by Ashley Meira
But Symeon did. And despite all the headaches he caused, I considered him a friend. The lightning blade hovered above his face before Snow raised her arm, muscles tensed and ready to strike.
My body felt like stone but my heart pounded with a ferocity that spurred my magic into action. The waves around her undulated, sending out the scent of hazelnut — and revealing a pattern. Her weapon was halfway to Symeon’s throat before I succeeded. My magic surged through me, agonizing in its intensity.
Snow’s magic ruptured, and her lightning sword vanished into thin air. She staggered back with a cry of shock, looking more pained than ever before.
Fearing she was going to attack Symeon again, I threw another fireball. It went long, landing nowhere near her. But it proved enough of a distraction that she stomped over. The glare she shot me was livid as her fist hurled toward my face.
Chapter Seventeen
I awoke with a scream. The fact that I’d done that twice in a row was all I had time to realize before a pair of strong hands gripped my shoulders. This time, the Egyptian cotton covering me did nothing to calm my nerves. I flailed around, my screams growing louder as something wrapped around my body.
Adam was on the floor, unmoving. I was beaten, unable to help him — or Symeon, who was about to be killed. Snow stood over him, the phoenix wrapped around her weapon’s hilt gleaming under the setting sun’s light. But what terrified me was the figure behind her. It had to be a figment of my imagination, because it certainly hadn’t been there before. Wrapped in a dirty, torn shroud was a specter, its gnarled form hunched over. A skeletal hand was wrapped around Snow’s neck and its breath obscured her face with soft bursts of white.
It wasn’t until I heard Adam’s soft shushing sounds and caught the scent of pine that I realized what I was seeing wasn’t real. We weren’t in Symeon’s apartment anymore. Snow was gone, and Symeon—
I gasped. “Symeon—”
“Is in the guest room,” Adam said calmly while holding me tight. “I don’t know what happened, but when I woke up, Snow was gone and you two were unconscious. I called Fiona, and we brought you guys to my place. I had a healer check on Symeon while I took care of you personally.”
I dug my fingers into his back. “Is he okay?”
“Yes, but it’ll be a while before he wakes up. How are you feeling?”
“Shitty,” I whimpered. “You should be resting. Snow electrocuted you.”
“She did, but Seth said I was fine. Besides—” he kissed my temple “—I didn’t want you waking up alone.”
“Jerk.” I frowned and pulled away. If I glared, the tears couldn’t fall, right? “Thank you.”
He nodded, dipping down to peck my lips. It felt nice, but I wrinkled my nose a moment later, remembering how long it’d been since I bathed. At least Ollie’s devil coffee had washed the taste of vomit away.
“Is Fiona here?” I asked.
“She went back to Ollie’s. Said something about not needing you to bitch at her for leaving him alone.”
I snorted. “She gets snippy when she’s scared.”
“Sounds familiar.” He chuckled. “Must be genetic.”
“Yeah,” I said softly, wondering how genetic it was.
“She’s been dropping portals in and out of here every few minutes, though. You should probably call her before she drains all her magic.” At my nod, he said, “I’ll give you some privacy.”
I tightened my grip, keeping him close. He pulled one arm away, but before I could protest, his fingers twined around mine. The feel of his lips on my hand had never felt so good.
Tell him, my Fire hissed. Instead, I nuzzled against his neck. He knew. He had to. Snow had my fucking face. She wasn’t fae, so it couldn’t be a glamour. She was my twin.
And she was Fireborn.
“Sophia?” Adam said gently, probably feeling the tears soaking his shirt. He stroked my back, shushing me. “It’s okay. I know it’s been a really long day, but everything’s okay now. You’re safe. We’re all safe. Snow’s gone—”
Like the world’s worst poker player, I tensed at her name.
“Yeah, I was surprised too.” Despite my grip, he pulled away. His thumbs wiped the tears from my cheeks. “We’ll figure this out, okay? Don’t worry about it now. We’ll talk to Symeon when he wakes up, but until then, you need to rest. You took a hell of a beating. We all did.”
Figure what out? Wasn’t it obvious? It was to me. Then again, I had all the pieces. But Adam was a genius. It was his job to figure shit out. There was no way he didn’t know.
Right?
Hope brought more tears to my eyes. If he didn’t know, he couldn’t hate me.
“I should call Fiona,” I said tiredly.
“I’m surprised she hasn’t burst in here yet.” His eyes were kind as he looked me over. “I’ll go check on Symeon.”
“Can you be in two places at once?” I asked meekly.
He beamed, way too happy over a stupid comment like that. “How will you gossip about me if I’m in the room?”
“You underestimate me,” I said, but let go of his hand.
I waited until he closed the door behind him before grabbing my communication ring and contacting Fiona.
“I’m coming over,” she said immediately.
“Don’t.” I winced at my tone. “Sorry. I’m just a little wound up.”
“I saw your face post-fight,” she said sadly, sounding like a little girl. “I’d be more than a little wound up. Adam said he healed you, but I still think he should’ve gotten a healer.”
“He is a healer.”
“He’s a healing mage,” she said. “Having the magic doesn’t mean he’s qualified to give you a clean bill of health. I think you should go to a hospital. At least get Adam to call Seth back.”
Seth was his personal healer. I padded to the bathroom and checked my reflection. “I feel fine. Look fine too. Just some bruising.”
“I know that. I was there when he healed you. I’m surprised he wasn’t drained fixing you up. What the hell happened anyway?”
“Adam didn’t tell you?” I asked, giving the shower a longing stare.
“He said to ask you,” Fiona growled in annoyance. “So? Dish. Last time I saw someone mess you up that badly was—” There was a clattering, likely from her tea cup hitting the table. “Damn it.”
“Need a napkin?”
“Yes,” she hissed. “And a damn prozac. Please tell me it wasn’t Snow.”
I hesitated. “I love you.”
She was quiet for a while before letting out a deafening sigh. “Does this mean our kidnapper knows where we are?”
“I don’t know.” I went back to the bedroom and curled up on one of the armchairs. “At first, I thought she went to Symeon’s for info on me, but she said she came for him.”
“She wanted Symeon? For what?”
“To kill him.” I swallowed thickly, picturing her standing over him. “But she spoke to him first. Long enough for him to call us.”
“Maybe she asked about us,” she suggested. “Just because she wasn’t there for us doesn’t mean she didn’t ask for info.”
“I don’t know,” I said numbly.
“What’s up? You sound off, and not about this.” She knew me too well. “What aren’t you telling me?”
The words wouldn’t come out. I knew Fiona wouldn’t judge me. She was my sister. She knew everything about me. Was I ashamed? I didn’t feel like it, but I didn’t feel anything right now. Overwhelmed, maybe. I discovered a lot of new things about myself today. Not to mention all the stress over Adrienne and that stupid necklace.
And Adam. The scare with Ollie had been bad enough. If Adam knew….
I didn’t even want to think about it. “You’re sitting down, right?”
“Oh no. I mean, yes.” She sighed. “Tell me everything.”
I did, and if my stomach had anything in it but coffee, I’d have thrown up as the final word left my mouth. “What am
I going to do?”
“About Adam?” she asked, barely above a whisper.
“No,” I snipped. “There are more important things going on right now. I don’t have time to worry about some boy hating me.”
“So,” she said slowly, “about Adam?”
“Yes,” I whimpered. “I’m pathetic, aren’t I?”
“No, you’re human.”
“I’m Fireborn,” I said hopelessly. “Who knows what they are.”
She shushed me harshly. “He could hear you.”
“He knows. You don’t think he knows? How could he not? He’s probably calling his father right now!”
“Calm down.”
“He hates me. Which shouldn’t matter with my best friend missing—”
“Sophia—”
“—and a woman who turned out to be my twin showing up to kill another friend—”
“Shut up!”
I stopped, stunned.
Fiona’s voice was strict. “Did he say anything? Adam. Tell me what he said.”
I didn’t want her to know how weak I’d been after waking up, but I told her what happened anyway. “He could’ve been playing cool so he could get out of there.”
“Or he could’ve called the Council while you were unconscious,” she said dryly. “Either act like everything is fine or tell him the truth. Your choice.”
“Those are horrible choices.”
“Of course they are. This is real life.”
She was being tough, but it came from love. Besides, it was the only thing that would get through to me, and I certainly deserved some attitude after the way I’d been acting all day.
“I can’t tell him,” I said finally. “Not now. How’s Ollie?”
If she knew I was trying to change the subject, she ignored it. “Fine. Dinner shift just finished, so he can breathe again. Jeffery’s still here. You know, I always wanted him to back off, but having him around without hitting on me — or anyone — is weird. Like a dog that meows.”
That brought a small smile to my face. “Stay with him tonight, okay? Ollie, not Jeffery.”
“Duh.” She scoffed. “Unless it’s true he bought Sandra a penthouse. Gosh. If I’d known he was that generous, I’d have dated him for a while.”
My smile widened. “Now you can.”
“Damn, girl. That’s cold,” she said before laughing. “Are you sure you don’t want me back there? We can watch something in that freakin’ huge theater of his.”
“I’m sure. He has a heated pool, too,” I told her.
She let out a high pitched gasp. “Marry him.”
“Good night, Fiona.”
“Good night, Butthead. Hey,” she said seriously. “If you need anything, call me immediately.”
“I will,” I promised before hanging up.
With a sigh, I tilted my head back. What the hell was going on with my life? Why couldn’t I be normal?
I tapped my heels together. “I just want to go home. Unless my home is that castle I woke up in, then I wish I was in Cabo.”
Adam knocked on the door a few minutes after I gave up wishing for a fairytale life. Any other time, I’d think my wish had come true, and my prince was coming to rescue me. Now, I didn’t know what to think. Maybe I should stop trying to think about anything for a while.
“Hi,” I said shyly, peeking my head through the door.
“Hi,” he said. “Feeling better?”
Hell no. “How’s Symeon?”
His arched brow told me he hadn’t missed my deflection. “Still sleeping, so we have time to kill.”
I gulped at the word “kill.”
“How about dinner before bed?” he asked. “All you had was some pie for lunch.”
“Not tired or hungry,” I said, frowning at the thunderous growl my stomach let out.
He smirked. “Any requests for dinner?”
“No.” I knew I had to eat, but it was the last thing I wanted to do right now. Well, after sleep — all I’d have were nightmares. “How’d you get so good at cooking anyway?”
“My mom taught me.” His eyes crinkled as he gave the ground a wistful smile. “She loved to cook.”
“Aw,” I crooned, leading him back inside. “That’s so cute. Did you wear an apron that pooled around your little baby feet?”
“No, sorry.” He sat beside me on the bed and pulled the blanket over my legs. “She taught me when I was a teenager.”
The expression on his face when he spoke of his mother made it clear he loved her. But there was also a shadow in his eyes that made me want to do everything I could to make him happy again.
“Did all your servants finally get sick of you and leave?” I teased.
Adam scoffed, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and pulling me close. “Sick of Damien, maybe. We had a chef, but my mom preferred doing the cooking.” He pursed his lips, that darkness overtaking his face again. “Guess it kept her mind off things.”
What things? The words teetered on the tip of my tongue, but I held them back. I had no right to ask about his life. Not when I was lying to him about mine. Instead, I lifted the blanket over our heads and wrapped it around him in a hug. He relaxed, his arms wrapping around my waist. The extra weight made me lose my balance, and we ended up toppling onto the bed.
I let out a raspy chuckle as he laughed against my shoulder. Screw massage chairs — the vibrations of his body felt like paradise. He peeked out from under the blanket, his hair a mess. I smiled at him, perfectly content, and tangled my fingers in those tousled strands. They felt like silk. He turned to kiss my wrist before pushing himself up and capturing my lips.
“Thought you asked permission before getting into women’s beds?” I breathed when he pulled back.
“I do,” he said, trailing kisses across my cheeks.
I wrinkled my nose as he pecked the tip, but it just made him do it again. “I don’t recall hearing you ask.”
He licked the shell of my ear. “Kick me out.”
Like I could do that with his body covering mine. Even through the thick material of our clothes, I could feel every inch of him. I kissed him slowly, running my hands down his back.
I pulled back. “Ask permission.”
He smiled against my lips. “May I?”
“May you what?”
More of his teeth came out to play. He caressed my cheek, his hand sliding down to my neck before grazing my chest, leaving goosebumps in his wake. Finally, he gripped my side, running a thumb across my ribs. He nipped my lip, his irises blown so wide his eyes were black. His words were so guttural they couldn’t even be considered a growl. “Sophia.”
“Yes.”
He swallowed the last letter with his mouth, devouring me like a starving man. The hand near my ribs slid south, its twin joining it around my hips as he squeezed. I’d have bruises tomorrow. For some reason, the thought excited me more.
“Fuck.” Adam buried his face in my neck, his body rubbing against mine.
My eyes widened. “Oh, hello there. You do like me.”
“Shut up.” He groaned. “You know I like you.”
Shooting him a mischievous smile, I wiggled my hips. The sound he made was nothing short of perfect. Having this kind of power over him was intoxicating.
“Just because I’m a gentleman doesn’t mean I won’t spank you,” he warned.
“You can try,” I said, my voice huskier than I thought it could get. “I bite, remember?”
He bit my neck instead. “You’re meaty for someone so skinny.”
I pulled back with a glare. “I’m not skinny. I’m fit.”
“You’re certainly fit.” His hands danced over my body, pulling a sound I’d never made before. I clamped a hand over my mouth. Wow. “But I just double checked, and I can confirm how skinny you are.”
“I’m healthy.”
One hand cupped my thigh — luckily not the one with my brand — and the other squeezed my hip. “Everything I said was meant as a complime
nt, sweetheart.”
“Is that so?” I traced the straight line of his nose. “I remember you complaining about my weight in Bordeaux.”
“No, I complained about you eating like a bird.” He pecked kisses from my cheek to my neck. Like a bird, I realized with a chuckle. “Chirp, chirp.”
“That’s not what phoenixes sound like.”
“I could shift, but I’d have to get out of bed.”
I pulled him closer, which didn’t feel possible. “Chirp, chirp is fine.”
“I care about you,” he said seriously, pulling back to look into my eyes. The change in tone threw me off, and I listened with panicked attention. “Hopefully, you’ll realize how much when I sit up and get dinner for you in a minute, because I would honestly rather set the entire city on fire than get out of this bed.”
His words made me laugh harder than I expected. “What if I want you for dinner?”
I fought another laugh as he groaned and rolled off me, covering his face with a pillow. “You’re going to be the death of me.”
Smiling, I pulled him back and rested my head against his chest. “Don’t go.”
He sighed and threw the pillow away. “You are food deprived. You’re not thinking clearly.”
“I’m not?” I lifted the blanket and raised a brow at what I saw. “What does that say about you?”
“I told you.” He ripped the blanket out of my hands before proceeding to wrap me in it like a burrito, trapping my arms against my side. “It says your wellbeing is very important to me. So much so that I’m willing to sacrifice my own personal health to take care of you.”
“Personal health?”
He glared. “Do you have any idea how much pain I’m in?”
“I’m not making you get out of bed.”
“True, but you still aren’t ready. No matter what you’re feeling right now.” He sat up, ruffling his hair. “I’m driving to Ollie’s to pick up dinner. God knows I could use the fresh air. Hell, I could use a blizzard.”
I gave him a cheeky grin and kissed his elbow.
“What do you want?” he asked. “To eat. Food, Sophia. Will you stop looking at me like that?”
