Sweet Ruin

FIFTY-SIX

Jo watched Rune as he prepped his arrows for their upcoming battle. Black, gray, red, and white.

With no weapons to prep, she’d been ready for a while, had dressed in frayed jeans, a funk-band T-shirt, and boots. Her version of war wear.

Night would soon fall on New Orleans, and he had on his game-day face, looking deep in thought.

Ever since Jo had awakened, he’d seemed like he needed to talk to her about something. But they’d gotten distracted by dozens of bouts of sex. Wild, immortal sex.

They’d showered together, breaking the tiles. Handy magicks had already repaired them!

Her guy was strong. To keep up with him, she’d fed throughout the day to speed up her healing—of rug-burned knees, sore muscles, and more love bites.

She suspected he wanted to talk about their future, solidifying things. Broken seal equaled commitment. Fate said so.

Did dark fey marry? Would he get her a ring? Shit, they were probably poor after she’d destroyed his expensive stuff and all. She’d have to go out and roll tourists—or Fort Knox. Since he’d be quitting his gig as secrets master, she could be the main breadstealer of the Darklight family.

Today between kisses, he’d told her they would find a new place to live. Somewhere for them to start fresh. A place where Thad could—at the very least—visit. In other words, no orgy observatory.

“You’d really do that?” she’d asked.

“You’re my mate—which means he’s my brother by fate.”

Now she sighed as he strapped his quiver to his leg. Her long, lean, dark fey assassin.

He glanced over at her, caught her grinning stupidly at him. Yet he didn’t return her smile.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” Rune told her. “I need to take care of something.”

She frowned. “Okay.”

With a last glance at his mark on Josephine’s neck, he traced to the observatory.

Over the day, he’d had time to think about his plan to retrieve Thaddeus, and doubts were creeping in. Last night, Rune had been high from victory, but now he wondered if he could remove the wraiths.

Should his arrows—and Josephine’s telekinesis—fail, would he have to resort to Meliai, the nymph from Dalli’s covey? She’d promised him a key. He suspected it was a lock of Valkyrie hair.

When he’d rebuffed her, she’d made her own vow: “I’ll never give you my possession until you bed me, and bed me well.”

Sleeping with another female for this mission had always been a possibility.

Sleeping with another female for the Møriør was a certainty.

Now that he produced seed, he’d have to use that contraception spell routinely. Not that he would ever take release with another female, but he feared even his pre-cum could kill.

He rolled up his left sleeve and gazed at his unmarked forearm. Though Josephine would be hurt, she needed to get used to this reality of their lives.

This is bigger than just me, than what I want. I’m the eyes and ears. Hadn’t Rune sworn his resolve would never falter?

Of all the beings in the worlds, Orion had chosen him—for some reason considering him a worthy ally.

I’ve striven every day since then to be one.

Rune began to ink the runes for that spell once more.