by G. K. DeRosa
“Don’t say that. Nothing’s going to happen.”
His lids drooped, and I knew it was taking all his effort to keep them open, not to mention speaking.
“Shhh. Just rest.”
He locked me in his hazy gaze and whispered, “I love you, Luna.” Then his eyes slid closed, and my heart stopped.
“Ryder! Ryder!” I pressed my ear to his chest and exhaled a shaky breath. His heartbeat was faint, but it was still there.
My mind whirled at his words, and my heart sputtered out an erratic beat. Did Ryder really just say he loved me? My eyes roamed over his handsome face—the dark sooty lashes, perfect cheekbones and sexy lips. My heart constricted. I think I’d fallen in love with him the moment I’d seen him on Hitched. And then all over again when I came to know the real man. “I love you too,” I whispered into his shirt as I curled up beside him.
I must have fallen asleep because a rush of icy air snapped me awake, and I nearly fell out of bed. Cillian stood by the window, his brilliant sky blue eyes assessing the compromising position he’d caught us in. Or more like me in. Ryder was still out cold.
I ignored his questioning glare. “Did you get it?”
“Yes,” he breathed out and pulled a small vial from his inner jacket pocket.
The tension in my shoulders dissipated as relief washed over me. “Thank God.”
He rushed by me and sat beside Ryder, opening his jaw and tipping the contents of the small tube into his mouth. “Drink, nephew.” He ran his hand over his throat a few times until Ryder’s Adam’s apple bobbed beneath the skin.
We both watched in tense silence.
I willed his eyes to open as I tracked the steady rise and fall of his chest. “Is it supposed to work right away?”
“It should.”
Another long minute passed, and I moved to the other side of the bed to sit beside him. Cillian’s gaze bored into the back of my head, but I ignored him again. At this point, I didn’t care what he thought. Taking Ryder’s hand, I squeezed and focused on the cord that magically tethered us together.
I could feel him. It was faint, but he was there.
Ryder’s lips parted, and he released a slow breath. The bond pulsed to life, a flicker of energy racing through the thread connecting us.
“Ryder?”
His lids fluttered before revealing the dark onyx pools which lay beneath. “Luna.” His raspy voice kicked my pulse up a few notches. A small smile tugged at his lips, and my heart soared. I sucked in a huge breath of relief as his fingers tightened around mine.
“Thank God you’re okay.”
“How do you feel?” Only the sound of Cillian’s voice kept me from throwing myself on top of him.
“Like I’ve been dragged by hellions through the six levels of the Underworld.”
Cillian smiled. “I’m glad you’re feeling better then.”
He tried to sit up, but I gently nudged him back down. “You have to rest. You could have died, Ryder.” I couldn’t help the hitch at the back of my throat.
He shook his head, his expression gentle. “Nah, it takes a lot more than that to kill me.” Swerving his gaze to Cillian, the tendons in his jaw strained. “It was Luxora all along. Her oracle saw Luna in a vision, or at least she’s fairly certain it was her. She won’t stop until she gets her, uncle.”
Cillian’s mouth set into a grim line. “Well, we’ll have to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
“Kimmie-Jayne said visions were tricky,” I interjected. “She warned me they could change, and we shouldn’t mess with the future.”
Ryder and Cillian exchanged one of their veiled glances but neither spoke.
“What?”
“Kimmie-Jayne may have seen something too,” said Cillian. “She wouldn’t give me any details, but it was one of the reasons you were brought here.”
I knew it!
Ryder pushed himself up, and I was too frazzled to stop him this time. “Maybe she’ll tell us more now that the oracle has corroborated her suspicions.”
“We don’t know that they’ve seen the same thing.”
“Asking her is the only way we’ll find out,” I interrupted.
Cillian nodded. “I’ll call her first thing in the morning. It’s late now, and both of you need to rest.” He ticked his head at me, motioning toward the door. “Come, I’ll walk you back to your dorm.”
I didn’t budge, my fingers still tightly entwined with Ryder’s.
“Not tonight, uncle. She’s staying here.” He pierced the angel with one of those intimidating glares that would’ve had my insides quivering had it been directed at me.
“Ryder…”
“It’s not safe with Luxora out there. And I’m not asking.”
“But the rules—”
Ryder raised his hand cutting him off. “It’s past midnight and technically, school is out. Luna will stay here tonight, and I’m not arguing about this anymore. Goodnight, Cillian.”
The angel shook his head and let out a frustrated grunt. “Be careful, both of you,” he called over his shoulder before slamming the door behind him.
I couldn’t help a little giggle from slipping out. “Wow, you really told him.”
Ryder tugged on my arm and pulled me into his chest. My body curled up against his. “You got kidnapped, and I could have died. There’s no way I’m letting you out of my sight tonight or anytime soon.”
A huge smile crossed my lips, but I hid it by nuzzling into the crook of his neck. None of this seemed real. “But tomorrow I’m going with Cinder to spend the winter break in Draeko, and you were supposed to go to the Underworld.”
“Well, the trip down under isn’t happening anymore. Now that we know it’s Luxora, your safety is my number one priority. I’ll talk to Fenix and Flare, and we’ll work something out.” His arms tightened around me, and I lifted my gaze to meet his.
Did he remember saying he loved me? Did he mean it or was it a crazy side effect of the poison?
His lips inched closer, those impossibly dark eyes boring into me. His mouth pressed against mine, softly at first. Our tongues collided, and heat blossomed in my core. The kiss went from zero to sixty in seconds. He rolled me on top of him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and tugged on the collar of his shirt.
A second later the offending article was strewn on the floor. I traced the lines of the swirling black tattoos over his chest and down his abs. Holy demon babies, he was perfect. Every dip and curve of his torso was a piece of art, as if a master sculptor had carved him.
He cupped my cheeks, bringing my mouth to his once more. The gentleness was gone, replaced by a desperate need that matched my own. I rocked against his hips, a blazing fire building inside me. After everything that had happened in the past year, I just wanted to escape. To get lost in Ryder and his tantalizing lips.
My fingers moved to the waistband of his pants, and he groaned against my lips. “Luna…”
“Please, Ryder. I want to forget everything for one night.”
He gnawed on his lower lip, the intensity in his eyes making my toes curl. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted this, Luna, but I—”
“You said you wanted to give us a chance, right?”
“I do, more than anything,” he growled, pressing his lips to mine again. “But I’ve never felt anything like this. I don’t want to ruin it before we even have a chance. I have to stay in control—”
“You won’t.” I took his hand and pressed it against my heart. It thrummed against his palm, desperate to reach him. “Do you feel that?”
He nodded.
“I want this. I want you.”
He removed his hand, sliding it up to my face and ran his thumb over my cheek. “I love you, Luna. I’ve tried to fight it for so long, but why fight something so good? I know I don’t deserve you, and after everything I’ve put you through, I don’t expect you to feel the same. But I want you to know nonetheless.”
My lungs constricted, my swelling h
eart taking up all the space in my chest. “Of course I love you. And it’s not the hot demon bachelor I fell for on Hitched. I love the real you, the one that’s been there for me from day one, protecting and training me.” My hands framed his face and pulled his mouth to mine.
Fire ignited my insides as he deepened the kiss, pressing his body against mine as he rolled me onto my back. His corded arms caged me in, and I never felt so safe or completely sure about anything in my life.
I loved Ryder, and he loved me. It didn’t matter that some oracle predicted a freaky future or that Luxora was coming for me. All that mattered was the feel of Ryder’s lips and the mad thumping of his heart against mine.
I arched into him as he dropped kisses down my neck and collarbone, eliciting a delicious wave of goose bumps. I wrapped my legs around his hips, needing to obliterate every inch between us. I wanted—no needed, to be completely consumed by him.
As the final layers of clothing separating us fell away, I let my head fall back and met Ryder’s smoldering gaze. “I’ll always love you,” he whispered against my mouth.
“Always,” I echoed. Before I got the entire word out, he rocked against me and pleasure filled every inch of me. Everything else vanished, leaving only Ryder and me and the fire raging between us.
Chapter 28
I woke up smiling, the kind of smile that’s so wide your cheeks hurt. Rolling over, my fingers trailed over the other side of the bed. The sheets were cold—the warm body beside me missing.
I jolted up, scanning the room. “Ryder?”
Nothing.
I jumped out of bed as panic squeezed my lungs. His closet door was ajar and the bathroom one opened. He wasn’t in either. Relax, Luna. I willed my racing heart to slow. He could’ve gone out to get some breakfast or meet with Cillian or something.
I raced over to the bedside table and shot him a quick text message. Staring at the screen, I waited for the blue bubble to confirm he was writing back. Nothing. I called him, once, twice, no answer.
I searched for the Ryder cord within—the eighth tether was missing. My heart was incomplete.
What if Luxora had him?
I scanned the room, looking for signs of a struggle, but nothing was out of place. No upturned furniture, no broken glass, not even the scent of magic lingered in the air.
Another thought crossed my mind, stealing the breath from my lungs. Ryder regretted what happened… He was too chicken to tell me the truth so he ran off. Would he really do that again after everything?
I threw on my clothes and rushed out of his room. I had to find him.
After searching every inch of the faculty dorms and the main hall, I headed up the stairs to Cillian’s office. It was the only place I hadn’t checked yet. I’d avoided it on purpose, too scared to meet the headmaster’s all-knowing gaze.
Darby sat at his desk, his beady black eyes watching me as I approached. “Is Cillian in?”
He nodded and motioned for me to enter with a dismissive wave. I glanced up at the clock over the door as I marched in. Cinder and I were supposed to leave for Draeko in an hour, and I hadn’t even packed yet.
Cillian was hunched over his desk as I entered. His deep blue-eyed gaze lifted to mine, widening the moment the door closed behind me. “Luna, is everything okay?”
I hadn’t even stopped in the bathroom to check my wild appearance. I must have looked like crap to elicit such a response. “Yeah,” I mumbled, hoping it sounded better out loud than in my head. “I was wondering if you’d seen Ryder.”
His light brows knitted, a dark look settling over his features for a moment before he trained them back to normal. “No. Not since last night.”
I clasped my hands in front of me and lowered my gaze. “He was gone when I woke up this morning, and he isn’t answering my calls.”
Cillian shot up from his desk and grabbed his phone from the couch by the fireplace. I stared in silence as he pressed it to his ear, the crease between his brows deepening. After a few seconds, he shoved the cell into his pocket. “He’s not answering me either.” He stepped closer, his eyes raking over me. “Did anything happen last night that would cause you to worry?”
I dropped my gaze to the floor. “Nope. But with everything that happened with Luxora, it’s weird that he’d disappear.”
“Umhmm. Yes, it is. Especially when he was so adamant about not leaving you alone last night.”
My cheeks flushed, and I swung my hair over my shoulder, hoping to hide behind the blonde curtain. “Well, I guess I’ll go back to my room and start packing,” I mumbled, turning to the door. “You’ll let me know if you hear from him?”
“I will.” He followed me out into the foyer where Darby paced anxiously with a phone pressed to his ear.
“Yes, I will let the headmaster know right away. Thank you.” Darby slammed the phone down, his eyes bulging. “One of the Fae towns on the outskirts of the academy was attacked. Dozens of faeries are dead—their souls extracted.”
My heart plummeted. I wrapped my arms across my torso as nausea crept up my throat. Their souls? Dark splotches seeped into the corners of my vision, and I reached for the edge of Darby’s desk to steady myself.
“They’re certain?” Only Cillian’s rough voice kept me from succumbing to the darkness.
“Yes, sir.”
I could feel Cillian’s penetrating gaze boring into me, but I was too chicken to meet it. It couldn’t be Ryder… it just couldn’t be.
“Call them back and let them know I’ll be right over.”
“I want to go too,” I said, my voice trembling.
Cillian clasped my shoulders and shook his head. “I’m sorry, but that’s not possible. Stay here and prepare for your departure. I’ll be back before you leave.”
I wanted to argue, but the set of the angel’s jaw made it clear it wasn’t up for discussion. I trailed out of the foyer behind him, anxiety ripping apart my insides. I walked back to my dorm in a fog trying to convince myself it couldn’t have been Ryder.
Why would it be?
“Hey! There you are.” Cinder walked down the seventh floor corridor with her backpack flung over her shoulder. “Are you all packed?” Her golden eyes ran over me, and she stopped. “What’s wrong?”
“Everything.” Hot tears pricked my eyes, and I wouldn’t be able to keep them from spilling over for long. I grabbed her hand and pulled her into my room. Luckily, Scarlett was still out from last night. Apparently, she’d really had fun with her vampire after the dance.
I slumped down on my bed and told her everything as the tears ran down my cheeks. Cillian had managed to keep my kidnapping under wraps, and no one had been the wiser.
Cinder wrapped her slender arms around me as I cried my eyes out. “I’m so sorry, Luna. I can’t believe any of this. Maybe it’s not Ryder; it could be a coincidence.”
“Then where is he?”
She shook her head, pressing her lips together. “I don’t know, sweetie, but I’m sure Cillian will find him.”
“What if it was because we slept together? What if I caused this? He always says he has to keep a tight control over his demon. Maybe we let it loose somehow.”
“It can’t be. The gods wouldn’t be that cruel.” She swept a lock of my wild hair back, running her fingers through it. “You’ll see; everything will be okay.”
Cinder helped me pack, but my body was on autopilot. All I could think about was Ryder. I checked my phone a thousand times, texted him, and called but got nothing. It was like he’d completely disappeared. The Ryder cord around my heart was still missing, the tether tying us together obliterated.
After all my clothes were packed away into a couple duffel bags, Cinder checked her watch. “Fenix is coming to get us soon. What are you going to do?”
“I can’t leave until I find him, Cin.”
She nodded. “I know, sweetie.”
Three sharp knocks sent my head spinning toward the sound. I raced to the entrance and whipped the d
oor open. Cillian’s big frame filled the doorway. His lips were twisted into a scowl, and a rock the size of the Grand Canyon filled my gut.
“What happened?” I muttered, even though the look on his face made the answer obvious.
“It was Ryder, Luna. I’m sorry.”
My knees buckled, but somehow Cinder moved behind me, catching me before I collapsed. Her strong arm around my waist held me up. “Are you sure?”
He nodded, darkness filling his brilliant irises. “The bodies had his demon signature all over them.”
A thick lump clogged my throat. “But why?” I choked out.
“I don’t know.” He squeezed my hand, leveling his gaze on me. “Ryder has long battled with his demon. Sometimes something triggers it to emerge, and he loses control. It’s not the first time, and I fear it won’t be the last.”
I leaned on my friend to keep from collapsing. “So what happens now?”
“I’ll have Logan send out a team to find him. I’ll be sure to go myself as well.”
“I want to go too.”
Cinder’s hold on me tightened.
“You can’t, Luna. If Ryder’s demon has truly emerged, he’s not the same man you know. You won’t be safe, and he would never want that. He’d never allow you to see him in that state.”
Hot tears surfaced again, but I swept my fingers under my eyes to keep them at bay. I was done crying for today. “So what am I supposed to do?”
“Go with Cinder to Draeko. You’ll be safe with Fenix at Skye Lair. I promise to send word as soon as I hear something.”
“I can’t just leave him,” I muttered.
“I’m afraid it’s not up to you, Luna.” He released me and pivoted toward the door. “I’ll find him, I swear it,” he said over his shoulder. The door slammed behind him, a depressing ring of finality resonating in the quiet room.
The ding of Cinder’s phone broke the uneasy silence a moment later. “Fenix is here,” she whispered. “Come on, let’s go home.”
Read on for a special sneak peek of Darkblood Academy: Demons which will be out on October 1st! And you can already preorder it here!