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He sucks in a deep breath and blows it out slowly, letting his cheeks puff up, then he lifts one shoulder in a shrug. “I don’t know.”
Dammit.
Not the answer I wanted to hear.
I was hoping he had some kind of plan, but it looks like we’re in the same boat. Neither of us knows what the fuck is going on.
“Do you think I’ll be able to go home anytime soon?”
That obviously isn’t what he wants to hear either, because the frown returns to his face.
“Devyn, it’s not that simple…” He steps back and runs a hand through his hair again before crossing his arms over his chest. “Elio is the only one of us who can create portals, and he’s going to take Rafe’s side on just about everything. If Rafe says it’s not safe to send you back, Elio will agree. It would be a waste of time to argue with him on that.”
“You don’t know any other monsters that can open a portal?” I plead, fighting the desperation in my voice. There is a way out of this. I can feel it in my bones. We just have to think outside the box a little.
He shakes his head, and my shoulders sag. “Not any close by, and taking you halfway across the monster realm would be dangerous. You smell like a human, and I can’t sense any monster in you. You would attract every Malev within fifty miles.”
I shift my weight from foot to foot, my mind reeling. “Then bring your friend here.”
“I can’t.” He shakes his head again. “We’re not allowed to portal anywhere near the mansion because the Malevs can smell them. We would lead them straight here.”
I groan and massage my temples. “I can’t stay here forever, Az. I have a life. I have responsibilities. I can’t just abandon everything.”
“I know.”
He walks past me and takes a seat on the side of the bed, his tail curling beside him. His jaw is working like he’s chewing the inside of his cheek in thought, and he casually looks from me to the floor to the back of his hand.
“I’ll figure something out, but you’ve got to give me time,” he says, looking up at me again. “All right?”
“How much time are we talking?” I ask, my thoughts flashing immediately to Cara. “My roommate is going to get evicted if I don’t give her my half of the rent Thursday.”
He grimaces. “Probably longer than that. But don’t worry. I’ll talk to Elio. We won’t let your roommate be homeless.”
I breathe a tiny sigh of relief and nod. At the very least, she’ll be taken care of. That’s a weight off my shoulders. I don’t know what he plans to do or how he plans to do it, but if he’s going by our apartment, he can probably grab me some clothes. And check on my car. Maybe even move it if it hasn’t been towed yet.
It’s a lot to ask—probably too much—but if I’m stuck here, I at least need some of my own things.
Like pants that don’t try to fall off every time I move.
“But I’m going to ask you a favor too.” Azarius’s eyes lock on mine, and I step closer until I’m nearly standing between his legs. “Two favors, actually.”
“Anything,” I say with an eager nod. “Name them.”
Azarius leans forward, shrinking the distance between us, and rests his hands on my thighs. We’re the same height with him sitting on the side of the bed, and our faces are only a few inches apart.
“While we’re trying to sort everything out and get you home, I’d like to figure out what kind of monster blood you have,” he explains, rubbing his fingers methodically in circles on my pants. “Elio knows several warlocks that might be able to help—that’s typically their area of expertise.”
The idea is daunting. We can put an end to all the speculation and finally find out what’s so special about my blood. We can find out why I’m not like other humans. But at what cost?
Will being told I’m part monster change the way I see myself? Will I have a full-blown identity crisis? What if I really am just a human and Azarius is wrong about me having monster blood? Then what? Will that mean that something has gone awry with the portals and humans are now able to cross into their realm?
I nod the questions away. “Sure. Doesn’t sound hard. What’s the second favor?”
This time, both corners of his mouth curl upward into a smile, and he pulls me closer to him until our chests touch. The sudden closeness makes my heart skip a beat, and I exhale shakily.
“Consider staying.”
ChapterNine
