my heart surrendered. Our lips collided together and fire exploded inside of me. His mouth tasted like smoke. He was intoxicating in all the worst ways. His armor vanished and then I was pressed tight to his bare chest. His skin was hot to the touch and soft as silk. His other arm wrapped around my waist, his hand tight on the small of my back.
His tongue slid against mine and a strangled, desperate kind of moan slipped up my throat and between our lips. I wrapped my arms around his neck. But it wasn’t enough. I needed more. I needed to be closer. I melted under his touch. My body went weak, falling into the cradle of his arms like he hadn’t broken my heart. In this moment, none of that mattered. All I knew was the perfection in his kiss.
Wait, WHAT? Saffie, SNAP OUT OF IT. He betrayed you!
My mind was muddy and slow but I managed to push him off of me and jump back. My breaths were raw and ragged as air rushed back to my lungs.
He was breathing just as rough as I was. His face was flushed a deep red. He wiped his mouth, held my stare, and growled, “I. Felt. Everything.”
“Liar,” I breathed.
Sharp pain shot through my chest. My glass heart shattered a little more. Tears spilled over my eyelashes and onto my cheeks. He was using my feelings for him against me. He knew how I felt and I hated it. I hated how much I craved him.
The tunnel rumbled under my feet. I felt ice-cold energy brush over my back and then a deep voice, “Commander Zachariah?”
Chapter Nine
Bettina
I knew my best friend was in rough shape the moment her portal opened up in front of me. It was pale and wavering. But I felt her magic all the same and I trusted my brother to not endanger us.
“Bloody hell, we have to go through that?” Jackson crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his aquamarine eyes. “I don’t like the way that’s looking, love.”
“I trust them. And it’s proof we’re needed back.”
“Rubbish. Since when does it take hours to get a portal to work?”
I put my hand on his arm and squeezed. “I know, Lancelot. You can fly back if you’d rather but I need to get back and help her.”
“I go where you go, Moonshine.” He pushed his shoulders back then took my hand. “If this portal kills you. then I’m going down too.”
I pushed up on my tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his temple. “I love you too. Come on, let’s go.”
As he grumbled, I eyed the portal and tried to look as confident as I said I was. It was near dawn in London and her portal had just opened up despite the fact we called for it around midnight. That didn’t bode well. Right that minute, I was regretting not going home when my brother called me the first time.
She’s fine. They’re fine. Just step through the portal.
I tightened my grip on my soulmate’s hand and then dragged him through the portal with me. But the magic felt wrong. It was weaker than usual and had a weird sharpness I wasn’t used to. Usually the portals were instant but this one lingered for a second or two, just enough for us both to suck in a deep breath and then we were standing in the living room of Coven Headquarters in Eden.
The very first thing I saw was red lightning shooting from the fireplace to the back of the couch. I blinked and shook my head and then I realized what I was seeing. Deacon was lighting Tegan up except she didn’t seem to notice. She sat on the couch with her legs crossed under her while those pale green eyes stared at nothing. Her black hair could’ve literally been a bird’s nest. I’d have to check to see if something was living in there yet. Even from ten feet away I saw that the tips of her fingers were red and raw.
Deacon spotted us and dropped his lightning. The air instantly cleared and an obviously relieved smile spread across his face. “Thank Goddess.”
“What the bloody hell,” Jackson whispered.
Just then, Haven stepped out in front of me looking an hour away from a nervous breakdown. His black hair was tied up in a messy bun on top of his head but it was crooked and half-falling, held up by a crown of knots of his