Page 101 of Divine Oaths

“I don’t see how he’s any different from Alaster or the Board,” I said.

“I told you how close he was to my father. And even when we were growing up, he was the one who took care of my brother and me. He always said he aimed to honor Duncan’s original legacy, not what the Board has made Westfield now. And that means enforcing the original will with Kent’s line as Westfield’s inheritor. If we bring him the blade—”

“This is our only piece of evidence,” I said, cutting him off. “And it’s barely that without my powers.”

“Then what do you want us to do?” he said, exasperated.

“We bide our time, make a trap, and make sure they can’t hurt you or anyone else here at Westfield.” If I’d had to bet, Danny had probably been victim to Alaster too, when he’d been planning to expose Westfield and the Board.

Yet, despite what I’d told myself since coming to Westfield, I hadn’t wanted Alaster to be Kasem’s attempted killer. It was enough that his friends had already tried to kill him because of the curse. But Alaster wasn’t bound to it—and he was Kasem’s family. He could have let Kasem inherit Westfield. Instead, he’d done everything in his power to undermine him at every turn. He’d gone as far as murder.

I put the switchblade in a corner close to us, deciding I’d keep it for now. Later, when I had more strength, I’d use my powers to peer deeper into its past.

“Honey’s gone for help,” I said, trying to brighten the mood. “She should be back soon.”

“It’ll take nearly a half an hour to get to campus, even with an ATV. And then another half hour to get here, if she can wake anyone up and even find us.”

“So we’re stuck here.”

“For the night? Probably.”

“Do you think the others are okay?”

“I don’t know.”

We were silent for a long moment.

This close, I took in the silver and gold flecks of his irises, the melancholy of it all. Face-to-face, our noses nearly touched and our lips were a breath apart. I couldn’t stare long, though, and I looked away, breathing softly even as my wet clothes and the cool air made me shiver.

“You’re trembling,” Kasem whispered.

He brushed my cheek with his palm and my lashes fluttered wildly, a small gasp escaping my lips at his touch. Fire burned in my chest, every inch of me hot and warm and wanting, aching for him.

For a moment, Kasem said nothing. And then he whispered my name.

“Sianna.”

The three syllables were a question, his eyes searching for an answer in mine. He cursed under his breath. And then he pulled me to him, closing the distance between us.

My mouth parted as he kissed me and I leaned toward him, wrapping my arms around his neck, gasping against the pressure of his lips crushing mine. He whispered my name, spoke it in between stolen breaths. He’d wanted me since that day in Gus’s shop. My beauty possessed him, he said. He’d longed for me since then and longed for me still.

Between his words and his caresses, I kissed him back, traced my tongue against his mouth, arousing him as I brought his hand to my chest, my top still wet and soaking.

Kasem lifted me off the mat fiercely, but he was gentle when he laid me beneath him.

The kiss was fire and ice, as blinding as infinite starlight caught in a meteor shower. Every inch of me yearned for him, for his touch and his kiss, for more and more, my desire culminating at the bliss of him grinding against me. His hands trailed up my torn skirt, gripping my thigh before he peppered more kisses along my jawline. His tongue tasted me, hungry and playful, teasing soft moans of pleasure from my lips.

I ran my hands along his toned chest, exploring him like a painter would a landscape, pulling him closer to me, my mouth brushing his hard surfaces and tasting salt and sweat and him. He moaned, his lashes fluttering as I brought my lips to his lower abdomen.

“I don’t have anything on me,” he said.

He drew me back, placing soft kisses on my lips and the corner of my mouth.

“I want to. Don’t get me wrong. I want you bad. But we’re rushing into things. We both know it.”

“But we don’t have time.”

“So you’re just going to hit it and quit it in case I die?” he teased.