Page 158 of Devoted

“I can’t argue with that logic, but we can trust her, Dante. For once, I think we’re all fighting for the same thing.” I leaned into his shoulder as we followed our guide down a maze of hallways, knowing that somewhere, across the lagoon, Nico was sinking a stolen boat in deep water and my uncle was—hopefully—paying for his failures.

That, at least, made me smile as Dante, Gabriel, and I were shown into our bedchamber for the night.

Tomorrow, we’d make Giovanni pay.

But tonight, we were together, and for now, that was enough.

CHAPTER 60

GABRIEL

Knowing Emilia, I hadn’t expected her idea of comfort to be practical, but the sleeping chamber we were escorted to was like nothing I’d ever seen before, not in our ancient family castle, not in the luxurious private wing of La Sala… nowhere.

Candlelight caught on deep red and gold silk, the scent of jasmine sweetening the air.

And the lights…

Globes hung midair, suspended by magic, filling the room with a gentle glow that softened the exhaustion on Emberline’s face and reflected a hundred times over in her dark eyes.

“I’ve never seen anything like this.” Emberline was clearly awestruck, already halfway to the bed, trailing her fingers along the carved footboard in the shape of a coiled dragon, as if she didn’t quite trust what she was seeing. “Nothing in here even looks real.”

“Maybe it’s not.” I studied the ceiling, painted with a rendition of the stars so authentic, we could be staring up into the actual sky. “Emilia could have conjured this up just to impress us.”

The corner of her mouth curved at that, the first real smile I’d seen from her in days. Small victories.

Fragrant steam rolled from a deep, copper tub set on a pedestal, fogging up the nearby trio of windows. Dante crossed the room in four strides, unwound the robe from around his hips, and lowered himself in with a sigh, the water hissing around him like a freshly forged sword being quenched, more steam rolling as he immersed himself from the neck down.

I stayed to the perimeter of the room, counting the exits out of habit before I paused to smell the deep red roses on a low table and to drink in the soft, deliberate comfort of every surface, as if this room was designed to make us feel protected.

Emberline sank down on the edge of the bed, head hung, salt-soaked hair hanging in dark spirals as she breathed in and out, as though she was trying to convince herself we were just that.

Safe.

I sat beside her, mirroring the same hunched position.

“You’re staring,” she said quietly, sounding so lost, my heart squeezed.

“I’m memorizing what you look like right now,” I admitted, sitting close enough that our knees touched. “Because a few hours ago, I wasn’t sure I’d get the chance.”

“No, I didn’t think so either.” She leaned into my side, and I wrapped an arm around her, careful not to crowd her. “We should sleep. You should sleep,” I urged. “I am sorry,” I ghosted my lips over her temple, tasting brine and a trace of blood.

“I’m sorry for everything.” My throat grew tight, but I swallowed down my regret so I could get this next part out. “I’m sorry this beautiful room isn’t what you wake up to every day. I’m sorry we do nothing but fight and run, and even that isn’t enough to keep you safe. And most of all, I’m sorry those bastards touched you tonight, and I couldn’t stop them.”

She pulled back, her delicate fingers dancing along my jaw, pausing on the tender spot on my temple.

“First of all, I chose to fight, just like you did. Removing my uncle and Blackwood is the right thing to do. As far as this?” She looked up, and every light in the room filled her gaze until she seemed to contain the entirety of my universe.

“The best thing about this room is you. And Dante. And once he returns… Nico.

“Don’t you understand, Gabriel,” she murmured against my lips. “Wherever you are is my home, and there isn’t a single thing in this room I would choose over just being with you.” She searched my face for a long moment, then she kissed me, slow and unhurried, in a room stitched together out of Emilia’s magic, and for once, I simply sank into the softness of her lips, the pure perfection of her hands on my body.

“Is the water still warm?” I asked my brother once our lips parted, staring down into Emberline’s hooded eyes as I rolled a strand of her salted curls between my fingers. “You need to get the lagoon water off you.” I paused. “And the blood.”

“Okay,” she murmured hazily, wrapping her arms around the back of my neck as I carefully lifted her and walked her across the room. Dante stepped out of the tub, no sign of that consuming heat rippling off his body as he wrapped a towel around his waist.

The two of us stripped her down, gently, reverently, kissing every scrape and bruise, anger brewing deep in my gut every time I thought of how those bastards touched her. Tried to drown her.

“Get in, and take a long soak, and then you can sleep.” I urged her over the high lip, easing her head back, then kneeling down behind her because I couldn’t stand the thought of being more than a foot away. “Let me… can I wash your hair?” I asked, a warm glow filling my chest when she nodded, her eyes slipping closed, her head cradled in my palm.