Page 92 of The Book Reader
My head snaps up when I hear running feet—she fears me. I shimmer to stand in front of her, grabbing her and clutching her to my chest when she runs into me. I look down and see more closely where the daemons touched her. She has blood on her lips and some on her face—if I hadn’t killed them, I would bring them back to life to kill them again. Growling, I reach out to touch her face, but she pulls back from me.
“Please, don’t hurt me,” she sobs.
I shake my head and try to reach out for her again.
“Let me go…please.” She holds her hands out to me while begging. “I won’t tell Gaelan.”
I look down at her with a grin. “Gaelan knows.” She frowns at me, tilting her head to the side, and I can see her taking in my face again. “I won’t hurt, mate. Gaelan, not hurt, mate.” I say. She relaxes just a little, her eyes locking with mine. “You come with Trelor.”
Before she can answer me, I pull her closer. My wings unfurl on my back, and I hold her tighter while I jump into the air, my wings flapping, catching the hot desert breeze. Her rose scent wraps around me, making me lower slightly and breathe her in.I fly for a few seconds, enjoying the feel of her tiny, soft body in my arms. When I see Leah and my guards in the clearing below, I mind-link to her.
“Check lands for other daemons, kill all that you find. Then guard lands.”
“Yes, my lord.”Everyone below speaks as one.
They fan out, searching. This land no longer belongs to Macy. I’m here now. I look down at my Ari-Rose and see her watching me again. I grin at her. “I will keep you safe.”
I shimmer from the sky in Westrey to appear in the sky of the Dream Realm. My wings continue to flap as I soar high toward my tower in the castle.Gaelan sleeps in bed. I make a nest for Ari-Rose. We sleep in a tower.
Tucking my wings close to my body, I use the air to twist through my window and land hard on the ground. The walls shake from the force of it. Ari-Rose is still safe in my arms. I look down at her and see that she is still staring at me. I want to kiss her, but I must wait, Gaelan warns me to let her have some time. I lower her slowly to the floor, my eyes never leaving hers.
“Gaelan?” She reaches her hand up to touch my face. I have to slouch a little so she can reach.
“Trelor.” I correct. I know she has calmed down now that she can see my face is the same as his, but where Gaelan is white, I am blue.
“Where is Gaelan?” she asks slowly.
I reach for her hand, it’s so tiny in mine and so soft, I place it over my heart. “He’s here, inside Trelor.” She slowly nods and steps back from me, clearly uncertain, and I understand. “Gaelan didn’t tell you about me. We worry.”
“About what?” she laughs nervously.
I step closer to her, wanting to comfort her, but she steps back from me again. “Is there a bathroom?”
I nod and point to the door on the left; she turns and leaves me standing in the middle of our nest. I growl at Gaelan.“Gaelan should have told Ari-Rose.”He pushes against my skin, and I let him come forward.
Our mate needs him.
Chapter 33
ARIANNA
Walking into the bathroom, I close the door quietly behind me and sink to the floor before bursting into tears.
The last time I felt fear was when my grandfather was murdered. This time, I didn’t have anyone to help me—to stop them from touching me. I tremble remembering their hands on my body and the way they grabbed me. I’ve never been hit in the face before, and they seemed to know the right places to hit to cause the most damage.
Wincing, I gently walk over to stand in front of the mirror and stare at my reflection. Bruises color my ribs and stomach, both my eyes are black, and my lip is cut. My cheekbone has a bloody slit along it from where the daemon’s fist connected with it, and my nose is at a funny angle.
I just stare, unable to tear my eyes away from my reflection. As each second passes, a tear rolls down my cheek until I am hugging my body and uncontrollably sobbing. My hands scrub at my sore skin, trying to clean the blood and sand off. It hurts,but I don’t want any reminder that they touched me, that they almost got a part of me that belongs only to Gaelan.
Seeing a shower in the corner of the bathroom, my feet drag me over to it, each step feeling heavier in my pain. I turn the hot water on and step in. As soon as it hits my skin, I whimper and then lower myself to the ground, hugging my legs. The water is burning my flesh, but the sting feels good. I need it to help wash away those daemons.
The cuffs are still clamped tightly around my wrists. I can’t clean myself with them still on, so I use my fingers to try and get them off, but they won’t budge.
“So close.”
“The book, my darling.”
“We make them pay.”
