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“No siring at the moment,” I said, pushing at his chest at last as my wits finally sunk back into my head. “I’m only eighteen. I’d like to live a little more before I do something like that.”
“I wasn’t inferring,” he started.
“I know,” I interrupted and gave him a big smile. “But, regardless, I think we should sit up and that you should put some pants on.”
He grinned, flashing very sharp fangs at me. The sight of them made my heart speed for all the wrong reasons. “Why would I do that?”
“Because I have an early morning tomorrow, and I need energy to jump back to my room before then. If you stay on top of me in just your boxers, we’ll end up doing something… physically taxing. Fun, yes, but still taxing. And that stuff all has to wait.”
“Why is that?” he asked and looked like a kid denied candy.
“Because we have to focus on the mission for now, Rook. We can do...” I reached between us, feathering a light touch over the bulge in his boxers. He hissed out a breath. “Something about this another night.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” he said, seeming very put out which only made me smile wider. “So, what now?”
“I think... I think I could try to take you with me? That’s the next step, right?”
“I’d say so.” He stood up and turned his back to me as he opened his dresser and pulled out some jeans. I couldn’t help my disappointment as he slid them up his toned and muscular legs but it was the right thing to do—now was not the time for the deflowering of Astrid.
“Do you think you’re up to it?” he asked, and it took me a second to remember what in the spell we were talking about.
“Maybe. But I don’t want to try to take you all the way to my room. I’m not sure I’d have enough juice to get you back here. Let’s try somewhere easier—somewhere closer.”
“Professor Valserak’s office is in the next building catty-corner to us,” he answered as he pulled a sweatshirt over his pecs and muscular abdomen and I had to sigh which made him chuckle. “Do you think you can make it there? He should be teaching an elective down the hall from the office at the moment, so no one will be inside.”
“Okay,” I agreed. Though the prospect made me nervous. What if Rook was wrong and Valserak was there, and watched us pop out of thin air?
He raised a brow at me but offered his hand and I took it, letting him pull me up from the bed.
“So, what do we do now?” he asked.
“I fix the image in my mind and just... will myself where I want to go. I’ve never been inside Valserak’s office though, so you’ll have to describe it to me.”
“I can do that.”
And then he began rattling off details, painting a vivid picture of the professor’s office, piling on details until I was certain I could fix an image in place.
“Do you have it?” he asked.
“I think so,” I said. “Are you ready?”
“As I’ll ever be. Try not to get us stuck in Autumn, okay?”
I cracked an eye open. “What happens if I do?”
“If I wander too far away from the castle, I get sick. If I stay away for long enough, I’ll waste away entirely. No amount of blood will save me.”
“No pressure then,” I said.
“No pressure,” he said, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze as he gave me a smile that made me weak in the knees. “Let’s go.”
I took another deep, steadying breath, squeezed his hand until the tips of his fingers purpled, and then stepped through the veil.
Chapter Seventeen
Professor Valserak’s office was dark when Rook and I emerged from our momentary trek into Faerie.
I couldn’t see further than the tip of my own nose, but Rook’s superior eyesight didn’t have any problems with the gloom. Only moments after we’d stepped through, he flicked on an antique desk lamp, lighting the cramped office space with dim fluorescence.
