Page 78 of Curses & Keys
Trust him,I tell myself. The instant my eyes close, my attention shifts entirely to him. His breaths. The muscles brushing up against me. The timbre of his voice.
“Release in 3, 2… 1,” he murmurs.
Simultaneously, we release the nock, and the arrow flies from our grasp. Opening my eyes, I watch it wing its way to the column. A resounding thwang fills the air. “Did we hit it?”
He smiles and picks me up, twirling me around. “We did.”
Taking my hand in his, he stalks over to the column and pulls the arrow out of the serpent—it instantly transforms into a panel. Similar in size to the one in Rome, the blue panel depicts a vase in the very same pattern as the vase in my vault. I stare at it with a mixture of horror and hope.
“Two down, three to go,” I announce in a cheerful voice, hiding my shaking hands. “Let’s get back. Figure out where to go next.”
He studies me for a second, and I wait for him to say something, but he doesn’t. He simply takes my hand in his and uses his stylus to create a portal for us to step through.
39
PHAEDRA
The moment we step out of the portal, I see Arlie, the Fae healer, bending over Jamison, and I rush over. I’d given them her contact info so she could check on Hawthorne.
“Did something happen?”
She flashes a serene smile but keeps her eyes on her patient. “The tonic will work rapidly, and you’ll be as good as new in a few hours.”
Jamison dips his chin but doesn’t return her smile. “Thank you. We appreciate your assistance.” His steel-blue eyes glance past her to Gatlin, who immediately ushers her to a portal.
Mathias puts his hands on my shoulders and turns me toward the bed. “Look who’s awake.”
The second I see Hawthorne’s sea-green eyes staring back at me, my knees buckle. Mathias immediately picks me up and places me on the bed.
In wonder, I cup Hawthorne’s strong jaw and lean over to kiss him, then stop myself. What if he doesn’t want me to kisshim?Damn.Awkward. I stare down at him, tears filling my eyes and clogging my throat. “Welcome back.”
The guilt I’ve been carrying all week eases, but instead of feeling better, I’m on the verge of tears. “How do you feel? Are you able to walk?” Easing off the bed, I take a step back. I don’t want him to see me cry.
He stands and takes my hand. “I’m fantastic. Arlie said the tonic, all the nature therapy, and our long conversations helped tremendously.” He bends down and places his forehead against mine. “Thank you.”
My eyes lock with his, then fall to his mouth. I bite my lip instead of doing the one thing I want. Forcing a chuckle, I step back. “I…uh…need a shower. The site was full of dirt and heat. Mathias can show you what we found.”
Without looking back, I pivot and head straight to my bathroom and turn on the shower. Stripping, I barely get in and under the hot spray before the sobs spill out. Gut-wrenching and loud, my body shakes with the force of them. I press my forehead against the cool tile and let it all pour out. All week I prayed for him to open his eyes. Every day nothing happened, and my anxiety and guilt built and built until I felt as tight as an overblown balloon. What is wrong with me? I’m ecstatic, damn it. Still, the tears fall.
Lost to the world, I don’t hear the shower door opening. Suddenly, he’s there, pulling me into his arms and holding me tightly. I press my face against his chest and wrap my arms around him until not a sliver of light remains between us. Hot water cascades over the two of us, and the air fills with steam. I don’t want to ever let him go.
“I’m here,” he murmurs, stroking his hand down my back. “I heard every word you said. Your voice was soothing, reminding me of the world beyond. The need to return. To you. To see thosebeautiful bright blue eyes sparkle up at me. To taste the lips you kept pressing against mine.”
His words break through my sobs, and I lift my head to stare up at him. “You didn’t mind?”
He smiles crookedly. “I did but only because I couldn’t kiss you back.” His head dips, lips brushing against mine as if asking for permission.
In answer, I stretch up on my toes and capture his lips with mine. Gone are the soft, sweet kisses I gave him when he was lying so still, his eyes hidden from me, the occasional beat of his heart the only sound between us. This kiss is full of heat and need and a little bit of fear.Please be real.
I slide my hands up his chest and realize he’s fully dressed. Breaking the kiss, I slide my hands to the first button, but again, I stop. I’m so used to undressing and dressing him. When I look up to see if it’s okay, his normally bright green eyes are dark with desire and disbelief.
His hand covers mine. “Why?” His question is simple, but the answer not so much.
“I need to know you’re real. All week I dreamed of you, and every morning I woke in despair. The guilt almost broke me. I need to know you’re here with me, full of life and magic, not a figment of my dreams,” I say, baring myself to him.
With a nod, he releases my hand. “I’m real, and I’m here with you.” He chuckles. “I’m also impatient.” In a flash of magic, his clothes disappear, and he hauls me into his arms. “Goddess, you feel so damn good.” His lips crash down on mine, destroying every thought in my head.
I lose myself in the feel of his arms wrapped around me, his lips kissing mine, and his magic crackling around us, showing me how real he is. When I raise my head to catch a breath, his lips travel down my neck, licking and sucking to my breasts, lavishing them with attention. I moan at the feel of his hotmouth on me, his breath tickling the surface of my body. His tongue follows his lips across my body.
