“That’s like telling me not to breathe.”
“Then hold your fucking breath,” he snapped, causing me to flinch. He cursed and turned away. “Let’s go. This list is burning a literal hole in my pocket, and I want this over and done with.”
“Yes, sir,” I muttered.
“Better,” he replied as he continued down the path past a gazebo overlaid with more of that violet ivy. I wasn’t given much time to admire the architecture, his long legs leading us into a clearing filled with lava rock instead of grass. My eyebrowslifted at the bizarre textures. Then my lips parted as the ground shifted.
Not rocks.
Animals.
Zephyrus cleared his throat, his hands on his hips, as he glowered at the writhing swarm of birdlike creatures.
Oh my…
They all activated at once, their wings flickering to life and blooming with thin, sharp edges. The air around them pulsated with magic, their chattering beaks and crackling feathers grinding against the wind.
Zephyrus pressed his palm to my lower back, pushing me into the center of the flocking mass. I lifted my arms to shield my face, terrified of being cut by their jagged points. However, they resembled feathers against my skin.
I peeked through my forearms to find us being swarmed by crow-like birds. Black eyes, black beaks, black feathers. Not rocks.
“What in the…?” I trailed off as a keypad appeared.
This is a portal.
Zephyrus acted before I could catch the movements, his fingers flying over the destination code too fast for me to catch. Not that escape was much of an option for me right now, but having a backup plan couldn’t hurt.
The obsidian flurry swam around us, forming a ribbon of solid ink that had me stepping closer to Zephyrus. His palm against my lower back slid to my hip in response—a protective move that didn’t go unnoticed for either of us because his gaze seized mine as soon as it happened.
Intensity built between us.
Or maybe it was the aura of the transfer shifting us through space.
I couldn’t say, but it escalated my heartbeat. His masculine scent invaded my pores, the minty aftershave he wore an intoxicating blanket that swathed me in his Midnight Fae essence.
All to disappear in a blink as we landed in a closet filled with cloaks.
Zephyrus released me immediately, his long fingers flying upward to unfasten the knot at his neck. He added his cape to the others, drawing my attention to the orderly fashion of the interior. Everything was color-coded by the ink etched into the trim of each formal robe.
Dark purple.
Maroon.
Forest green—Zephyrus’s location.
Navy.
And solid black.
“What do they represent?” I asked softly, reaching out to stroke the soft textures.
Zephyrus caught my wrist, yanking me back. “Don’t. They’re charmed to only recognize their master.” He seemed to consider. “Actually, no, it’s a good teaching moment. Try to grab mine.” He gestured to it as if I wasn’t aware of where he’d just hung it up.
I narrowed my gaze. “I think I’m good, thanks.”
“It won’t hurt,” he promised. Not that I believed him. “Just zaps a little.”
“And that’s all I need to know,” I replied, heading for what I thought might be the door.
