Her lips parted to say the words as he gathered her closer, as herheavy arms draped around his shoulders. She closed her eyes, pressing her cheek to his chest, relishing the tender hope inside.
They were so close to this all being over, to them all being truly free. She’d tell him how she felt. Soon.
Because after months, it was finally, truly, within their reach.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
Nicole
NICOLE LAY IN THE CIRCLE OF KYAN’S ARMS,HER TEMPLE INthe warm dip at his shoulder. His eyes had closed but he still brushed her damp hair as she traced his chest – her stomach against his – then traced his features, like she was painting him.
The terrible tension in his body had eased as the shaky, ephemeral one inside her had too. When she shifted, his eyes opened and they were like sated fires – still burning, still hot, but banked. A haven in the dark.
The windows were misted with condensation, the fire having burned low. The cabin with its golden light and drowsy warmth, seemed a lambent hideaway on the edge of the mythic and mortal worlds.
And yet, she didn’t want to ignore what had happened.
‘We should probably talk about what the Druid said,’ Nicole said softly.
He didn’t tense but she could feel the resolve in him harden, the shield of time pierced and torn to reveal not just the grief, but anger.
The warmth in his eyes simmered with conflict, loss.
‘We’ll find the harp and call the goddess back,’ Nicole vowed to him, even though she had no idea if that was truly possible, if she could even wrap her mind around the scale of that divinity. ‘She can end this. You’re not doing it, you understand? I don’t care what the Druid said.’
‘You’re not doing it either.’
She puffed out breath.
Kyan shifted, body curving around hers more, bathing her in heat and intention. ‘I’m serious, Nicole. Don’t think I didn’t notice you asking questions. Just because you’re not oathed doesn’t mean your mother’s plan falls to you.’
Tears suddenly burned her eyes and she touched his chest, stroked where his heart beat steadily. ‘We’ve learned a lot, but we don’t need to make any kind of decision, okay? Before anything else, we’d need your torc and the final goddessblood item. We don’t even know what it is.Whereit is.’
This, all of it, was supposed to be myth and legend. It was supposed to be safely separate from her, in paintings and objects and research.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this.
‘Always the researcher,’ Kyan murmured, stroking her jaw.
‘I—’
‘Let’s talk about it tomorrow,’ he said softly and leaned close enough his lips moved hers with his next words. ‘I want to do something first.’
She couldn’t help her smile and the warmth of a blush as her body awakened again at his touch.
He laughed. ‘Cook for you, Nicole. I want to cook you dinner.’
Kyan
‘HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?’NICOLE ASKED,REACHING OUT TOtrace the slightly skewed line of Kyan’s nose. Her touch was feather-soft and burning, and made him pause mid-chop as his blood re-routed.
They’d opened a bottle of red wine and the supernaturally strong alcohol had already dyed her lips slightly red. He’d spent a good ten minutes raking his teeth and tongue along the seam of her mouth until she’d squirmed and done his favourite thing – knotted her fingers in his T-shirt to keep him close.
But when she’d palmed him elsewhere, he’d forced himself backwards before he could strip her back down and get her gasping his name again.
He wanted to feed her. Wanted them to have the rest of this night. Seeing her flushed and pleasured in the bed they’d been in – gods, he could smell their scent. She’d looked so peaceful and lovely andsatisfiedthat the overwhelming love threatened to crack his chest open. The thought that Logan had tried to hurt her … the room blurred at the edges as he battled the rage, his breathing choppy.
You killed him, he reminded himself.
