AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yeah, I think I’m just more tired than I previously thought.”
“Okay. Let’s get you back to the apartment, then,” Cort replied a little slowly, as if he didn’t entirely believe what Grey said. That was fine. Grey needed time before he could talk about this. Needed to think.
There was no way in hell he’d ever betray the Circle, but there had to be a reason for Clay to have such a thought. And he was determined to uncover the truth.Chapter 16Cort chewed his bottom lip as he watched Grey. The man’s movements were jerky, and his expression had tightened until his lips were nothing but thin lines. His lover paced the small space of the apartment living room a couple of times with surprising ease before he stopped, his hands in fists at his sides. He’d been tired and he still seemed to be; only now something had agitated him.
“What is it?” Cort walked to him and took those fists into his hands.
Grey shook his head and pulled away. He walked around the coffee table, feeling a bit of the furniture as he moved, and sat on the couch, then jumped up to pace again. His shoulders looked tight, his expression troubled.
Cort silently observed. What had changed between them casting the spell and coming here? Grey had seemed fine during all that and now, his tension was bordering on panic. He was opening and closing his fists and his breathing had increased.
Crossing to the windows, Cort opened them. The little apartment got stuffy fast, and the cool breeze sweeping into the room felt nice. He watched Grey’s restless movements for another moment before stepping in front of him and placing his hands on Grey’s shoulders. “You need to talk to me.”
“I’m fine,” Grey bit out through clenched teeth.
“You’re not. Something is obviously bothering you. Talk to me,” he repeated.
Grey’s shoulders slumped. “It’s too much. I’ve put your life in danger, and I feel terrible about it. You don’t deserve to have men shooting at you.”
“Neither do you.”
“But this is my world and not yours. Fuck, I’m so sorry to have dragged you into this mess.”
“Well, I’m not. I’ve learned there’s so much more to this world than I knew and if I hadn’t come here, I wouldn’t have met you. Wouldn’t have had that amazing sex.”
Grey lifted his face, and a small smile lifted the corner of his lips. “The sex was amazing.”
Cort couldn’t help but grin. “It was, and I don’t know about you, but it wasn’t just sex to me. Yeah, I’ve hooked up in the past, but I’ve never felt anything like what I feel with you. It’s stronger than anything I’ve experienced. And you’re not merely a client to me. You’re a friend…and possibly more.” He brushed a lock of hair off Grey’s forehead. “I know it’s soon, but I’m developing feelings for you.”
Grey put his hands on Cort’s waist, his voice hesitant. “I am, too. And that’s another thing. What if we fall for each other, I get my sight, and we’re not soul mates? I don’t want to hurt you. Hell, I don’t want to be hurt. For the first time, I almost don’t want my sight back.”
“What, it’s better not to know? No, don’t say that. You need your sight to help your friends against these pestilents.”
“But what if we aren’t soul mates?”
“Are you saying you hope we are? Forever and all that?”
“I could fall for you so easily, Cort.” Grey slid his hands up Cort’s chest. “You’re such a wonderful man and what I already feel for you is so damn—” he broke off and stepped away. He cursed and started to pace again, stopping and facing Cort. “You’ve come to mean a lot to me in a very short time.”
“It’s the same for me. My heart is already involved.”
Grey closed his eyes. “Mine, too.” He took a deep breath. “It’s not just that. I heard something out there as we were leaving. Something that makes no sense.”
“What?”
“Clay thinks I’m going to betray them. His exact thought was ‘This spell will be for nothing if the Soul Weaver betrays us again.’ ”
Shock spiked through Cort’s chest. “You heard wrong.”
“No,” Grey said, shaking his head. “And that’s the thing. He said ‘again,’ like I’ve done it before. Or a past me, I guess. I can’t wrap my head around that. I can’t imagine in any universe ever betraying my friends. Hell, they’re like brothers to me. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“I can’t see that either. Are you sure that’s what Clay was thinking? Would he remember from your past? Like a reincarnation? Why would he remember and not you?”
“Positive. He must have read something in one of the books and if that’s what happened, why not tell me about it? They found spell books in a chest in a storage unit, and while I haven’t been able to read any of them, I’ve heard a lot about what’s in them. It would have to be the journals they found as well.” He growled and raked his hands through his hair. “I can’t stand the thought of him thinking that about me, and do the others know? Am I the only one being kept in the dark?” He sighed. “Like I don’t have enough of that already.”
