I let Bastien know what’s going on so he doesn’t get the same scare you did?”
Valen chuckles and gives me a quick kiss. “No, fair is fair. He should live through the same panic I did. Helps us appreciate the other more, especially when one of us is being a stubborn ass.”
“Bastien, being a stubborn ass? I don’t believe it,” I snark, and we both head out of the barn and back out into the cool night.
“Did you find anything suspicious in there?” I ask, jerking my head in the direction of the barn behind us.
“No, just the spells he mentioned, some maps, and one very sexy Sentinel,” he tells me and slaps my ass. “What were you thinking you were going to find?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t have anything specific in mind. I was just hoping to find something that would put all of the pieces together.” Valen follows me out of the cut in the barrier. I reach my hand out to where my magic coats Silva’s and pull it back inside of my center.
“You’re getting good at that,” Valen tells me with a nod. “But you should close the access point behind you, or at least set a trip-cast inside of the opening so you know if anyone comes in behind you.”
I nod and shoot him a smile, and I make a mental note to practice more protective casts. He grabs my hand and intertwines our fingers as we walk back to the house. The intimacy of it is so simple and yet it feels so huge at the same time.
“What do you mean by put the pieces together?” he asks.
“Like where Lachlan and them got the lead that had them flying to Europe in the first place. Or why Silva has a barrier around this barn to begin with.”
“Well, that last part might be easy to answer. They were tracking lamia, so this could just be a precaution in case the lamia caught on and started tracking them. This barrier would have kept the lamia out of the building and prevented them from hearing any plans made inside. Lamia have really good hearing, among other things.”
I have to admit that he makes a valid point, but I still can’t let go of the doubt and suspicion that there’s more here that I’m just not seeing. We stay in the trees and skirt the others who are still training hard behind the house. The sight of them working to master their runes feels amazing, but I shut out the pride that fills my stomach and focus on getting Valen back to the house. We sneak in, and I pull blankets back from the mattresses on the floor.
“You might have time to get a quick shower in, wash off the sex before you’re wishing you could black out instead of feeling the runes sear themselves into you.”
Valen kisses me and then flicks the tip of my nose. “What a beautiful picture your words paint for me,” he deadpans. “And I’m perfectly happy to have your orgasms on my skin until this is over and I can talk you into taking a shower with me.”
I chuckle. “Well, you might be waiting a while; I’m pretty sure I have PTSD from the last time I tried to shower with one of you.”
We both cringe at the memory of Ryker lying on the shower floor in pain as his runes surfaced slowly on his skin. Valen’s eyes soften, and his mouth turns up with a sly smile. “That’s all the more reason why we need to reenact it and chase the bad memories away with lots and lots of orgasms.”
I clench my thighs against his tempting words, and the movement isn’t lost on him. A knowing grin fills his face, and he pulls me in for a thorough kiss. He grunts, but this time I know it’s not from pleasure but the first tendrils of pain. Valen falls to his knees, and I go with him. I hate this part, but I’m warmed all over by his efforts to smile through it.
“Bastien will be freaking the fuck out right about now,” he grits out, and I laugh and pull Valen into my lap, cradling him as the transition takes its violent hold and works to leave its mark. His hand reaches up to caress my cheek, and I selfishly lean into it, needing the comfort.
“It’s okay, Vinna. I’ve been waiting for this since the night you marked us. It’ll be over