Page 65 of Enchanted Kisses
He grinned, and I could move again.
I clutched the book and slowly rose from the bench swing.
Dagan stood too, his hand still out to me.
I stepped in his direction, then bolted for the glass door to my left.
He appeared in front of me before I could reach the door handle.
I smacked into his hard body. On impact, the book fell from my hand, and I staggered backward, trying not to fall.
Dagan reached out, grabbed my arms, and pulled me back to him. Static energy pulsed between us, as if tiny strikes of lightning flicked against my skin. Then it hit me—the pull to be close to him. It was subtle, nothing like what I felt with Caiden, but definitely there. What did it mean?
I tried to move away. I didn’t want anything pulling me to Dagan. At least the desire to bury myself in his arms wasn’t there. That had to be a good sign. But I shouldn’t be drawn to him. I shouldn’twantto go to him at all.
I glanced at the glass door with an idea. “I need to go p—” My words cut off.Damn. Would I ever remember I couldn’t lie? Improvising, I said, “Inside. I need to go inside to use—” My mouth formed the word bathroom, but no sound came out.
Dagan stared, amusement flashing in his star-flecked eyes. “No, I don’t believe you do, pet. But your failed attempts to lie are quiterevealing.” He slid his icy hands down my arms and gripped my fingers, leaving me shivering with cold. “Now, we shall go.”
A twister of silver mist formed around us. Light shot past my face like tiny meteors. The silver beams grew brighter and moved faster. I had to squint and flinched when a ray shot right by my eyes. Afraid the light would blind me, I squeezed my eyelids closed.
Charges of energy pricked my skin, stinging like shards of ice. The painful jolts moved from my hands, up my arms, and soon covered my body. My muscles tightened in response, worsening the pain. I worked to focus on breathing. In an instant, I felt ripped from the earth. Nothing like the light sensation I’d experienced when traveling with Raysa or Caiden.
Evergreens and burning wood scented the air. Then, I was falling—no, plummeting. My stomach rolled with nausea. I was seconds from spewing chunks when everything ceased.
Trembling with cold and fear, I opened my eyes. To my horror, I found myself clinging to Dagan, my arms and legs wrapped around his lean, hard torso.
“I’d have done that some time ago, had I known you’d cling to me like this. Your skin is warming.”
For a moment, I had no thoughts. It was all I could do not to throw up. The trip here was worse than a ride on Space Mountain at Disney World.
After my stomach settled and my brain function resumed, I told myself toget down.
I unlocked my death grip and slid down Dagan’s body until my bare feet sank into something soft. It looked like snow, but it couldn’t be. It didn’t feel cold.
When I stepped back, a wave of dizziness almost sent me toppling over.
Dagan reached out and steadied me. “Not one for wild rides?”
I didn’t respond, too shocked by my surroundings.
18
The Realm Of Death
We stood on a snow-capped mountain close to a cliff that dropped off—to what, I didn’t know. Misty clouds blocked the view. To the left, a medieval-looking castle towered high at the mountain’s peak. The twilight sky and billowing gray clouds camouflaged its gray exterior, blending it into the horizon.
Around us, unlimited white peaks stretched endlessly. A halo of clouds circled their necks, only a small amount of their rocky bodies showing beneath. There was a pureness to the place, a dull beauty that echoed in its monochromatic color scheme. I was caught between being awed and terrified.
“Is this the Realm of Death?” I asked, although I was pretty sure I knew the answer.
Dagan responded with a curious glare and a tilt of his head. “Someone’s been telling you stories.”
What could I say? We both knew who. But something else drew my attention. The air. It was motionless. Lifeless. Shouldn’t wind be whipping my hair and nipping my nose?
“Why isn’t it freezing?” I drew my arms in, even though I wasn’t cold.
I’d warmed considerably since I peeled myself from Dagan. But my eyes saw snow and my brain thought cold. Plus, I wasn’t exactly dressed for hiking in the Himalayas.
