Dark Champion (Flirting with Monsters #4) - Eva Chase Page 0,58
this on purpose. We could hardly drive her across the ocean, and… she didn’t come through the rifts quite the same as when she went in.”
“I think the word you’re looking for is, ‘Sorry’,” Ruse supplied helpfully.
Omen glowered at him too, but a hint of sheepishness had come into his expression that looked odd but unaccountably adorable on the powerful shifter’s face. He turned back to the equines. “My apologies. I had no idea what effect the shadow realm would have on your vehicle. It’s a little more… unique than it was before, but I can at least say that it seems to function just as well as it always did.”
“I guess that’s the important thing.” Gisele peered up at the lights, which had finally faded back to their typical white glow. “Maybe some of the changes are even an improvement. I could get into the dance club vibe.”
As if on cue, her partner grasped her hand and spun her around. The unicorn shifter giggled as she twirled, and some of the tension in my chest loosened. I’d forgotten the mood these two set with their easy-going presence—and there was a relief in seeing Gisele fully recovered from the injuries the Company’s soldiers had dealt to her. You’d never have known that the last time we’d seen her, weeks ago, she hadn’t been able to stand up without Bow’s help.
“How’d you manage to track these two down?” I asked Antic. The imp had never met the equines, having joined our merry band after they’d headed back to the shadow realm to speed up Gisele’s recovery.
Antic leapt up to sit on the edge of the table and grinned over her shoulder at me. “It was easy-peasy. I was ping-pong balling all over the place, talking up the cause, and they tracked me down. I figured there couldn’t be any better allies to bring back than ones you already knew.”
Bow popped open one of the cupboards. “We’ve still got our grass and our grass! I wonder what the trip to the shadow realm did to that stuff.”
Omen cleared his throat. “Maybe not the best time to find out just yet.”
“There are fresh strawberries in the fridge,” Snap offered generously. “They’re very good.”
Bow retrieved the delicacies, and a moment later we were all chowing down tart berry sweetness—except Omen, who watched the whole to-do with his mouth set in a crooked line. The centaur gave Snap a thumbs up while he chewed. “Excellent pickings. Man, did I miss mortal food.”
A bright smile crossed the devourer’s face. He popped another strawberry into his mouth and watched avidly as the equines recounted one of their early battles with the Company soldiers for Antic’s benefit, complete with physical re-enactments of key moments. Snap glanced at me and then Ruse. “It’s good to have them back, isn’t it?”
“The imp did well,” Ruse said with amusement, and gave Snap a nudge to the shoulder. “It’s good to see you looking this cheerful, my friend. Have we not been enough fun lately to keep your spirits as shiny as usual?”
Snap blinked at him with a hint of chagrin. “I didn’t expect this mission to be ‘fun’. Have I done something that bothered you?”
“No, no, not at all. I just remember the good old days when all I had to do was mix up some bubbles in the sink to get that kind of smile out of you.”
The devourer beamed. “I do still like the bubbles. You stopped making them.”
The incubus chuckled and gave the other man’s shoulder another squeeze. “All right, something to add to my to-do list.”
It was good seeing Snap more his sunny self again—and to see Ruse enjoying it too. The incubus might have worried about how much he could pitch in compared to the others, but he’d always felt like an essential part of this group. Maybe he was settling back into that sense of belonging after his moment of doubt.
I enjoyed the comradery next to me for a few seconds longer before the equines brought the conversation back around to our present situation.
“We’d have brought Cori too,” Gisele said, “but after all that time in his cage, he was hesitant to make another trip mortal-side. As soon as we’ve wiped the floor with the Company, we’ll tell him the coast is clear.”
Omen straightened up from where he’d propped himself against the wall. “It may be more difficult than a simple wiping. We’ve uncovered some unfortunate information about the powers behind the Company.”