The Sweetest Burn (Broken Destiny #2)(82)

When he finally lifted his head, my lips felt swollen and my breath came in pants. Despite that, I would have kissed him again at once if not for the very loud, very deliberate harrumph from the front of the church.

"As I was saying," Zach stated, his tone daring us to ignore him again, "your bond to Demetrius has now been fractured. Tethering your soul to Ivy's introduced enough of a supernatural disruption that Demetrius will no longer be able to track you through your blood tie."

"Maybe we should head back to the light realm, anyway," I murmured. "We've been here for hours. As you said, Demetrius could already be in the city looking for us."

"You can't go back," Zach replied, stunning me. "You also chose to tether your soul to his, so as Adrian's bond with you fractured his tie to Demetrius, so your bond to him fractured your access to the light realms."

Shock and disbelief made me ask, "I can't enter the light realms anymore? At all?"



       
         
       
        

"Not unless I or another Archon pulls you through their gateways," Zach replied.

Adrian's hand slid down my arm in a comforting way even as he sent a truly furious look at Zach. "Why did you wait until it was too late to warn her of that?"

"Ivy, would you rather have access to the light realms or have Adrian by your side?" Zach responded, answering a question with a question.

I closed my eyes. The light realms were more than the only demon-free places in existence plus an endless source of manna; they were also portals that could take us anywhere in the world. Having access to them had been a priceless advantage...unless that price would have cost me Adrian.

"You already know the answer," I said, opening my eyes.

The stare Zach leveled at Adrian was pointed. "And that is why I did not bother to tell her beforehand. Now, my time is finished here. Return to your hotel. You will be safe there. Even if Demetrius was using your link to follow you, now that it is severed, this city is too populated for him to find you before I return. I will see you at dusk."

With that, Zach disappeared. "Wait!" I said, but of course, the altar remained empty. How Zach loved his disappearing acts.

Adrian shook his head. "Typical." Then he took my arm. "Sun's almost up. Even if Demetrius did follow me here, he can't stay long enough to find us. This city has millions of people, so even if he sent every minion he made to look for us, they wouldn't find us, either. I say we go back to the hotel like Zach suggested and then leave with him tonight."

"All right," I said, thinking that if Zach hadn't promised to return, I'd have no way to get Jasmine and Costa out of the light realms. I gave the braided tattoo around my arm a wry glance. As far as it was concerned, the locks on the realm gateways had been changed.

Voices suddenly filled the cathedral as three priests entered from a side door near the front of the church. Then they stopped short when they saw us.

"How did you get in here?" one of them asked, almost sputtering in his indignation.

Adrian snorted as he held open the door for Brutus and me to leave. "Believe me, Father, that's a long story."





  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

THE LIMO WAS still parked near the Cathedral, but Brutus was too big to fit inside, so Adrian sent the driver away and we walked back to the hotel. Brutus cringed at each new beam of light as the sun rose. At least the tall buildings kept most of the bright rays from reaching him, and being with us seemed to calm him a little, too. When we entered the Waldorf through the private entrance on 50th Street, the sun was fully up. Brutus hurried into the hotel, and the doorman didn't even blink at the Archon glamour that made it appear as if we'd gone for a dawn stroll with our pet seagull. 

It made me wonder what other strange sights the doorman had seen, but I didn't pause to ask. I was so exhausted, I was running on fumes, and yet a nervous energy filled me as we entered the elevator, which was thankfully large enough to fit two adults and a hulking gargoyle.

Adrian had fulfilled his promise to prove that he wouldn't betray me again. And since we were now alone-sort of-with almost a day between now and when we'd see Zach again, with a nice, big bed waiting for us...well. Granted, Adrian had to be as worn-out as I was, so if he stumbled into the bedroom and fell right asleep, I'd completely understand. I might even pass out as soon as my head hit a pillow, too. But-more tingles of anticipation went through me-what if he didn't want to sleep?

The doors opened onto the Towers floor and we went into the Historic Suite. Adrian threw his coat onto the nearest chair in the foyer and then led Brutus into the side bedroom. I heard drapes being drawn and Adrian speaking in Demonish, followed by chuffs from Brutus, then the sound of water running.