Page 104 of Dark Night Golden Dawn
“I have always loved you,” he said, with so much feeling that she thought she would sob at the sound of his voice. “And there is nothing in this world, or any other, that could make me stop.”
Her kiss was tender as she left the bed to clean up. When she returned from the bathroom he was fast asleep, his breathing deep and slow. She watched him emit a faint glow, and saw that the wounds from the white ash on his chest were gone now.
Harlow’s eyes were heavy as she crept into the space he’d left for her, his arms and legs, and wings, closing around her as soon as her skin made contact with his. When she fell into a deep and dreamless sleep, she did so knowing she was safer than she’d been in years, cocooned in their love, lost once, but now found.
ChapterThirty-Nine
When she woke, the train was still moving, but it was day. She was alone in bed. The bathroom door was open, and as she rose on her elbows, she saw it was empty. The window shades were drawn, but light streamed in from outside.
Just as she was about to get up, the door opened, and Finn walked through, his humanoid alternae back in place. She missed his true form already, but he looked better today. In fact, he looked to be in perfect health. He was also dressed in a luxurious looking white cotton t-shirt that clung to his chest in a tantalizing way, and a pair of linen pants that weren’t quite his style. When she sat up, she saw he wore flip flops and held a large paper shopping bag. He looked sexy, but far, far too preppy for her taste.
It took everything in her not to laugh as her eyebrows raised. “That’s quite the outfit, McKay. All ready for your seaside vacation?”
He smirked playfully at her. “It was what they had in the shop. I got you something to try on. Larkin helped. We should be in Nea Sterlis in an hour. We slept through most of the trip.”
The bag he held must have clothes in it. She yawned, still sleepy, but she felt clean and refreshed. The horrors of the Solstice Gala felt like a dream. Harlow blushed when she realized she wasn’t dressed, and Finn was staring, leaning against the bathroom door, a seductive look playing in his eyes.
“You don’t have to dress, of course,” he said, pouncing on her at lightning speed. “We could have breakfast here.”
“There’s nothing to eat here,” she countered. Shewashungry, and she needed tea.
“I beg to differ,” he murmured in her ear, pulling the covers down further to trail kisses down her throat and breasts. “Though, wehavealready been accused of keeping others awake last night.”
They both dissolved in laughter and he hugged her tightly as she cuddled into his open arms. Here in their nest of pillows, she felt like happiness was a true possibility. The memory of the previous night, of Mark and Olivia marred that feeling.
“I killed Mark,” she said, her words sticking to the roof of her mouth.
Finn’s arms tightened around her. “You did.”
She thought about it for a moment. “I don’t feel bad. Is that wrong?”
He loosened his grip on her and raised himself up on one elbow, playing with her hair. “No,” he said slowly. “He was going to destroy us both. That was very obvious. And you were quick about it. Do you think he planned to offer either of us the same clean death?”
Harlow shook her head. “Will I be in trouble?”
Finn sighed and her heart sank. There would be consequences, she knew that. “I just got off the phone with my father.”
“What?” she yelped. “Why would you speak to him?”
Finn sighed again. “He called, Harlow. He knew where we were and he called here directly. I couldn’t very well not take the call in front of a train full of people. I’m sure he knew that.”
“What did he say?” she asked quietly.
“That whatever we’d done at the House of Remiel was justified, that it was cleaned up and that he and I are square. He said that he and my mother will back off, leave us in peace, leave the Order of Mysteries in peace. He said we should enjoy our summer.”
Harlow’s heart pounded in time with the sharp sound of each of Finn’s words. “That is altogether too easy.”
Finn nodded. “The worst part is, he meant every word. I can always tell when he’s lying. The trouble is,why…Why back off now?”
They lay together in silence for a few moments, listening to the train. Muffled sounds of people moving about distracted Harlow for a time. “They got what they wanted. Or at least they think they did. You told them we were together, right?”
He nodded.
“Then they think they have us right where they want us. They think they engineered all this. Why do they think we killed Mark?”
“He congratulated me on eliminating my competition. He thinks I killed Mark because I was jealous. And before you ask, I don’t think he knows about the incubi, and I didn’t tell him.”
Harlow nodded slowly. “That’s good. We bought ourselves some time.”
