Eleven
Gray
The rain began as a gentle mist that floated down from the sky, descending on us like a gossamer curtain.
“Take this,” Liam said, and I turned to find him unbuttoning his flannel. He shucked out of it and handed it over. “Put it over your head, and don’t look up at the rain. Try your best not to take deep breaths.”
“What are you talking about? It’s just—”
“Take it, Gray. Do it now.”
I reached for the shirt, trying not to ogle his bare chest, his well-defined arms, the way his abs bunched as he leaned closer. There was a small tattoo peeking out over his hip bone that looked a bit like a… a pineapple, maybe? Before I could confirm, he motioned again for me to cover up, and I indulged him, draping the flannel over my head and letting the sleeves hang down over my shoulders.
His scent was all around me, a mixture of ocean and sunshine and a deep, ancient earthiness that called to something just as ancient inside me. My magic responded, too, unleashing a curl of heat low in my belly.
Or maybe that wasn’t my magic at all. Maybe it was just my body’s response to someone who was starting to feel less like a strange, otherworldly being and more like a friend. More like a man.
We picked up the pace, Liam taking the lead, but the rain picked up, too. It was pleasant at first, cool and refreshing, but it quickly turned sharp and icy, stinging me even through the flannel.
Suddenly my chest felt tight, and I coughed hard into my hand. My fingers came away splattered with blood.
“Blood,” Liam said without turning around. “We’ve wandered into one of the least hospitable worlds of the Shadowrealm. When it’s not raining acid, it’s raining glass. You’re breathing it in right now. It’s attacking your lung tissue.”
“But it’s barely sprinkling!”
“Imagine what a downpour will do. Keep moving. Don’t look up.”
We walked on for another five minutes, the rain gathering strength, scraping my shoulders and the tops of my feet. Blood ran in rivulets down Liam’s bare back, but he refused to take his shirt back.
“Just keep moving,” he said. “I see the cave ahead. Quickly!”
No sooner had we cleared the boulder field and entered the mouth of the cave did the downpour begin in earnest. From the safety of our shelter, I watched open-mouthed as thousands of glass needles pelted the ground we’d just vacated, shattering into powder on impact.
It sounded like the tinkling of tiny bells.
It was terrifyingly beautiful.
Another cough rattled through my lungs, tearing up my throat on the way out.
“That will pass, as long as you don’t go back out in the rain.” Liam put a hand on my shoulder, gently guiding me away from the mouth and into a large chamber deeper inside. It was close enough to the cave entrance that it still held a bit of light—just enough to make out Liam’s silhouette. It was warmer than I expected, and the air smelled homey rather than dank.
When he crouched down to light a fire, I realized why.
This cave was someone’s home—or it had been. There was a fire pit in the center, now glowing brightly, and several animal-skin rugs arranged around it.
“It’s not a five-star resort,” Liam said, rising up to his feet and dusting off his hands. “But you’ll be safe in here until I get back.”
“Luckily I’m not a five-star resort kind of girl.” I smiled, handing back his shirt. “Besides, it’s kind of cozy. Plenty of room for a sectional and a flat screen, if you’re ever in the mood to redecorate.”
“I’ll keep it in mind.” Liam laughed. The firelight caught in his eyes, and I wanted him to stay, more than anything. To keep laughing like that. To keep looking at me like that.
But after a beat, his smile faded. He reached for my hands, his thumbs brushing gently across my knuckles. The same sparks I’d felt before skittered across my skin.
“Is there anything else you need for the night?” he asked, his voice low and husky. God, if this had been any other situation, I might’ve thought he wanted to… to kiss me. But that was impossible. He was Death. Death didn’t just go around kissing people. Did he?
“Gray?”
“No! I mean, I… I don’t suppose you have any food?” I asked hopefully.
