Page 61 of A Shadow in the Reaping
"You're a Reaper, you're not supposed to know about things like fun." I fold my arms across his back and press my face to his chest. It's sweaty and hot and I smile as I imagine my body must seem like a giant cool pack straight out of the fridge. "So what were they doing there? You said they weren't meant to be there," I ask as I let Ashen go and he retrieves his sword from the floor, the blade stained with black blood that reeks of decay.
"They're not. They typically roam near House Mushussu. They have a particular fondness for vampire souls and House Mushussu is where many congregate," he says, glancing at me before he turns away toward one of the brick pillars at the edge of the room.
"By fondness, do you mean as a delicacy? I didn't get major cuddle vibes from any of them."
"Definitely eating and not...cuddling," Ashen says, the thread of distaste weaving through his voice.
I feel a smile spreading across my lips. "When was the last time you said the wordcuddling?"
Ashen stops and points his gaze to the ceiling, scrolling through memories new and old. "Never. It's a terrible word."
My smile grows ferociously bright. "But we cuddled last night."
"That wasNOTcuddling," Ashen says as he shoots a sharp look over his shoulder then bends to pick up a heavy cast iron lid that's lying in the dust near a pillar.
"There wassomecuddling."
"No. I have not, nor shall I ever,cuddle."
I crack open my journal.
Note to self: demon hates the word cuddle. Must use more frequently.
"Well, I've just made you say it three times in the span of thirty seconds, so I think you're lying. I think you love cuddling and you say it all the time when I'm not around," I tease as I watch him ascend the steps of the dais, holding the iron circle like a shield. He rolls his eyes and gives me a fierce glare with a lick of flame in his pupils, which only makes my smile brighten with delight. I watch as he settles the lid over the wide mouth of the cauldron, snuffing out the last of its flame. "What are you up to, scary demon?" I ask.
"Making sure no one follows us from the Shadow Realm," he replies as he takes slow, heavy steps down from the dais, his eyes fixed to mine.
My gaze darts between Ashen and the cauldron. I raise a brow in a skeptical question. "That's... that's all it takes? You just... put a lid on it?"
"Yes. Pretty much."
"That's just so... lame."
Ashen stops in front of me, his eyes still fused to mine. "A little," he says, taking one of the bags from my shoulders. I feel like I have to peel my gaze from his just to look away. But I do. We turn and start toward the hallway that leads to the stairs. "Regardless, I don't want whoever let those creatures into House Urbigu to follow us through the corridor."
"Any ideas who that could be? I don't think it would be Ember, she needs me to execute her plan. What about Cole?"
"I doubt it. As insufferable as he is, he is too straightforward for that kind of duplicity," Ashen says as we start up the stairs. I glance up and his eyes flow across my skin before settling on mine once more. A muscle ticks in his jaw. "There are a hundred different options, Lu. It could have been someone looking for revenge on me. It could be someone looking to have some fun at your expense. It could be someone that knows of Ember's plan and wants to remove her most valuable player from the board. It could be someone who knows more about you than you expect."
We walk in silence through the dimly lit house. It's still dark outside, and I can almost feel the weight of the fog on my skin. My thoughts seem lost in a mist as thick as the one that shelters this house. I tumble these ideas over in my mind about who could have let those creatures in and why. How much did others really know about me? How hidden had I really been all this time? Maybe not as much as I'd thought all along. Or maybe now that I'm breaking into the light, it's casting my shadows into visible shapes across the floor.
We arrive at the corridor where our rooms are, and before any awkward questions can surface, I take Ashen's hand and pull him into my room. It's just the same as the last time we were here, with the floral bedding and the orchids on the sill. But it feels like that was years ago. A different Lu. I realize for the first time that a lifetime can be measured in millennia, or it can be counted in the weight of a few days. Even mere moments can cause a tectonic shift, propelling you from who you were to who you are now. Tearing you down. Building you up into something new.
I set my bag and my sword down close to the window and look at the orchids, taking the white star of a wind orchid between my fingers to run my thumb across its silken petals. I smile as I think of the Reaper placing them here. An executioner tending to blooms, caring for rare flowers.
"All right, vampire?" he asks, and I look over my shoulder to see him watching me from the center of the room.
I let go of the flower and turn, nodding with a worried half-smile.
"Still concerned about what happened this evening?" he says, taking a step toward me, and then another. I feel scorched by the fire in his eyes, and this time I know I can't strip my gaze away. I only nod, watching as Ashen draws near enough to touch.
He takes another step closer. His pupils brighten with flame. His hand slides into my hair, the other across my hip, pulling me closer. I trace my fingertips along the tense muscles of Ashen's arms and close my eyes for a heavy beat of my heart. Desire unfurls like a serpent beneath my bones, licking its hot tongue along the walls of my chest. But there's something else too, something bright and burning in my heart. A little spark, a little whisper. A hunger for something more than sex or blood. Something I might want only from Ashen, but something too dangerous for a bright soul to entertain with a Reaper bound to the Shadow Realm.
Ashen presses a fiery hot kiss to my neck where the blood surges to meet his lips. The urge in my heart only grows stronger, whispers louder, but I keep it locked away. Ashen must feel the turbulence in my blood with this feral instinct flooding my veins. He traces his fingers down my pulse and pulls away to look in my eyes. "Whoever it is, whatever their motivation, they will have to come through me. And I will not let anyone get close to you, Lu. I will not let anyone harm you. I promise you."
I shake my head. "You can't make promises like that," I whisper. "No vows spoken by an immortal can be kept forever, you must know that by now. Promises are for mortals. They are meant to die with the bearer."
Ashen sweeps his hand in a slow path down my neck. His fingertips trace the ridge of my collarbone. They follow the gold chain, the links warm against my cool skin. His open hand presses to my heart that drums its tortured song to him. His eyes never leave mine as they brighten in the dark.
