AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Heavens, she was beautiful, in a way most of his peers were but with an untouchable quality that appealed to him all the more. Before he could dissect it, a crack snatched his attention. Then the branch snapped.
“Oh—”
“I got you,” he repeated, arm shooting up and grabbing another branch on the way down. Pain raced down his shoulder, but he ignored it as his shield wrapped around them like a bubble, then reached up to other branches. Slowly, he cajoled it up until they were floating to the top of the trees. “I guess the best solution is multiple branches supporting our weight.”
“Right.”
Her voice so close to his ear had him registering that she was flat on the bubble with him on top of her. He gulped at the closeness, then bit back a groan when she wriggled to get away. When Rick locked her legs with his, she stiffened.
“Don’t move too much. I’m still…steadying the shield.”
“Okay.”
There was no need to tell her that he was steadying his hormones, too, before he made a fool of himself. But he also strengthened his shield, thickening it.
“How does that work?” she asked. “Me and Yu getting in while it blocks others?”
“Intention. You and Yu have no intention to kill me. The moment you do, the shield will kick you out.”
“Oh.” She made an envious sound. “I wish I had the same shield.”
“You have your magic, which is far cooler,” he pointed out. She wrinkled her nose, a cute gesture that drew him nearer before he remembered himself. “This will protect us for the night. Unless you want us to rest on separate branches.”
He watched her consider it, a brief moment as she looked down at the thinner branches covering them below, then the night sky filling up with stars above. Slowly, she shook her head, her expression somber.
“That’s not a good idea.”
“It isn’t?”
“Sirens and pixies can’t seem to stay away from you, so I’m taking it upon myself to be your repugnant shield.”
It took him a minute to comprehend that she was calling him irresistible without outright calling him irresistible. Amusement punched hard and he threw his head back in laughter. She hissed and slapped a hand over his mouth while he brushed the hand off. Their quiet struggle bounced the bubble around, but it stayed intact. His body, however, was in tatters as every shift and slide sent their skin rubbing and his heating up.
“You could never be repugnant,” he said, trying to play it off as a joke.
Unaware of his inner struggle, she rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t kidding about the dangers, though. You need a companion. Besides, it feels better here.”
“But—”
“No buts. You took care of us in the cave last time. Let’s take care of each other this time.”
He tried. But there was no winning against her stubborn streak that shot up from time to time, and he knew she would argue until dawn if he kept it up. Rick swallowed the rest of his challenging words.
“Fine. If you insist.”
“I do.”
There was triumph in her tone, her face glowing with the victory. Unable to resist, he openly regarded each feature until a flush crept up her cheeks. But she didn’t move away, their bodies pressed in corners they shouldn’t be pressed together. Casually, he rested his head against her shoulder until she stilled.
“Rick?”
“Tired,” he admitted. “I didn’t want to say it, but I haven’t slept since before I got here.”
“Why?”
“I was close to answers. I know I was.”
“The killings?”
