Page 42 of Shadows and Runes

I notice a sudden flick of his wrist, and another whimper is pulled out from the pathetic bundle of fur trembling on the floor. Its face frozen in time and eyes clouded in a dark mist of agony.

Ilyric stares toward the beast, a look of disgust etched across his features before his eyes flicker to me. His brows furrow and eyes narrow as he looks from the beast to me and back again.

Cole glares toward the beast, his fists clenched and jaw tight as he quickly makes his way over to me. Two deep-furrowed blue eyes rove my body, scanning for any wounds or injuries, his face unreadable as he continues his search. The tension only slightly eases from him when he finds no visible injuries on me. His shoulders relax, and a slow breath pours from his lips as his eyes become a little softer. He gives me a slight nod before stepping back.

Then Jace is by my side, hopping over the reception desk in one swift jump.I’m swung around to face him, his face full of worry and concern as he checks me over again. A slight chuckle leaves my lips as he swings me back and forth, searching thoroughly for any blood or cuts, not trusting any eyes but his own.

“She’s fine, pup, no wounds.” A slight smirk spreads on Cole's face at the disgruntled look given by Jace for his new nickname.

“That’s wolf to you…Asmodeus.”

Cole raises a brow. "The demon of lust?"

Jace's smile drops.

Cole turns to me, a slight gleam in his unreadable eyes. "Sounds about right."

My brows almost reach my hairline, and my mouth falls open with the unexpected humor.

I think Cole just cracked a joke.

"I meant Satan," Jace quickly quips.

"Demon of anger…really?" Cole turns his gaze back to Jace.

"Yup, sounds about right," he retorts, a pleased grin spreading across his lips.

Was Jace cracking a joke about Cole being a big angry demon?I mean, he was, but still.

A small chuckle leaves my lips at the antics of the two men.

Cole raises a dark brow toward Jace. To others, it would seem like an intimidating move, but I could see it…the slight gentle tilt to his lips, the playful glint in his blue eyes, and his relaxed shoulders. He was being playfulin his own way.

I flinch as a figure appears at my side. He jerks forward and stands before me. His brows synch together as they scan every inch of my body for something.

I clear my throat to draw the statuesque Fae from his thoughts and back to me. Wondering if, by chance, he, too, was worried whether I had been hurt.

Probably not.

Ilyric snaps out of whatever trance he is in.

He squares his shoulders, relaxing his creased brows, as his haughty smile once again slowly spreads across his full lips.

“I see you’re perfectly fine. And why shouldn’t you be? It was only one beast. If you couldn’t handle something like that, you shouldn’t be a Librarian.” The arrogant and pompous character is back in place. His chin tilts up with a nonchalant look in his eyes. The complete opposite of the uneasy look that colored his face moments ago.

The switch is too sudden and swift for me. I decide to poke the smug Fae, his eyes still lingering on my face.

“Found what you’re looking for?” I ask, a smug tone to my voice as I raise my brow at him.

His eyes narrow, the crease returning to his brows.

A smug grin spreads across my lips, “If you continued to stare, I was going to start charging you a premium rate.”

An incredulous look splashes across his face before he quickly fixes it.

A smug smirk of his own grows. “Then I should also receive alargefee…since your eyes haven’t left me since I arrived."

I almost choke with the pompous look in his eyes and confident tilt to his chin.

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