you underneath the surface.”

“That sounds awful,” I respond. “Why would you want that? Do people really do it? Form a fake bond, I mean?”

“Sometimes. Some Night Weavers have gotten desperate in the last few years…” He trails off, his gaze seeming far away. I run my fingers over his mark, and it lights up again.

“You keep sayingourLink. Who does that consist of, exactly?”

Surely, they don’t meanbothof them, right?

A girl can dream though.

“My brothers and I are called your Sworn. Our Circle consists of myself, Kaos, and Elian,” Dante replies casually. Like it’s not a big deal. To him, maybe it’s not.

But for me? Well, the idea is as terrifying as it is intriguing. I suck with men. Ashley is the one who knows how to deal with them. I lack the same amount of finesse and patience, if I’m honest.

“None of us would pressure you into anything you didn’t want,” Kaos assures me and Dante murmurs his agreement.

“Though something tells me you wouldn’t mind, would you?” Dante thrusts his hips into my ass, making me gasp.

Kaos smacks him upside the head. “You can take your time, make up your mind about us at your own pace. Okay?”

I nod my head yes, readjusting myself on Dante’s lap, and for extra measure, I wiggle my ass. He groans, but I don’t give him time to speak. “My gut says to trust you. I will. For now, but one wrong move from any of you, and I’m gone. Got it?”

“Deal,” they say at the same time. Freaky. They’re so in sync even though they’re almost the total opposite of each other in looks and in personalities.

Pop. Pop. Pop.

My heart leaps to my throat as the loud cracks surprise me. Dante and Kaos shove me down to the floor, cushioning my head to protect me. “What the fuck? Are we getting shot at?”

“Yep,” Dante says, making my eyes swing to his. I give him a questioning look, but it’s Kaos who answers.

“They’re bullets of the magical variety,” he explains. “They’re likely set to stun instead of kill.” Like that makes me feel any better.

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