Why did he smell like home?
His knuckle grazed my chin, slowly tilting my head back.
“I never lied to you. It means truth. I respect honesty.”
“Obviously not that much, otherwise you would’ve told me you already knew what I was going to ask you.”
“I was waiting for you to come to me.” He smiled, but it lacked warmth and had a taunting edge to it. “Ask me.”
I frowned. “About Aspen?”
He nodded. “Yes. Say the words you’ve prepared.”
Was this a trick?
“Will you help me rescue Aspen from Lilith?”
Shadows seeped from Ronen’s body, wrapping us in a dark cocoon. The wispy tendrils brushed against my hair and face. He lifted his hand and wrapped it around my neck as he brought his lips centimeters from mine.
My Infernus perked up, excited. Heat pooled in my core, and all I could do was stare at his lips. All I could think about was what they’d feel like against mine. My pulse raged with the urge to know. He was a breath away, daring me to find out how he’d devour me. He just needed to bridge the gap.
His hand squeezed a little tighter, and his thumb brushed my pulse point as if he could feel the desire racing through my veins.
“I would rather run my Soul Swords across my neck than help a male who kidnaps and murders females,” he finally whispered.
He stepped back, dropping a bucket of cold reality over my yearning daze.
An invasive urgency shot into my body, taking away my breath and reminding me of Aspen. “He needs our help, Ronen.”
“Sounds like an interesting dilemma.”
He started to turn, and I lurched forward, grabbing his wrist. “Wait!”
The moment I touched him, Aspen—the urgency—it all quieted to a much-needed relief. It was only Ronen and the humming power beneath his skin that tickled my fingers.
He shook off my touch, and I felt it again. The unexplainable desperation screamed in my head—relentless and demanding.Save Aspen. Save him.
“Ronen, he has a Hell Rune like you did. You’re the only one who can remove it.”
He straightened, clenching his jaw. “Did Alexei tell you about that?”
“No—I?—”
How did I tell him I invaded his mind again, but this time unintentionally?
“Of course he did.” He shook his head. “Him and his damned hunch,” he said to himself. “We would know if Lilith had my feather.”
“I know! Believe me.Trustme.”
“You expect me to trust you when you’re sleeping with the enemy? I wouldn’t be a good general if I didn’t take into consideration that he might have his claws in you—and you might not even know it.”
My mouth opened with a retort, but nothing came out. Aspendidhave his claws in me. He used me, and still Ineededto help him. It wasn’t a want. It was a burning, screaming, destructive demand.
“That’s what I thought.”
Ronen turned his back on me, his wings snapping out. Rune trotted over, butting into his side.
“Ronen, Lilith’s using him like Etan used you! You’re the only one who would understand.Please,” I begged.
