The Darkest Touch
Page 95
“I’ve never heard of those, but I’ll do whatever’s necessary to obtain a pair.” Sabin eased from the bed and moved to the door.
As he let the other warriors inside the room to check on Cameo, Torin lost sight of Keeley. “Out of my way,” he said, and the crowd parted like the Red Sea...just in time for him to catch a glimpse of his woman striding into the hall.
He chased after her, catching up as he snaked around a corner. “What’s going on in that sweet head of yours, princess?”
Silence.
Intolerable! But he held his tongue until she reached his bedroom door and marched inside. “Don’t freeze me out,” he said. “Talk to me.”
“Like you wanted to talk this morning, before Cameo’s rescue?” She flipped her hair over her shoulder and met his eyes long enough to convey disdain. “Or should I bark one-word responses at you?”
He’d been an ass. Got it. “I was worried about you and didn’t handle it well.”
“Well, you sure did seem worried about Cameo. Seemed to handle that just fine.”
“Listen, she and I dated for a while, but—” He paused when he heard her sharp indrawn breath.
“I asked if she was your girlfriend.” Keeley shoved each word through clenched teeth. “You lied to me. Lied after I told you I would rather save an enemy who tells me the truth than a friend who tells me lies.”
“I didn’t. I said no, because she’s not. Not anymore, not ever again.”
“Semantics.” Keeley grabbed a bag and began stuffing his clothes inside.
“Not semantics. What the hell are you doing?”
“Helping you move into another room. I’ve decided to keep this one, and since I’m the honored guest, I get first pick.”
Disease cheered.
Shut it. “I’m not finding another room, Keys.”
“You are, because I’m breaking up with you.”
“No way. We agreed to try to make this work.” The couple that slays together stays together.
“With one caveat. You weren’t to hurt me again.” She tossed the bag at his feet. “In case you didn’t catch my subtle hint, you have.”
“And I’m sorry for it.” He grabbed the bag and began unpacking. “But I’m also staying.”
“Oh, really?”
A second later, the bag was full again. He gritted his teeth. She’d flashed the clothes.
“Not funny,” he said.
“You want to know what’s not funny? You and Cameo!”
“She’s just a friend.”
“Like hell. You were just fawning over her.”
“I wasn’t fawning, and our thing happened about a year ago.”
“Even worse!”
“It didn’t work out. It never would have worked out—because she isn’t you.”
Her countenance softened the slightest bit as she said, “Who broke it off? You or her?”
“Mutual?”
“You don’t even know? Oh!” Fire flashed in her eyes. “Well, guess what? I like Galen. That’s right,” she said when he frowned. “I like him. A lot. He was a prisoner of Cronus’s dungeon, and we talked. He traveled with us through the realms. I helped him. Now do you want to stay with me?”
Shock. Yes, he experienced it.
Anger. That, too.
Torin’s mind whirled, questions he’d once entertained but forgotten suddenly finding answers. The male he’d released from the dungeon, the one he’d thought was familiar but had been unable to place...it had been Galen. The guy’s cheeks had been hollowed, his usually pale hair dark because it was caked with dirt. His skin had been papery and white, his wings removed.
“You freed him,” Keeley said.
“Yes, and I’ll need to forgive myself for that,” he snapped. Should have left him there to rot!
Galen had once been Torin’s best friend but had become his betrayer. Then Baden’s murderer. The warrior’s sins were vast, and deplorable. There was no one Torin wanted to slay more. Not even Hades.
But even as shocked and angry as he was, he managed to say, “You asked if I still wanted to stay with you. The answer is yes. You could do anything and I’d still want you.”
Her jaw dropped, snapped closed. “How can you say that?” she gasped out. “How can I believe you? You wouldn’t touch your precious Cameo, but you’re always more than happy to touch me.”
Now hold on a sec. “You insist that I do.”
“And like I said, you’re more than happy to take me up on it,” she shouted.
“Of course I’m more than happy,” he shouted back. He expected the walls to shake, but they didn’t. “I’m compelled to touch you. The urge is constant and more often than not irresistible. If I can get my hands on you, I’m going to do it. You’re a temptation I can’t resist. She isn’t.”
Keeley blinked at him, her shoulders seeming to turn in. She gulped and said, “Oh.” Then she shook her head, her eyes narrowing. “If that’s true, why did you forget about me the moment she arrived?”
Now my Sugar Plum Fairy is just being ridiculous. “Princess, I’ve never forgotten you. I’m always aware of you. Just because I’m looking at and talking to someone else doesn’t change that. I knew you’d stayed behind when we took Cameo to her room, and I thought it was because you didn’t want to deal with Anya. I planned to get Cameo settled and come back for you.”
As he let the other warriors inside the room to check on Cameo, Torin lost sight of Keeley. “Out of my way,” he said, and the crowd parted like the Red Sea...just in time for him to catch a glimpse of his woman striding into the hall.
He chased after her, catching up as he snaked around a corner. “What’s going on in that sweet head of yours, princess?”
Silence.
Intolerable! But he held his tongue until she reached his bedroom door and marched inside. “Don’t freeze me out,” he said. “Talk to me.”
“Like you wanted to talk this morning, before Cameo’s rescue?” She flipped her hair over her shoulder and met his eyes long enough to convey disdain. “Or should I bark one-word responses at you?”
He’d been an ass. Got it. “I was worried about you and didn’t handle it well.”
“Well, you sure did seem worried about Cameo. Seemed to handle that just fine.”
“Listen, she and I dated for a while, but—” He paused when he heard her sharp indrawn breath.
“I asked if she was your girlfriend.” Keeley shoved each word through clenched teeth. “You lied to me. Lied after I told you I would rather save an enemy who tells me the truth than a friend who tells me lies.”
“I didn’t. I said no, because she’s not. Not anymore, not ever again.”
“Semantics.” Keeley grabbed a bag and began stuffing his clothes inside.
“Not semantics. What the hell are you doing?”
“Helping you move into another room. I’ve decided to keep this one, and since I’m the honored guest, I get first pick.”
Disease cheered.
Shut it. “I’m not finding another room, Keys.”
“You are, because I’m breaking up with you.”
“No way. We agreed to try to make this work.” The couple that slays together stays together.
“With one caveat. You weren’t to hurt me again.” She tossed the bag at his feet. “In case you didn’t catch my subtle hint, you have.”
“And I’m sorry for it.” He grabbed the bag and began unpacking. “But I’m also staying.”
“Oh, really?”
A second later, the bag was full again. He gritted his teeth. She’d flashed the clothes.
“Not funny,” he said.
“You want to know what’s not funny? You and Cameo!”
“She’s just a friend.”
“Like hell. You were just fawning over her.”
“I wasn’t fawning, and our thing happened about a year ago.”
“Even worse!”
“It didn’t work out. It never would have worked out—because she isn’t you.”
Her countenance softened the slightest bit as she said, “Who broke it off? You or her?”
“Mutual?”
“You don’t even know? Oh!” Fire flashed in her eyes. “Well, guess what? I like Galen. That’s right,” she said when he frowned. “I like him. A lot. He was a prisoner of Cronus’s dungeon, and we talked. He traveled with us through the realms. I helped him. Now do you want to stay with me?”
Shock. Yes, he experienced it.
Anger. That, too.
Torin’s mind whirled, questions he’d once entertained but forgotten suddenly finding answers. The male he’d released from the dungeon, the one he’d thought was familiar but had been unable to place...it had been Galen. The guy’s cheeks had been hollowed, his usually pale hair dark because it was caked with dirt. His skin had been papery and white, his wings removed.
“You freed him,” Keeley said.
“Yes, and I’ll need to forgive myself for that,” he snapped. Should have left him there to rot!
Galen had once been Torin’s best friend but had become his betrayer. Then Baden’s murderer. The warrior’s sins were vast, and deplorable. There was no one Torin wanted to slay more. Not even Hades.
But even as shocked and angry as he was, he managed to say, “You asked if I still wanted to stay with you. The answer is yes. You could do anything and I’d still want you.”
Her jaw dropped, snapped closed. “How can you say that?” she gasped out. “How can I believe you? You wouldn’t touch your precious Cameo, but you’re always more than happy to touch me.”
Now hold on a sec. “You insist that I do.”
“And like I said, you’re more than happy to take me up on it,” she shouted.
“Of course I’m more than happy,” he shouted back. He expected the walls to shake, but they didn’t. “I’m compelled to touch you. The urge is constant and more often than not irresistible. If I can get my hands on you, I’m going to do it. You’re a temptation I can’t resist. She isn’t.”
Keeley blinked at him, her shoulders seeming to turn in. She gulped and said, “Oh.” Then she shook her head, her eyes narrowing. “If that’s true, why did you forget about me the moment she arrived?”
Now my Sugar Plum Fairy is just being ridiculous. “Princess, I’ve never forgotten you. I’m always aware of you. Just because I’m looking at and talking to someone else doesn’t change that. I knew you’d stayed behind when we took Cameo to her room, and I thought it was because you didn’t want to deal with Anya. I planned to get Cameo settled and come back for you.”
