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Which was when I realized she was naked against me with only Rune’s shirt covering her nakedness. I tugged it down to make sure it covered her ass.

Rune grinned. “The fox was distraught enough for the both of us.”

Her gaze darted back to me. “I’m sorry, you must have been…” She chewed her lip. “I’m sorry,” she said again.

“You’re okay. That’s all that matters. How are you feeling?”

She sat up, and I was forced to let her go. She stood and I held out my hands to catch her if she fell, but she seemed sturdy on her feet.

“I’m fine. There are never any lasting effects.” She tightened the shirt around her oil-slicked and cut-up body. “I’ll just grab a quick shower, then you can show me the library?” she said to Rune.

“I take it that means our poltergeist’s gone?”

Her expression hardened. “Yes, to Hell, where he belongs.” Then she strode to the bathroom. “I’ll be quick.” Then she shut the door.

I stared after her. I was shaking. She’d recovered, but I sure as fuck hadn’t. I’d never forget the way it felt to hold Jasmine’s lifeless body in my arms.

How the fuck was I going to go back to normal after this? Be alone with her again tonight, let her touch me, wrap her arms around me?

How was I going to ignore this feeling inside me, the fucked-up voice inside my head, god, roaring through my skull, telling me that Jasmine was mine.

Mine.

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Chapter 16

Jasmine

* * *

Ren lay still as I bent over him, tattooing the finishing touches to one of his sigils. His abs clenched. Jesus, his stomach was roped with muscle. My fingers accidentally brushed his side, over the scar there, and he shuddered. I was trying to make as little contact as possible, but it was hard. I repeated my spell, holding his skin taut, and inked the flick at the bottom. I may not be an actual tattoo artist like Rome, but I was an artist, and I was going to make sure the sigils I’d inked on Ren looked good.

“You sure you’re okay?” Ren asked for about the tenth time since we started.

“I’m okay, Ren, honestly. It’s like nothing happened.” After I woke, Rune had shown me the library. It hadn’t been nearly as impressive as I’d imagined—I thought he might be holding out on me, honestly—definitely not as vast as ours, but he had let me take a bunch of books on loan, and I’d be poring through them as soon as I got home. I needed a freaking breakthrough like now. If I had to exorcise a hundred twisted poltergeists, I would if it ensured Zinnia came home.

“For you, maybe,” he said, and it was obvious he’d said it through gritted teeth.

I moved to the next spot, just below his belly button. “I am sorry I scared you. I wasn’t prepared for all those souls. I’ve never felt anything like it.” His abs tightened again under my hand as I started the next sigil, and I tried not to notice that this time, he wasn’t hard. Not that I wanted him to be, right?

Of course not.

But my head was basically hovering over his junk, which meant last time hadn’t been about me at all. He’d explained why he’d reacted that way, but still…at the time I’d wanted it to be about me, that he’d wanted me. It was stupid. It shouldn’t make me feel less, or unattractive, but it kind of did, even though I knew wanting me, especially when I held him, healed him, was a twisted side effect of my magic. And so was the possessive way he’d been acting, the protectiveness. He was confused, and the sooner this was over and done with, the better for both of us. Being this close to him wasn’t good for me, was messing with me, even though I knew the truth.

I glanced up. His eyes were squeezed closed, the fingers of both hands in tight fists, and color slashed his cheeks.

“Is it hurting?” As soon as I spoke, goose bumps lifted across his stomach, right where my breath had brushed his scarred skin.

“I’m good,” he said, not looking at me.

“Ren?”

“Yeah?”

“You look in pain.”

His nostrils flared. “I’m good, Jaz.”