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Allison jabs a finger into my chest. "You're not fooling me anymore. I'm on to your game. And I finally understand why you were so desperate to get me naked that you threatened to throw me to the wolves if I didn't have sex with you."
"No, you—"
"Zip it, Dax." She raises onto her tiptoes, leveling our gazes. "You were so pent-up when we first met that you couldn't admit you like me. But here I was, a normal human female, and you needed to let off steam. That's why, when we had sex, it was so explosive."
She's right, of course. I hadn't been with a woman for so long that I couldn't control my lust for her. But it's more than that. I want her because, as she said, I've come to like her. I trust Allison and want to protect her in any way I can. She's the opposite of all the women I used to shag as a normal man, and when I'm with her, I feel things I've never experienced before. But it doesn't mean anything, it can't. We aren't two people navigating a romance. We're an integral part of the apocalypse, and nothing we say or do will change that. I am the anchor. She is the catalyst. What if she wants me only because of the magics that connect us?
Enough talking. I need action.
I push past her. "I'm going to search the entire house. Must be a ruddy clue somewhere in here."
"Think I'll go outside and get some fresh air."
Spinning around, I jab a finger toward her. "You will not leave this house on your own."
"Come with me, then."
"There's no time for relaxation. We have no idea when Sefton might return, and we need to find out how he created the Echo."
"We both know those boxes in the cellar are the key. Since we can't get into them, we might as well stretch our legs and get some sunshine."
"I can't play silly buggers with you while the rest of the world is burning."
She clasps my hands. "You need to relax, or we'll never find what we're looking for. Trust me. Nobody on earth is more pent-up than you. It's time to take a break."
"And do what?"
"Go for a walk."
I see no point in arguing, so I let her lead me outside and onto the lawn. We wander aimlessly while Allison admires the flowers that lie in ground beds or climb up the trellises attached to the house. She holds my hand the entire time. I should pull away from her, to get some necessary distance, but I can't make myself do it. The feel of her hand in mine gives me a strange sense of peace. I wish we could stay here at Fallenmouth forever, safe in the bubble my brother created around the estate, and pretend the apocalypse never happened. Above us, the sun shines. But it's a deception. I know that beyond the perimeter of the estate, human beings are fighting for their lives against impossible odds.
Too many have died already. Many more will die soon.
Allison stops and faces me. "You suck at relaxing, don't you?"
"Yes."
"Let me help."
She takes my face in her hands and kisses me. I should push her away, but I can't do it. I should stop her from deepening the kiss, but I can't manage that either. All my body will allow me to do is reciprocate, coiling my tongue around hers and wrapping my arms around her body to pull her close.
Perhaps, in this one moment, I can forget about the world beyond Fallenmouth.
But only for a moment.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Allison
Our kiss lasts only for a minute, then Dax insists we retreat into the house. I go along with that because I can see those creatures patrolling the perimeter of the lawn, just inside the woods. I can't see their faces, only their shadowy shapes. So yeah, I'm good with going back inside. Fallenmouth might look like a beautiful and serene place, but that's an illusion. Magic ensures the estate remains as it was before the apocalypse.
Dax insists we need to search every inch of the house, and I decide to go along with that idea. I think it's bullshit. The boxes in the cellar are clearly the source of Sefton's "alchemy of worlds," but Dax needs to do something. It's a guy thing.
Naturally, we find zip after searching the whole house.
By then, it's after dark, and I'm too exhausted to do anything other than eat a sandwich and go to bed. Dax insists I should lock my bedroom door. I bite my tongue instead of pointing out that Sefton could teleport into this room anytime. At least those creatures out there can't storm the house, unless their master removes the invisible boundary around the yard. The beasts are wickedly strong, and Sefton has powerful magics on his side.
Nobody storms the house. Not that night or the next morning.
