Page 41 of Tortured Soul
The door suddenly opened and I fell backward with a shriek, only saved from meeting the hard floor by Arc’s arm circling my waist, catching me.
Both our eyes were wide, noses touching, breath mingling. His free hand was holding onto the door frame, preventing both of us from falling flat on the ground.
Warm cinnamon. So much of it that it felt like I was swimming in it.
Embers. Glowing and flaming.
My face felt hot. My head, dizzy. Why was I aroused?
“You’re kind of glowing,” he mused, the anger in his voice now gone. “Is it because you…fed?”
My cheeks were probably crimson with awkward embarrassment.
I struggled to swallow through the knot in my throat and nearly groaned in frustration when my attempt at discreetly clenching my thighs was stopped by one of his legs between them.
He noticed and his eyes flared.
My whole body burned in shame.
He inhaled sharply and opened his mouth to talk but was cut short.
“When you two are done fondling each other in my office, I’d like to talk to you, Arc.”
That was it. If I could die, I would have died right then. Combusted. Turned to dust.
Something passed in Arc’s eyes as he straightened and helped me get stable on my feet again.
“Marcus is waiting for you downstairs,” he whispered absentmindedly. “He’ll escort you back home.”
I sighed and rolled my eyes, but as I started to walk away he grabbed my arm, his grip surprisingly gentle.
“Please, don’t leave the camp without telling anyone. If you put yourself in danger like this again, I’ll have to make sure you’re always monitored, and I don’t think you would want that.”
Chapter 13
Lola
I’ve learned quite a few things in the last week I’ve been living here.
First, Kai was a mind reader. Not too deeply as it seemed he could only see and hear things on a surface level, but it still made me wary of him. Especially since he—as he told me himself—knew already a lot about me. After all, he did spend centuries trying to recruit me into his tied group…
Second, Ann was part of his binded group, along with a witch, a Fallen, and another demon. They didn’t mention who was the core, but I had the pleasure of studying them one night as they were all eating in a small but packed restaurant near the park and I was convinced it was her.
Third, Carter was probably not allowed to be alone with me in the Archives, as Ann's presence right now—and a few other times before—suggested.
“What’re you looking for, exactly?” I asked her, tapping my fingers in a random rhythm on the wooden desk.
She roamed the shelves unconvincingly. Only the ones closest to where I was patiently waiting, my head resting on my hand.
“Not sure,” she mused, in a singing voice. “I’ll know when I find it.”
I stared at her, leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms over my chest.
“I could help you, you know? After all, that’s what I was hired for.”
She bit her lips nervously, avoiding looking in my direction, and trying really hard to appear focused on her task.
“Don’t worry about it. I know it’s here, somewhere.”
