Gorm’s fleshy cheek caved in as though I’d punched him, and his whole body trembled. The two males were thrown back on that wave of power, crashing into the wall behind them with crushing, lethal force.
I knew they were dead the instant they collided with the brick, their skulls caving in from the force of the strike.
All the power drained from my body, and I hit the ground on my knees. I could no longer feel the pain in my ribs, which meant I was going into shock.
My head swam, and my vision blurred. I emptied my stomach onto the cracked asphalt. The motion sent a surge of pain through my injured ribs, and hot tears pricked the corners of my eyes.
I could feel my concentration slipping. I tried to stand, but my legs wouldn’t support my weight, and I was too dizzy anyway. Blackness pressed in around me, and a tiny voice inside my head whispered that this was easier. It was easier to die than to spend my life running.
The scuff of boots on pavement silenced that voice, and I was instantly on high alert again. Magic hummed over my skin like a caress, and I reached shakily for my dagger, only to find an empty sheath.
Blindly, I skimmed a hand down my thigh, searching in vain for a weapon. But even if I found one of my daggers, I was in no shape to fight.
My eyes focused on a pair of polished black boots, and the scent of leather filled my lungs. I sniffed again, and a hint of charred cedar reached me, carried on a cool night breeze. It was a scent that brought to mind open skies, endless stars, and the soft hiss of wind in the trees — so unlike the filthy alleyway that reeked of garbage and death.
My head spun as I lifted my chin, the darkness threateningto pull me under. But I forced myself to remain conscious and look up into his face.
Stormy gray eyes stared back at me, and behind them stretched a pair of enormous black wings. Blackfaeriewings.
“Why hello, little huntress,” came a dark, sultry voice. “We meet again.”
Chapter
Nine
Kaden.
Somehow, on top of everything else that had happened that night, the dark fae had found me outside of Imogen’s apartment.
Whatwasit with her place? How had Vince, Gorm,andKaden found me here? Had leaving Silas activated some sort of magical homing beacon that allowed every troublesome male in the Quarter to track me?
Before I could formulate the question, Kaden had scooped me up into his arms. I opened my mouth to protest, but somehow my head ended up cradled against his strong shoulder. That intense magic of his hummed against my cheek, but mixed with the crisp smoky scent of him and the steady rise and fall of his chest, it wasn’t altogether unpleasant.
Yet another sign that I’d lost too much blood.
As Kaden carried me out of the alley and around the corner to Imogen’s building, I found myself wishing that the blackness would take me. But I was still agonizinglyconscious as Kaden’s arms tightened around me and he began to climb the narrow, creaky staircase.
The shabby hallway faded in and out as he carried me to Imogen’s apartment, but I had the presence of mind to watch as he stopped outside number nine and held his hand over the tarnished brass doorknob. There was a soft metallicclick, and the door swung open of its own accord, as if beckoning him inside.
Kaden strode in as though he owned the place, pausing just inside the threshold to take in the upturned chair and little piles of dirt that had spilled out of the pots Vince had knocked over.
“Not the best housekeeper, I see,” he said conversationally.
The words rumbled through me from every place we were touching. I made to glare at him, but it hurt too much, and I couldn’t quite muster the effort.
He’d only taken a few steps toward the living room when Goose darted out from beneath a table and shot into the bedroom with a hiss.
“Fuck!” Kaden exclaimed, his whole body jerking as he gave a start.
I chuckled, and even that tiny motion hurt my battered bones.
Moving with slightly more trepidation than before, he carried me into Imogen’s living room and laid me gently on the couch. I noticed that he’d magicked away his massive wings — probably to keep them from bumping into furniture as he navigated the cramped space.
I watched through bleary eyes as Kaden took in Imogen’s apartment. His gaze bounced from the rainbowof crystals hanging in the windows to the teal meditation cushion on the floor.
“Youmeditate?” He sounded genuinely amused.
“No,” I rasped, somehow managing to sound indignant despite the hoarseness of my voice.
