Witch Fall(91)

“Han.” Lilette’s voice was trembling. The smell of crushed herbs hung between them.

He slowly shook his head. “I’m not sure if I’m strong enough.”

“Please,” Lilette whispered.

“You want me to find another guardian to keep her occupied until I can make this potion?”

Han took one reluctant step toward her and another. And then he was holding her. She melted against him, his body next to hers sending a shock through her. She tipped forward and pressed her mouth to his neck, gently kissing him.

He moaned. “Doranna, hurry.”

Knowing his resolve was weakening, that she was close—so close—to having him touch her back, Lilette worked her way up his neck to his jaw. He looked at her, defeat in his gaze.

She leaned forward and took his lower lip between her teeth, sucking gently. He moaned softly. Fire licked up Lilette’s middle before settling into a warm ember in her lower belly.

“Try not to react,” Doranna said.

Lilette chuckled on the inside. He’d already let go of her hands, and she was making good use of them, pulling up his tunic to run her hands across his broad chest. “Han,” she whispered in a breathy voice. “Don’t you want to touch me too?”

With a groan, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her—kissed her like she’d always dreamed he would, with no taste of goodbye, no regrets. Just need and want and the promise that he’d never leave.

Then Doranna shoved him. “Hey! She’s had the love potion, not you.”

Gasping for breath, Han pressed her forehead against his neck. “If you don’t give her something, we’re both going to be in trouble.”

“Lilette, drink this.”

She was too busy with her hands to listen.

“Lilette, drink it,” Han begged.

She smiled against his skin. “Only if you promise me something.”

“What?” His voice was low and gravely.

“Promise to come upstairs with me.”

He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down.

“It’s all right,” Doranna said. “Promise her.”

“I promise.”

Without looking at the other woman, Lilette held out her hand. Doranna placed the mortar in her palm. Lilette wrinkled her nose at the sharp smell of crushed herbs mixed with some kind of liquor and tipped back the mortar, nearly gagging as the sludge crawled into her mouth. Her throat burned and her eyes watered. She scrubbed her tongue along the ridges at the top of her mouth to try to clear out the taste.

She started to put down the mortar, but Han tipped it up. Just the pressure of his fingers on hers was enough to convince her to finish the rest.

Once it was gone, Doranna took it from her and collapsed on a chair.

“What does it do?” Han closed his eyes as she took his earlobe in her mouth.

Doranna rubbed her face. “Something to make her sleep and something else to counteract any potion.”

Lilette felt dizzy. She pulled back to look at Han, but her vision had gone fuzzy. A sudden lethargy weighed down her limbs. “You promised,” she reminded him.

Doranna waved him off. “Go on. She won’t do anything but sleep anyway.”

“Come on.” Cupping her elbow, he guided toward the stairs. Her body was heavy and light all at once. Han gave a grunt of frustration before scooping her into his arms.

She nestled her head against his chest as they wound up the stairs. “Han?”

“Hmm?” he grunted as he maneuvered her feet first into a room.

“I think you’re in love with me.” His arms tightened around her and she sighed against him. “You shouldn’t be. It’s very dangerous to love me.”

He eased her onto a mattress of rushes and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I know,” he whispered against her skin.

But Lilette was already dreaming, and his words burned to ashes that blew away before she could capture them.





Chapter 29



I would have done things differently had I known it was the last time I would see my mother and my home. ~Jolin



Lilette woke choking on her own scream. She shot up in bed, her heart pounding hard enough to bruise her ribs. Her head felt like it was full of boiling water. She twisted in bed just in time to vomit all over the floor.

Doranna was by her side in an instant. “What’s wrong?”

Lilette pressed the back of her wrist to her mouth and swallowed to keep from vomiting again. “Hassacre.”

Doranna reared back and squinted out the window. “This close, if the witches were singing, we would hear them.”

Lilette’s head pounded in rhythm with the horrible twisting around her. She pressed her fists over her ears and moaned. “Where’s Han?” Creators’ mercy, had she really thrown herself at him like that?