Page 62 of Sugar Rush

"He left me in a landfill," X murmured, drawing my sharp attention. "Threw me out like I was trash."

I growled, so sudden and loud X held out a blue hand and I fell over myself to grab it. I squeezed tight, still growling. This was how I communicated now. One growl forlet's kill that guy,two growls forgive me pancakes and fizzy sherbet.

"And then a group of naked people found you," Joseph said flatly, with the air of something repeated. "You were tortured, probably delusional—"

"Uh, what are we talking about?" I cut in, looking between them. X's face was rougher than his actual face, his eyebrows sharp and severe, and there was no cupid's bow on his lips, which was sad. But the soul behind his eyes was the same.

"When Eidolon let X go," Joseph whispered, leaning closer, "he was thrown out, and then rescued—apparently—by a gang of naked people."

I nodded, my eyes wide. Swallowed. Laughed.

"Did they have yellow fire all over their body?"

X's strange purple eyes narrowed. "How did you know that?"

"Uh, I think you were saved by the Band of Umber. One of them thinks they're engaged to me; you may have met him. Very tall, serious face, stuck in his mother's shadow and clearly depressed by it. I guess they're my friends. If you ignore the fact I drew their leader’s blood and ran from them. She's obsessed with me now. I'll have to send a gift basket to say thanks."

X tilted his head, his lips curving on the edges. "You? Gift basket?"

"Full of candyfloss, and strawberry laces, and knives, obviously."

"Obviously," Joseph agreed.

The Company of Murkyr snapped their boots into the ground in a sudden, choreographed step, and I jumped, reaching automatically for a knife.

"Looks like it's go-time. You," I ordered, giving X a hard look, "stay glued to my ass. I don't want you farther than two inches at any given time."

A wicked smile put dimples in his blue face. His hands wandered down my back, squeezing my ass. "Yes, ma'am."

"No sexy times," I warned him, transferring the look to Joseph, too. He held his hands up, innocent.

"Princess," Arkan barked. "And you two, get over here."

"I still think you should call me queen," I remarked, approaching him and Taj where they now faced the warriors with stony expressions.

Taj had spent half an hour with Sinjin, but the red fucker hadn't confessed to anything, and we were hard pressed for time. Finding out more would have to wait. Anyway, he would come in handy for tracking down all of Eidolon's followers when the evil lizard was dead.

"The second I see a crown, I will," Ark replied, holding his arm out to me.

Ooh, I liked this. While the guys grabbed his hands or arm, I pressed up close to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. I was interested to know what I'd be holding onto when he went all shadowy.

"Can you still feel me when you don't have a body?" I asked, peering into his pale eyes.

"With my soul, yes. With my body, no." He raised his voice in a yell. "On my command. Three. Two."

I pressed closer to him when shadows erupted around us, and I was left clinging to a spinal cord. I liked it less, now. What if I pulled out a plate? Would Ark tumble into a pile of bones? Could Ipull him apart?

"One," he shouted before I could readjust my hands. I slammed my eyes shut as black wind tore at my clothes and hair. I braided it this time; the knots were a damn nightmare to get out last time.

Because I was a dignified,proudwoman of social standing and nobility, I didn't scream like a banshee at the top of my lungs.3

"I've got you," Arkan murmured when we landed with a sudden jerk, my knees like jelly and my whole body collapsing under me. "I've got you, my Aveline."

His bony arms became flesh and muscle, and damn they felt good wrapped around me after I just nearlydiedinside the wind tunnel.

"Are we there?" I asked, pretending my voice wasn't weak and shaky. If this mode of transport was rateable on an app, I'd give it a generous two out of ten stars. And it only got those becauseone,Ark would never let me get hurt, andtwo,I loved him so I had a soft spot. I couldn't give him one star. It might hurt his feelings.

"As close as I can get us," Ark replied, brushing a stray pink hair out of my face and gazing down at me.

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