Page 79 of A Storm in Every Heart
ODESSA, PRESENT
Isquint into the darkness, trying to make out the land on the horizon.
The sun has finally set, and it’s dark as midnight as Kastian, Jett, Captain Connell, and I fly over the ocean toward the land in the distance. My neck aches and my legs hurt where Kastian’s fingers dig into them, but I don’t dare to complain.
I’m all too aware of all the places our skin touches. Of the feel of his muscled arms around me and powerful chest mere inches from my cheek. All I can smell is his wood and citrus scent.
A full-body shiver travels through me, and Kastian’s arms tighten. “Are you cold?”
I shake my head. “No.”
Godsdammit, why does my reaction to him have to be so obvious?
Looking for something to take the focus off me, I reach up to touch a gash just below Kastian’s collarbone. “Does this hurt?”
He flinches as if my touch burned him. “A bit.”
“I can look at it when we land,” I offer.
“Can you heal wounds?”
“Not really, but I’m good at dressing them.”
He nods and offers me what I think is a smile—though it’s hard to tell in the dark. “I can heal it myself with magic. I just need to sleep first. I’m too tired right now.”
“Sorry,” I mutter, feeling slightly guilty.
He’s tired because of me—because he came to rescue me and because I couldn’t let him put me down in the water. My chest tightens, and there’s a pain at the back of my throat.
“Don’t be sorry,” he says quickly. “I could heal myself now if I were better at it, but I’ve never been that talented at healing.”
“Please, I’ve seen you use magic, and you’re excellent at it. You created a tsunami today.”
“That’s different, but I’ll take it. I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
My heartbeat kicks up a tiny bit and I try to ignore it as I put on a flippant tone. “I guess I can be pleasant to you.Once. In exchange for saving me.”
“How benevolent of you,” he says dryly. “You really seem to like that word.”
“What word?”
“Once.”
I suck in a startled breath and feel my cheeks heat. I’m suddenly glad of the darkness hiding my blush.
I clear my throat. “I assume Daemon sent you to find me?”
He pauses. “No, actually. He sent Jett.”
I swallow thickly. The question is on the tip of my tongue—why would you come after me? Why do you care?
I know if I ask, he’ll give me the true answer, but I don’t want to know. Because once that gets voiced out loud, it can’t be taken back and we’re already in such a precarious position as it is.
“Bloody hell!” Captain Connell says loudly, exasperation in his voice. “Are you trying to rip my arms from the sockets?”
“Shut the fuck up,” Jett grumbles, sounding far more serious than his usually cheerful tone. “You’re lucky I haven’t dropped you yet.”
“I might sodding prefer that to losing both arms.”
