Chapter 69: Chapter 69
KILLIAN
Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed, but I was still disappointed all the same.
I rolled onto my back and draped an arm over my eyes, taking a deep breath.
My mother hadn’t shown up. I’d spent about thirty minutes in the spot I’d seen her three days ago and an hour wandering around the city, but nothing. I didn’t even think she’d been there since the last time we spoke.
I gritted my teeth before pushing myself into a sitting position. My phone said it was five forty-three PM—late enough that Lenore not being in the room made sense—and I clicked my tongue. Sometimes, I hated how time moved differently while I dreamwalked.
Lenore’s absence didn’t worry me—I knew Fabien and Calley wouldn’t let anything happen to her—but the fact that I could hear her in my study made most of the mass in my chest—compounded from anger, disappointment and sadness—lose its weight.
“Oooh, I haven’t been to a club before,” she said.
“Well, now you have to come to mine,” Aurel replied, his tone enthusiastic. “I’ll give you a VIP pass.”
“You give everyone that,” Calley muttered.
“I’ll give her a VVIP pass.”
“Can Cameron come too?”
“...Who’s that?”
I fiddled with my phone as the upcoming tournament knocked on the door of mind, as if to remind me that time was ticking and I was going to let Lenore down if I didn’t do something. My uncle and Fabien had convinced me to speak to my mother before doing that something, but seeing as she was a no-show…
I exhaled in a rush. Tournament’s starting in three weeks, Killian.
Me: 8PM. Rogue nightclub.
Looked like I was going to meet with a witch. I hoped she didn’t ask for anything too crazy.
Celeste’s response came immediately.
Mercer: I thought you were no longer interested
Mercer: Tonight?
Me: Yes
I got off the bed and tossed the phone on it before heading for the door, wanting to see Lenore. The moment I grabbed the doorknob though, I paused and decided to freshen up first—I’d gone straight to bed after getting back last night after all—so I headed to the bathroom instead. Ten minutes later, I emerged and threw on fresh clothes. As I walked into Lenore’s closet to grab the invitation, I listened in on what was going on in the study.
“And what exactly do you think Killian will do to you if she gets hurt?” Aurora asked, and I slightly drew my brows together.
“Don’t say stuff like that before I start!”
Start—what are they doing?! I dashed over the next moment, slamming the study’s door against the wall in my haste, and everyone in it glanced over.
Fabien and Calley were sitting at the desk while Aurel, Aurora and Lenore were sitting on the couches. Lenore and Aurel were sitting across from each other and her hand was splayed on the center table while Aurel was holding a knife above it, clearly intending to play five-finger fillet—the game where someone stabs a knife between their own spread fingers, except Aurel had apparently decided to modify it by being the one to stab between Lenore’s fingers.
I scowled.
The other four didn’t look surprised by me being awake—they must have heard me moving around in the room—but Lenore… Her face lit up in a way that made my heart stutter, filling my chest with warmth, and made me temporarily forget my plan to make Aurel eat that fucking knife.
“Killian!” She shot to her feet and rushed over, wrapping her arms around me. I didn’t hesitate to hug her back, my lips naturally curving into a smile before I shot Aurel a knowing look.
He set his mouth in a hard line and moved the knife out of sight before averting his gaze from mine.
“You left me all day,” she muttered against my chest and guilt spread through me.
She was the reason I’d woken up early. Time in the dream world didn’t correspond to time in the real world in any predictable way, so a minute there could be a minute here, or it could be hours, and I’d spent just an hour and a half waiting for my mother to show up, hoping it’d only be a couple of hours in reality, but alas…
“I didn’t mean to,” I said, tightening my hold on her. “I’m sorry.”
“And then Aurek made it sound like you wouldn’t wake up—”
“What?!” Aurel burst out, eyes wide, and Calley cackled. “I simply said you’d slept for a month once,” he explained and once again, I shot him a look. He was going to eat that knife and my fist.
“I’m sorry. I’ll get rid of him,” I said just before she pulled back to stare at me like she was checking if I was really awake, and a smile swept across my face. Then she sighed softly and my gaze dropped to her lips before I leaned down.
Her lips were warm and soft and the soft tickle of her breath beneath my nose drew another smile from me while she ran her fingers through my hair. Her body pressed against me insistently, letting me feel the thud of our combined heartbeat, and sparks went off in my chest.
I could devour her… I badly wanted to.
“You fell asleep,” I muttered against her lips after breaking the kiss, and she pressed her lips together, a bashful expression crossing her face.
“I’m sorry.”
I nudged her nose with mine. “Will you fall asleep tonight?” I might be leaving to meet a witch now, but if there was one thing I wanted more than not letting her down, it was her body beneath mine.
She shook her head sideways, and the corner of my mouth kicked up before I gave her a quick kiss.
“I have to leave the city for a bit.”
Lenore instantly frowned, her grip on my hair tightening, and for a moment, something rather savage flashed through my mind. Fuck.
“But you just woke up,” she said while I swallowed and cleared my throat.
“I’ll be back before midnight, my sweet. I promise.”
That didn’t get rid of her frown and guilt proceeded to eat through my chest. “Please, Lenore. It’s for the tournament,” I said and realization dawned on her.
“Oh…” She drew her bottom lip between her teeth. “...Before midnight?”
“Before midnight,” I promised and she kissed me sweetly again, parting her lips slightly so my tongue could slip in and dance with hers. When we finally broke apart, my fingers were itching to pull at her clothes, but I let go of her instead.
Fabien raised his brows at me, silently asking if I’d spoken to my mother, and when I shook my head, he sighed and got to his feet.
“Aurel, with me,” I said, motioning for him to come over, and he glanced around like there was another Aurel in the office.
“Uh, I’m having fun with Lenore.”
I was glad that they’d grown comfortable with each other but—“Want me to come over and play five-finger fillet with you?”
He got to his feet and shot finger guns at Lenore as he walked past us and out of the study. “See you soon, Lenore.”
Lenore gave him a small smile and after Fabien also walked past us, I stole a quick kiss from her and said, “Don’t fall asleep.”
“I won’t.”