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My heart squeezes. Magic?
But I’m human.
Chapter
Twenty-Nine
KAI
The trip down the tree was almost scarier than the trip up it, but I held on tight. When we reached the ground, Weyland didn’t let me down. Instead, he told me to hold on, his hands tightening on my thighs ever so slightly, and began to run. I made a sound of protest because I’m heavy, but he snorted and said that I’m not heavy at all.
We made it back to the cabin in record time. It’s a stark reminder that they hold themselves back so much for me. We’d taken an hour to reach that tree, but we made it back in ten minutes. I appreciate that they give me space to move at my own pace, but it still makes me sad that they have to hold back everything about themselves just to be with me.
Maybe one day, they won’t have to.
Kaito, Dade, and Rook are all settled in the cabin when Weyland bursts inside. They spring to their feet at the look on his face, but when they see the expression on mine, they calm. I don’t look afraid, only confused.
“Something has transpired,” Weyland announces, lowering me to my feet and steadying me before leading me over tothe cushions and helping me sit despite his rushed words and excitement. “Something big.”
Rook’s brows rise. “The date did not go well?”
Weyland’s face pinches. “On the contrary, it was amazing. Why would you think otherwise?”
Rook laughs, and I can tell he enjoys teasing Weyland. Apparently, the boogeyman has a sense of humor. “Do explain, lycan.”
Weyland glances at me and I straighten, realizing he wants me to explain. “Oh, um . . . Well, the date was going well . . .”
Rook stalks a few steps closer, his black eyes swallowing me whole and leaving me vibrating. “Yes, little oblivion?”
Dade and Kaito are listening intently, their eyes on me. Having so much attention focused on me makes me shift on my feet, and I start to wring my fingers together. “We . . . We, um . . .” I grow hot with my blush and press my cool hands against my cheeks. “We might have . . . kissed.”
Kaito takes a step closer. “Are you okay?”
The last time I tried to kiss someone—him—it hadn’t gone well.
“Yes,” I murmur. “Yes, I didn’t . . . I’m okay.”
Dade watches me closely. “What happened during the kiss to cause the confusion?”
I bite my lip, unsure how to explain it, so I just describe how it felt. “At first, it felt like tingles, as if my body were waking up, but then it felt like . . . lightning beneath my skin.”
“That turned into literal lightning across her flesh,” Weyland adds. “She began to glow, and the arcs danced across her skin.”
Rook’s eyes focus on me intently, as if he can see through me. “You wield magic, little oblivion?”
I grimace. “Wield is a strong word.”
“What does the lightning do?” Dade asks, frowning.
“I don’t know,” I reply honestly. “It faded, and as far as we can tell, it didn’t change anything around us. Perhaps it was a fluke.”
Rook shakes his head. “No, not a fluke.” He comes closer and touches my chin with his claws, tilting my head up. “An awakening. You’re becoming who you were meant to be, little oblivion.”
I swallow as I stare up into his dark eyes. “What if that scares me?”
He smiles and leans closer, until his breath fans across my cheeks. There’s temptation in his eyes to kiss me again and see if he can wake up the lightning, but he holds himself back. When Rook decides to kiss me, I know it won’t be as gentle as Weyland’s. I’ll have to be ready to be folded into the darkness and fight the nightmares within it.
“We all fear the shedding, Kai,” he murmurs. “That moment where we shed our skin like a snake, but on the other side is who you were meant to be.” He leans closer, his lips just above mine. I can taste the shadows between us, and I can feel them stroke my flesh. “You will not be alone there.”
