Storm and Fury (The Harbinger 1)

I smiled, and when he kissed the corner of my lips again, my smile grew. He guided my head to the space below his chin, and I was surrounded by his warmth.

I had no idea how much time passed, but I could feel the lure of sleep tugging at me. “Are you... Are you going to stay with me tonight?”

His lips brushed my forehead. “Sleep, Trin. I’m not going anywhere.”

30

“Any update?” Jada asked into the phone as I rooted through the clothes I’d packed, looking for something appropriate to wear to meet with witches. I felt like I needed something dark and badass.

“Bael was sighted the night before last.” I pressed my phone to my shoulder. I hadn’t told Jada that we were going to see witches tonight or that we were working with demons. I didn’t think she’d understand when I barely understood myself. “We’re waiting on some info that will tell us where to find him. I hope so at least, because I can’t imagine...” I rocked back on my knees, closing my eyes.

“I know,” Jada said quietly. “The good news is that you still feel the bond, right?”

“Right.”

“So, he’s still alive and that’s all that matters right now.”

I cleared my throat as I opened my eyes. “How is Ty? Thierry and Matthew?”

“Ty is amazing as always,” she answered after a beat of silence. “Thierry and Matthew are okay, but they miss you.”

“I miss them, too. Does Ty not miss me?”

Jada laughed. “Ty misses you, you dork.”

“He better. Still no more attacks or anything like that?”

“It’s been as quiet as a church mouse,” she said, and I frowned as Peanut drifted through the wall and through my suitcase, stirring the clothes. “Boringly normal around here.”

I couldn’t stop my grin from forming. “That sucks...for you.”

“And for you when you get back,” she reminded me.

A weird twinge lit up my chest as I glanced at the opened bedroom door. “Sucks for me then.”

“How’s Zayne?”

I bit down on my lower lip, thinking about last night, about the way he touched me and made me feel, how he held me through the night. My face flushed at the heated memories, and I was at once grateful Jada and I weren’t FaceTiming.

Zayne had stayed with me all night, and not only that, he’d kissed me this morning—kissed me so sweetly that just thinking about it now caused my chest to feel like there was a balloon inflated there.

And then he made me breakfast—waffles and bacon, and I sort of wanted to keep him forever.

“Trinity?”

“He’s good,” I said, keeping my voice low because he was in the bathroom, showering.

“I bet he is.”

I giggled, wanting to tell her everything but knowing that right now was not the time. Plus, I knew she was going to have questions, ones I couldn’t answer. Like did last night mean there’d be more last nights? Did it mean we were together? I didn’t know. We really hadn’t had that conversation. “Shut up—hold on.” I lowered the phone as I saw Peanut making his way toward the bathroom. “Peanut! Don’t you even think about it!”

The ghost threw up his hands and flailed all the way to the bed, throwing himself onto it. He sank through it, disappearing.

“What is he doing?” Jada asked.

“Being a freaking creep.”

“I’m not a creep.” Peanut’s muffled voice came from somewhere in the bed. “I have to use the bathroom.”

“Peanut, first off there are two bathrooms in here, but most importantly, you’re freaking dead and you don’t use the bathroom.”

“Maybe I should let you go,” Jada said, and I sighed. “Call me tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay. Talk to you soon.” I dropped my phone on the bed as Peanut’s head resurfaced. “Behave.”

He grinned at me, though it was really just a grimace exposing all his teeth.

Shaking my head, I turned back to my clothes. I picked up a black tank top. It was one of those hi-lo styles, cut shorter in the front and longer in the back.

“What about this?” I asked Peanut.

He cocked his head to the side. “Why do you think I would know what to wear to go meet witches?”

“I don’t know.” I sighed, plopping onto my butt.

“I can’t believe witches are real.” Peanut’s head was still the only thing visible. “I also can’t believe I’m still surprised by anything.”

“Same,” I agreed.

“I also can’t believe what you two were doing last night.”

My eyes widened as I lowered my voice. “Were you creeping on us?”

“No. Come on. That would be gross.” He paused. “But there was literally nowhere for me go in this place where I couldn’t hear you two.”

Oh my God.

The bathroom door opened, and I looked over my shoulder just in time to see a shirtless Zayne come out, running a towel over his wet hair. He was wearing jogging pants that were damp in...interesting places, making me think he hadn’t taken the time to really dry off.

He glanced over at me. “What are you doing?”

“Looking for something to wear tonight.” I lifted the tank top, struggling to behave like everything was totally normal. “Do you think this is appropriate?”

One side of his lips kicked up. “You can wear whatever you want to wear, Trinity.”

“I like the way he says your name,” Peanut commented.

So, I wasn’t the only one who thought he said my name in such an interesting way. “Yeah, but I don’t want to stand out.”

“Don’t think that’s possible.”

I lowered my shirt, grinning like a little idiot. When he turned to walk to his closet, I was watching him so avidly that Peanut giggled.

“Is your chest okay?” I asked.

“Yeah, I put some of that stuff on it this morning just in case, but it’s fine.” He pulled out a black shirt and put it on over his head. That was it. Dudes picking out clothes was so simple. “I figured we’d take it easy tonight, after you do the visit thing.”

“Really?” What did taking it easy consist of? I glanced at the bed and felt my entire body flush.

I really needed to get control of myself.

He headed for the door, a pair of jeans in hand. “Yeah, we can grab something to eat.”

Excitement thrummed through me. I was going to see witches and get to go out and eat dinner with Zayne like a normal person, like a—

I cut myself off before I let that thought finish. Ducking my gaze, I folded my shirt. “I would like that, but if the witches give us intel, we’ll—”

“We’ll act on that immediately,” he agreed.

I dared to let myself smile. “Okay.”

“Good.” Zayne hesitated at the door. “You’ll be ready soon?”

I nodded.

“I’ll be waiting,” he said, closing the door behind him.

The moment he was gone, I let myself topple, face-first, onto my suitcase.

“I think you like him,” Peanut whispered.

I groaned.

“I think you really like him.”

“Shut up,” I said, closing my eyes.

“I think you like him a lot,” Peanut sang, and I couldn’t say anything, because obviously it was true.

I liked Zayne.

I liked him a lot.

* * *

The drive to Bethesda took longer than we anticipated, due to the traffic between the two cities. When we arrived, night had fallen and Roth was waiting for us in the parking garage, dressed all in black. He wasn’t alone.

Layla was with him.

I’d decided to go with the leggings with skulls on them, which I had thought was superfitting to meeting with witches, and the black tank top, but seeing Layla in a pale blue dress, the kind that was flowing and flowery, made me wish I’d picked something...prettier.

I sighed. Too late now.

And besides, it wasn’t like I could hid my blades in a dress like that.

“What in the Hell?” Zayne was muttering as he turned off the engine. He opened the door and stepped out as I did the same.

Roth and Layla approached us, their hands joined as Zayne came around the front of the Impala.

“Hi,” I said, waving awkwardly at the demons.

Roth grinned at me while Layla sent me a brief, tense smile.

“I’m staying out here,” Layla announced, smiling innocently up at Zayne. “To keep you company.”

Uh-oh.

Zayne’s jaw was working overtime, like he was going to crack some molars. “Just to give you guys a heads-up, Bael was seen two nights ago, over by Franklin Square. We patrolled over there but didn’t see him.”

“He was with someone, but we’re not sure who yet,” I added. “We’re waiting to find out.”

“That’s a strange place for him,” Layla commented, her pale brows knitted as she looked at Zayne. “I don’t think I ever saw demons over there when I patrolled.”

“You patrolled?”

She nodded. “I used to...tag demons so the Wardens could easily find them when they hunted.”

I gaped at her. “I have so many questions.”

“Layla’s ability to see souls also means if she touches a demon, it lights them up for us Wardens to see. Gives them a glow,” Zayne answered, arms crossed. “I wonder if you’d be able to see it.”

“I don’t know.”

“It doesn’t work on demons like Roth,” Layla explained. “But it did on a lot of the lower level ones. I’d tag them and Zayne would hunt them later.”

“Ah, the good old days,” Roth purred with a smile. “Right?”

Layla was staring at Zayne, who was staring at some place behind Roth.

“You used to hunt demons?” I asked, thoroughly confused, because, well, while she was half-Warden, she was also half-demon.