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Chapter Ten
Sudden awareness washed over me, and it became blatantly obvious I crossed into the Netherworld, because I wasn’t awake. My mind was fully coherent and I remembered falling asleep, knew my purpose to find Kipp, and was mentally focused. If I’d been dreaming, I doubted I’d hold the level of concentration I had now. More so, I was overwhelmed by the fierce need to locate my ghost.
“Kipp,” I heard myself whisper.
The second the words cut through the silence around me, my thoughts held even more clarity and I couldn’t believe what I’d sensed as I had fallen asleep. I’d always thought I got goose bumps from the coldness of ghosts and their nearness, but in reality, it had been the touch of the Netherworld. The goose bumps were the result of the cool energy of this place, not the ghosts themselves.
Beneath my closed eyes, the Netherworld remained dark, but I realized things were different. I felt different. In fact, I felt like I wasn’t there at all, as if here, only my soul existed.
“Tess.”
At someone calling my name, the darkness cleared and I forced my eyes open, my breath catching in my throat. A haze remained in front of me, almost like fog mixed with bright colors. I glanced down at my body, realizing I did, in fact, remain intact, even if I seemed lighter.
I raised my arm in front of me, moving it back and forth through the haze, and it didn’t look any different. Glancing in front of me and squinting, I fought through the haziness trying to make out what stood in front of me. Shapes slowly formed, colors weaved together as if a puzzle joined.
When the shapes finally solidified and the haziness cleared, I spun in a slow circle, totally confused. Under my feet was a sidewalk, and all around me, I recognized the historic buildings that lined the paved road. The scent of the Wonder Bread factory at the edge of downtown swept through my nostrils. Even the King’s Palace Café, with its red and white striped awning, stood in front of me.
I fought to understand why I now stood in downtown Memphis. “What the hell?” Okay, maybe I was dreaming, only a dream I was wide-awake for. Couldn’t I have come up with something a little better than this? At least, more original, and maybe not of home? Then again, perhaps my missing Memphis was why I dreamt of it now.
“Tess.”
At my name again, I instantly realized my error. I wasn’t dreaming. I wasn’t in Memphis. The sound of that low voice drifting over me in the warmest embrace physically hurt me now. I held my breath, tears filled my eyes, and a warm presence closed in on my back.
On a long exhale, I turned and looked into the face I’d begged to see again. I stared into his eyes, one blue and the other brown. A chiseled face, sculpted lips, and a body that usually made me melt, but now only brought forth sadness I couldn’t possibly control. “You went away.”
Kipp’s eyes saddened. “I did.”
How to understand that? How to know what to say in this moment? Maybe I thought it wouldn’t work—thought I wouldn’t succeed. I scrambled to think straight so I could get the answers I needed. “Did Dane force you here with a spell?”
“A spell?” Kipp looked genuinely surprised with wide eyes, but then his expression shifted, still intense and almost angry. “No.”
His answer didn’t appease me, since it meant he chose to come into the Netherworld. Instantly, he reminded me of all the pain, the betrayal, and the heartbreak. “You’re staying here willingly?”
He gave a slow nod. “I am.”
Tears swept down my cheeks and even if his eyes were more pained than I’d ever seen them, it could not erase the misery he’d caused me. “Are we safe?”
“Tess Jennings,” his voice became a near growl and eyes blazed dangerously, “What are you doing here?”
“My gifts allowed me to come,” I snapped. “Answer me; are we safe?”
Kipp’s pause was long, his gaze burning beneath his narrowed eyes. “Yes, we’re safe.” He hadn’t blinked or moved, and continued to stare at me with a hard look. “You better not be dead.”
“Do I look dead?” I hesitated at his harsh glare. “Okay, maybe a little, since I’m here, but I’m not.” I scowled in return. “And that’s beside the point.” I gritted my teeth and with all the fury that had been driving me to a totally insane place for too damn long, I slapped him across his face. “How could you put me through this?”
The second my hand lowered, all arguments left me in a ragged exhale. The sting on my fingers was so shocking, I could do nothing but hold my breath. I looked at my hand, spotting the redness on my palm and then raised my gaze to Kipp’s flaming cheek. “Oh. My. God. I. Touched. You.”
Kipp slowly turned his head, recovered from the blow, and drew in the longest, deepest breath. One second, he stood in front of me. The next, he slammed me up against the brick wall behind me.
I gasped as my back took a hard hit from the full weight o
f his body pressed against mine. He tangled his fingers into my hair, yanking me closer and holding me in an unforgiving grip. A low groan rumbled from his chest when he sealed his mouth over mine and kissed me so deeply, I whimpered.
His lips were all over me and this was not love-making, but brutal passion of ownership. As his teeth trailed down my neck, I couldn’t get enough of him either and returned the force of his claim. His kisses were bruising and mildly painful with bites, but I welcomed the attack and understood his fierce nature.
Real, raw, and long overdue.
When his erection pressed against my bare stomach, I realized I was now naked. But as I’d seen with Kipp’s ability to shed his clothing in his magical way, I assumed the same power worked here. Besides, it didn’t matter. I hated any barrier between us.
