Page 92 of Sworn to Revenge
“I’m glad you’re enjoying the service, but I expect a tip.” She doesn’t miss my mischievous smile near her ear, and she turns her head to plant a quick kiss on my lips.
“That’s an advance. I’ll decide how much to give you when you’re done,” she teases, and I bite my lip, swallowing a chuckle. I set the shower head beneath my tail to keep it in place and rub the shampoo into her long red hair. Her soft locks fill with soap bubbles instantly as I massage her scalp gently.
“Mmm... Don’t stop,” she moans, tilting her head back to give me easier access to the front of her hair.
Fuck.If she keeps this up, we’re never leaving this shower.
I quickly change the subject. “Now that we’re alone, care to explain what that enormous thing on the beach was?”
She turns her gaze back to me, “You just ruined all the fun. No tip.” She laughs, and with a playful shove of her hands, she turns her whole body to face me, folding her tail up against me.
“That’s the Guardian dragon. Turns out now he can come out of me,” she shrugs as if she has no idea how to explain it.
“Even if I wasn’t under the drug’s influence, I would’ve frozen in place. That was the scariest thing I’ve ever seen,” I admit, my voice low. “What are his powers?”
She immediately looks down at her chest and rolls her eyes—apparently, not at me. Again. “He says thanks,” she sighs, “He doesn’t tell me about his powers. He keeps saying ‘you’ll find out later.’ Seems like all of you enjoy keeping important information from me.”
I immediately grab her chin, tilting her head up to meet my gaze. “If I ever kept something from you, it was only to save your life. I would never lie to you!” My voice comes out harsher than I intended.
“Hiding things is lying.” She jerks her chin free of my grip and raises an eyebrow in defiance.
I sigh. I’m too tired to argue this point. “Fine, fine. I promise—it won’t happen again.” I place my hand over my chest as if taking an oath. “But I need you to explain exactly what we’re dealing with. I have no idea what ‘Black Blooded’ is.”
I lift the shower head to rinse the shampoo from her hair, and a stream of soap runs down her forehead toward her eyes. She closes them just asthe water meets her face, clearly afraid of the soap stinging her eyes. I can’t help but smile at how adorable she looks.
“We don’t know much about ‘Black Blooded’ either. It’s wild magic that isn’t linked to any bloodline in the ocean. It’s a force that stands on its own, unpredictable and dangerous from what we were taught. But the Guardian tells me things that contradict everything we ever learned in the city, so I really don’t know what it all means.” She explains, spitting out some soap that got into her mouth.“Gross.”
I can’t hold back my laugh anymore, my chuckle spilling out as I lean in, teasingly sucking on her lips.
“Nothing that comes out of you is gross. You’re not allowed to say ‘gross’ about my food,” I declare possessively.
She pushes my chest with her hand, her eyes still closed beneath the stream of water. “Idiot.”
“Yes! You’re both idiots!” she suddenly taunts to the side, clearly responding to the Guardian again. I sigh. Am I really going to have to get used to this shit between us?
“If he’s not going to leave anytime soon, the least he could do is shut up,” I growl in frustration, lowering the shower head from her hair now that she’s clean.
“It’s a losing battle. I’ve tried.” She says. A string of curses slips from my mouth as I begin scrubbing her back.
Bay
A familiar, comforting scent fills my nose as I turn in bed, lingering in the warm, soft embrace of the cozy blanket wrapped around me. I take a deep breath, savoring the comfort, and finally open my eyes after what feels like a long, restful sleep—blissfully uninterrupted by the usual nightmares. But as my gaze adjusts, I recognize the space around me. I’m in Pedro’s room—no,ourroom. A bittersweet smile tugs at my lips, like a mermaid who’s just been gifted her first baby seahorse. I roll over, expecting him to be there, but his side of the bed is empty.
For a moment, Miguel’s face flashes vividly in my mind—searing, impossible to ignore. I quickly push the thought away, burying it beneath the weight of my pain. Elyr. Miguel… Who will I have to kill next?
The digital clock on his gray bedside table glows 11:15 AM. I definitely slept in. I didn’t realize sex could leave me this tired, but I’m more than willing to find out again.
I sit up and stretch, noticing my phone on the bedside table next to me.Looks like Pedro made sure to return it. I quickly grab it and excitedly dial his number. I barely recognize myself with this childish excitement, but the only uncomplicated thing in my life right now is Pedro—us. Together.
Your morning excitement is making me dizzy. And what’s that horrible ringing in your ear?
Oh right, There’s Myko. And he’s awake, too.I roll my eyes as the call rings, waiting for Pedro to answer.
Human technology. Definitely useful when you’re trying to reach someone who’s not near you.I spend too much time explaining things to him. Maybe he’s growing on me. No. Not a chance.
Why isn’t he answering? Ugh. I scroll through my few contacts to the top, find Alin, and call her instead.
“You’re awake?” she answers after a few rings, panting on the other end.
