Page 69 of The Slayer Seduction

None of us have a clue, but this is something that has to be done. Her two friends press their heads together, imparting what seems like a safety spell onto my witch. I find that I can’t dislike the pink-haired one. Disappointed in her choices, yes, but it’s not her fault fate brought an old, smelly vampire into her life.

“If anything goes wrong, you portal to the closest place you can and ward yourself,” Violet tells Iris.

“We’ll keep this place safe and we’ll be waiting for you. Keep her safe,” Ember says.

“With my life,” I tell her, looking at the map. I haven’t been there, but Adam has a general idea of the location and what this place looks like. “It’s going to take a lot of energy to teleport this far. We need a rendezvous location.”

Violet looks down at the map and clicks around on her phone.

“This house is empty right now. These are the coordinates and the street view. Is that enough?”

“That is good,” I say, both Adam and I memorizing everything about the location. It’s on the mainland from the prison, close enough that I should be able to take us both there if we get into danger.

“Alright then. So, we’re doing this?” Iris says, a lilt of worry in her voice. I squeeze her neck in assurance and nod

Iris packs my spell book in a satchel and I wrap my arms around her, visualizing where we need to go and I whisk us away to the island prison.

Chapter 32

Iris

The sensation of being teleported feels odd, especially over so much distance.

It takes me a moment to gather my bearings as our feet touch the cold stone ground. The Slayer doesn’t let go of me, his warm body engulfing mine, and maybe I hold on a little tighter than I should.

This craving for him continues to intensify, and I know eventually it’s going to reach a boiling point, but we have a mission to do. We don’t have time for such frivolous things.

“Are you alright?” he questions, pulling away and gently squeezing my shoulders. I give him a quick succession of nods and he smiles. “Do you sense any magic?”

I close my eyes, taking a deep breath and blessedly, I don’t sense any wards in place. There’s just a general ominous presence. It’s hard to tell if it’s the prison itself and all the terrible things that likely happened here or if it’s because the spell book is here.

“No wards or magic detected."

“Good,” he says, standing tall. “Do not stray away from me, actually…” He grabs my hand and laces our fingers together. “We shall not part our hands until the mission is over. Yes, I like this.”

His palm is warm and comforting in mine as I hold the map, following the orange glow of the magical signature. Luckily for us, the island is currently closed for tours as we walk hand in hand in the tunnels. I have to use my wand for light as we go deeper and deeper into the bowels of the prison.

The heaviness of this place gets thicker and thicker, and maybe I hold on slightly tighter to the Slayer as we move.

“We’re close,” I whisper, and he keeps his eyes on alert. He can see far better in the low light than I can.

Based on the map, it seems like we’re right on top of the damn thing. We’re inside of a small, windowless cell as we look around. Of course, they wouldn’t just leave it on a shelf, but where could it be?

The Slayer doesn’t let go of my hand as he uses his foot to tap on the floor to see if it’s under there. Meanwhile, I see if there’s a loose piece of wall. The concrete is thick, but eventually I tap a spot that seems hollow.

“Right here,” I tell him, and he comes over, only now letting my hand go as he easily pries and punches through the wall. It’s hotter than it should be as debris go flying and a plume of dust bellows in his wake of destruction.

I cast a quick cleaning spell to vanish it all and sure enough, I spot the orange glow. It’s further back than I thought, the space more like an escape tunnel than a hidey hole.

“I’ll get it,” he says and I frown at him.

“I’ve seen what happens when you touch one of these things. Plus, I’ll fit in easier.”

His brows furrow, not liking it one bit, but my logic makes sense. I place a hand on his chest, feeling the steady thump of his heart. “I’ll be right back. I promise.”

“You get out if anything seems at all suspicious.”

His protectiveness and my acceptance of our bond have me feeling bold. “Seal the promise with a kiss?” I question and initiate intimacy for the first time.