“Come on.” Croygen kicked at the back of my heels, herding me into our building. Tired, wet, and muddy, I crawled up the stairs. If I had the energy to jump, I would have done it. Using magic exhausted my human body. I didn’t tire out like other humans, but I still wasn’t used to the powers.
When we got back to the room, Sprig was jumping on the TV. “Can we go to dinner now? Those papaya chips only lasted me ten minutes. I’m starving. Pam wants to go to Indio Feliz’s for dinner. It’s our anniversary... and I wanted to take her—”
“Sprig!” All four of us shouted at once. “Shut up.”
He sat back on his hind legs. “Wow. A roomful of grumpy assholes. They’ve all turned Viking, Pam! Retreat! Retreat!” He grabbed his goat, tucking her in his arms as he jumped over to the bed, leaping between gaps in the pillows and tugging the top one over his head.
I couldn’t fight the smile he put on my face. At my lowest times, Sprig was able to cheer me up. I went over to the bed and snatched the pillow off him.
Sprig took in my disheveled appearance and squeaked. “They have become rabid, Pam. Hide!” He grabbed the pillow out of my hands and tugged it back over their heads. A snort of laughter hiccupped from my chest.
“Okay, stay there till we get immunized and clean, then we’ll go to dinner. Okay?”
He didn’t respond.
“All right?”
“Yes. Only because I would die from starvation anyway,” he responded.
“Yes. Positivity. Good,” I quipped.
Amara was in the shower before I could even move to the dresser. Croygen quickly claimed the one down the hall, leaving Ryker and me alone.
He was back to ignoring me, staring at the trees waving outside the window. I was fine with it. I couldn’t deal with his effect on me when he got too near. The best plan would be to stay away from each other completely, except the room was the size of a closet. It was hard to stay out of each other’s way. And with neither of us talking, the painful silence in the room boiled under the ceiling, swelling the ever-growing awkwardness between us.
We both kept busy with our tasks: him staring out the window and me searching for a top to wear after my shower. Since I only had four, including the one I was wearing, this undertaking didn’t last as long as I wanted.
I kept my back to him, his presence throbbed behind me, tickling every nerve. Coating me like a blanket till it smothered me, forcing me to move. I swallowed, my throat patchy and dry, and I moved around the bed, heading for the small fridge. At the same time he stood up from the chair.
Wham.
Our bodies collided, knocking me back. He grabbed my waist, pulling me into him as he steadied me. My hands clutched his forearms. The instant his body was against mine, all fight and stubbornness dissolved along with my willpower.
Let go and step away, I told myself, but my muscles did not listen. We stood there. His fingers rolled tightly around the top of my pants, digging into my sides. He leaned forward, and I felt his breath filter over my lips. Under my lashes I could see his lids were hooded, his lips parted.
My lungs faltered, yearning and desire overriding all thoughts. My eyes shut as his mouth grazed my ear.
Then he jerked back, my eyes burst open as he moved quickly around me. His expression stony and distant. He ripped open the dresser, grabbing clean clothes.
I couldn’t help but watch him, every muscle tensed and strained his shirt.
A frustrated noise gurgled from his mouth, and he leaned over the dresser, his eyes squeezed shut. He slammed the dresser into the wall, and then pivoted on his heels and marched for the door, almost running into Croygen.
“What’s your problem?” Croygen watched Ryker as he slammed past him and proceeded down the hall. Ten seconds later a door slammed so loud it shook the building. Croygen closed the room door behind him. “What did you do to him?”
“Nothing.”
“That kind of nothing leads to jacking off in the shower by yourself.” Croygen smirked. “Not that I would know anything about it.”
“Sure,” I replied while walking to the fridge. I yanked two bottles out and threw one to Croygen.
“Thanks.” He twisted off the lid.
I did the same and gulped more than half before taking a breath. “I was thirsty... and now I’m hungry.” I rubbed my belly.
“Yes. Food. Fantastic idea,” a voice came from the bed.
Croygen set down his boots, pulling them back on his feet. “Why don’t I go out and get some? We’re probably all exhausted and want to stay in tonight. I’ll go get us hamburgers at Pipi’s. Kind of sick of Peruvian right now,” he rambled, getting into his long velvet coat.
“What are you doing?” I asked. Croygen never did anything nice.
“Getting dinner.” He grabbed the handle.
“You don’t get dinner.”
“No, but I’m not actually buying it, am I?” He winked and went out the door. I was tempted to follow him. What was he up to? You have disappeared a lot lately. Amara’s words came back to me. I was out the door and down the stairs before I gave myself time to think. What was he doing, and where was he going when he left? He’d been too nice to me since I came back. His manner had changed toward me. The question was: why?
The breeze blasted against my face as I stepped outside, dry leaves crackled into tiny pieces, getting dust into my eyes. I glanced down the street. Croygen was nowhere in sight. Dammit. His magic of blending made it impossible to follow or spy on him.
A gust ran over me. It was a warm wind, but my arms still prickled with goose bumps. Intuition tugged at my gut. Something was off. I glanced down the street again in the direction of the restaurant where Croygen supposedly went. I wanted to go there and check for myself, but something kept my feet planted on the porch.
Between two buildings far down the walkway, the two little girls wearing my clothes from earlier were standing and talking to someone. They stood side by side, shaking their heads. The person they were conversing with was just out of my sight line, hidden by the buildings. It was mostly likely their parent or a friend, but I couldn’t shake the unease running up my spine. I rubbed my arms and went back inside.
You should never doubt your instinct.
Ever.
TWENTY-FIVE
I climbed out of the shower, wrapping a towel around me. The cold water did nothing to wash away the earlier feeling of Ryker’s body pressed into mine. Even the memory thumped my heart. I wanted him. Along with hot, unrelenting sex. Only a couple weeks ago he had given me an open invitation to join him in the shower, and I didn’t go because I was too scared to follow him. I should have never let the opportunity go by. Fear was such a controlling emotion and held you back from doing things you really wanted. Now it was too late.
Stupid, Zoey.
Wind gushed past my ears. The room tipped.
Holy shit.
When I opened my eyes, I was in a bathroom, but no longer my own. Ryker’s bare ass was pointing my way through the clear curtain. Jump back, Zoey. My body ignored my brain as I watched the soap glide down his back.
He stirred a hunger in me I could not deny, but one I could no longer act on. Desire overwhelmed me, gripped my muscles, and pooled below my stomach.
He turned, looking over his shoulder, and saw me standing there. Watching him. He did not react, only stared back at me, our eyes locking. Water dripped in trails down his form, curving over every muscle before falling to the floor of the tub.
Suddenly I became aware of the small towel wrapped around my torso. It would be so easy. One tug and the towel would be on the ground... along with my resistance. Time stopped. Neither of us moved. The only sound was the infiltration of water pouring from the spout. And my heart thumping in my chest. If I moved, it would probably be to him. The fantasy of joining him in the shower, our bodies intertwined, clenched my lungs. He licked the water off his lips, his eyes not leaving mine.
“Ryker?” A knock tapped at the door, Amara�
��s voice permeated from the other side of the door, causing me to jump. “You want me to come and join you?” Her tone was thick with innuendo. “Remember the time in Bruges when we broke the shower door?”
The stab of pain fought with the fear of her finding me in here. His eyes still drew me in, and I knew he saw the pain flash across my face before I could hide it. Emotion changed his features, but I couldn’t make out what they meant.
I breathed deeply, shut my eyes, and imagined my own bathroom. The room vanished before me, then my feet were on my own tiled floor. The sink took my weight as I fell back onto it, shaking and holding my head. Not embarrassing at all. He probably figured I purposely went to him, hoping for a little side action. Looks like Amara had the same thought.
A few seconds later I heard the door to our room slam, and Amara stomped in, grumbling. A choked laugh hiccupped from my heart, filled with relief and sadness.
I wanted to be upset, but I couldn’t. He was doing the right thing by keeping us at arm’s length. He was respecting my decision. I simply didn’t want him to.
From the bathroom window, a gush of air whistled through, blowing my wet hair off my shoulders. The lights overhead flickered then went out. Shadows grew around me in different variations of gray.
“Are you kidding me?” Amara spouted angrily in the next room. “Are we back in Seattle?”
“Does it look or feel like Seattle, Medusa?” Sprig replied.
“I wasn’t talking to you, baboon.”
“Oh, are your imaginary friends conversing with you again? I’ve heard crazy chicks who don’t eat enough damage their brains and start hearing voices.”
I sighed, knowing I should get out there before things got ugly. I got dressed and ran into the next room when I heard their voices rise higher.
“Hey,” I yelled before I even got the bathroom door fully open. The sight in front of me had me biting on my lip to not laugh. Sprig stood on top of the television, stretched to his maximum height, his fists balled in the air. Amara stood in front of him, one hand on her hip; the other hand poked at his chest. They stared at me like they had been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. “Both of you stop it now.”
“She started it!”
“This little shit started it!”
“Oh. My. God.” I threw up my arms. “Really? How old are we?” My mother voice kicked in. “Sprig, you go out and see if you can find Croygen. He’s supposed to be getting us dinner.”
“But... but why do I have to go? It’s yucky out there,” Sprig whined. “She was the one—”
“Sprig! Now!” I pointed to the window.
He folded his arms, stuck his tongue out at me. “Fine,” he snapped and hopped out the window, disappearing into the darkening evening. The open window blew the curtains toward the ceiling. I lowered them enough to break the wind, but still allow Sprig through.
“That thing is not natural.” Amara shook her head. I peered over my shoulder at her, my lids half-mast in a glare. “What? It isn’t.”
I took in a deep breath, trying to keep myself from throwing her out the window after Sprig. I went over to the drawer I knew held candles, remembering the previous time the lights went out. It was the last time Ryker and I were together. Scenes of raw, passionate sex on the table, against the dresser, and on the bed came into my head. I instantly shoved them back and grabbed the last two candles, lighting them.
The room felt suffocating. I was about to lose it being in the room alone with Ryker’s girlfriend, where I had done things with him I had never imagined possible. Ryker’s entrance into the room only caused more tension to constrict my shoulders. Amara brightened, forgetting her agitation with Sprig and me. The candlelight turned her smile into a sexy expression as she watched him move across the room, putting his dirty clothes in our laundry bag.
Please, Sprig, Croygen, come back. The three of us in a room together was torture.
“Croygen went out to get dinner,” I spurted out, wanting to fill the empty gap in the conversation.
Ryker’s eyebrows went up. “Croygen went to get dinner?”
“Yeah.” Neither of us could look at the other. “About an hour ago.”
Ryker snorted, then his jaw crunched together. “Like I trust...” Ryker’s words tapered off as the door swung open, and Croygen walked in with an armful of takeaway boxes. Sprig rode on his shoulder, chirping excitedly.
“Dinner by candlelight. How romantic.” He strolled into the room.
Holy shit. He really did get us food.
Ryker stood there with a bewildered expression on his face, which didn’t go unnoticed by Croygen. “What? You didn’t think I was coming back, did you?”
“Not with food.” Ryker’s voice held an icy tone.
“Where’s the trust?”
“Not with you.”
The moment Croygen set the bag down, Sprig’s head was inside, grabbing for the closest item.
“Hold on.” I pulled him back, but he batted at my hands.
“Need. Food. Bhean. Now.” He wiggled, and I had to grab him with two hands.
Ryker stepped up, taking my place in handing out the burgers.
“Ryker...” I sighed and re-gripped the squirmy monkey.
Without another word, Ryker handed me a couple of fries, which I immediately stuffed into Sprig’s mouth. His struggles died away, his muscles relaxing under my hand. His eyes rolled back as he chewed on the fries. After handing everyone their containers of food, Ryker grabbed the bear full of honey and squirted a glob inside the top lid of my container, then divided my fries between the sides. I plopped Sprig on the table, near his share of the food.
He moved to scoop the honey with his hands. “No.” I pointed at the fries. “You use those to dip in the honey, not your fingers.”
“But Bhean...”
I tilted my head. He immediately picked up a fry and gingerly dipped it in the honey, watching me the whole time. I knew as soon as I turned my back he would go back in with his hands.
Ryker grabbed Sprig’s wrist with his two fingers and pushed the monkey’s hand into the puddle of sticky concoction. My mouth fell open, and I slowly turned my head toward Ryker. The corner of his mouth hitched in a grin. “You knew it was going to happen anyway.”
“Yeah.” I shrugged out a small chuckle, facing Sprig again. His face was pure bliss between licking his sugarcoated hand and eating a fry with the other.
Ryker still watched me out of the corner of his eye. Something flittered across his face but vanished as quickly as it came. Then his attitude flipped. Straightening his back, he cleared his throat and turned away from me, heading for the farthest point in the room.
It wasn’t only me who felt the ice wall come down between us. Croygen’s eyes darted back and forth between us, a slight crease between his eyebrows. Embarrassment and anger devoured me. My stomach told me it was starving, but I didn’t taste anything as it was shoved in.
“Training didn’t go as well as I wanted today, but we can’t wait anymore.” Ryker leaned against the wall. “It’s time to plan and act.”
“About fucking time,” Croygen mumbled between bites.
“Seriously,” Amara replied. Even I agreed with them. I was tired of waiting. Good or bad, it was time to act.
Ryker scowled over at Amara and Croygen. “Zoey and I will go get the stone.”
“What?” Amara stood up from the bed. “No. No way. We all go together!” she exclaimed, then sat back on her heels, taking a breath. I understood why Ryker wanted to separate us so we could pretend we were going after the stone, even though we didn’t need to go anywhere. After all this time, he didn’t trust them enough to tell the truth.
“We are still going to do this my way.” Ryker tossed the empty food container onto the dresser. “It’s safer for us to meet you two back here.”
“Goddammit, Ryker!” Amara wailed. “When did you turn into this man? You used to go after what you wanted... nothing and no one held you back. You
acted! You were ruthless... the fierce Wanderer. People feared you. Now all you do is sit and ponder. Talk about safety and danger. You’ve been here for months and done nothing. Where is the fae warrior I knew? Did he disappear along with your powers? Did she cut off your balls too?”
“Whoa.” I stood up.
“Plus, I have been with you since the beginning of this, and she gets to go?” Amara put her hands on her hips.
“Zoey has to go; I can’t jump anymore,” Ryker growled. “I really don’t want anyone to go.”
Though our travel was only pretend, the dig still stung. Between the hurt and anger, I knew if I didn’t get out of the room, I was going to snap. Fists were going to fly. Mine.
Amara’s continued rants turned to background noise in my head, all I could hear was my own breath pumping in and out. My gaze locked on the flame of a candle, and I watched it sputter and fizzle out, leaving a single candle in the room.
Without a word I grabbed the flashlight off the table and was out of the room before anyone could react.
Would it be bad if I jumped? Leave this place and never came back? Find a new home?
That was the problem.
The only place that felt like home was where Ryker and Sprig were.
TWENTY-SIX
My footsteps reverberated as I crossed the dim, empty hallway. The howling wind tore through the mountains and wailed through any crack in the windows it could find.
The closet filled with candles, blankets, toilet paper, and other hospitality supplies was straight across from our room. I stepped into the walk-in storage room, the flashlight bouncing off the products on the shelves. For several minutes I scanned the shelves, searching for the candles, then I heard a slam of a door. Our door.
The Barrier Between (Collector Series # 2) Page 26