Page 45 of Blood Magic (Ariel Kimber 3)

She’d had a beautiful face with eyes that didn’t even hint at being brown, they were all black and the darkest eyes I had ever seen on another person. They were mysterious and held a depth of knowledge I had once found fascinating and it had turned me on knowing my girl was crazy smart. I had later come to understand that she wasn’t just crazy smart but a mastermind at creating chaos and a serious psychopath. After everything she’d done had been brought to light, I hadn’t been sorry to see her go.

Ariel wasn’t anything like Annabell. That’s not to say I didn’t find Ariel beautiful, because I did. Very much so. But, where Annabell was dark, Ariel was light. Where Annabell’s eyes were so black they could be described as soulless, Ariel’s were a bright green that resembled emeralds. If emeralds could be described as haunted.

Although, lately her eyes could be described as a lot less haunted and a lot more as cold. I could understand the why of it, but that didn’t mean I liked it. I didn’t want her to look like that scared girl I’d first seen running around the side of Marcus’s house, but I didn’t want her to be cold either.

We were falling down on the job left and right with her. The Council would disapprove, wholeheartedly.

When she had been out long enough for me to be sure she wasn’t going to be waking up again any time soon, I very carefully slid out from underneath her and off of the couch. I stood up without making noise and stared down at her. She lay fully on her stomach now. Her arms had moved up under her head and she had her head down on her forearms, using them like a pillow.

That ridiculous fucking robe Dash had ordered specifically for her, draped around her body like a damn cape. I shook my head as I slipped my cell phone out of the front pocket of my jeans. Dash had said he thought it would be cute if they both had matching robes to walk around the house in. Absolutely ridiculous. Quinton had thought it was adorable. Damien had wanted to buy her one for our house in case she ever stayed over with us. I thought they were all nuts. Dash looked like a porn star waiting for his scene to start when he pranced around in that stupid robe.

I swiped my finger across the screen on my phone, bringing it to life. I clicked on the little camera icon and quickly snapped a picture of her before she could wake up or move and ruin my shot.

I hit the texts on my phone and pulled up the group chat we always kept going between us guys. I knew we would never be adding Ariel to that chat. We talked about her too much in it.

I sent the picture before I could think twice about it and decide to keep it for myself. There didn’t need to be any more resentment between us and I knew they’d all dig the picture. She always looked like she had the weight of the world resting on her shoulders and, in sleep, the weight had been completely lifted away. It was a nice change for a difference, and they’d all want to see it. Besides, I knew they’d get a kick out of the robe.

My phone immediately lit up and I was glad I had it on silent and it didn’t even vibrate. I didn’t want to wake her before I moved her.

I read their responses quickly.

Abel: Cute pic. ;)

Addison: What in the hell is she wearing? I mean, she still looks pretty, of course, but… what the hell is that thing on her, man?

Abel: Shut up, twin. It looks cute on her.

Addison: You shut up.

Abel: Ow. Fuck. He just threw something at me from across the room. Asshole.

Addison: #Nailedit

I shook my head at those two and slid my phone back into the front pocket of my jeans.

Reluctantly, I left the living room and headed for the stairs. I went up, ignored Dash’s room and walked right into Ariel’s. I didn’t worry about her being upset about me invading her girl space. She didn’t seem bothered when people invaded her room, and she didn’t seem to have very many boundaries when it came to us. Besides, I wouldn’t be digging through her drawers and I wouldn’t be in here for very long.

With purpose, I moved across the room to her bed.

I had been fortunate enough to be in here and witness her reaction to her room. She loved her new space and couldn’t believe that we had done this for her. I picked out her furniture. Ty, the personal stuff like the posters and comforter. Dash had put the furniture together. It had all come in pieces in boxes and I didn’t have the patience for all of that. Tyson had painted the walls, claiming the pretty yellow color to be her favorite. I hadn’t entirely believed him until I watched her walk around the room that first time.

A small smile crossed my face as I took in the mess on top of her bed. There was a box sitting on the bed at the foot. I rightly assumed that was the box she’d told me about finding in that bitches closet. A yellow handled hairbrush sat next to the bed with a handful of hair bands strewn about beside the brush. The hair bands were all black. A wadded-up pair of dirty red fuzzy socks weren’t far from the box.

That wasn’t the mess that had the small smile on my face.

No, it was the smearing of white on the comforter by her pillows. I ran a fingertip across it lightly and brought my fingertip to my nose and sniffed. The toxic smell didn’t even cause me to flinch. I was used to the smell. I worked with a lot of unpleasant smelling things, this was really nothing. But, to Ariel, it hadn’t been nothing. To Ariel, it had smelled like shit.

I was willing to bet that was why she had taken a shower before coming down the stairs, she’d wanted to get that smell off of her skin.

She was out and likely wouldn’t notice until morning if she slept on something that smelled like that. But I would know, and it would bother me.

I carefully lifted the box off the bed and looked for a place to put it. There were a couple of boxes on the floor at the foot of her bed. Another box halfway between the bed and the bookshelf. Another one on the floor in front of the dresser.

I didn’t want to put this box with the rest of them. This one held contents that were special to her, important even. She wouldn’t place this box with the others, which is why it had been on the bed.

I put it on the floor against the wall directly beside the head of the bed. It would be right next to her while she slept at night and she would have easy access to it whenever she wanted it. I liked that for her.

She would need a safe place to put them.

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