been fighting as he struggled with Gwen. Apparently he hadn’t fled. No! Gwen was their mission. If the demons got her, they would fail. But it was more than that for Belle. Gwen was an innocent, whose entire life had been tarnished by these poisonous beasts. She deserved to be free of them, not to die at their hands.
“’Til next time, Nephy,” Creed whispered, his rough lips scraping the shell of her ear.
Belle’s stomach rolled and were it not for the lock on her head and neck she was sure she’d have vomited.
Suddenly the vise—and the arm—vanished, releasing her, and Belle stumbled forward. She hit her knees before she realized what had happened, and an instant later the room filled with a blindingly bright blue-white light. Somewhere behind her Creed roared and the sounds of the struggle between Gwen and her abductor ceased. Another solid thud assured Belle that Gwen was still with them. Still safe.
Her head swam as the light receded.
That was the second time Creed had the gall to come at them directly. He clearly wasn’t afraid of their angel protector, and it was obvious that he enjoyed a little torture. Her skin still crawled from the feel of his touch.
“I-I’m okay,” Gwen declared from the other side of the bed. “I’m okay.”
The healer in her wanted to rush to Gwen’s side and check on her, but Belle was still discombobulated. The world hadn’t straightened yet, her stomach wasn’t so sure what it was doing, and her vision was blurry. Fortunately, most of the spots had faded.
“Belle?” Kai asked a moment before he knelt in front of her, his anger gone in favor of more familiar concern.
Belle sucked in a wobbly breath, but still couldn’t find the strength to stand. The pressure around her head was gone, but the pressure inside her head remained. Finally, she opted to try a light nod and hope he got the message.
Whatever message he got, though, might have been a little mistranslated. Kai stood and promptly swept Belle into his arms, tucking her head into the crook of his neck. She flushed and had to fight to keep from looping her arms around his shoulders. Not in another hundred years would she have expected him to hold her like this again. But she wasn’t in the mood to try convincing herself that she had some moral objection to it.
“Sit, rest,” Kai said, his voice gentle and warm, as he laid her back on the second bed. “Your body needs a few minutes to heal.”
Belle met his gaze, and it was all she could do not to smile and reach for his face. He still kept his jaw clean-shaven. He still smelled of summer—fresh, hot air and a touch of pine. But she wasn’t supposed to be thinking those thoughts anymore. She’d told herself not to for a reason. So she swallowed, managed a nod, and asked, “Gwen?”
“She’s fine,” Kai assured her. He stepped back, arms falling to his sides, and revealed the woman in question. Gwen was perched on the other bed, legs curled at her side, watching them.
“I don’t suppose we can ditch this place? I don’t feel comfortable here now,” Gwen said carefully, looking between the two.
Kai inclined his head. “As soon as Belle’s recovered.”
Belle said nothing, choosing to lie still and let her body heal itself. Kai’s choice was the right one, whether or not Gwen was up for it. The demons were gone for now, but it was obvious they had ways of tracking them. It was only a matter of time, and probably not much before the demons showed up again. It was probably time they considered warding, but there was always the risk of becoming surrounded if they tried that under these circumstances. What she needed to do was start carrying her sword.
Head swimming too much to consider the consequences, Belle said, “Kai.”
He hadn’t moved from the side of the bed, and he was watching her before she lifted her gaze to him.
The question was obvious in his eyes, so she didn’t wait for it. “My bag … could you get my blade from my
“’Til next time, Nephy,” Creed whispered, his rough lips scraping the shell of her ear.
Belle’s stomach rolled and were it not for the lock on her head and neck she was sure she’d have vomited.
Suddenly the vise—and the arm—vanished, releasing her, and Belle stumbled forward. She hit her knees before she realized what had happened, and an instant later the room filled with a blindingly bright blue-white light. Somewhere behind her Creed roared and the sounds of the struggle between Gwen and her abductor ceased. Another solid thud assured Belle that Gwen was still with them. Still safe.
Her head swam as the light receded.
That was the second time Creed had the gall to come at them directly. He clearly wasn’t afraid of their angel protector, and it was obvious that he enjoyed a little torture. Her skin still crawled from the feel of his touch.
“I-I’m okay,” Gwen declared from the other side of the bed. “I’m okay.”
The healer in her wanted to rush to Gwen’s side and check on her, but Belle was still discombobulated. The world hadn’t straightened yet, her stomach wasn’t so sure what it was doing, and her vision was blurry. Fortunately, most of the spots had faded.
“Belle?” Kai asked a moment before he knelt in front of her, his anger gone in favor of more familiar concern.
Belle sucked in a wobbly breath, but still couldn’t find the strength to stand. The pressure around her head was gone, but the pressure inside her head remained. Finally, she opted to try a light nod and hope he got the message.
Whatever message he got, though, might have been a little mistranslated. Kai stood and promptly swept Belle into his arms, tucking her head into the crook of his neck. She flushed and had to fight to keep from looping her arms around his shoulders. Not in another hundred years would she have expected him to hold her like this again. But she wasn’t in the mood to try convincing herself that she had some moral objection to it.
“Sit, rest,” Kai said, his voice gentle and warm, as he laid her back on the second bed. “Your body needs a few minutes to heal.”
Belle met his gaze, and it was all she could do not to smile and reach for his face. He still kept his jaw clean-shaven. He still smelled of summer—fresh, hot air and a touch of pine. But she wasn’t supposed to be thinking those thoughts anymore. She’d told herself not to for a reason. So she swallowed, managed a nod, and asked, “Gwen?”
“She’s fine,” Kai assured her. He stepped back, arms falling to his sides, and revealed the woman in question. Gwen was perched on the other bed, legs curled at her side, watching them.
“I don’t suppose we can ditch this place? I don’t feel comfortable here now,” Gwen said carefully, looking between the two.
Kai inclined his head. “As soon as Belle’s recovered.”
Belle said nothing, choosing to lie still and let her body heal itself. Kai’s choice was the right one, whether or not Gwen was up for it. The demons were gone for now, but it was obvious they had ways of tracking them. It was only a matter of time, and probably not much before the demons showed up again. It was probably time they considered warding, but there was always the risk of becoming surrounded if they tried that under these circumstances. What she needed to do was start carrying her sword.
Head swimming too much to consider the consequences, Belle said, “Kai.”
He hadn’t moved from the side of the bed, and he was watching her before she lifted her gaze to him.
The question was obvious in his eyes, so she didn’t wait for it. “My bag … could you get my blade from my
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