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“Go to sleep,” he said.
She rolled her eyes. “What a kind dismissal.”
But she got up on shaking legs and returned to her own bed, crawling under the covers and pulling them up to her chin.
“You’re welcome,” he drawled.
“I could’ve handled that on my own.” But the Surge was gone now, and she was so grateful she could kiss him.
Of course she wouldn’t. That was a terrible idea. And it would be her second terrible idea of the evening if she turned it into a reality.
He was a mistake. A very gorgeous mistake. The kind she’d make over and over again because she just couldn’t resist.
Roman said, “It would’ve taken you three hours, seal pup.”
In the corner of the room, where he slept upon her backpack, Nugget stirred awake, peering at him with wide eyes.
“Not you,” Roman said.
Nugget curled up and went back to sleep.
Shay refused to think about what just happened. That was a problem for the morning.
“Promise me something,” Roman said out of nowhere.
“What?” she asked, still panting, staring up at the ceiling with eyes bright with pleasure.
“Don’t get attached.”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” she scoffed. “There’s no chance of that.”
A beat of silence, the atmosphere impossible to read, and then the Wolf said, “Good.”
Now that her body was spent, her heart still slowing, she fell asleep quickly, parts of her still throbbing from Roman’s touch.
48
Caliginous On Silverway
YVESWICH, STATE OF KER
Loren kept her arms around Darien Cassel’s neck as he carried her out of the chamber. He’d put on a leather jacket, the worn material cool under her palms. The gun that was tucked away by his hip pressed into her with every stride, but she didn’t try to shift to get away from it—she only hoped she wouldn’t accidentally nudge the safety off. That would be the cherry on top of a fantastic night.
Singer was finally awake and walking beside them, nipping playfully at Bandit’s cropped ears. Like Bandit, Singer was now as black as a silhouette.
Loren had yet to find the courage to ask how and why Singer was a Familiar. She would save that for another day, when she didn’t feel so…overwhelmed.
She stared in wonderment at her surroundings as Darien carried her down the white hallway that looked more like a tunnel and into the main room of Caliginous on Silverway. The others followed, surrounding them in a protective half-bubble, the assortment of different footwear clapping against the walls. The air in here smelled of peppermint and lavender; Loren breathed it in, her attention drifting to the cone- and sphere-shaped diffusers on a big desk, cool mist spiraling out of the spouts.
A redheaded witch sat behind the desk in a swivel chair, keys clacking under her fingers. She rose as they entered, her hands smoothing down her black pencil skirt. The place was empty of other clients, but the janitors were here, paying them no mind as they vacuumed and mopped the floors, earbuds in.
Darien spoke to the witch as they crossed the room, making a beeline for the exit, his bass voice bouncing through the room. “I’ll wire you the money later tonight, but we might need to come back.”
“Whatever you need,” she said, “I’ll be here.” She smiled at Loren; she was very pretty. “I’m glad to see you’re awake.”
“Thanks.” Her legs began to slip, and Darien hoisted her up, tightening her thighs around his waist. It still seemed strange that he preferred to carry her like this, but she decided it was the better option. She felt more involved this way, though it felt very intimate, and every time he had to adjust her, she felt the twitch of butterfly wings in her stomach, and her heart pounded loudly enough, there was no way he couldn’t hear it. “Have I met her before?” she asked him.
“No.” He pushed the button to open the elevator, and they all filed in. He knuckled another couple buttons on the panel on the inside, and the doors slid shut with a hiss.
