I pressed my lips together and gave a briefnod. Amusement lit his amber eyes when his gaze ran over me. I wasnowhere near as amused. I started to fold my arms over my chest butcaught myself before I pushed the neon goop through my clothes andfurther onto my skin. It had already started to soak through;touching it would only make it worse.
Lifting his hands, Kobal clasped my cheeksand wiped the sticky ooze away from my lips with his thumbs beforecleaning more away from my eyes and nose. “It’s not funny,” Imuttered when I felt clean enough to speak again.
“Of course not,” he agreed, but I could hearthe laughter in his voice, and I knew he was fighting against itwhen his shoulders shook.
He tilted my chin up to inspect me beforebending to tenderly kiss my lips. I sighed against his mouth,unable to hold onto my annoyance with him when our connectionrushed up between us. His eyes were still filled with amusementwhen he pulled away, but I could see something hungrier awakeningthere. We had to get out of this forest before more creatures fromthe seals arrived. I’d end up fighting the next one off while nakedif we didn’t leave soon.
“It really must be love if you’re having anysort of ideas about me right now,” I muttered. “Or you’redepraved.”
He chuckled as he wiped more neon blood offmy face. “I’d say it’s a good combination of the two. We’ll get youcleaned up.”
The small tree nymph descended soundlesslyto her feet behind him, causing Hawk to jump and take a step awayfrom her. I’d forgotten she was here. “I’ll take you to the bathand find you some clothes, my queen. You also, Corson,” sheoffered.
Corson glanced at me. He didn’t look asannoyed with me now, but I had a feeling it would be a while beforehe forgave me for covering him in ogre bits. I smiled at him inreturn.
CHAPTER 34
River
An hour later, I was finally free of ogreparts and draped in a material softer than any towel I’d ever feltbefore. Blacker than night, the material didn’t do much to absorbthe trails of red Hell water sliding over my skin, but it wascomfy. Maybe too comfy as my eyelids drooped while I waited for thenymphs to return with the clothes they’d promised me.
Clothes I was more than a little terrifiedof seeing. I might be crawling back into my goo-coated outfit forthe rest of this journey instead of slipping into something thenymphs would wear. It wouldn’t help that most of them were a goodfoot shorter than me. What barely covered them would be next tonothing on me.
The door at the end of the small cave they’dbrought me into opened. Half a dozen female nymphs darted toward meand climbed onto the dais where the pool of water I’d bathed in waslocated.
“The king is eager to see you,” theymurmured excitedly as they surrounded me.
“We managed to get him to wait,” the prettyblonde who had been in the forest with us said. “I don’t think hewill for much longer.”
I hadn’t dared to let Kobal in here whileI’d been bathing, neither of us would have been able to resist thelure of this place if I had.
“We have to get out of this forest,” Imuttered, causing all of them to giggle and bat their lashes in away that had me fighting against rolling my eyes. I’d started tolike the waif-like demons more, but they were so different thanme.
“I’ve never seen him so tender or protectiveof anyone before,” the blonde said.
I tried not to think of the possibility shehad once been with Kobal.Sex doesn’t mean the same thing todemons; it’s simply a way to scratch an itch unless it’s with theirChosen, I tried to remind myself, but the knot of jealousyremained lodged in my chest.
“It’s sweet,” the blonde continued.
“Yes, yes,” the rest of them murmured asthey circled excitedly around me.
“He has chosen a fine queen too, who killedan ogre without even touching it,” the blonde said as she pulledsomething from her arms.
My gaze latched greedily on thenon-see-through material in her hands when she draped it over anearby rock. The others curiously peered up at me from underimpossibly thick lashes.
“She’ll put an end to the usurper,” theblonde stated with confidence.
“What is your name?” I inquired of her.
She looked as if no one had ever asked herthat before. Then a smile curved her pouty mouth. “I am calledLena.”
“That’s very pretty,” I murmured, and Lenablushed in such a way that she somehow managed to lookmorelike a porcelain doll with her delicate features, spiraling blondehair, and jade-colored eyes.
The others all gushed excitedly, but beforeI could ask them their names, the door at the end of the hallopened again. Kobal’s boots rang against the stone as he stalkedtoward us. The nymphs instantly became silent as they folded theirhands demurely before them.
Kobal stopped a few feet away from us.Though I was surrounded by half a dozen, half-naked, gorgeouswomen, his eyes remained focused on me as he took in my damp hairand the black material I clutched against me. Yes, we definitelyhad to get out of this forest, I decided when gold flickeredthrough his obsidian eyes.
“Did you bring her something so she couldbrush her hair?” he asked of Lena.
