Page 19 of Fated In Forever
It’s only worth something to me. Sentimental value.
“Liar.” She said matter of factly, and we left the office,but not without a last look at the grinning satyrs on that calendar. “Esme was a wild woman.” Was all she said, before grasping my hand.
“Okay, we got your book, we’ve had our adventure, and you’ve had a half hand job, half blow job. What else is on the agenda for today?”
I snorted, shaking my head before I could stop myself, then swung her up in my arms, just to feel her against me. Just a few more hours, ten thousand seconds, half as many breaths, and she would no longer be mine, but as long as she was, I wasn’t fucking letting her go.
8
RIORDAN
We landed in a bloodied, undignified heap in the ancient stone entryway of Laith Castle, vaulted ceilings disappearing into shadow above our heads, the rarified air holding onto that perpetual chill of centuries-old stone. Dravin was spilling blood like a leaking faucet, and if he didn’t see a healer soon, he was going to bleed out.
Blake ended up braced against one of the massive stone pillars, his usual cocky grin erased by exhaustion, while Wolf and I carefully lowered Dravin to the stone floor, Fiona and Nash settled a disoriented Eldric beside him.
Two fucking Elders, the strongest vampire-witch I’d ever known, plus me and Blake, against Ravok and Romulus, and we’d barely survived the encounter.
I would have agonized longer over our failure, but one second, the entryway was empty, then soldiers streamed in from every direction, and a beautiful red-haired female crouched beside Wolf, along with a pale-faced Nikolai, who motioned the healers over to his brother.
Blake shook his head over the melee.
The two people we were looking for were nowhere in sight.
Finally, just when I thought we’d have to hunt her down, Evie burst through the doors, Malachi right on her heels,shoulders knocking a chunk of stone off the arched doorway he ducked through. Somehow, the bastard looked even bigger than I remembered.
At least he had shadows swirling around his middle, thank the gods.
“Well, well,” Blake called, though his tone was filled with relief rather than his typical swagger. “Look what the cat dragged in.”
Evie's face lit up and she broke into a run, her footsteps echoing against the stone floor as she raced toward us. “Blake. Riordan. Oh God, you’re back and you’re alive and…” She hit Blake with the force of a train, arms wrapping around his waist before she launched herself at me, hands hovering uncertainly around my face as if afraid she might hurt me. “Where are you cut? There’s so much blood…isthat Dravin? And what happened to Eldric?—”
“We're all fine,” I said gently, catching her hands in mine. “A little worse for wear, but nothing that won't heal.”
When her palms carefully cradled my face, that warm, sweet feeling coursed through me in a rush that nearly took me out at the knees. I closed my eyes and let her hold me, let myself savor this moment, like the greedy bastard I was.
“I thought…” I opened my eyes to find her biting her lip. “I was worried,” she admitted. “Worried that Ravok and Romulus would hurt you. I see I wasn’t wrong.”
“We’re fine, mate.”
Blake reached out and ruffled her hair with his good arm. “Takes more than a few angry thralls and two megalomaniac assholes to take us down. Though I'll admit, there were a few moments up on that mountain where I questioned our life choices more than once.”
Evie laughed, the sound ringing off the vaulted ceiling, bright and incredibly beautiful.
Then she grasped Blake’s hand and mine, and this was like old times—the three of us in our familiar triangle, sharing that unshakeable trust we’d fought so hard for, almost like we’d never been separated.
Towering over the chaos, Malachi watched everything, taloned hands clenching and unclenching at his sides, something like resignation written on his face. His massive frame was even more imposing against the ancient architecture, shadows pooling around him like living things as he stared impassively, amber eyes narrowing down to slits, watching us.
The way Blake's fingers lingered in Evie's hair. How my hand remained on her shoulder as she leaned into me. The soft laughter that passed between us, full of relief and a lot of shared history.
His body tensed, I braced myself, and then, all that tension just…slipped away.
In its place came something I never expected.
Malachi’s eyes met mine and in that split second, something undecipherable passed between us.
No, not undecipherable—unexpected.
Take care of her, like she’s the most precious thing in the world. Protect her with your fucking lives. Do not allow any harm to come to her, or I swear to all the fucking gods, I will come back from the dead and kill you both slow.
