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I caught my hand a split-second before I twisted the piece too far. I’d nearly damaged the glyph already in place above it. Lowering the torch, I took a deep breath in and out.
There’s no place for panic on the site. My dad used to say that when he was teaching me the ropes of the reno and construction business. It applied here too, maybe even more than there.
I reached out with steadier hands and picked up the next piece at my usual pace. Steady and careful had always gotten me where I needed to be in the past. I had to trust it would again.
Chapter Twelve
Rose
The fabric of the new T-shirt and sweats hung a little stiffly on my body. I supposed they’d need a few washes to break in, but I didn’t have time for that. I was supposed to be joining the enforcers in our second effort to send the demon back to whence it came in a little more than an hour. If sweats worked for the closest thing the Assembly had to an army, then I’d figured I might as well give them a try. Maximum flexibility of movement couldn’t be a bad thing when casting the most important spells of my life.
I tugged at the light cotton as I came back into the hotel suite’s living room. All the guys except for Kyler had come with Seth and me to help with the final physical testing of Seth’s cage, and I’d returned a little early to prepare for my next part in that plan. Ky, for once in the last few days, was away from his computer and the desk, fishing a couple slices of pizza out of the delivery box from last night’s hasty dinner.
A wave of fondness washed over me as I ambled over to him in the kitchenette. When he’d closed the fridge, I nudged him with my elbow. “I was starting to think you’d permanently bonded with that laptop. Are you going to give yourself more than a five-second break, or are you taking your lunch back to work?”
Ky grinned at me, but his expression looked a little weary. I wasn’t sure how much sleep he’d been letting himself get. “Pizza makes an excellent side dish to data-diving.”
A sharper emotion pierced through my heart. I caught his hand before he could pick up the plate, peering into his normally cheerful eyes. Even their usual light had dimmed a bit.
“Since we moved to the hotel, you’ve been poring over those records even more than before,” I said. “I know, we’ve all been busy, but…” But I’d still had moments of closeness with all my other consorts since then. I swallowed hard. “If it bothers you—what we found out about what I am, what’s influencing my magic—and you need some space from that, I’d get it. I just want to know.”
Kyler’s eyebrows jumped up. He didn’t speak but simply cupped my face with both hands and pulled my mouth to his. His kiss was so tender and yet determined that my worries melted away.
When he eased back, he kept his head bowed close enough that I felt his breath on my cheek. “It’s not that, Rose. It’s nothing like that at all, and I’m sorry if I gave you that impression. Finding that out, seeing how finding it out upsetyou, I wanted to dig up any answers that could help you as quickly as I can. Between that and what we’ve heard about the demon’s behavior… I guess I haven’t given myself room to think about anything else.”
A different sort of lump filled my throat. I kissed him again, quick but hard. “I’m sorry for fretting. I shouldn’t have even thought—I must be letting the shock get to me too much.”
“Learning something like that has got to be a lot to take in,” Ky said. “And you haven’t exactly had much downtime to make your peace with the idea.” He stroked his fingers down my cheek, gazing at me intently. “If you need mehere, with you, not on the computer, you just need to say so. Is something else bothering you?”
“Other than the usual?” I said with a short laugh. But maybe there was something. I rubbed my mouth. “I’m doing another circle with the faction’s witches before I leave. Or at least that’s what we had planned. If I’m going to help them with their recovery, I think they need to know the whole truth about who they’re dealing with.”
“You had nothing to do with the Frankfords,” Ky said. “You never purposefully had anything to do with the demons.”
I gave him a crooked smile. “They’re traumatized, for good reason. If anything about me reminds them of the horrible experiences they went through—or could remind them—I wouldn’t blame them for wanting to avoid me. They should get to make that choice. Their consorts and families took enough other choices away from them already.”
“Fair enough.” He waggled a slice of pizza. “Pepperoni and olives to fortify you for the day?”
“I had something in the car on the way back,” I said. A roast beef sandwich that was now sitting heavy in the bottom of my stomach. “You need your fortifications too.”
“Not half as much as you do.” His hand slid to my waist as I started to move away. He held me there for a second longer. “You’re heading out for the big mission right after your ‘circle,’ right?”
I nodded. “They were just putting the last touches on the cage when I left.”
Ky’s face turned serious again. “Look after yourself, all right? I know everyone’s got all these expectations, but itisn’tall on you to fix this.”
“I know.” I touched his face. “I promise, there’s nothing I want more than to be back here with you as soon as humanly possible.”
He leaned in to kiss me again, and I wished I could just lose myself in the heat of his mouth, the strength of his lanky body. But I had people waiting for me.
When I made it down to the lobby, Naomi was waiting for me. “Ready?” she asked.
“Yes. Thanks for doing this.”
“Of course,” my cousin said as we set off down the street for the Assembly building. “Being here, helping somehow, is a hell of a lot better than wandering around your manor pretending I’m not freaking out about what might be happening. I’m ready to dive in if that’s what they need.”
Thalia was waiting for us in the Assembly building’s front hall. I’d already talked to her about my father’s recent revelations. Was her gaze a little more wary than before as she looked us over? Her smile didn’t look any less warm.
“They’re all gathering in the usual room,” she said. “I told them you had something to discuss with them before we got started.”
