Page 14 of Surrendering Hope (The Hope Legacy)

A dull throb begins behind my left eye. “Goodness, that’s how you solved relationship problems?”

He grins. “Sex, drugs-”

“Rock ‘n’ roll,” someone in the room finishes.

He shakes his head. “Death. What’s rock ‘n’ roll?”

“Similar to death if you listen to the bad stuff,” I mutter.

“Let’s start over,” he says as he unfolds himself and comes to a stand in one fluid move, showing all his naked bits in full erect glory. I’m confused about what he could be turned on about and my pointed stare causes him to pause in his casual stroll towards me. “It’s for you, Natia. Archan finds you hard to resist. So do I, a lethal combination. This state of being is something you should come to expect around me,” he glances up and down my body, “whether you arrive naked or dressed.”

My jaw locks as my face burns bright. “It’s not intentional. Teleportation teething problems.” I glance at his face and risk showing my cards. “Let me speak to him.” He cocks an eyebrow, and my stupid heart does a little pitter patter at the Archan-like move.

“And what would you give me in return?” he asks, coming to a stop a foot from the ward barrier.

“What do you want?”

Gold glitters in the empty darkness of his eyes, taking my breath away. Someone tugs at my shields, I let them in praying it’s Archan. I’m disappointed when Zac’s hard voice permeates my mind.

“Try to get him to let Archan speak to you.”

“Are you deaf or stupid? That’s what I did.”

An exasperated masculine growl in my mind almost makes me chuckle.“Be careful. Don’t agree to something stupid.”

“Aw, Zac, almost sounds like you care.”

“A kiss,” Evil Archan says.

“No,”Zac’s firm voice all but roars in mind.

My skin crawls. But I offer him a chuckle. “You’re more alike than you realize.”

“Who?”

“You and Archan. He once requested a similar deal.”

His lips twitch. “And look where that led.”

“Fine, deal. Let me speak with him.”

Zac moves from the shadows giving me a hard stare with his navy eyes, Evil Archan tracking his movements with a cocky grin. “Two minutes, Natia,” the monster says as his eyes bleed to molten gold. A startled cry escapes my lips as Archan blinks and focuses his gaze on mine. Warmth, desire and comfort wash through me.

“Archan?”

“What are you doing here, Natia?” His voice turns hard, angry. “It’s not safe. Go back into hiding, you’re giving him what he wants.” He switches his gaze to Zac. “Hide her wherever you were before, he couldn’t find her. Make sure she has the Jar. It’s important he doesn’t get it.”

Zac frowns. “It’s broken.”

“He doesn’t mean that one,” I say, hunting Archan’s face for the man who worshiped my body and mind like I was a goddess, and not the cold asshole he’s presenting. Archan’s and Zac’s eyes snap to me. “He means the replica. It contains more of whatever is possessing Archan. The Jar is safe.”

“Who or what is it, Archan?” Zac asks.

Archan shakes his head as he refocuses on me. “Listen to me. Make no more deals with him, none, and no matter the cost, you must end this.” I blink back the tears at the sudden heat and longing in his voice.

“It won’t come to that,” Zac says, brushing his shoulder against mine. Archan catches the contact and his eyes harden, Zac takes a step away from me. Seems the monster didn’t kill Archan’s possessive asshole tendencies. Black bleeds like spilled ink into Archan’s eyes, signaling the end of this reprieve.

“Archan,” I whisper, lifting my hand to ghost the edge of the ward. He reaches out, following my hand, before snatching it back to his side.

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