Page 7 of Fractured Souls
Standing up, I walked to the window of the small building and looked skyward, fear filling my chest at the sight of the icy gray clouds. “We were down there for a few days…last time less than a day here was nearly three fucking weeks. How long has it been?”
Desmond appeared in front of me and cupped my jaw. “Breathe, love. It’s not as bad as you think.”
“What do you mean?” I demanded, feeling my chest restrict in panic. Call me crazy, but when the freakin’ Cosmos god told you to ‘hurry up’ and then you lost time in a different realm, it didn’t seem like a particularly good thing.
“The only reason Broken House’s timeline was so extreme was because of the dark magic Black was using. Most of the Demonic realm has a normal time span, very similar to Earth’s if not a smidge faster by a few minutes.”
“Oh,” I breathed out. “What about when we were in the Kingdom of Pain? I mean, that was still a few days—”
“We were there for about half a day before you broke the bonds. Once they were broken, time there started moving at the same pace as the rest of the realm,” Draven explained.
“So only those few hours really count as an extreme time jump,” Adriel summarized.
“Three weeks and a few days have passed,” Dean said, cutting it down to brass tacks for me.
“Three weeks?!” I squeaked. “Like we’re at the end of November already?”
“Thanksgiving is tomorrow,” Cash answered.
“Thanksgiving.” Zander seemed to consider the word. “An American holiday, right?”
“Sort of,” I muttered, thinking about all the reasons it shouldn’t be considered a holiday because of its origins…but I also was a bit bitter about holidays because I’d always spent them with just my brother.Fuck. I hated the idea of missing it with Cormac and even Maggie. I knew they weren’t alone, but…
“Okay.” I shook myself. “We can’t focus on that. Now that Black isn’t a problem, we have one priority—” I had to stop myself from sayingthedark ones, instead finishing with, “We need to get on that jet to France.”
Honestly, it was ridiculous that I couldn’t directly name them considering I had to kill them, but I also wasn’t going to ignore the Cosmos god’s advice, you know? Heprobablyknew a thing or two. Also I had a small bit of hope that if I didn’t mention them it would result in less star calls, especially ones that they seemed to force—but that didn’t seem likely with my luck.
“Well good thing it looks like the jet is ready,” Rhett said, nodding his head towards the window where the sky appeared to darken, like it was going to snow or some shit. My gaze moved down to my outfit and I frowned, realizing I was still dressed up for that damn ball.Shit. Talk about not being dressed for the weather.
“I need a shower and a nap,” I muttered.
“And I’m the perfect person to help you with that.” Rhett scooped me up and a giggle that I would never admit to left my lips, the others offering disgruntled sounds. As I tucked my head against Rhett’s neck, trying to fight off the cold, I felt a surge of determination.
I had been terrorized by Black, and now he was dead. It was time for the dark ones to meet the same fate.
CHAPTER3
Lorcan
Humming softly under my breath,I savored the hot spray of water streaming over my skin. Rounding my shoulders, I let my head fall and groaned in relief, my muscles aching from the extreme levels of magic that had surged through my body. Not only in the past few hours, but the past few days. Although…that star call had done a real number on me.
I’d experienced some truly horrible star calls, but this one had been different. Before it had felt like the stars were calling out to me, trying to show me their pain, almost begging for help, but this time that intent felt tainted. It felt like they were punishing me, and while I was no longer under their hold, my body was still suffering from the effects.
When the door to the bathroom suddenly opened, I looked up, finding Dean leaning against the doorframe of the shower, looking over me with both heat and a lot of concern—enough so that I could tell it was his main focus. Considering how connected we were, it was probably obvious to everyone in this jet just how worn down I felt.
“Come here.” He crooked a finger, and almost instantly I moved into his arms, soaking the shirt he was wearing as I buried my head against his chest. The massive lion shifter had a wonderful woodsy scent that had always accompanied his presence, and the steamed bathroom seemed to only enhance it, making it feel like it was the only thing I could breathe in.
My breath hitched slightly as his hands slid down my waist, my bare skin prickling with the awareness of his hands on me as I let my head fall all the way back, looking up at his 6’6” height. His gaze, like burning sapphires—a beautiful lapis lazuli shade—held me prisoner as he lifted a hand and tilted my chin, looking me over with intense examination.
“I’m worried about you, little minx,” he said softly, his voice edged in the dominance that came from his lion—a creature he was no doubt attempting to control right now.
“I’m just tired,” I admitted, running my fingers up his chest and along the sides of his tanned neck, his dark curls loose and brushing over his shoulders. “But even I can admit it’s a bit more than normal.”
“We should take some time off,” he said easily, as if that wouldn’t be a problem for literally everyone…you know, with the entire ‘save the world’ bullshit.
How hadIended up in this position again? Isowas not a ‘save the world’ type of chick.
“We can’t.” I sighed and then offered a small smile. “But think how awesome it’ll be when this is all done! We’ll have so much free time, I may even agree to be your queen, Deanie.”
