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Inching up, I turn to face him, admiring his profile as he stares down at his hands.
“What were you dreaming?”
He snorts bitterly. “Nothing and everything. Just don’t wake me up.”
Frowning, I move on to my next question. “What happened yesterday?”
“You opened a gate in the middle of the woods, exerted too much power, and nearly got yourself killed. I’d move on to another question fast, because I’m still pissed about that one.”
His jaw tenses, and I roll my eyes. “Where’s my shirt?”
That has his lips lifting in a smile that he quickly banishes. “It’s beside the bed.”
Really? No elaboration?
Leaning over, I carefully grab it, keeping the sheet tucked against me for modesty.
“You were convulsing last night and turning too cold for your body to heal appropriately. I assume it was the after effects of opening a fucking gate in the middle of the woods. I had to hold you to keep you still and warm.”
When his jaw ticks again, I realize he’s seriously pissed.
“Can you put your shirt on so I can glare at you?” he asks, and an unbidden smile comes to my lips just as a ghost of one graces his.
When I accidentally laugh, he shakes his head, looking away because his grin is spreading. The sheet drops and pools at my waist, and I pull my shirt back on.
“You could wear a bra,” he tells me as I pull my hair out of my shirt and lean back.
“Bras are only for looks in our world, and I don’t see the point in adding extra garments just for the sake of sexy appeal.”
He puffs out a breath, shaking his head again. “You sound more like Calypso than Alyssa ever did.”
Shrugging, I stand up, stretching my sore body. That gate really was dangerous, but I had to open a vortex plane that had heavy suction. It wouldn’t have strained me so much if I’d had a vast open space instead of the crowded woods.
“Alyssa was sheltered. Calypso took a different approach with me. Drackus got a second chance to be a father. The two of them combined kept me from getting depressed when my visions started slowing down. They distracted me with knowledge, fighting skills, and then they helped me hone my gatekeeping abilities. It’s only natural I want to emulate the two people who saved me.”
He looks over me, a thoughtful gleam in his eyes. “Why’d you leave Kane and Alyssa?”
I hurt them when I begged to leave with Drackus and Calypso, but it was for the best. I know without a doubt I made the best decision for everyone.
“Kane and Alyssa wanted to give me a home, a family, and a better life to make up for what was stolen from me. But they got pregnant almost immediately, and I knew the new baby would be like them—a creature goddess. It was one of the visions I had, even though creature goddesses are so rare. I wanted her to have their sole attention, because I knew people would want her like they wanted me. I might have been a child, but I was very aware of the world I lived in. Calypso and Drackus had something I was searching for, and I had something they sought as well. It seemed destined, so I opted to live with them instead. Alyssa became my sister instead of my mother, but Ella… Ella’s really my little sister. In the end, no matter who I lived with, I had a family.”
He leans back, crossing his arms over his chest, and I sit back down on the bed to face him. Gage has always been an unsolved mystery to me.
“How did you break us out of that trap? Magic shouldn’t have worked against it.”
He shrugs as if it isn’t a big deal. “I’m older and stronger than I look. It’s best if it remains a secret as to how strong. I never use all my power in front of people unless I’m left without a choice. Thad is one of the few to see it and live. You know what happened to Drackus when people learned how strong he was—is.”
“But then came Alyssa,” I remind him. “She’s stronger than him, and since she destroyed Damon and Dragona, no one is brave enough to go against her the way they did Drackus. She’s more powerful than him, so he doesn’t seem to rank as a threat to the world so much anymore.”
“And she’s more powerful than I am,” he says. “But that doesn’t mean I want the world to k
now I’m not the average dark user. Some of us take pride in not painting ourselves a target. With my true strength a secret, I always have the upper hand in a fight.”
The pointed look he gives me is scolding, and I really don’t appreciate the haughtiness in his words. Since I don’t want to defend myself and end up in a stalemate argument, I shift the subject instead.
“What’s your last name?” I ask him, blushing when I feel stupid for not already knowing.
He looks uncomfortable with that question. “I… Well, I don’t really have one. I change it through the years based on what’s trending. It keeps me hidden better. Right now it’s Kross.”
