Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

Kellan

Josie stood still in front of me, her gaze lingering on the fae ready to tear me to pieces outside the window.

I didn't blame him. I did stick a knife into his leg but with good intentions. Fern definitely led him here without knowing.

She stood in the corner of the room, staring at the window from the distance. The fear on her face put shards of anger in my stomach.

The bastard thought he would come in and wreak havoc? He was sorely mistaken.

Josie moved in front of me, her backside brushing against my front and sending my resolve into pieces around me. My fingers tightened around her elbows, and the friction warmed my blood.

I groaned under my breath, stepped away, and guided her with me. Mr. Ernest seemed in no hurry as he walked into one of the back rooms and disappeared.

Josie's soft, worried sighs climbed my spine like a white-hot tap dance to my neck. I couldn't look at her because I knew those too-blue eyes would break me.

She'd imagined the most ungodly things. I wanted to break this guard around me, press her against the wall, and kiss her.

I was surprised she hadn't run away after my glass-breaking incident.

But hearing Fern tell those tales that I knew to be true hurt me deeply. Deidamia had fed off my family that day and killed my entire village.

That was only the start of it. Afterward, she'd ruined what was left of my pathetic life.

"What's going to happen?" Josie sliced through the silence. "I take it that he's here to kill you?"

"He's here to take me," Fern whispered, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor.

I let go of Josie's elbow and stepped over to Fern. "He will not take you. Do you understand?"

Fern looked up at me. "Yes."

The heat of Josie's stare felt heavy. I stood, attempting to hold myself together while Ernest walked out with a giant sword. It looked odd in his hands, but he seemed comfortable with it.

"All right," he said. "Let's go meet our friend. You girls stay inside, and do not leave. Holler if anyone comes inside."

Josie made a face of shock and fear at this man's nonchalance. I didn't know his skill set, but I assumed by his age that he had plenty.

I stole a glance at Josie, regretting it immediately. What was this pull? It felt natural but consuming. My fingers twitched in anticipation of speaking to her alone.

A bone-deep need twisted in my stomach. I needed to kiss her, to get it out of my system, so we could go on with this journey home.

"You coming?" Ernest asked over his shoulder.

I nodded before tearing my gaze away from her and walking toward the door. The fae stood several yards away from the porch, his posture tall but hatred all over his face.

Ernest groaned when he walked down the steps, making me doubt his fighting abilities.

The fae laughed. "I should have known," he laughed. "Fern would run to the outcast of the village."

Ernest made it to the last step, looked up in one solid motion, and tossed his sword at the fae's face. It sliced the skin of his cheek, making him howl and crouch down like a feral animal.

The glow of his eyes and the sharp points of his teeth made him look like a rabid hellhound. "You dirty bastard," he laughed.

Ernest raised his hand and caught the sword as it returned to him. "I think you should leave or prepare to die."

He stood swiftly, but his gaze lingered on him before turning toward me. "You thought I would let you stab me and get away with it?"

"Looks like I have," I said, pulling my sword from the air. "You thought you'd get Fern back? That's really pathetic. Do you not have any skills? Pimping out young faeries is your only strength?"

He bared his teeth at me.

He disappeared from his spot. My senses noticed him moving through the air around us. Ernest sighed. "He's always been so dramatic."

"You know him?"

"Since he was a boy. I didn't recognize him at first, but he was part of the village that cast me out for trying to protect the faeries."

My teeth ached as I ground them together. The audacity of the people in this realm worked my nerves. They thought they could take and take until the person was completely empty.

That was the reason I stood up for people who couldn't stand up for themselves. Wielding my sword, I braced myself for impact. The wind pushed my hair around my head as he ran back and forth, taunting us.

Ernest sighed in irritation.

I channeled every bit of focus and what magic I knew around me, slicing through the air, hitting the fae square in the chest.

He materialized in front of me, my sword pierced through his stomach. "You've pissed off the wrong man today," I whispered, sliding my sword from his body.

He stumbled backward and fell onto the ground.

Ernest made a noise under his breath and clapped slowly. "You're in tune with this realm. Very interesting."

I glanced down at Ernest. It wasn't interesting. It sucked being here, and I hated it. The fae clumped over to the ground and turned into ash like some sci-fi movie.

"All right, then," Ernest said, walking back toward the house.

I stared at the empty spot on the ground. It reminded me of how easy it was to forget that someone existed. I never wanted that to happen to my family.

It was part of the reason I was tortured for so many years. Because I couldn't let go.

"You coming?"

I walked back into the cabin, seeing Josie and Fern had moved toward the front window. Fern launched forward and wrapped her arms around my waist. I patted the top of her head. "Thank you," she whispered.

"You're welcome."

Fern pulled away with a giant smile on her face, but despite her appreciation, I couldn't look away from Josie's stare. The invisible string between us tugged harder, and my resolve broke.

"I need to speak to you alone."

I stalked out of the living room and into the back room I'd used to change clothes. The room was lit by candlelight, with a small twin-size bed and old hand-made wooden furniture.

The door squeaked when she pushed it inward and filled the doorway. She didn't speak but pushed it behind her and stepped into the room with me.

It was the end of this longing. I would kiss her, put this fire out that had come to life by itself, and be done with it.

She lifted a brow after several minutes of silence. "Are you going to say something? Or stare?"

Curling my fingers into fists, I stepped closer, loving that she didn't back away from me. "There is something that I need to do. I have something pulling me toward you that I can't explain. I'm not interested in a relationship or anything other than what I'm about to do. I'm putting this out now. I just need you to agree to it."

The corner of her mouth tugged into a smile. "What are we talking about here? A dance? A conversation about our feelings—"

Dammit. She wanted me to say it.

I took two steps closer to her and barricaded her against the wall. My thigh wedged between hers, and our bodies touched.

The warmth in my blood ignited. The tension in the air boiled over into heavy pants and the longest eye contact I'd ever experienced.

"Oh," she teased. "You want to kiss me?"

I wanted to do so much more than kiss her.

The smile on her face was daring. A simple look that undid me like a small child.

Tangling my fingers into her dark locks, I angled her mouth upward, giving me access to what I needed the most.

A soft sigh fell from her, and she closed her eyes.

It was the heavy lure of her breath and heartbeat that drummed inside of me. Lowering my mouth to hers, I whispered, "Just one kiss."

I stopped her chuckle with my mouth.

The lush feel of her lips against mine spiraled like an unhinged tornado. She whimpered something, but I became needy or greedy, whatever you wanted to call it.

I pulled on her hair and deepened our kiss.

She reached upward and curled my t-shirt into her palm, squirming on my leg. I lifted her without hesitation to my hips, keeping her trapped against the wall, where I could get to her.

Everything about her taste, the soft pressure of her tongue in my mouth sent me into chaos. I wasn't sure I could stop. She pressed her opened thighs against mine and cried out in a blissful pain that wrecked me.

This wasn't going to stop the fire. It was fueling it.

I knew right that second that I would never get enough of her.

Sliding my palm down to the curve of her thigh, I walked her from the wall while she clung to me and dropped her to the twin bed.

Lust and excitement traveled over her face.

I knew her body, her true self, was lying on the table in the other room, but if it was any indication of how it would feel to touch her, I wanted it.

Before I lowered myself on top of her, she lifted her foot and placed it on my chest. She was dirty and dressed in ragged clothes, but I don't think I'd ever wanted anyone more.

"Don't come down here if you're never going to give me this again," she demanded. "Don't torture me. I don't deserve it."

She was right, and I was so gone that I couldn't deny it.

Placing one hand on each side of her, I lowered myself between her legs and kissed her. Her hair spanned around her head like a halo. She tangled her fingers into mine and wrapped both legs around my waist.

Then the pressure of her beneath me vanished.

Our mouths made a popping sound as she pulled away and disappeared.

I sat back and stared around the room. Fear and frustration rocked through me.

"Kellan!" Ernest yelled from the other room.

I opened the door and rushed into the room.

Josie sat on the table staring at me, that same smug look on her face. "That's one more mark toward your hero status, Anti-hero. Looks like I just needed true love's kiss."

Fern jumped up and clapped her hands in applause as I felt the world titling on end. "That was not true love's kiss."

She rolled her eyes and slid off the table. "Well, whatever you call it, it worked."