wobbly as my feet touch the floor. The cold has weakened my muscles, I think.
East glances at me with a trace of worry residing in his eyes. “You look freezing.” He grazes his fingertips along my cheeks and frowns. “Your skin’s basically blue.”
I frown, too. “Really?”
He gives a grave nod. “Yeah, let’s go warm up by the fire, okay?” He tangles his fingers with mine without waiting for me to agree and pulls me away from Asher.
Asher glances at us as he slips off his gloves, giving me one final look before turning away.
East steers me past Arrow and Maxton, who are shucking off their coats. Arrow’s eyes track out movements before he follows us.
“This place is empty,” Arrow notes as he, East, and I take a seat on the sofas.
East ends up sitting beside me while Arrow sits across from us. Maxton lingers near the door, gazing out the frosted windows, his eyes haunted with uneasiness.
“That’s a good thing,” East tells Arrow as he tugs off one of my gloves, drawing my attention to him. He brings my hand to his lips and breathes on my skin.
“I guess so.” Arrow slumps back into the sofa. “It makes me kind of unsettled, though. My sensors are, too.”
“Your sensors are frozen,” East points out as he sets my hand on my lap. Then he takes off my other glove and breathes on that hand, too. “So, right now, they’re not reliable.”
“I know, but I still don’t like how empty the place is.” He drums his mechanical fingers against the armrest. “It’s strange.”
“It’s not completely empty.” East nods in the direction of the counter where a woman with long black hair and golden eyes is talking to Asher.
Arrow throws a glance over his shoulder, and then his frown deepens as he looks back at us. “You know what she is, right?”
East casts a glance at the woman then looks back at Arrow. “I do, but why does it matter?”
Arrow gives him a pressing glance, and East sighs before breathing on my hand again.
“What is she?” I ask then look at East. “And why do you keep breathing on my hands?”
East smiles then breathes on my hands again. “I’m trying to warm your skin up, sweetheart.”
“Oh. Well, I don’t think it’s working because I can’t feel anything,” I tell him while plucking a chunk of ice off my coat with my free hand.
“That’s because the cold has made you numb,” he tells me. “Give your body a minute to thaw, and then you should start feeling stuff again.”
I give him a thumbs-up. “Noted. But you didn’t answer my other question.”
East’s eyes travel toward the counter, then a frown etches into his face. “I’ll tell you later when we’re in our room, okay?”
I desperately want to know now, but nod, worry coursing through my veins. What could she possibly be that would have him so apprehensive about answering me?
“Can you hear what they’re saying?” East whispers to no one in particular.
Arrow discreetly shakes his head. “No. I think there’s a protection charm in place here or something. Or maybe some silent herb is burning in the fire.”
I glance at the fire, the flames hissing a golden brown haze into the air. Beneath the sounds of hissing of the flames, though, my ears detect the slightest whispering of voices.
“Well, we only have one room available here.” The feminine voice has a sultry purr to it.
“I can hear what they’re saying,” I utter quietly.
East’s brows rise. “Well, look at you, you little badass.”
I wink at him. “You know it.”
He grins, positively pleased.
I grin back, pretty damn pleased with myself, too.
“I don’t know why you’re so surprised by that,” Arrow says to East as he shoves up the sleeves of his shirt, displaying his bronzed arms. “With everything she can do, I’d be more surprised if she couldn’t hear them.”
“You’re right.” East scrubs his hand over his jawline, deeply contemplating something. “One of these days, when we have some free time and a secure place to do it, we should test her and see what she can really do.” He winks at me.
“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” I say warily. “I mean, what if I accidentally do something bad? What if I—”
East places a finger to my lips, shushing me. “Relax, sweetheart. I meant after we find out more about your powers. You don’t need to stress about it right now, okay?” When I nod, he lowers his fingers from his lips. “However,