“I love you,” she whispered.
My throat tightened with a lump the size of Texas. Damn near felt like it, anyway. Had she really just said that?
“I don’t know what I would’ve done if you weren’t there tonight,” she went on. “If anything had happened to you, I… I don’t…”
“Shhh.” I took her face in my hands, my gaze drifting down to her mouth, then back up to her eyes, cataloging the curves and lines of her face, the blue of her eyes, the arch of her brows. Her words echoed in my mind, filling me up with something that felt a lot like magic.
I love you...
“Gray, I—”
“Asher,” she whispered, her eyes fluttering closed, and suddenly I forgot how to fucking talk and just lowered my mouth to hers, brushing a soft kiss over her lips.
Threading her hands into my hair, she returned the kiss, deepening it before pulling back with a sharp gasp.
“Sorry,” she said, pressing her lips together, then offering an apologetic smile. “Still stings a little.”
I traced the edge of her mouth with my fingertip, finally noticing the redness. “What happened?”
“Ronan… I kissed him at the warehouse, and…” She shook her head and lowered her eyes, clearly flustered. “We can’t… Whenever we touch now, it burns. Sometimes worse than this.”
“Itburns? What the fuck kind of fairytale curse bullshit is that?”
“Not a curse. A deal. When I was stuck in the Shadowrealm, he and Darius staged a rescue. They came through the hell portal.”
“So this is Sebastian’s doing.”Of course.My blood began to boil, my hands clenching into fists. Why was that motherfucker so wrapped up in our lives? He had no claim on Gray. Not until her death.
Gray nodded. “It was the only way he’d let them use the portal.”
I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. Fucking hell, so much had happened while I’d been stuck in that rotting hole of a prison cell. Where did I evenstartto put this story together?
Ronan… shit.He must be gutted.
“Half of me wants to beat his ass for making another deal with that greasy soul-pimp,” I said.
“Well, a full three-quarters ofmewants to beat his ass, and that’s when I’m feeling generous.”
“I get it. But the thing is, Gray… I’d do the same damn thing a hundred times over if it meant getting you back safely. I can’t blame him, and neither should you. You’re here. Alive.”
She nodded mutely, but she didn’t look convinced. She just looked devastated.
“He loves you more than anything else in the world,” I said. “He’s been in love with you for basically ever, but he gave that up for you. He’d fuckingdiefor you. You know that, right? From the moment you came into his life, that was never a question, and it never will be.”
It was a long time before she moved again, and when she did, she looked up at me with the saddest eyes I’d ever seen.
“Newsflash, Asher.” She blew out a breath, her shoulder lifting in a weak shrug. “I don’t want him to die for me. I just want him to kiss me again without bursting into flames.”
“Okay. Let me tell you something about our boy, Ronan.” I grabbed her hands, squeezed tight. “He plays his cards close to the vest, and half the time you’ve got no idea what that motherfucker’s up to, right? But we both know he’salwaysup to something. Hewillfind a way out of that deal—hell, he’s probably already started renegotiating with Sebastian behind the scenes. And when this is over—when all this shit is back to normal and the witches have gone home and the fae fucks are in the ground with the hunters and our crew is back together, strong and fucking solid, we’re gonna have a big party. A feast. Fucking massive. Cage dancers, live band, those guys who paint butterflies on faces. And the main course? Barbecued Sebastian nuts. What do you think ofthat?”
She tried to hold onto her sadness, her anger, but she couldn’t—not completely. The laugh broke through, lighting up her face once again.
“I think I’ll pass on the nuts,” she said. “But I do appreciate your enthusiasm. Not to mention your brutally on-point sense of vengeance.”
“Hey. Anything for you, Cupcake.” I stroked my hand down the side of her ribcage and squeezed her hip, the moment turning serious again. “Absolutely anything.”
“I know.”
She closed my eyes, and beneath my touch, her body trembled. It was slight at first, a tremor that began in her shoulders and rolled straight on down.
