Devon’s heart stopped. Had he just committed the error he was supposed to avoid? Had he doomed her?
But no, that couldn’t be—the Seer had said he’d know when the time came. Besides, if he hadn’t agreed to share his life force and magic with her, she would have died. He’d saved her, not doomed her.
“Soon I’ll be able to walk,” Charity murmured, cutting into his reverie.
He gave her a confused look, his mind still swirling.
“I can feel you shaking,” she explained in a whisper before leaning in and running her lips down the shell of his ear and sucking in his earlobe.
A delicious shiver ran the length of his body. He leaned into her hot mouth, wanting her with a desperation that was inopportune for entering a spooky magical wood with a powerful elf hot on their trail.
“By the by,” Penny said, thankfully pulling Charity’s focus away from her ministrations. “What is it with shifters and wandering around for long periods without clothes? That happened after the Guild battle, too. Dicks just swinging everywhere. And don’t get me started on the number of nipples staring at me. Don’t you guys have pull-away sweats for when you need to change?”
Charity huffed out a laugh.
“Some of us like to show off the goods,” Steve called up.
“None of us like to be poked with those goods, though. Keep your distance,” Andy replied.
“What can I say, when I get hard, I stay hard until the job is done.”
“That isn’t making me feel any better about this particular situation, bro. Stay back.”
Penny laughed, her hand on Emery’s shoulder to keep from face-planting into him again.
“We might need to change at a moment’s notice right now,” Devon explained, wishing he had the strength and energy to hold Charity away from his body so her proximity and pleasing aroma weren’t such a distraction. “In the Brink, there are usually a plethora of clothing options nearby, so if we have to discard a pair of sweats, we can grab another when we need it. But we don’t have those options out here, and I’d rather not have my pack meet Charity’s people in the buff.”
“Huh.” Penny turned back around. “All good points.”
“Get used to looking at the sky, babe,” Emery said as he reached the tree line. He stopped and turned around, his blue eyes lacking any sparkle from the joke he’d made moments before. Reagan had been right—their guide knew his business. “Listen up. There is a reason most people try to avoid this wood. It’s filled with bogles, doppelgangers, exiled gnomes, ghouls, you name it. The worst of the worst gather in this wood, intending harm. Most have a tendency to confuse their victims before killing them. This is, by far, the most dangerous leg of our journey. I’d intended to get a good night’s sleep before braving this wood, but with that elf on our heels, that’s no longer an option.” He took a breath, his gaze touching on Charity, then Devon, then the others waiting behind them in a single file line. “I know you’re tired. I know you’ve had a long day. But to let down your guard in this place is to suffer a fate worse than death. Penny and I can run interference, but we’ll need to walk in pairs or single file, and we can’t guard all of you. Those at the back are in the most danger. A wendigo can sneak up on you from behind, melt into your body, and take control, using you to attack and eat the person in front of you. That’s you dead. That’s your friend dead or bloody and very grossed out. So watch yourselves. Stay alert.” He paused. “Who’s excited?”Chapter Sixteen“Who’s excited?” Charity said, pulling her arms from around Devon’s neck. “What kind of stupid question is that?”
She fought the aches in her joints and the overall exhaustion dragging her down and struggled out of Devon’s grasp. Whatever the dual-mages had done to them had literally brought her back from the dead, but it hadn’t completely repaired her. Only food, time, and sleep could do that. Hopefully.
Given Devon’s inability to hold her steady, he was just as low on fuel. They were sharing the energy of one person. She’d pulled him down enough—there was no way she would tie up his hands so he couldn’t even defend himself. She was done being a leech. Done crying about her past and worrying about her future. These people were making this trip because of her, putting themselves in danger, and she was damned if she’d send them to their graves.
Emery didn’t answer her. He didn’t need to. A strange, hollow sort of laugh drifted out of the trees.
“Welcome,” a disembodied voice said, the tone taunting.
“I got the back,” Steve said, savageness ringing through his words. “They can try to sneak up behind me.”