Page 42 of Premonition of Peace

She held no love for her sister, so I couldn’t guess what the cause would be, but what mattered most was that she was here, unharmed, and it eased the tension that had consumed my entire body. I scooped my arm around her waist, drawing her closer to me and holding her tight as I rested my chin on her head. She returned the hug, taking a deep breath that almost began to stutter.

“Come in,” I whispered, letting her go as soon as she’d begun to release me.

She shook her head slightly, jutting her chin toward the apartment. I turned slightly, seeing Estrid walking down the hall toward Marcel’s room. She pressed her lips together and brushed a hand over her jaw, a nervous tic I’d noticed in the short time we’d known each other. “We need to be alone. Take a walk with me?”

“Whatever you want.” As I stepped forward, and closed the door behind me, Nathalie stepped back, reaching for my hand, and lacing her fingers through mine. The touch of her warm skin soothed me, and I grazed my thumb over her while we walked in silence.

The chill of the fall air hit us. The sky was gray and cloudy, and moisture sat heavy in the air. A hard lake wind raked through my hair, slapping me in the face. New Chicago had changed in many ways, but the weather had not. She veered ustoward a nearby park, but she hadn’t spoken a word the entire time. I kept glancing at her, trying to read her expression, but the damned sunglasses covered half her face.

“What’s with the sunglasses?” I finally asked.

She gave a small, tight-lipped smile. “I . . . need them today.”

Grunting, I gave no response to her vague answer. Leaves crunched underfoot as we rounded a corner and approached Lincoln Park. In the time since the Demon Queen had taken over, the city had gotten somewhat better. There was a dedicated task force that cleaned up public spaces and worked on restoring them to their former glory.

Nat took a seat on one of the benches and I followed suit, sitting beside her. She held me hand still, resting it on her thigh after she’d crossed her legs.

“Penny for your thoughts?” I asked, mirroring a conversation we’d had after a night spent together.

A small smile curled up one side of her lips, and I felt satisfied with my success. “A penny is all you have to offer?” she said, playing along.

“Oh, I have much more to offer.” Leaning over, I grazed my lips along her jawline, toward her ear, inhaling every pheromone that escaped her skin. She angled her head slightly and shuddered.

“August,” she breathed out, squeezing my hand.

Heat shot through my body. The things I wanted to do to her now were not meant for a park bench. Well, not in broad daylight anyway. Despite my cock straining against my pants, and the desire to take her anywhere but here and ravage her, I pulled it together, kissing her earlobe softly before sitting back.

“For another time,” I said, angling my head toward people walking on a trail in the distance. “Which I suppose is why you brought me here?”

She smiled. “We have a tendency to . . .”

“Enjoy our time together?”

“I was going to go with ‘get distracted,’ but sure.”

“No more distractions. Promise.” I brought her hand to my mouth and pressed a kiss on top before I gently rubbed circles with my thumb. “What’s on your mind?”

She sighed. “Can I ask you something?”

I nodded. “Anything.”

She hesitated for a moment, then said, “Your eyes. The glamour. Why do you wear it?”

Caught off guard by her question, all I could do was blink as her words registered and then repeated in my mind. “I . . . how did you know?”

She turned, looking out at the park, taking her time before answering. “I suppose you deserve an answer to that before you’d be willing to trust me with your secret.” She returned her attention to me. “I can see when someone wears a glamour, but I can’t see beneath it.”

“You’ve known the entire time, then?” I asked, and she nodded in confirmation. “You’ve never asked about it before. Why now?” I did my best to keep my voice neutral, but the truth was that she’d rattled me.

“Because I need your help.” With slow, hesitant movements, she reached up and removed her sunglasses.

My breath instantly caught in the back of my throat.

One eye was the palest brown I’d ever seen.

The other wasn’t an eye at all.

“What—when—” I broke off, struggling to find the words. My hand reached for her face, toward the golden orb that stared back at me. She flinched away and my fingers closed midair, my hand resettling at my side.

---