Gilded Wings(49)
He led me over to the bed and tucked me in, then he laid on top of the covers. I backed up into him, spooning, and rested my head on his arm. When the other arm came over top, his scent enveloped me. I took in a deep breath and exhaled.
“I could get used to this,” I breathed.
“So could I,” he added, sounding a little sad.
I didn’t know what he was feeling, and I couldn’t imagine. He didn’t know if he was going to lose me, but I also had the exact same fear. Would I lose the only one who made me feel whole? The one who had protected and watched over me, and was there since the beginning of this crazy new journey? I couldn’t imagine my life without him in it.
Our future was unclear; fate had the upper hand and wasn’t giving out any hints as to what its plans were. We had no choice but to ride with it.
Wrapped in the warmth of Kade’s arms, I listened to the sound of his steady breath, the rising and falling of his chest on my back, and the faint thumps of his heartbeat. I felt the tensions relax and the stress melt away as his closeness slowly lulled me into a deep sleep.
WHEN I WOKE, I WAS surprised to feel Kade’s arm still wrapped around me. I didn’t think he’d stay with me for the whole night, especially with Alaine checking up on me all the time.
I rolled over to him, and his eyes were open and bright. I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him all over his face.
“Whoa. What’s that for?” he said, chuckling.
“I’m surprised to see you here.”
His smile widened. “You were moving around a lot in your sleep.”
“I had another dream, and when we kissed, it was magical and healing.”
“Does my face need healing?” he questioned, rubbing his cheeks. “Or do I need to shave?”
“Nope, you’re perfect,” I said.
The sides of his mouth turned up, and his radiant smile brought happiness to the beginning of another new day.
“What time is it?” I asked. The sun was trying to peek in from the sides of the shades.
“A little after ten.”
“Holy crap!” I said, sitting up. “Did Alaine come in to check?”
“She did, right before she left to take Courtney and Caleb to the airport.”
“Was she surprised to see you?”
“Yep,” he chuckled. “But after a few awkward moments of silence, she saw you were safe and sleeping and she was fine.”
“I’m sad I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to Courtney and Caleb.”
“They weren’t fully awake anyway, and didn’t say much.”
“I hope they’ll be alright,” I sighed.
“They’ll be fine. Alaine has made sure they will be under full guard while they are away.”
“That’s good to know,” I said, falling back into his arms, pressing the side of my face into his chest. The sound of his beating heart brought me so much comfort.
“Are you going to tell me more about this magical kissing dream?” he asked.
“Nope,” I teased. “But I do want you to know one thing.”
“Tell me,” he grinned, throwing an arm behind his head.
“I want you to know that—”
We were rudely interrupted by a loud knock on the door. I wouldn’t doubt if it was Malachi.
“Come in,” I yelled. Thomas pushed the door open covering his eyes.
“You can look, crazy,” I smirked.
He dropped his hand. “Okay, cool. I just came to give you an update. Someone has released beasts from the Underworld. We aren’t sure if they are immune to the barrier like the Darkling are yet, but we need to be prepared. If anything, they will strike during the night.”
I nodded. “Yes, last night we came across Hellhounds and a Gryphon.”
“Gryphon?” he choked. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, the ginormous eagle-lion creature with a sharp beak and deadly talons.”
“Holy crap. How the hell did you make it back alive?”
“I killed it.” I shrugged.
“Don’t shit me, Emma.” Thomas narrowed his eyes at me.
“I’m serious. Ask Bane. He might not talk to you, but if you ask him, he can always nod.”
“How the hell did you do it? I can’t remember anyone who went up against a Gryphon and lived to tell about it. And these are immortals I’m talking about.” He paused. “Not saying your lame or anything, you just aren’t—”
“I know,” I smiled. “It’s alright.”
“So?” he pressed.
“I noticed that every time I went from visible and to invisible it would pause and get confused. So, I told Bane to throw me at it when I changed mid-flight. It almost didn’t work, but I managed to sink the dagger into its head and then into its heart. I have scars on my back to prove it.”