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My stomach clenched. Luca. The reason we were in this mess in the first place. Luca, with his green eyes and debonair smile, sending me that message on the dig site: I found something. I would never forgive him for this, never. If I died, I wanted him to know my blood was on his hands.
And yet a part of me resisted. I remembered him in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up, the scent of parsley lingering on his skin, his eyes soft and smiling. It was as though something within him called to me, as though our spirits were linked by the cord of fire I'd felt last night on the lawn.
Was that me? Or Lilin?
I gritted my teeth. "Luca too," I said.
Theo nodded, as though my answer satisfied him. "We need him," he said. "And Julian, I think."
If he only knew. "Yeah," I said. "We do."
"Here," Theo said, crossing the small room to the fireplace, where my jeans were hanging. He shook them out, smoothing a hand over the denim. "Pretty dry."
"Thanks," I said, accepting them. "Turn around."
That surprised a laugh out of him. "Really?"
"Really." I made a little circular gesture in the air with one finger. "Please let me retain some dignity. I don't want you watching me struggle into wet jeans."
Obligingly, he turned his back, and I hopped and wriggled the clammy fabric over my hips.
"Don't hurt yourself," he said over his shoulder.
"No peeking," I grumbled, yanking the jeans closed and buttoning them. "Okay, you can look."
When he turned around, his expression was gentle, almost tender. "I like what I see," he said, and reached for me.
I rested my head against his chest for a moment, breathing him in, feeling the reassuring warmth of his body against mine, and then I pulled back. "Come on," I said. "I've had enough of this cabin for one day."
Luca and Julian were sitting outside by the fire pit. When I opened the door, they both stood.
"You're all right," Luca said, at the same time Julian said, "You should be resting."
"I am all right," I said, not looking at Luca, "and I intend to rest. In my own bed. We're going back to town."
"It's the middle of the night," Luca said, frowning.
I didn't reply, just walked toward the car with Theo on my heels. After a moment, I heard Luca sigh, and then I heard his footsteps following, and the jangle of his car keys.
"Tomorrow," he said. It sounded like a promise, but I wasn't sure if he was talking to Julian, or to me.
28
"Oh," Luca said when he saw the hotel room.
"I'll take the floor," Theo said quickly, glancing at me.
I scowled. "You'll do no such thing." If anyone was going to be sleeping on the floor, it would be Luca. "You stay with me."
"Uh." Theo's gaze went from me, to Luca, back to me. He grimaced. "I'm going to go take a shower."
I kept glaring at Luca as Theo backed into the small bathroom and closed the door. A moment later, I heard the water running.
"To be clear," I said, "I am still extremely angry with you."
Luca at least had the grace to look abashed. “I know.”
"I have no intention of forgiving you anytime soon."
