cared to admit, he grabbed her bicep and yanked her forward. “My place,” he growled.
At least he would be comfortable on his journey to hell.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
While Gerik stood, stone-faced, near the front door, I stripped off my wet clothes and laid them out in front of the stove. He had not said a word to me since he had descended on me in the woods like the angel of death. It looked like I was going to have to make the first move. After wrapping a blanket around myself, I plopped down on my futon and sighed.
“Are you lost, Gerik? I have a map if you need one.”
He went rigid. His giant, black wings flexed behind him, draping him in shadows and a muscle twitched irritably near his jaw.
“Can I get you anything?” I asked in a saccharine sweetened voice. “Coffee, tea, a soul mate? Some dark magic, perhaps? Or maybe a one-way ticket to Hades on earth without a guide?”
If looks could kill, I would be dragon fodder. I guess he had expected a more receptive greeting.
“I didn’t know they were going to leave you behind.”
Gods, his voice had seriously deepened.
I smirked. “Is that supposed to make me feel better? Because it doesn’t.”
“You’re married to Xan,” he said flatly. “I figured…” he trailed off, staring at me. All around the futon, spirit was seeping through the floorboards, curling upwards in shadowy twists, resembling gnarled, inhuman arms and hands. Whenever I was afraid or angry, or overly emotional, this would happen and I had no idea how to control it. But that was beside the point.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “Calm down.”
“Calm down? No! And what exactly are you sorry for, huh?” I snapped. “And where have you been?”
“I’m sorry that I fucked up again.” Running his hands through his hair, he sighed. “I do that a lot when it comes to you.”
“Ha! That’s an understatement!”
When he said nothing else, I began to fume. Was that my apology? Oh, sorry Trinity, I fucked up. But it’s all better now because my big, wonderful self came back to you.
No. I don’t think so.
“What gave you the right to do what you did to me? Who in Hades do you think you are? You threw all this power at me and left me all alone! YOU LEFT ME! ALONE!”
He opened his mouth but before he could speak, I jumped off the futon and cut him off with a scream. An ear-piercing, bone-rattling scream that had both of us cringing.
“You do not get to say anything!” I yelled, stomping my foot. “You get to turn your big, scaly butt around and go back to wherever it is that you came from! I want nothing to do with you! You ruined my life! You ruined everything!”
“But –”
“No! Just go! Gogogogogogogogogogo!” More foot stomping followed.
“Trinity!” he bellowed.
“What?”
“Calm down and put some clothes on!”
I glanced down at my body and frowned. “Why?”
“Because I have zero control right now!” he roared. Smoke billowed out of his nostrils.
“I haven’t seen you in almost six months and you’re standing in front of me completely naked, looking…like that!” He gestured wildly at my body and his eyes turned black. “And you’re bouncing!”
Bouncing?
“This is my place, Gerik, you can’t dictate to me! I can bounce if I want! It’s not as if you haven’t seen me naked before!”
He took a step towards me, then stopped and closed his eyes. “Trinity! I am not the same! I am...I have… Fuck! Just put some clothes on!”
I stared at him, trying to figure out what “not the same” meant. I waited a little too long and he began to growl.
“Stop acting like a gods damn animal,” I scolded.
“I AM A GOD DAMN ANIMAL!”
He was right. I could no longer see the man, only the angry snarling beast he half looked like.
“You need to get away from me,” he rumbled. “Now.”
This time I listened. Turning from him, I ran across the cabin, making a sharp left into my bedroom and slamming the door behind me. There was no
At least he would be comfortable on his journey to hell.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
While Gerik stood, stone-faced, near the front door, I stripped off my wet clothes and laid them out in front of the stove. He had not said a word to me since he had descended on me in the woods like the angel of death. It looked like I was going to have to make the first move. After wrapping a blanket around myself, I plopped down on my futon and sighed.
“Are you lost, Gerik? I have a map if you need one.”
He went rigid. His giant, black wings flexed behind him, draping him in shadows and a muscle twitched irritably near his jaw.
“Can I get you anything?” I asked in a saccharine sweetened voice. “Coffee, tea, a soul mate? Some dark magic, perhaps? Or maybe a one-way ticket to Hades on earth without a guide?”
If looks could kill, I would be dragon fodder. I guess he had expected a more receptive greeting.
“I didn’t know they were going to leave you behind.”
Gods, his voice had seriously deepened.
I smirked. “Is that supposed to make me feel better? Because it doesn’t.”
“You’re married to Xan,” he said flatly. “I figured…” he trailed off, staring at me. All around the futon, spirit was seeping through the floorboards, curling upwards in shadowy twists, resembling gnarled, inhuman arms and hands. Whenever I was afraid or angry, or overly emotional, this would happen and I had no idea how to control it. But that was beside the point.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “Calm down.”
“Calm down? No! And what exactly are you sorry for, huh?” I snapped. “And where have you been?”
“I’m sorry that I fucked up again.” Running his hands through his hair, he sighed. “I do that a lot when it comes to you.”
“Ha! That’s an understatement!”
When he said nothing else, I began to fume. Was that my apology? Oh, sorry Trinity, I fucked up. But it’s all better now because my big, wonderful self came back to you.
No. I don’t think so.
“What gave you the right to do what you did to me? Who in Hades do you think you are? You threw all this power at me and left me all alone! YOU LEFT ME! ALONE!”
He opened his mouth but before he could speak, I jumped off the futon and cut him off with a scream. An ear-piercing, bone-rattling scream that had both of us cringing.
“You do not get to say anything!” I yelled, stomping my foot. “You get to turn your big, scaly butt around and go back to wherever it is that you came from! I want nothing to do with you! You ruined my life! You ruined everything!”
“But –”
“No! Just go! Gogogogogogogogogogo!” More foot stomping followed.
“Trinity!” he bellowed.
“What?”
“Calm down and put some clothes on!”
I glanced down at my body and frowned. “Why?”
“Because I have zero control right now!” he roared. Smoke billowed out of his nostrils.
“I haven’t seen you in almost six months and you’re standing in front of me completely naked, looking…like that!” He gestured wildly at my body and his eyes turned black. “And you’re bouncing!”
Bouncing?
“This is my place, Gerik, you can’t dictate to me! I can bounce if I want! It’s not as if you haven’t seen me naked before!”
He took a step towards me, then stopped and closed his eyes. “Trinity! I am not the same! I am...I have… Fuck! Just put some clothes on!”
I stared at him, trying to figure out what “not the same” meant. I waited a little too long and he began to growl.
“Stop acting like a gods damn animal,” I scolded.
“I AM A GOD DAMN ANIMAL!”
He was right. I could no longer see the man, only the angry snarling beast he half looked like.
“You need to get away from me,” he rumbled. “Now.”
This time I listened. Turning from him, I ran across the cabin, making a sharp left into my bedroom and slamming the door behind me. There was no
Similar Books
