Page 129 of The Bonds of Indigo

“That’s better. You were still too far.”

“Ugh, this is so dangerous.”

I shift my hold, keeping her tucked against me with my left arm while steering with the other.

“Nah. I’ve been driving for forever… literally.”

She relaxes her head on my shoulder, and as she sighs, I ask, “Why do you regulate your heartbeat so much? You’re actually really good at it. It’s kind of scary.”

There’s a beat of hesitation, and I give her the moment to think about how to answer. Hopefully it’s the truth, but if it’s not, I’ll choose to believe she has her reasons.

“It’s a tactic my dad taught me. He used to say that people in this world can be evil and will use whatever hurts you against you. Fear. Anxiety. Pain. Sadness.” She pauses, then adds with a small, nervous laugh, “I think the one I’m struggling with right now is… how you make me feel.”

“And you wonder why my dick’s hard.”

She swats my chest gently and shakes her head. “Kayn, please.”

I brush a kiss against her head, and take an unneeded breath of her in.

A sigh slips out of her lips. “Though, little good it did in Thornegate. It just pissed them off that they couldn’t get a reaction out of me once I got used to what was coming.”

I remember the first words I ever heard her speak: “Today is my day off.”

And now that I know exactly what she was “off” from… that sentence hits in a completely different way.

“When things are done,” I mutter, “I’m blowing up that pile of rocks down to the sea floor.”

My hand tightens around the steering wheel, metal groaning as it bends slightly. She places her palm over mine, threading her fingers between my own, and I relax my grip enough to make room for her.

“How they treated me was… terrible. But there are people who merit being in there.” She hesitates, then quietly adds, “Dare I say, some who deserve what was done to me.”

“Shooting down my dreams here, little slayer.”

She laughs—soft and slightly guilty. “Sorry.”

I kiss her forehead as she settles into me and try to let go of the tension in my shoulders.

“Your dick’s not going down…” she mumbles.

“And it won’t. Get used to it.”

We don’t stop for three days, other than to top up on gas and shower at a truck stop.

There hadn’t been any rush—until we got a call from Atlas saying three gates opened simultaneously, and making both of us nervous. Again, there’s no clear connection to what we’re doing… maybe. He also said someone by the name of Auralock has been showing up and closing them. No description of who, or what, they are. But if they’re shutting gates, that means they’re either a Fallen, a Demon… or another Witch. I’m worried about the frequency of them, and feel like they’re following us somehow.

We’re ten miles out from Demour, and I can feel the subtle shift in the air. Death approaches: or rather, we approach it.

Everhaven shifts from beautiful, lush green country to a desolate wasteland the farther east you go. The moment you enter Demour, you can feel it. Like stepping into the Beyond. The land is dry, the mountains barren, not a single tree to catch the high winds rolling in from the sea.

From this distance, the towering border wall that separates Demour comes into view. It stretches as far as the eye can see, forged from metal that’s constantly maintained so it won’t deteriorate over time.

I pull us over and we climb out. Amarah circles around to my side and crosses her arms over her chest. She’s wearing pants—extremely unlike her—but it’s cold, and I insisted. Paired with an oversized sweater, she looks casually adorable. I keep thinking about her in just the top, curled on a couch between Lucifer and me, watching those drama movies he loved so much.

It’s a beautiful thought. One I’m worried about holding onto too tightly.

Her question from the other day keeps echoing in my head. The one about what happens if Luce decides not to come back with me.

I don’t want to give him a choice… but am I willing to take his away?