by Leia Stone
He shrugged. “There’s always been something different about you. I sensed it since day one. I see no reason why that should change now.”
Different? Was that different good, or different weird? I shook my head. That didn’t matter right now.
“Tell me everything that happened,” he ordered, and I did. From the minute I got sucked through the portal, to first seeing the Shadow City, meeting Delilah, and finally my mom.
“And you believed your mother was dead all these years?”
I nodded. “Yeah. My gran said she died in a car wreck a few days after I was born. But maybe she lied to protect me? I won’t be able to ask her until I get your father’s talisman and break the curse.” Gran got extra agitated whenever anything even close to supernatural was brought up. Now that made sense.
Gage looked confused. “As far as I know, your mom died in a Lumen attack. I mean, she was a legend at school, and that’s what they said.”
Yeah, I’m sure they did, to cover up the fact that she was really a prisoner in the Netherworld.
“And you’re absolutely sure they said Apollyon was the one after you?” Gage asked, switching gears.
“Positive.” I nodded.
A particularly colorful cuss flew from Gage’s mouth.
“That’s really bad, isn’t it?”
“It’s not good,” he confirmed.
We both fell silent. I don’t know what was going on in Gage’s mind, but the weight of what happened over the last day settled heavily on my shoulders. Visiting the Netherworld and finding out Apollyon was trying to capture me was terrifying, but my gran, and now also my mom, were my first priorities.
As my mind wandered, so did my gaze. Cream colored curtains covered the only window in the room, blocking my view of the outside. The door to the room was ajar, giving me a peek at the space beyond, which had a vaulted ceiling with thick wooden beams. It felt like we were in a bungalow rather than a New York apartment.
“Where exactly are we?” I asked.
Gage ran his tongue over his lower lip and then crossed to the window, pushing apart the thick drapes to let the sunlight in. I saw trees and a small, manicured backyard. “Long Island. Glen Cove to be exact,” he said.
Nope, wasn’t expecting that.
“That’s random. And whose house is this?”
Turning back around, Gage leaned against the windowsill. “Mine.”
I studied the picture of the boy and woman across from me. I had picked up on the resemblance in the boy’s eyes earlier, but now it was obvious it was Gage and his mother. Gage was probably only three or four in the photo. The toddler version of him was mid-laugh, his face alight with joy. His mother had him snuggled close and was looking at him with adoration.
“Is this your mother?” I reached for the photo, and he jumped up and snatched it from my grasp, laying it face down on the dresser.
“Yes. But she’s gone now.”
Silence filled the room, and I felt intense amounts of guilt that my mom was alive and his was dead.
“How old—?” He cut me off.
“I was eight. She and my little baby sister died during childbirth. Satisfied?” he growled.
Geez. That was the saddest thing I’d ever heard. No, I wasn’t satisfied.
“So, is this like your secret love nest or something? Where you bring all your women for some alone time?” I tried to change the subject. I meant the words to come out jokingly, like I was asking but didn’t really care, but instead I sounded a tad jealous. Apparently I wasn’t over him making out with Claire right in front of me and a little of my bitterness was showing.
Gage tilted his head. The sharpness of his gaze said he saw right through me. “I’ve never brought anyone here before. Ever. My own father doesn’t even know about this house.”
Oh. Oh.
We fell silent again, and it wasn’t the comfortable silence that sometimes happens between two close friends. It was the awkward kind when the room fills with so much tension that even the air starts to feel thick.
“Any idea what to do about these?” I wiggled my feet, causing the smoky chains to move.
“I can help with that.” Gage released a sigh and came to stand directly in front of me. “But it’s going to be a little uncomfortable.”
I didn’t like the sound of that. “Uncomfortable, how?”
Gage cracked his neck, and then pushed one of his sleeves up to his elbow, revealing the thick brown leather cuff that ringed his right wrist. I don’t know if all guys’ forearms were sexy, but Gage’s certainly were, and dang it, those butterflies were back from the dead.
Loosening the straps that held the cuff in place, he slid it off his hand, revealing an inch-wide gold band that ringed his wrist. He flipped his palm face up and there was a green stone with an iridescent sheen embedded in the gold.
“Your chains are made of demon magic,” Gage said. “I have to use my own magic to break them.”
His own magic? Demon magic? I mean, he did get his magic from Apollyon, right? That made me sad, but I somehow kept forgetting that he was a Shade working for the bad guys.
“What is that?” I asked, mesmerized by the luminescence of the green stone at his wrist.
“My talisman.”
I felt my eyes grow wide as I looked from Gage’s talisman to his face.
“Really?” I kind of wanted to ask him if I could touch it but thought that would be too weird. It would probably zap me or something.
“My father’s magic has grown strong over the years, so he only uses his talisman for his most powerful spells. Unlike him, I always keep mine on me.”
“So back to this ‘uncomfortable’ thing.” I lifted my eyebrows, waiting for an explanation.
“You’ll see,” Gage said, irritatingly vague.
He crouched down in front of me, and since I was still in this ridiculously short black dress I had to force myself not to squirm under his regard. He was getting a face full of a whole lot of leg right now.
Thank God I shaved recently.
Gage busied himself loosening the laces on my shoes. The tips of his fingertips caressed the back of my calves as he saw to his task of removing my boots.
He’s mean. He kissed Claire. You don’t like him. I looped the mantra in my head, hoping to slaughter those butterflies.
Once done, he took both of my feet in his hands and then skimmed his fingers past my ankles until he could grasp my legs right above each shackle.
I didn’t know if he was doing it consciously, but his thumbs began to rub light circles on my shins, sending a delicious wave of heat up my legs and throughout the rest of my body. I was thankful he didn’t look up because there was no way he would have missed the flush on my cheeks. Nothing had really happened, but so far this entire thing was starting to feel incredibly intimate. I wasn’t sure I minded; the butterflies certainly didn’t.
With his head bowed and his attention focused on the chains, he started to speak words I didn’t understand. As the low tones of his voice rumbled from his chest, the manacles circling each ankle started to heat up.
The warming metal wasn’t bad at first, but it quickly began to scald. A crack appeared in one of the shackles, so whatever he was doing was working, but I had to bite my lip to keep from yelling or jerking from Gage’s hold. My skin felt like it was on fire.
After only a few more moments, I realized that Gage severely undersold this experience by calling it uncomfortable. I would have gone with excruciating, but I was determined to endure whatever I had to in order to get these off. I wasn’t going to be of any use to my mom or Gran until these chains were removed.
A whimper leaked out from the back of my throat when the pain intensified, and Gage’s head snapped up. His gaze landed on my face, and he took in every ounce of pain I was trying to conceal. Resolve colored his features.
“It’s powerful magic. It doesn’t want to let you go, but I think I can break it with a few more minutes,” he said through grit
ted teeth.
A few more minutes of fire licking my legs. I wasn’t sure I could endure that. My eyes filled with moisture and Gage frowned.
“I’m going to try something to help with the pain.” He slid a hand farther up, cupping my leg behind my knee and turning his wrist so that his talisman was pressed against my calf. The ankle shackles continued to heat, but through the haze of white-hot agony I saw a bead of sweat trickle down the side of Gage’s face as he squeezed his eyes shut to concentrate. This was costing him as well.
The pain started to ease. The blistering heat at my ankles morphed into a soothing warmth that ran up both legs to my torso and down my arms. It was a pleasant sensation which left my muscles feeling like a masseuse had spent the better part of an hour working on me. I sagged in relief and sighed.
When I glanced down to let Gage know I was okay, I saw that he wasn’t. Sweat dampened his hair, his jaw was clenched, and a fine tremor shook his body.
“Gage, stop!” I yelled, and tried to pull away, but the stubborn mule just growled and tightened his grip. More nonsensical words spilled from his mouth, and another jolt of the tranquil warmth shot through my body, tempting to lull me into submission, but I wasn’t having it. Whatever Gage was doing to take away my pain was obviously causing his own, and I wasn’t okay with that.
I was about to yank my legs again when the chains and shackles that bound my ankles cracked and then shattered, the bits turning to smoke and then dissipating into the air. The relief of having them off was instant.
Gage slapped a hand to the hardwood floors to keep himself upright, panting at my feet. I quickly slipped off the bed and onto my knees next to him. His breathing was labored, and small spasms shook his frame.
“I’m fine,” he said and weakly tried to brush my hands off.
“You’re not,” I insisted. “What just happened?”
Despite his protests, I helped him to his feet and then to sit on the bed.
“It was just strong magic. Harder to extinguish than I thought. I’ll be fine in a minute.” His hand shook as he reached for the discarded leather cuff on the bed between us.
I snatched it up and then took his hand in my own, placing and then securing the cuff over the talisman for him.
I studied Gage as he ran a hand over the cuff, adjusting it slightly so it completely concealed the metal band beneath.
“Did you take my pain?” I asked.
He poked a tongue in his cheek, rolling it before answering. “You wouldn’t have made it through the rest of the spell otherwise. I’m used to it.”
“Used to it?” I was almost frightened to know what that meant, but I couldn’t help but ask. He wouldn’t meet my gaze and I realized I wasn’t going to get an answer.
Emotion welled in my chest, and before I had a chance to overthink, I went with it. Taking Gage’s face in my hands, I pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. As I pulled back, he tilted his head in surprise and our lips brushed across each other.
I caught my breath, shocked at my own boldness.
It was a quick kiss, chaste and meant only to convey my gratitude, but the accidental caress of our lips stoked a fire in his eyes.
There was something between Gage and me, an attraction that had been there from the very start. Deep down I’d always known that all we needed was the tiniest of sparks to ignite the fire between us.
That brushing of our mouths, for as trivial and innocent as it was, lit the inferno, and I knew, just from looking at Gage, that he wasn’t ready to snuff it out.
Despite the passion I read in his eyes, Gage lifted his hand achingly slow, giving me an opportunity to flee… perhaps even expecting me to.
But I wanted this—this inevitable moment between us. I wanted it just as much as he did.
He skimmed two fingers over my upper and then lower lip, before sweeping his hand past my cheek and burying it in my hair. Cupping the back of my head, he tugged me forward. I offered him zero resistance and swayed toward him, my eyes fluttering shut when his breath feathered over my mouth.
An unbidden image of Gage allowing Claire to kiss him rose in my mind, hitting me like a head-on collision and smashing the embers of my growing desire to bits.
He would be so careless with my heart; I wasn’t sure I would survive kissing him.
“I can’t.” I ripped away from Gage, going as far as stumbling to my feet to put distance between us.
Lifting a hand, I pressed it against my lips.
As I stood there, chest heaving, I watched an array of emotions play across Gage’s face. Confusion. Hurt. Anger. And then—as he rebuilt his walls—nothing.
With a nod, he stood and headed toward the bedroom door. It wasn’t until his hand was on the knob before I found my voice.
“Gage,” I called, but then my words failed me. I didn’t know what to say.
He stopped, but only half turned. All I could see of his face was his profile. “Don’t sweat it, Tate.” His voice was brittle and cold. “I fed you too much of my magic during that last spell. It can do funny things. Make you feel certain ways. That wasn’t the first time it’s happened to me.”
Ouch. I knew he was only brushing off the experience because he wasn’t comfortable being vulnerable, but that barb hurt. Especially when what made me pull away was the memory of him with someone else.
Gage left, and I stared at the door long after he slammed it shut behind him.
CHAPTER
FIFTEEN
I was still sitting on the bed, trying to figure out how my life choices had led me to this point when a door burst open in the other room and I heard Drea howl, “Where is she?”
Jumping to my feet, I rushed barefooted from the bedroom and into the main living space. Drea stood inside the entrance, weapons clenched in each hand as she scanned the room. Marlow, Skye, Jacob, and Dash were crowded behind her.
“Hey, Tatum,” Marlow called from behind Drea. “Good to see you still in one piece.”
Spotting me as well, Drea quickly stowed her dagger and axe back on her arms before rushing me.
“Girl, you have got to stop running off with demons,” she said as she squeezed me in a hug. “You’re going to give me gray hair.”
The rest of the group filed into Gage’s living room and took turns giving me hugs or fist bumps and telling me they were glad I was okay.
“What are you guys doing here?” I asked.
“I called them,” Gage said from behind me. I turned to see him leaned up against the doorframe, watching our group.
My stomach bottomed out. He’d changed his clothes, and his hair was still damp from a shower.
His gaze landed on me and stuck. My lips started to tingle, and as if he knew what I was feeling, his green gaze dropped to my mouth before bouncing back to my face.
I cleared my throat. “I thought you didn’t tell anyone about this place.”
He shrugged. “I was getting tired of it anyway. It’s about time I found a new safe house.”
“Hmm.” I didn’t believe him. Bringing me here and letting Lumens know about it was a big deal. He really was going to have to find a new safe house after this.
“Should I start the gutting now, or later?” Drea asked as she marched up to Gage.
Gage lifted an arm and gestured toward me. “As you can see, she’s in one piece. And if I’m not mistaken, you were there too when she was taken.”
“Yes, but you were the one who promised to protect her. You should have never left her side.”
“What were you doing anyway?” Jacob asked as he flopped onto Gage’s couch and put his dirty feet up on the ottoman, leaving streaks of mud on the white fabric. There was a hard glint in his eye, one that said he’d like nothing more than to get under Gage’s skin. “Flirting with redhead Barbie in the alley when the demon attacked?”
I gasped. Claire.
Gage’s head swiveled in my direction. Fury flashed over his expression before he wiped his face of emotion and then returned his attent
ion to Drea. “No. Claire had already left. I was looking for Tatum. I assumed she had a head on her shoulders and fled the club. I didn’t realize she was still in there until I found Indigo.”
I plopped my hands on my hips. “Excuse me for having a conscience. Something Shades seriously need to look into growing. People were hurt, they needed us, and every Shade just tucked tail and ran from the club… including you.”
Gage’s eyes flared. What, did he not like that I insinuated that he was a coward? Well, too bad.
The clanking of plates and opening of drawers drew all our attention to the open concept kitchen. Dash looked back at us from under the hood of his sweatshirt. A piece of what looked like bologna hung out of his mouth, and a smattering of random food sat on the counter in front of him.
“What?” Dash said. “I was hungry.”
Kitchen. Food. I was starving.
“Food,” I mumbled, scuffling forward like a zombie.
“Peanut butter and crackers in the pantry. Cereal too but no milk,” Gage said as he pointed to a cupboard behind me.
I tore open the pantry door and grabbed everything I could, including some expired Pop Tarts. Putting everything onto a plate, I shoveled it into my mouth. “Can we order pizza?” I asked through a mouthful of crackers.
Drea frowned at me. “How long were you out?”
“Only a few hours. She gets like this after healing,” Gage spoke from his spot against the doorframe, watching me behind his judgmental green eyes.
She gets like this.
“Healing?” Marlow asked from the far end of the living room where she and Skye were inspecting Gage’s collection of framed photographs. Both Drea and Gage shared a look.
Whoops. Cat was out of the bag.
“I got a cut, it healed. Then I got hungry. No biggie.” I took an angry bite of the stale Pop Tart while pinning Gage with a glare. He’d denied it, but he probably was flirting with Claire outside while I was attacked by a demon. I could see where his loyalties lay. I couldn’t believe I almost just kissed him back in the room.
That would have been a huge mistake.
“Like… supernaturally healed?” Marlow pulled her little demon scanner from her back pocket.
