Page 24 of As Darkness Fall
Aaron swayed backward at my vehemence, but he didn’t protest more. If anything, I saw a glint of approval in his eye.
“Then what?” he asked instead.
“Then,” I said heavily, “I leave that godforsaken town. Forever. For real this time.”
Aaron nodded slowly. “Aren’t you afraid that when you show up, Lars will try something with you? There’s a bit of history between you two now, and he strikes me as a bit of a psychopath.”
I snorted. “Why should I be afraid of him? I’ll have the two of you with me.”
Aaron’s eyebrows went up, but before he could respond, Vir spoke up from across the room.
“I would be glad to go with you, to protect you.”
My lips quivered as Aaron rolled his eyes.
“You know my contract runs out well before we’d make it there,” Aaron said quietly. “It’s technically going to run out before we even get back to the trucks. Though, since we’re all headed the same way, I see no harm in journeying together.”
Vir didn’t have anything to say to that, but I could sense his disdain for the mercenary. Still, Aaron had proven his worth already, and I wasn’t about to stroll back into Seguin without at least a second tough with me. Vir was good, but he was a god, and that meant he was unpredictable. Aaron was a sure thing if I could figure out a way to pay him.
Besides, it was better to have others around. I didn’t want to slip up with the Soulbond. It would play all sorts of tricks on me if the two of us started spending time alone together. I didn’t want that to happen, and with Aaron around, I could be much more certain that Vir would keep his space.
Lost in thought, I watched Johnathan as he sat amid the conjured pillows Vir had summoned for him–after the second time he’d thrashed his way off the cot in the middle of the night, we’d had to come up with an alternate solution.
The conjured pillows. From Vir. A god.
I grinned as an idea hit me.
“What?” Aaron asked, regarding me with extreme suspicion.
“You’re coming with us,” I said confidently.
“I am?”
“Yes,” I said, jerking my chin across the chamber. “And Vir’s going to pay you.”
Vir sputtered and protested while Aaron chuckled.
“This should be interesting,” the mercenary said as the god recovered his words.
“I willnot,” Vir denied angrily.
Giving Vir my longest, hardest look, I stared him into silence. “Conjure up some treasure,” I growled.
Aaron shook his head. “He doesn’t even have to do that. I’m sure he’s got gold stashed away in here that his followers forgot about when they abandoned this musty old place a thousand years ago.
Vir grumbled and didn’t move.
“Vir,” I snapped, letting my displeasure flow through the Soulbond. “It’s just gold.”
“But…”
“It’s. Just. Gold. We need his help. Now, pay him,” I said.
Vir got up in a huff like a hormonal teenager and all but stomped to the back of the chamber. I watched as he pried loose a piece of the stone wall and gestured at Aaron before walking over to me.
“Don’t even start with me,” I said, shutting him up before he started. “You can consider this as step one of your punishment for binding us together.”
Vir sighed heavily, caving. “When do we leave?”
