“Jas?” He inched closer, head cocked to the side.
“Why?” I asked, lifting my gaze to his. “Why are you doing this when you know I don’t plan to say yes?”
He stopped for a moment and then navigated the prickly bushes to sit beside me. Leaning forward, he propped his arms on his knees and rested his chin in his hands. “Well, there’re a lot of reasons, but mainly because I wanted to.”
Doubt crept in like a thick fog. “You really wanted to play tourist instead of being out there with the clan?”
“Yes.” He peered up through his lashes. “I wasn’t lying when I said I missed you and thought about you every day. I want to spend time with you and it’s been fun watching you experience all these firsts. I’m happy that I could do this for you. And just because you’re resigned to saying no doesn’t mean that’s what you’ll say in the end.”
I raised my brows. “Oh, really?”
He dropped his hands and straightened. “Maybe at the end of these seven days, you’ll still say no. That doesn’t mean it’s over. I’m in this for the long haul.”
Warmth bubbled up in my chest in response to his words. “What if I find someone else?”
His eyes narrowed. “I doubt that’s going to happen.”
“You never know.”
“Oh, I know.”
I rolled my eyes, but the grin I was fighting peeked through. “Just saying.”
“And I’m just saying that by the end of these seven days or maybe a week from then, or a month, you’ll say yes.” He cupped my cheek and leaned in, pressing his forehead to mine. “And I’ll be waiting. No matter how long it takes.”
As I closed my eyes, my breath caught at the way my stomach dipped and twisted. The question formed on the tip of my tongue. “Tell me why you really left, Dez. Please.”
He brushed my nose with his and then pulled back, sighing. “Jas, it’s not an easy—”
Bushes rattled behind us, the sound of something rustling around. We turned at the same time. A shiver of awareness snaked along my shoulders as the tiny leaves on a bush that was only a few feet tall shuddered.
Dez placed a hand on my arm and motioned for me to be quiet as we stood. We made no sound, but the spiky leaves stilled.
A thin branch, no wider than a pencil and shaped like a spear, parted the leaves. The spear swung left and then right and then stopped, pointing at where we stood.
“What the...?” I whispered.
The bushes shook as a small creature appeared between the leaves. I had no idea what the thing was. No taller than a foot, the thing’s skin was the color of aged leather, legs and arms thin and knobby. Some kind of loincloth had been fashioned out of leaves and its potbelly was covered with mud. The creature kind of resembled one of those heinous troll dolls that had been popular before my time. It didn’t have neon-pink or purple hair, but its dark brown hair did stick straight up in large clumps, twisting together at the end.
The small creature crouched down, pointing the spear at us as if daring one of us to make a move.
“Holy crap,” Dez said.
I clamped my hands together, under my chin. “What is it?”
Its big, round eyes narrowed at the sound of my voice, but it didn’t scamper off. Couldn’t picture the little guy running. Nope. It would scamper.
“It’s a pukwudgie.”
The thing’s oversize, floppy ears twitched at the sound of its name.
I looked at Dez slowly. “A what?”
“Earth demon,” he replied, brows knitted. “I’ve never seen one before. Thought they’d been eradicated years ago. Not much is known about them other than they caused a bit of mischief during their heyday. Usually they were only seen up north, near Massachusetts and places like that.”
“It’s kind of cute.” I grinned when his look turned dubious. “What? It’s so ugly it’s cute.”
Dez shook his head as the pukwudgie dropped its little spear and slunk forward, nearing the rocks. It disappeared behind them for a moment and then the tips of its ears and hair came into view. Finally, those big eyes and bulbous nose appeared as it peeked over a rock at us.
I giggled softly, and its mouth opened wide, revealing quite of bit of teeth in what I guessed was a smile in return.
“I think it likes me,” I said.
Dez’s hand grazed my back as he stepped away from the rocks. “Everything likes you, Jas.”
With surprising agility, the little guy hopped onto the farthest rock. It crouched again, watching us, and when neither of us moved, it inched closer, hopping the rocks until it was near the one we’d been sitting on.
I glanced at Dez, who shrugged and then started around the rocks, as if he planned to sneak up on it from behind. “What are you doing?”
He sent me a look. “What do you think?”
My mouth dropped open. “Come on. It’s not doing anything.”
Dez stopped, arching a brow. “Yet.”
My gaze fell back to the little guy. He was staring up at me with a toothy smile. He raised his knees, hobbling back and forth in a strange little jig when our eyes met.
“Jasmine...” Dez sighed, folding his arms. “It’s a demon. It might be a cute-ugly demon, but it’s still the enemy.”
“I know, but...”
But it wasn’t doing anything other than dancing and preening about. As sacrilegious as it sounded, I didn’t think it was right to kill it.
Dez shot me a look. “We can’t just let it go.”
The pukwudgie glanced at Dez and stuck out its tongue, making a very human raspberry sound.
I laughed. “Oh, I like this little guy. If we can’t let him go, can I keep him?”
“Uh, no.”
“I shall name him Herbert,” I announced, ignoring Dez. “Do you like the name, little puke-wedgie?”
“Pukwudgie,” Dez corrected, lips curving upward reluctantly. “Jas, we need to take care of this.”
The earth demon twirled around, hiking its legs up on either side.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” I slowly sat down, careful not to startle it. “Herbert is a good name for him.”
Dez choked, rolling his eyes. “Really? That’s the best name you can come up with?”
I flipped him off.
His eyes narrowed on me.
Herbert hopped onto my boulder, and I held my hand out. He bent at the waist, sniffing the air around my fingers.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Dez suggested darkly, stepping toward me. “God knows what kind of messed-up diseases that thing carries.”
Herbert spun around, doing another dance, and then brought his hand down on mine, as if he were giving me a high five. Then he raised his hand, formed a fist and shook it at Dez.
“Huh,” I said, eyeing it. “I really don’t think Herbert likes you.”
“That’s tragic,” he replied dryly. “I want you to move back from it.”
Ignoring him again, I chuckled as Herbert climbed to my side of the rock and wrapped his hand around my pointer finger. His skin was cool and soft. He jumped once and then again, moving my hand.
“I think he’s shaking my—ouch!”
Herbert had his mouth on my finger, his teeth clamped down! Sharp pain blasted across my hand, and I jerked back. Scrambling to my feet, I lost my balance and landed on my butt, clutching my throbbing hand to my chest.
“Herbert bit me! The little bastard bit me!”
The pukwudgie made a chattering noise that sounded perilously like a laugh, spun around and darted over the boulders. It jumped onto the ground and raced off, stopping only long enough to pick up its spear. Bushes rattled as it disappeared into the growth.
Dez was at my side in a second, kneeling down. He opened his mouth.
“Don’t you dare say I told you so,” I warned, glancing down at my finger. Blood welled up from three little indentations. “I can’t believe he bit me. I thought he liked me.”
“I wasn’t going to say anything. Let me s
ee it.” He reached for my hand. “He broke the skin, didn’t he? Christ,” he muttered. “You’re bleeding. Come on, let’s wash it off and get out of here before more of them show up and decide to take a bite out of you.”
“You think there’re more?” I let him pull me to my feet and guide me to the edge of the lake.
“If there’s one, there’s probably a hundred.” He dipped my hand under the cool water, washing away the blood.
“You should’ve killed it,” I grumbled crossly.
Dez cast me a long look. “I tried, but someone—no names mentioned—thought Herbert was so ugly it was cute.”
I sighed. True. “He doesn’t deserve the name Herbert.”
He relented enough to snicker as he lifted my hand from the water. “Does it hurt?”
“Actually...” It did hurt. The sting from the pukwudgie’s bite radiated over my hand and down my arm. “Not really,” I finished. Dez already thought I was a big enough idiot. No reason to add to it.
We were halfway back to the SUV when a fine sheen of sweat broke out across my forehead. Heat traveled across my skin like a fever. I felt flushed, sticky. Stomach roiling, I glanced down at my finger and sucked in a shaky breath. The skin around the bite was blood red, and angry-looking streaks spread out from the otherwise-minor wound.
Uh-oh.
I stopped walking, but the trees kept moving. Odd. “Dez...?”
He turned to me, but something was wrong with his face. All his features blurred together. “Jasmine?”
His voice sounded way, way far away. “I don’t... feel so good.”
I took a step or at least I thought I had, but suddenly the ground was in the sky and the sky was no more. Somewhere, off in the distance, I thought I heard Dez calling my name, and then there was nothing.
Chapter Eleven
I was on fire.
It was the only explanation for the searing burn sweeping through my veins, cooking me from the inside, boiling my blood and blistering my skin. I couldn’t move, but I was gliding. Blissful cool air washed over my heated skin, a momentary reprieve, but the fire invaded every cell. Heat surrounded me, cradling me in a hard embrace.
In the rare moments when my brain wasn’t mush, I knew I had to phase. I had to reach the deep level of sleep necessary to heal, but I couldn’t will my muscles to do what I needed. Nothing responded to me. I was trapped in a circle of Hell.
Consciousness slipped in and out, and when I was awake, I wanted to be out—to be far away. My skin was slipping off my bones. Flames crawled up my throat. Unable to escape the pain, I shrank into myself, and a million miles away, I heard someone calling to me. The words made no sense, but I clung to the voice and tried to reach for it. Then the inferno spiked, consuming me until there was only darkness and the distant hum of that voice.
It felt like a stuttered heartbeat later when I became aware of the shift in my surroundings. There were more voices in the distance, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying and I couldn’t force my eyes open. Something was different though. The hard warmth that had surrounded me was gone and in its place was billowy softness. I didn’t understand, but I sank into it for a little while, dragging myself back out when something cool was pressed to my forehead and bitter, tangy liquid coursed down my throat. I tried to turn my head, whimpering as a gentle hand stopped me.
“You have to drink this. It will help you feel better.”
I didn’t recognize the voice. My heart rate skyrocketed. Where was Dez? I didn’t have a chance to spit up the liquid. It kept coming until I was drowning in it,and when it stopped, I dragged in deep breaths that hurt.
“That’s good,” said the stranger. He was moving away from me. “She’ll sleep now.”
The silence that followed was as frightening as the fire. Summoning every ounce of energy in me, I lifted my hand, searching for something—anything—to hold on to.
A strong hand folded around mine, and the softness shifted. A damp cloth caressed my forehead. My lips formed his name, but there was no sound.
“I’m here with you.” The coolness slid over my blazing cheeks. “I’m not going anywhere, Jas. I’m not going to leave you again.”
The fire was gone the next time my brain churned awake. A dull throbbing remained in every part of my body and my eyes felt sewn shut. My body came back on at the speed of a three-legged turtle. I moved, maybe shifted about an inch on the bed, and I felt as if I’d accomplished something major.
“Jas?”
I turned my head toward the sound of Dez’s deep voice. A hand curved around my cheek, and I sighed at the contact. It didn’t burn. Oh, no, it felt grounding and wonderful.
Finally, after an eternity, I pried my eyes open. I squinted at the low light in the room, surprised by the sensitivity of my eyes. As my vision cleared, I saw Dez sitting beside me.
I’d never seen him look so tired. Dark shadows bloomed under his pale eyes. His features were pinched with weariness, but the hand around mine was full of strength.
“Hey,” he said, scooting closer. “You’re finally awake.”
I opened my mouth, but what came out was no more than a hoarse, pathetic croak. Dez dropped my hand as he leaned back in his chair, reaching for the pitcher of water on the nightstand.
As Dez helped me sit up enough to drink, my gaze flitted around my surroundings. Beige walls, minimal furniture and heavy white curtains. It wasn’t a room in my clan’s home.
I felt as if I’d climbed a hundred stairs by the time I rested my head on the soft pillow again. “Thank you.”
Dez picked up my hand again, threading his fingers through mine. “How are you feeling?”
“Tired.” I turned toward him. My head was full of cobwebs. “What happened?”
“You don’t remember?”
I searched through my hazy thoughts, slowly picking up the important stuff. “Herbert bit me.”
He nodded. “A pukwudgie’s bite is poisonous. I didn’t know it would be. If I had—”
“It’s not your fault.” I cleared my throat, wishing I could sit up. “You didn’t know. And if it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine. God, I feel dumb.”
He smiled slightly. “Why?”
“Why?” I repeated dully. “You told me not to touch the stupid thing and I should’ve known better.”
He smoothed my damp hair back from my face with his free hand. “Well, trusting anything named Herbert is a bad idea.”
I croaked out a laugh. “That’s true.” Wetting my lips, I then let out a long breath. “Where are we?”
“We were too far from home to take you back.” He slid his hand to my cheek and then he sat back, still holding my hand in his other one. “I brought you to DC. We’re in Abbot’s home.”
My eyes widened. “We’re here? How? Did you drive?”
“Driving would’ve taken too long, and I didn’t know how dangerous the bite was. It was quicker to fly. And I’m glad I did. Turns out a pukwudgie’s bite isn’t something to mess with. Abbot sent one of his clansmen to get our car. All your stuff is here.”
I stared at him. He’d flown here? Carrying me? No wonder he looked as if he was about to fall over. “Dez, I... a thank-you isn’t enough.”
“You waking up and being okay is enough.” He squeezed my hand. “There were a couple of minutes I didn’t think you would. And I...” He swallowed hard as he closed his eyes. When they reopened, they shone the color of the sky before dusk as he brought my hand to his mouth and placed a kiss against my palm. “I was really worried.”
An ache pierced my chest at the agony in his voice. “I’m okay, though. Right?”
“Yes, but...” He lowered my hand back to the bed. “Jas, you’ve been asleep for a day and a half.”
“What?” I breathed. That couldn’t be true. I felt as though I hadn’t slept in days. “Oh, my God, I’m going to find Herbert and strangle him.”
Dez coughed out a laugh. “You need to get behind me in line for that.” His grin fad
ed into a wince. “I had to tell your father.”
I cringed. “Oh, no.”
“He almost came down here, I think, to kill me. Abbot got on the phone and calmed him down, told him that you were going to be okay.” He smiled again, the twist of his lips tired. “Abbot said you’d feel better very soon, but he’s offered his house to us as long as we need to stay.”
“That’s really nice of him,” I murmured. My brain was stuck elsewhere, slowly turning everything over.
Dez let out a heavy breath. “Can I...?” He shook his head, starting again. “I’m exhausted and I need to lie down, but I’m not leaving you. Can I lie here with you? That’s all I want—to just lie here with you for a little while.”
My heart did a little dance in my chest at his request. Unable to speak because the words building in my throat were best left unsaid for the time being, I nodded.
“Thank you.” Dez dropped his head, and his large shoulders relaxed. Up until that moment, I hadn’t realized how tense he was sitting beside me.
Wordlessly, he made me finish off the rest of the water before climbing into the bed and stretching out next to me. I lay there for a moment, staring at him, and I forced my body to move. It took everything I had, but I rolled onto my side and wiggled closer, placing my head on his shoulder.
Dez was still for a moment and then he wrapped his arm around my waist, fitting me close to his side. For some reason, even though we’d shared the same bed in New York, there was something more special about this, a heaviness that had my overworked heart pounding. And as I relaxed into Dez’s embrace, I closed my eyes and could think of only one thing.
Our seven days were up.
Chapter Twelve
By the following evening, I was ready to be out of bed. I was giddy over feeling like myself again. Well, I didn’t feel a hundred percent, but I also didn’t want to sleep for another ten years, and after a quick shower, I called and checked in with my father and Danika, and made my way downstairs. The house in DC was much like mine. More the size of a hotel than a home, but the key difference was that there was no sign of children or women here.
Bitter Sweet Love (The Dark Elements - Book 1) Page 8
