Page 19 of Captured in Love
The light of the day doesn’t really change this far north, but my watch tells me a full hour passes before Levi shudders and takes a deep breath through his nose. His cheeks are flushed, and I suspect he’s sweating under all that rain slicking over his body. His scent has been tempting me more and more, as though the magic he created wafted through the air. I don’t need to feed yet, since I drank from Nora last night, but the hunger still pounds inside me, ever-present and insistent, especially in the presence of someone with such a stunning aroma.
“This is why I needed all that food.” Levi groans as he stretches his arms above his head. “Gods, my ass hurts from sitting on the ground.”
I could offer to help him with that, but I don’t think we’re ready for that step yet, no matter what he said in bed yesterday. Instead, I stand and put out my hand to help him up. He takes it, and maybe I pull too hard, or maybe he propels himself forward, but he smacks into my chest with the full weight of his body, and we both stumble, nearly landing in the stream. I catch my balance and haul him close to stop him from falling over.
His clear green eyes widen, and he looks down at me. He’s two inches taller, which means I need to tip my head back to meet his gaze. Whatever he sees in my expression has him licking his lips. He’s close enough that I see the individual raindrops sticking to his dark eyelashes, see the glint of his septum piercing and the barely noticeable scar on his upper lip, just a shade lighter than his skin.
His scent overwhelms me, seductive and potent, and I stop breathing, afraid to suck more of it into my lungs. It slowly dawns on me that I’m still gripping him by his hips, and he isn’t struggling to move away.
I lift my chin a fraction of an inch, an invitation he could easily reject if he wanted to.
He doesn’t. His lips slowly descend on mine, our gazes still locked, and the first taste of him is pure magic. Levi Quinn can kiss, and after a moment, my eyes close on their own, and I tighten my hold on him, just as his hand comes up to my neck. He holds me in place and touches his tongue to mine.
I suck on his lower lip, drawing a groan of pleasure from him, then pull back before this turns into something more. Levi stares down at me, his eyes hooded, and his fingers at my nape tighten for a second as if he wants to haul me back in.
Then he lets out a deep huff of breath and steps back, still staring at me. “Wow.”
I snort on a laugh, because this is exactly the reaction I’d expected from him. An honest, if monosyllabic, assessment of the situation. “Yeah,” I agree.
He shoots me a sheepish grin, then bends down to pack his tools. I keep my distance, breathing in the fresh Icelandic air to clear my nose and senses of Levi. We’ll be in the car soon enough, and the torture will recommence, but right now, I need a moment.
Levi straightens and holds out three polished black crystals on his palm. “Here,” he says. “Take one and wear it against your skin.”
I pick one up gingerly and turn it over, noting that it’s warm despite the rain pouring over it. “What are they?”
Levi sighs. “Think of them as a pocket version of curse-breaking magic. They’re not very strong, but if you find yourself hexed and unable to get free, crush it against something hard, like a rock.”
I study the stone, then tuck it into my sock. Levi nods, but his expression remains grim.
“Why the long face?” I ask.
He palms the back of his neck. “I might not be able to protect you down there. I know Nora’s spell on you is still intact because I can sense it, and I hope that’ll be enough. But Nora is so much more vulnerable, and she’s—”
“Hey.” I stop him with a hand to his shoulder. “Don’t worry about me. Thank you for the stone, but I’ll be fine.”
“Better not mention this to her, either,” he mumbles.
I frown. “Why not?”
After everything Nora and I have been through, keeping secrets from her doesn’t sit well with me. Levi’s secret burns inside me, but it’s not mine to tell.
Levi gives me a long look. “Because it might be her magic you’ll have to undo.”
“What?”
He runs his hand over his short hair, spraying water droplets everywhere. “The protection spell she put on us. It took energy fromherand it nearly killed her in Egypt. I broke mine, but you still have yours on. We can’t remove it, or she’ll know something’s up.” He winces, then adds, “Not that I’d want to take it from you. It’s very powerful. But I don’t know if she’ll do the right thing and cut the cord of magic before it’s too late for her.”
I chew on that for a moment. “So you want me to break it in case she refuses?”
Levi lifts one shoulder in a shrug. “It gives you thechoice. Without this, you’re dependent on her, ah, stubbornness. She might want to sacrifice herself to save you.”
“Good point.” My awareness of the stone in my sock increases, as if it gained more weight because I now understand its significance. “Thank you.”
We return to our car in silence, both lost in our thoughts. I slip into the driver’s seat again and drive us the rest of the way to Djúpivogur while Levi naps in the seat next to me. Something shifts in my chest at the realization that he must trust me to sleep so defenseless in my presence. He knows what I am, what I’m capable of, and yet he’s completely relaxed.
He even worries about me, as if I’m worth protecting.
Somehow, that knowledge is priceless. And I would do anything to protect him—and Nora—in turn.
