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I laughed. Cyn was complicated, but he wasn’t bad. “Cyn doesn’t like when he feels threatened.”

“Threatened?”

“Yeah.” I picked at the loose sheet beneath me. “I guess he’s probably feeling threatened by whatever brought us here. I mean, we don’t know what’s really behind it—or who. Sure, you summoned us, but how that book got on Earth, and why you understood a ritual when the rest of the pages aren’t in a human’s language…” I shook my head. “I don’t blame him for feeling threatened.”

She looked down as if considering my words.

“And Ezra? He’s gotta be in control. Always. You summoned him against his will, which took his control away.”

Ezra hadn’t acted hostile toward Rae, but I noticed his demeanor shift when he discovered she was the reason we ended up on Earth. He’d kept his distance ever since—not that he spoke much to her prior to the revelation.

“It’s not like I did it on purpose.”

I chuckled at her put-out tone. “Still happened.”

“Well, those two aren’t like you and Ash. You’re both nice.”

“Nice enough you’re okay with me in your bed?”

She spluttered, making me laugh. “What? No. No! I don’t invite random men into my bed—demon or no demon.”

“So you’re saying I’m special?” I fluttered my eyelashes.

She huffed. “You’re impossible.”

“It’s okay to have favorites, you know.”

Rolling her eyes, she put a hand on her forehead. “Honestly, I have no idea why I didn’t freak out. Or why I haven’t thrown you out of the bed already.” She still hadn’t tossed me out on my ass, and I called that a win. “Maybe I’m not ready to face the day and what it means.”

She looked over at me, a flash of something in her eyes I couldn’t place. I hadn’t spent enough time with her to read her expressions, but her gaze carried vulnerability.

“But there’s something else. Something nostalgic about you. I almost wanna say it’s how I felt with my shadow friends, but a lot stronger than that.”

My mouth went dry at her words, and it took several swallows to feel like I wouldn’t choke on the invisible force constricting my throat.

I knew other Shyrlivi experienced similar reactions when they were mates, but with her being a human, I couldn’t understand why we felt that way about each other.

Maybe there wasn’t a reason. Maybe I was thinking too deeply… again.

I didn’t want Rae—not like that. I didn’t think, at least.

She was attractive, and her scent did all kinds of things to me, but these feelings of connection went beyond that. So maybe I did want her like that, but I wouldn’t act on it. Not only because everything confused me, but because I wouldn’t embarrass myself when I didn’t know how long we’d be stuck on Earth.

Besides, unlike some people, I wanted my first time to mean something. Not just because my partner turned me on.

“I think we should get up,” I finally said, breaking the silence, needing distance before I did something stupid. “The others are probably awake now and will wonder where I am. I don’t think you want them finding me in your bed.”

She cringed. “Yeah, no. Let’s not have that on top of everything else.” She threw the covers off her legs and stood.

Her small shorts revealed the tattoo of a half clock face, half dream catcher on the front of her thigh. Leaves and flowers framed the clock’s side, and dainty chains with small gems hung from the dream catcher instead of feathers.

She stretched and paused, staring at me. “What?”

Heat crawled up my neck, and I cleared my throat. “I like your tattoo,” I said, gesturing to her leg. “What’s the design on your arm?”

She tugged the sleeve of her oversized T-shirt higher and walked over to show me the huge seascape wrapping her arm, made up of bright coral and sea creatures I’d only read about but never seen.

Before I could touch the colorful piece of art like I wanted, she withdrew her arm and stepped away. “I need to get dressed.”