Page 34 of Taken to the Deadlands

And after everything that had been happening with the sightings, I welcomed the distraction.

“My bed was cold when I woke up,” she murmured against my skin.

The heat that rose to my face was embarrassing. I should have been trying to find a way to get out of this situation. I thought about faking finding her ex-companion, but I couldn’t do that to her.

And the longer I stayed entangled with her, the harder it became.

“You sleep too much,” I said and turned around to face her.

Ever since our night together, she had given up trying to prim herself in the morning for me and instead just let herselfliterallyroll out of bed.

Her long hair was tangled around her head. Her eyes still heavy with sleep. And the robe she had haphazardly thrown on was falling off her shoulders and gave me a perfect view of the grayish skin of her chest.

I gave into the urge to push my cheek against it, reveling in the warmth.

“Can I tell you something?” she murmured, her lips coming to brush the top of my head.

I leaned back to look at her and caught a small smile that took my breath away.

“Anything,” I breathed.

She ran a clawed hand through my hair.

“I can’t remember the last time I slept so well.”

Her confession caused my throat to close up and tears to prick my eyes.

Damn it.

“Even through the many rude awakenings?” I asked, trying to keep my voice light.

She let out a huff of a laugh.

“Well, the night beforewasa bit much,” she said. “I expected maybe one or two wraiths here or there, notthreein one night.”

I cringed, remembering the way their moans had pulled me from my sleep. It hadn’t taken Aris long to figure out what they were. Especially with the help of some of the people at the auction house. All it took were a few summons for us to realize that I was seeing wraiths, notghosts.

I felt a bit of relief when I heard that. Meaning that, even though I was lying aboutsomething,there was still a surprisepower inside me. The only issue was that Aris was sure her old companion would neverhave become a wraith.

Apparently, you needed to harbor some very powerful, angry emotions to become a wraith, and per Aris’s word, she had been far too depressed to become anything but a ghost.

“Well, at least your friend is coming to get rid of them, right?” I asked, hope burning my chest.

If we could get someone to get rid of these wraiths, I would have an excuse for Aris. I planned to tell her that her companion had tohave been taken out with the others.

But even that excuse brought a sour taste to my mouth.

“Not a friend. But yes, she’ll be here any min?—“

Black smoke burst into the kitchen, shrouding the entire place in a glittery darkness.

Aris turned around to shield me. Her arms wrapped around me and pulled me behind her. I peeked over her shoulder to catch sight of the same demon who had been at the auction house.

A creature that melted into the shadows seemed out of pace in the well-lit kitchen.

The first time I had seen her, I had been far too scared to even take a good look at her. She looked as though she was literally born from the shadows. Her black hair disappeared into the ones that surrounded her. Her eyes were all black, save for small white pupils that were now narrowed in on me.

Her horns were a deep purple with jewels embedded in them. She wore a robe similar to Aris’s, but I couldn’t help but let my gaze wander to her bare, clawed feet.

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