I lean away from his touch, and his hand falls to his side. “But yeah, it’s not going to happen again. I won’t let it.”
He studies me for an intense moment. “Why not?”
“Why not what?”
“Why won’t you let it happen? If you like all of us and want to kiss all of us, then what does it matter?”
I shrug, wrapping my arms protectively around myself, feeling way too exposed at the moment. “Because I already told you; I don’t want to be an aftershow woman. Even if it’s normal for you guys.”
“And I already told you that you’re not an aftershow woman to us.” His eyes simmer with flames, and I’m pretty sure he might be getting pissed off at me.
It’s definitely time to end this conversation.
“This is pointless. We’re just talking in circles.” I move to dodge around him, but he sidesteps me, blocking my path. Then he molds his palms around my cheeks.
“You’re not an aftershow woman to us. You’re part of our fucking group!” His voice quivers with anger. “You’ve been part of our fucking group since the moment I caught you stealing my lamp and we decided to bring you with us. Yes, East may joke about you being our pet, but it’s not like that. You’re not beneath us; you’re one of us.”
“Then, why do you guys keep kissing me?”
“Because we want to fucking kiss you.” His drags the pad of his thumb across my lip. “Do you know how hard it is not to kiss you all the time? I wanted to kiss you the moment I laid eyes on you. So did East and Arrow. And it’s just gotten worse the more time you spend with us.”
I can’t …
I don’t know what to say.
I’ve spent so many years isolated, detached, and now he’s saying all these things that make me want more things. But I can’t have more. I need to be isolated.
“If that’s true, then it’s definitely time for you guys to take me back to my world. You, of all creatures, should know that.” I jerk my head out of his hands.
He hurriedly wraps his arms around my waist then leans in almost instinctively, and those flutters appear in my stomach again. For a moment, I consider kissing him. Then that moment shifts into the reminder of the curse. So, instead of touching his lips, I place my hands on his bare chest to keep him from getting any closer.
His heart is pounding so forcefully in his chest. Why? Is he that worked up?
He holds on to me tightly, as close as he can get to me with my arms pressed against his chest. “You’re talking about the curse?”
I huff a frustrated exhale. “Of course I’m talking about the curse! What else would I be talking about, genie dude?”
His lips slightly quirk at my use of his nickname, but he promptly grows serious, observing me closely. I try not to squirm.
“What if I told you there might be a way to break the curse?” He speaks the words cautiously, like he thinks they’re made of glass. Or he thinks I’m made of glass.
I’m not. I’m strong. Although, my heart’s feeling a little bit unstable at the moment.
“You guys already told me there wasn’t.”
“That’s because I thought there wasn’t. But after talking to Maxton, there might be a way around it.”
I’m trying not to lose it, but after spending most of my life thinking I was never going to fall in love, not without losing someone like I lost my parents, I’m struggling to remain composed.
“I don’t … How …?” Tears are threatening to pour out, but I refuse to let that happen. Refuse to cry.
“Don’t cry, little thief,” he says. “It’s going to be okay.”
“I’m not going to cry,” I lie, taking a discreet breath in an attempt to collect myself. “I want to know how.”
“How we can break the curse?”
I nod.
When he hesitates, the hope I felt seconds ago begins to fizzle.
“Before we get into that, I want to be certain Maxton is right because, if he is, if there’s a cure to this curse, it’s a complicated one.”
“Is it dangerous?”
“That all depends on what you consider dangerous.”
He’s being vague, which makes me uneasy.
“How do you find out if Maxton is telling the truth?” I ask as he skims his finger along my side.
“Maple,” he says. “If we can get Maple, she’ll be able to tell us everything. Because, unlike Maxton, she’s not bound to my father by magic.”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean she’s going to just tell you.”
“She will after we get done with her.” The way his eyes darken when he says that sends a chill through the air.
A couple of weeks ago, I would’ve been scared. Now, I bask in the idea that he can do that—scare creatures with just the tone of his voice. But that might be because I’m part of his group now.
Part of their group.
I sink into silence as I try to process what this all means. And what about this whole kissing thing? Even if we break the curse, do I really just want to start doing stuff with all three of them?
“We should get inside so we can prepare for the party tonight,” he mutters, breaking the silence that’s settled between us.
When I nod, he removes his hands from my waist, but then he threads his fingers through mine. I almost pull back, but I don’t.
As we head inside together, I’m afraid. Really afraid. And I’m not even sure why.
Right before we walk in, he stops me to say, “I know.”
I glance at him in confusion. “Know what?”
“Know about the fear you’re feeling right now.” He strokes the back of my hand with his fingertips. “The fear that the curse may no longer exist, which means you’re going to no longer be able to hide behind it. You’re not going to have an excuse anymore. You’re going to have to feel everything. The good and the bad.”
And that’s when I realize why I feel so afraid right now.
It’s exactly what he said.
That, in that moment, Asher kind of understands me.
And that is just as terrifying as everything else.
Harlynn
Once we get inside, everything becomes weirdly formal as the guys start planning for the party and capturing Maple. Their theory is that, as long as word of the party spreads far enough, Maple won’t be able to resist coming here and trying to capture me. I’m a bit skeptical, though.
“I hate to be a party crasher, but I’m not sure this is going to work,” I state my worry aloud as I sit on the sofa between East and Arrow while Asher paces the floor, restless energy bursting through him.
East brushes his fingers through my hair. He’s done it at least ten times since I sat down. And, while I have the urge to scold him for it, I can’t seem to get the words out of my mouth.
“And why’s that, little thief?” His eyes sparkle with amusement as he combs his fingers through my hair again, as if he’s daring me to tell him to stop.
And I should …
I think …
Honestly, I don’t know what to think anymore.
I am officially the most confused creature to ever exist.
I also can’t seem to stop thinking about orgasms, but that’s totally a separate issues right now.
I give a lazy shrug, pretending to be calmer than I am, when I really want to get up and pace the floor like Asher. “Because, if I was in her situation, I’d think it was a trap.”
“But Maple is not you,” East explains then flashes me a grin. “She’s not nearly as clever.”
“Well, obviously no creature is,” I quip, and his grin broadens. “But I’m just saying, she might not show up.”
“If she hears about the party, she’ll come,” Asher assures as he crosses his arms, his gaze briefly straying to me or, more specifically, East’s fingers in my hair.
He acted okay about the entire sharing thing while we were outside, but now that we’re inside and around East and Arrow, I keep noticing him noticing East playing w
ith my hair. And Arrow has his leg resting against mine, but he might not be aware of that. Does it bother him? Should I lean away?
I don’t know.
I really don’t.
I am clueless. At least when it comes to guys.
I don’t like that I am. I’ve always prided myself on being knowledgeable. But this isn’t like stealing or being street smart. No, this is emotions and kissing and touching …
“How can you be so sure?” I ask Asher as East moves his fingers to the back of my neck and starts stroking my skin, making it complicated to think straight.
“Because I know Maple. She won’t turn down an opportunity to please her boss. She used to do it with us all the time. Only, apparently, her boss has always been my father, and so now she’s working to please him,” Asher explains as he stops pacing, standing in the middle of the room and looking at me. “And because of what East said, too. She’s nowhere near as clever as you are.” He winks at me.
I roll my eyes but secretly smile.
“Have we sent out the signal for the party yet?” Arrow asks, changing the subject.
He’s barely spoken since Asher and I came back into the vehicle. I question if he’s still weirded out by the kiss. I don’t want him to be weirded out anymore. I want him to be my best friend again.
“Send out a signal?” I inquire. “How do you do that? Like, with magic?”
Arrow cracks a smile. So does Asher, while East chuckles.
“So fucking adorable,” East mutters, stroking my cheek.
My eyelashes flutter, and I catch Asher watching me again, his expression unreadable.
“What’s so amusing about that?” I ask, glancing at the three of them.
“You’re just cute; that’s all,” East states, lowering his fingers from my face and looking at me. “And to answer your question, we send out a signal the old fashion way—by sending out digital messages to every creature in Steel.”
“Oh. That seems so … old-school,” I tell him.
“Well, normally, we might do something flashy, but with the planet on lockdown, it’s the best way,” he explains, rising to his feet and stretching his arms above his head. “However, magic is going to be involved in preparation for the party.” He grins at me as he extends his hand out to me. “Wanna help me?”
I eye his hand then slide my gaze upward to meet his. “How am I supposed to do that? I don’t even know how to use my magic yet.”
“I know, but you can help me plan out what we’re going to do.” He wiggles his fingers at me, daring me to take them.
I probably shouldn’t, but I’m too curious not to.
“Plan what?” I ask as he lifts me to my feet.
“Plan the layout of the vehicle.” He steers me toward the bar.
“I’ll go send out the signal, if no one else has,” Arrow abruptly says as he jumps to his feet, his gadgets turning.
“Yeah, go ahead and do that,” Asher tells him. “I’m going to go read up on ensnaring spells so we can make sure we do this right when Maple shows up.”
They both leave the room then; Arrow without even so much as looking at me while Asher carries my gaze the entire way. Right before he steps down the hallway, he gives me this weird, encouraging smile. I’m uncertain of the meaning of it. Or maybe I’m just afraid of the meaning.
“You seem afraid of me, little thief,” East says, drawing my attention back to him. “I thought we’d gotten past this.”
“I’m not afraid of you,” I say. Strangely, it’s the truth. I’m not really afraid of him, just of what I might do around him.
He rubs his lips together, amusement sparkling in his eyes. “Is that so?”
“Yep.” I dazzle him with a cheeky grin so he’ll stop pressing this.
It works, too, as he chuckles, grabs my hand, and then tugs me toward the bar. “Come on; let’s bedazzle this place up a bit.”
As he lets go of my hand and grabs a bottle filled with golden liquid, the meaning of his words finally register.
“Wait … When you said change the layout of the vehicle, did you mean …? Are we having the party inside?” I ask, wide-eyed, as I plop down on a barstool that’s in front of the counter. “Because you made it seem like you were going to invite the entire world, and the entire population of this world can’t fit in this vehicle. There’s no way.”
“There’s always a way,” he says amusedly as he grabs two glass from the shelf and sets them down on the counter in front of me, “if you’re powerful enough.”
“So you’re going to make this vehicle big enough to fit the entire population of Steel in it?” I question with a skeptical lift of my brow.
“No. Not every creature will come.” He untwists the lid off the bottle. “A lot will, though, which is why I need to change the layout of this place. Widen it up and stretch it out. Maybe add a few pools, hot tubs, booths, seating areas …” He dazes off as he prattles off a list.
Me? I’m still stuck on the fact that he’s going to try to cram that many creatures in here.
“Why not just have it outside like you said before?” I suggest, resting my arms on the countertop.
Worry flickers in his eyes. “Do you remember when the arch collapsed and Arrow had to hurry back to the vehicle with you?”
I nod. “Yeah.”
“Do you remember why?”
“Yeah. Because … Oh.” I tense as I recall the words Arrow uttered to me. “You can’t have it outside, because it’ll be dark, and the monsters come out at dark.”
“Yep. Forgot about that part earlier.” East begins pouring the golden liquid into a glass.
“Okay, I guess I get it.” I pause, watching him fill up the other glass and wondering what the drink is for. “It’s weird, though, because we’ve been here for three nights, and I haven’t seen any monsters. Although, I haven’t really tried to look outside at night.”
“And I’d recommend not doing that,” he tells me in a very un-East-like manner—in seriousness. He quickly erases the look, caps the bottle, and returns it to the shelf. Then he collects one of the glasses. “Okay, so I’m going to make a preparty toast here, because it’s tradition. I usually do it with Arrow and Asher, but we’ll just do another one later, because I could really use a drink right now.”
I warily eye the drink. “You want me to toast and drink with you?”
Strands of his hair fall into his eyes as he angles his head to the side. “Please don’t tell me you haven’t drank fey wine before.”
“So, you want me to lie?”
“Harlynn.” He sets the glass down dramatically, and my heart trips up a little at the use of my name. He rarely uses it and, while his pet names are growing on me, I like the sound of him saying my real name. “How have you never drank fey wine before?”
I lift a shoulder. “Because it’s not that common in the world I’m from. And humans are told not to drink it. That it can make them lose their minds.”
“But you’re not human.”
“I know that now.”
“Okay, then.” He lifts the glass like now that’s settled and let’s toast. But I’m still reluctant.
“It won’t make me lose my mind?”
He slowly shakes his head, his sparkly lips spreading into an impish grin. “It’ll make you feel really, really good.”
In that moment, he looks completely like a faerie with his wings spanned out, all glittery and pretty in the light. That should make me pause. Should make me think twice about this. Should make me not want to drink with him.
But it doesn’t. And that makes me question how comfortable I’m starting to get in their world.
You’re one of us.
I pick up the glass. “Fine, let’s make a toast.”
His smile widens, his pearly whites on full display. “To beautiful creatures who show up on your doorstep and change your life in the best possible way,” he says. I almost smile at his kind of sweet words, but then he adds, “And to beautiful creatures w
ho violate you with kisses and scar your innocent mind.” He winks at me.
I roll my eyes, but my cheeks warm a little, so I hurriedly clink my glass with his then down the drink, hoping he’s right, that it will make me feel good.
And even if he’s not and it makes me lose my mind for a moment, I might be okay with that, too.
I think, anyway.
Harlynn
So, apparently, when you drink faerie wine, you lose track of time. Not my mind, though. Nope! My mind is totally in tack.
I think, anyway.
Wait—what if none of this is real?
“You keep getting this confused look on your face,” East says as he watches me with a small smile. “It’s cute, the way you crinkle your nose. But I’m really curious what you’re confused about. Because parties aren’t for confusion.”
I peer around at the many different creatures crammed inside the guys’ worlds traveling vehicle. Although, crammed might be a stretch since, after East and I made a toast, he spent the next hour bending and widening the entire place to about ten times its size. He added two pools, at least half a dozen hot tubs, several red leather booths, tables, and chairs. Then, to “bedazzle” the place up, as East put it, he added a glass domed ceiling that gives a very awesome view of the bronze stars glittering in the dusty sky. Gothic, thorn-woven chandeliers dangle from the ceiling, and twinkling silver lights flash across everything. He also cast a spell that makes shooting stars appear like they’re dancing in the air. One is currently twirling in front of me, and I try to catch it, but the magic slips through my fingers like dust.
“Did you just try to catch my magic?” East asks, the silver light reflecting in his eyes.
I give a lazy nod and recline back on the booth that he and I are sitting on. “Yeah, I did.”
We’ve been sitting here for a while, and I haven’t seen Arrow or Asher since creatures started arriving. When I asked East, he told me that they’re still working on setting up the ensnaring spell for Maple.
Chasing Steel: Capturing Magic Books 1-3 Page 35
