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“Taranus is a monster,” he interrupts. “A monster that should have been put down years ago.”
“He’s your brother,” I argue back. “Had you killed him before this, you would have been the monster.”
Rafferty hangs his head down.
Sensing him closing up, I look back to the water. “Are we safe in here?”
“I warded the entrances. It is not as strong as witch magic, but it will hold thePukaout.”
“What is a pooka?”
“A shapeshifting creature. Vile. They feed on flesh and will kill anything that draws breath.”
“Shapeshifting?”
“Yes. Which is likely how it was able to sneak up on us. Even had I sensed something approaching, it was more than likely an animal of some kind until it grabbed you.”
I wrap both arms around my legs and shiver. “It moved so fast.”
“They do. I am sorry it got to you. I lost my head.”
“You were being an ass,” I reply with a smile, hoping to ease some of his internal turmoil. He’d accessed that dark magic to save me, and it backfired on us both. Still, I’d rather go through what I did than end up trapped with Taranus again.
Hell, I’d rather die.
And it’s that thought that has me laughing. It starts off small, a slight giggle, but soon, I’m laughing like a crazy person, which makes my sides hurt from more than just a bone-deep ache.
Rafferty stares at me as though I’ve lost my mind—who knows, maybe I have. “What in the bloody hell are you laughing about?”
“I’ve been dying slowly since I was twenty-one,” I tell him. “Do you know how many times I wished they would either find out what was wrong or it would speed up and take me quickly? Then, I arrive here. My sickness subsides enough to where I can enjoy living again, and I’ve nearly died more times than I can count.” I snort. “It’s all insanely ridiculous, isn’t it?”
He continues to stare at me. “You are the most interesting person I’ve ever met,” he finally says, shutting me right up.
The intensity of his stare—it heats my blood in a way that I shouldn’t even be considering. After all, ridiculous irony aside, I did literally nearly die only a few hours ago. “I’minteresting? You just healed me with a touch of your hands.”
“That is not interesting in my world,” he replies. “Simply ordinary.”
“There is nothing about you that is ordinary, fae or not.” Our gazes lock again, and a warmth spreads through my body, igniting passion I long thought dead.
“We should probably get some rest.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
He gets to his feet, so I curl on my side, resting my head on the crook of my arm. “I will get a fire going.”
* * *
A breeze ruffles my hair,so I sit, confused.
The forest around me is dark, though an orange glow on the horizon catches my attention. Standing, I move toward it, drawn like a moth to light. For some reason, seeing it brings me an overwhelming feeling of peace.
Belonging.
Ahead, someone roars, and that peace vanishes. I begin to run, sprinting toward the orange as my lungs burn. “Hello!” I call out.
No one answers.
Just ahead, the ground rises to form a peak. My thighs ache, but I push on, reaching the top within moments.
