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Say yes,I silently urged.
I hadn’t realized how badly I wanted this until now, less than two hours before I was supposed to go home.
“A visit to the Deep. Where I can’t use my powers or I might electrocute someone…” he said slowly, lost in thought. Then he flashed me a grin. “What the heck? I’m in.”
“You promised me you’d say no when you didn’t want to do something,” I reminded him, putting a hand on his chest.
Deus’ heart beat a little faster than normal.
He closed his hand over mine. “I saidyes,and I meant it.I know you’ll protect me. Give me a week at home to deal with a few things, and you break the news that you have a mate to your mom, then I’ll meet you at the surface to do the transformation spell. Deal?”
“Deal.” I threw myself at him, my tentacles curling around his warm, muscular body.
I still had an hour before I needed to get dressed for the ferry…that’s plenty of time.
Grading With A Gargoyle
Book 2 in the Slaymore Academy series is coming January 2024!
SAVE A LIFE, TELL A LIE
CHAPTER ONE
Not daring to pause even for a moment, I darted quick glances over my shoulder as I hurried down the street, constantly searching the bustling crowd behind me for his menacing eyes and desperately hoping I wouldn’t find them. The sour tang of fear filled my mouth. If I could taste my terror, would he be able to smell it?
My heart lodged itself in my throat, making it impossible to draw in more than a shallow breath. Lifting a trembling hand, I clutched at my neck as though it could somehow help me breathe better.
Stop being silly, Journee. I gave myself a mental shake. It was animals who could smell fear, not humans. But that didn’t stop the icy chill from skating down my spine. The truth was, I didn’t know exactly who—or what—he was, so who knew what abilities he had?
I fought to keep my expression calm and panic-free. If the man was watching, I didn’t want him to know just how much he terrified me in case he got off on frightening his victims.
As I forced myself to take steady, calm steps, every cell in my body screamed for me to flee, and my body vibrated with the desperate need to run. It took all of the self-control I possessed to fight the rising panic and keep myself from bolting down the street. I’d seen enough nature documentaries to know that running from a predator could further incite their predatory instincts. Did it work the same with him? I wasn’t sure, but I didn’t want to test out the theory tonight.
All I wanted was the safety of my tiny apartment, with all three deadbolts on my front door locked into place. There were still three more blocks before I’d make it to the safety of my apartment building, and I didn’t know if I was going to make it. My eyes burned, forcing me to blink furiously to keep the unshed tears at bay.
Was this going to be the time he finally took me? Or was this just another example of him toying with me, of him enjoying the terror his presence caused? Despite my best efforts, a salty tear slid down my cheek.
It had been a long day at Second Chance Clothes, the high-end consignment shop where I worked. All I’d wanted was to go home, lock the deadbolts, pour a glass of wine, and spend the evening soaking in a hot bath. If I lit the bathroom only by candlelight and poured enough bubbles in the water, I could almost hide the tiny cracks and ugly stains of my ancient porcelain tub.
I deserved a bit of self-care after dealing with entitled customers from the moment the boutique clothing shop opened until it closed. There wasn’t even time for me to take a lunch break today thanks to the surge of customers looking for last-minute outfits for tonight’s celebration.
When my boss flipped the store sign to ‘closed’ and left for the day, my body had been shaking from the lack of food, and I sagged in relief. Eager to get home before the streets became too crowded, I’d hurried to tidy the shop in record time. After clocking out, I’d moved toward the front door, planning to let myself out, only to stop short when I caught sight of him leaning casually against my car.
He was waiting for me.
Those haughty, constantly-watching eyes spotted me. A slow, predatory grin spread across his face, causing my stomach to pitch like a toy boat in a stormy sea.
For me, there was nothing but a foreboding menace in his smile, but I wondered whether the shoppers who milled around him thought it was attractive and friendly. Did they see it as the smile of a man eagerly waiting for ‘his girl’ to get off work? My entire body rebelled at just the thought of him calling me his.
Backing away from the front door, I made my way back through the shop and carefully creeped out the back door that faced away from the parking lot—and the man waiting for me there.
My mind was yanked back to the present when I missed my step and narrowly avoided tumbling to the asphalt in front of an angry bicyclist. I mouthed an apology as he breezed past me and hurriedly made my way across the street.
I’d made it another block closer to home. The tiniest bit of hope fluttered in my chest. Maybe I would get that hot bath after all. And maybe I wouldn’t die or be taken tonight.
With each step, I begged the universe to let me make it the ten blocks home before he realized I slipped out the back exit to escape from him. But if Lady Luck existed, she either hated me or she was a sadist, because I’d only made it three blocks before I caught sight of the man’s familiar silhouette moving through the crowd behind me, gaining ground.
Clenching my trembling hands and stiffening my spine, I braced myself to keep from crumbling as the reality of my situation slammed into me. I wasn’t going to make it home tonight.
