Bitter Sweet Love

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

  from it.”

  Ignoring him again, I chuckled as Herbert climbed to my side of the rock and wrapped his hand around my pointer finger. His skin was cool and soft. He jumped once and then again, moving my hand.

  “I think he’s shaking my—ouch!”

  Herbert had his mouth on my finger, his teeth clamped down! Sharp pain blasted across my hand, and I jerked back. Scrambling to my feet, I lost my balance and landed on my butt, clutching my throbbing hand to my chest.

  “Herbert bit me! The little bastard bit me!”

  The pukwudgie made a chattering noise that sounded perilously like a laugh, spun around and darted over the boulders. It jumped onto the ground and raced off, stopping only long enough to pick up its spear. Bushes rattled as it disappeared into the growth.

  Dez was at my side in a second, kneeling down. He opened his mouth.

  “Don’t you dare say I told you so,” I warned, glancing down at my finger. Blood welled up from three little indentations. “I can’t believe he bit me. I thought he liked me.”

  “I wasn’t going to say anything. Let me see it.” He reached for my hand. “He broke the skin, didn’t he? Christ,” he muttered. “You’re bleeding. Come on, let’s wash it off and get out of here before more of them show up and decide to take a bite out of you.”

  “You think there’re more?” I let him pull me to my feet and guide me to the edge of the lake.

  “If there’s one, there’s probably a hundred.” He dipped my hand under the cool water, washing away the blood.

  “You should’ve killed it,” I grumbled crossly.

  Dez cast me a long look. “I tried, but someone—no names mentioned—thought Herbert was so ugly it was cute.”

  I sighed. True. “He doesn’t deserve the name Herbert.”

  He relented enough to snicker as he lifted my hand from the water. “Does it hurt?”

  “Actually...” It did hurt. The sting from the pukwudgie’s bite radiated over my hand and down my arm. “Not really,” I finished. Dez already thought I was a big enough idiot. No reason to add to it.

  We were halfway back to the SUV when a fine sheen of sweat broke out across my forehead. Heat traveled across my skin like a fever. I felt flushed, sticky. Stomach roiling, I glanced down at my finger and sucked in a shaky breath. The skin around the bite was blood red, and angry-looking streaks spread out from the otherwise-minor wound.

  Uh-oh.

  I stopped walking, but the trees kept moving. Odd. “Dez...?”

  He turned to me, but something was wrong with his face. All his features blurred together. “Jasmine?”

  His voice sounded way, way far away. “I don’t... feel so good.”

  I took a step or at least I thought I had, but suddenly the ground was in the sky and the sky was no more. Somewhere, off in the distance, I thought I heard Dez calling my name, and then there was nothing.

  Chapter Eleven

  I was on fire.

  It was the only explanation for the searing burn sweeping through my veins, cooking me from the inside, boiling my blood and blistering my skin. I couldn’t move, but I was gliding. Blissful cool air washed over my heated skin, a momentary reprieve, but the fire invaded every cell. Heat surrounded me, cradling me in a hard embrace.

  In the rare moments when my brain wasn’t mush, I knew I had to phase. I had to reach the deep level of sleep necessary to heal, but I couldn’t will my muscles to do what I needed. Nothing responded to me. I was trapped in a circle of Hell.

  Consciousness slipped in and out, and when I was awake, I wanted to be out—to be far away. My skin was slipping off my bones. Flames crawled up my throat. Unable to escape the pain, I shrank into myself, and a million miles away, I heard someone calling to me. The words made no sense, but I clung to the voice and tried to reach for it. Then the inferno spiked, consuming me until there was only darkness and the distant hum of that voice.

  It felt like a stuttered heartbeat later when I became aware of the shift in my surroundings. There were more voices in the distance, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying and I couldn’t force my eyes open. Something was different though. The hard warmth that had surrounded me was gone and in its place was billowy softness. I didn’t understand, but I sank into it for a little while, dragging myself back out when something cool was pressed to my forehead and bitter, tangy liquid coursed down my throat. I tried to turn my head, whimpering as a gentle hand stopped me.

  “You have to drink this. It will help you feel better.”

  I didn’t recognize the voice. My heart rate skyrocketed. Where was Dez? I didn’t have a chance to spit up the liquid. It kept coming until I was drowning in it,and when it stopped, I dragged in deep breaths that hurt.

  “That’s good,” said the stranger. He was moving away from me. “She’ll sleep now.”

  The silence that followed was as frightening as the fire. Summoning every ounce of energy in me, I lifted my hand, searching for something—anything—to hold on to.

  A strong hand folded around mine, and the softness shifted. A damp cloth caressed my forehead. My lips formed his name, but there was no sound.

  “I’m here with you.” The coolness slid over my blazing cheeks. “I’m not going anywhere, Jas. I’m not going to leave you again.”

  The fire was gone the next time my brain churned awake. A dull throbbing remained in every part of my body and my eyes felt sewn shut. My body came back on at the speed of a three-legged turtle. I moved, maybe shifted about an inch on the bed, and I felt as if I’d accomplished something major.

  “Jas?”

  I turned my head toward the sound of Dez’s deep voice. A hand curved around my cheek, and I sighed at the contact. It didn’t burn. Oh, no, it felt grounding and wonderful.

  Finally, after an eternity, I pried my eyes open. I squinted at the low light in the room, surprised by the sensitivity of my eyes. As my vision cleared, I saw Dez sitting beside me.

  I’d never seen him look so tired. Dark shadows bloomed under his pale eyes. His features were pinched with weariness, but the hand around mine was full of strength.

  “Hey,” he said, scooting closer. “You’re finally awake.”

  I opened my mouth, but what came out was no more than a hoarse, pathetic croak. Dez dropped my hand as he leaned back in his chair, reaching for the pitcher of water on the nightstand.

  As Dez helped me sit up enough to drink, my gaze flitted around my surroundings. Beige walls, minimal furniture and heavy white curtains. It wasn’t a room in my clan’s home.

  I felt as if I’d climbed a hundred stairs by the time I rested my head on the soft pillow again. “Thank you.”

  Dez picked up my hand again, threading his fingers through mine. “How are you feeling?”

  “Tired.” I turned toward him. My head was full of cobwebs. “What happened?”

  “You don’t remember?”

  I searched through my hazy thoughts, slowly picking up the important stuff. “Herbert bit me.”

  He nodded. “A pukwudgie’s bite is poisonous. I didn’t know it would be. If I had—”

  “It’s not your fault.” I cleared my throat, wishing I could sit up. “You didn’t know. And if it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine. God, I feel dumb.”

  He smiled slightly. “Why?”

  “Why?” I repeated dully. “You told me not to touch the stupid thing and I should’ve known better.”

  He smoothed my damp hair back from my face with his free hand. “Well, trusting anything named Herbert is a bad idea.”

  I croaked out a laugh. “That’s true.” Wetting my lips, I then let out a long breath. “Where are we?”

  “We were too far from home to take you back.” He slid his hand to my cheek and then he sat back, still holding my hand in his other one. “I brought you to DC. We’re in Abbot’s home.”

  My eyes widened. “We’re here? How? Did you drive?”

  “Driving would’ve taken too long, and I didn’t know how dan
gerous the bite was. It was quicker to fly. And I’m glad I did. Turns out a pukwudgie’s bite isn’t something to mess with. Abbot sent one of his clansmen to get our car. All your stuff is here.”

  I stared at him. He’d flown here? Carrying me? No wonder he looked as if he was about to fall over. “Dez, I... a thank-you isn’t enough.”

  “You waking up and being okay is enough.” He squeezed my hand. “There were a couple of minutes I didn’t think you would. And I...” He swallowed hard as he closed his eyes. When they reopened, they shone the color of the sky before dusk as he brought my hand to his mouth and placed a kiss against my palm. “I was really worried.”

  An ache pierced my chest at the agony in his voice. “I’m okay, though. Right?”

  “Yes, but...” He lowered my hand back to the bed. “Jas, you’ve been asleep for a day and a half.”

  “What?” I breathed. That couldn’t be true. I felt as though I hadn’t slept in days. “Oh, my God, I’m going to find Herbert and strangle him.”

  Dez coughed out a laugh. “You need to get behind me in line for that.” His grin faded into a wince. “I had to tell your father.”

  I cringed. “Oh, no.”

  “He almost came down here, I think, to kill me. Abbot got on the phone and calmed him down, told him that you were going to be okay.” He smiled again, the twist of his lips tired. “Abbot said you’d feel better very soon, but he’s offered his house to us as long as we need to stay.”

  “That’s really nice of him,” I murmured. My brain was stuck elsewhere, slowly turning everything over.

  Dez let out a heavy breath. “Can I...?” He shook his head, starting again. “I’m exhausted and I need to lie down, but I’m not leaving you. Can I lie here with you? That’s all I want—to just lie here with you for a little while.”

  My heart did a little dance in my chest at his request. Unable to speak because the words building in my throat were best left unsaid for the time being, I nodded.

  “Thank you.” Dez dropped his head, and his large shoulders relaxed. Up until that moment, I hadn’t realized how tense he was sitting beside me.

  Wordlessly, he made me finish off the rest of the water before climbing into the bed and stretching out next to me. I lay there for a moment, staring at him, and I forced my body to move. It took everything I had, but I rolled onto my side and wiggled closer, placing my head on his shoulder.

  Dez was still for a moment and then he wrapped his arm around my waist, fitting me close to his side. For some reason, even though we’d shared the same bed in New York, there was something more special about this, a heaviness that had my overworked heart pounding. And as I relaxed into Dez’s embrace, I closed my eyes and could think of only one thing.

  Our seven days were up.

  Chapter Twelve

  By the following evening, I was ready to be out of bed. I was giddy over feeling like myself again. Well, I didn’t feel a hundred percent, but I also didn’t want to sleep for another ten years, and after a quick shower, I called and checked in with my father and Danika, and made my way downstairs. The house in DC was much like mine. More the size of a hotel than a home, but the key difference was that there was no sign of children or women here.

  The house was tomb silent.

  I’d eaten in the room, devouring the food Dez had brought me for lunch, but that had been hours ago and I hadn’t seen him or anyone else since. I knew others were here, unless I’d been delusional when I was sick, which was possible.

  Standing in the hallway downstairs, I was seconds away from seriously believing that Dez had left my butt in an abandoned house, when a door opened behind me. I spun around.

  An older gentleman stepped through the door, closing it quietly behind him. Gray peppered his black hair and his light brown skin was heavily creased. His soulful brown eyes met mine, and as he passed me in the hall, a warm smile crossed his face.

  He disappeared out the front door, never saying a word.

  “Okay,” I murmured.

  Turning around, I headed through a wide archway and into a large sitting room. I moseyed around restlessly until, tired anew, I sat on one of the massive, supple-leather couches. My mind immediately went to what was going to happen next. Our seven days were up and I hadn’t given Dez an answer.

  Dropping my head, I rubbed the back of my neck. The unease in the pit of my stomach was like the pukwudgie’s poison, spreading until a fine sheen of sweat covered my palms. I wished I could slip into my true skin and take flight. Things always seemed to make more sense in the air, but Dez, wherever he was, would flip out. DC, much like New York City, would be overflowing with various demons. And although dusk was still hours away, it would be risky...

  Since when had I started worrying about what Dez would think again?

  The answer was obvious. From the very moment he’d swaggered back into my life.

  My head hung on my neck like a wet noodle. The words formed in my thoughts before I could stop them. I was still so in love with him. During the three years he was gone, that love had turned to heartbreak, but it had never diminished.

  Movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. Lifting my head, I sucked in a sharp breath of surprise.

  Standing in the doorway was a tiny girl, barely coming in at five feet. She couldn’t have been more than thirteen. Then again, she might’ve been younger. She was so small, and I’d never seen anything like her before.

  Hair that was so blond it was nearly white cascaded over narrow shoulders. Her lips were too full for her round face and her eyes were large and wide, like one of those exotic porcelain dolls I’d seen in shops before, but it was the color that was most shocking. They were such a light gray they were almost void of color. The vivid, unnatural beauty of the girl gave her away.

  She had to be the half Warden, half demon that Abbot had adopted, the girl rumored to be able to steal the souls of humans and Wardens alike simply by breathing. She was an urban legend among Wardens, her existence not something I ever truly believed in; but Hell, I’d been wrong, because there she was, peeking around a door at me.

  My heart rate picked up as I stood. For humans and Wardens, dying without a soul ended the same way. One became a wraith, doomed for eternity, existing between Heaven and Hell, plagued with endless thirst and hunger that ultimately manifested in a vengeful and violent spirit. The possibility of death without your soul was not something to take lightly, and I wanted out of this room. To be near something so deadly and dangerous raised the tiny hairs all over my body and caused my human skin to stretch tight.

  She inched into the room slowly, as if she was waiting for permission. In the silence, she eyed me with unabashed curiosity. “Hi.”

  Her voice was soft and unsure. I said nothing as my gaze fell to the open doorway. I could easily get past her. She didn’t look as if she could lift a chair, but with demons, looks could be deceiving.

  Hello, pukwudgie.

  “You’re Jasmine?” she asked, reaching up and clasping the edges of her pale hair with tiny fingers.

  Moving around the couch, I put more space between us. Seemed unreal to be backing away from such a delicate-looking thing, but I liked my soul where it was―in my body. “I am.”

  A wide smile broke out across her face in a stunning display, and for a moment I wondered if all the rumors were untrue, if maybe she was half angel instead of half demon. But no. “I’m—”

  “I know who you are.”

  The girl blanched, her skin matching the color of her hair at the unintended harshness in my tone. Or maybe it was intended? I couldn’t fathom why Abbot would allow something like her to roam freely through his home.

  Her eyes widened further, taking on a shiny sheen before she ducked her chin, dropping her hair and picking at the necklace she wore, twisting the chain around her fingers. A pang of shame prodded at me, burning like a hot poker.

  “Zayne and I were going to get ice cream,” she said after a few seconds, staring
at the floor as she shifted her slight weight from one foot to the next. “I thought that you might like to come with us.”

  My mouth opened, but there were no words. She was inviting me to go get ice cream? I’d slipped into an alternate reality. Before I could speak, a blond Warden entered the room, his easy grin spreading into a smile.

  Zayne—the very object of my sister’s ever-growing crush.

  One did not have to wonder why Danika was so attracted to