The Darkest Touch

Disease gave an all too familiar and hated laugh.

Screaming denial after denial inside his head, Torin pressed his forehead against the mattress. He’d lost her— No. No. But he had. He’d lost his beautiful Sugar Plum Fairy. No! Monsters should die, not angels. It wasn’t fair.

When had life—or death—ever been fair?

This was the end. The price of evil...darkness. Not hers, but theirs. The Unspoken Ones. Bad things happened because creatures like them had free will.

Now, there were no more seconds left on Keeley’s clock.

How am I supposed to go on?

“Torin?” Danika said.

“Get out.” Keeley wouldn’t have wanted anyone to see her this way. “In a few seconds, I’m not going to be responsible for my actions.”

“But—”

“Now!” Tears dripped from his chin, pooled in the liquid that had yet to absorb in her wound.

The numbness was going to leave him— Who was he kidding? It had left him long ago. He was going to tear through this room, this fortress, and then the entire world. No one would be safe from his wrath.

“Wait. I think she’s breathing,” Danika insisted.

His head snapped up. Keeley’s eyes were still closed, but she was— Yes! She was breathing, her chest rising...falling...rising again.

She was alive!

“Keeley, sweetheart.”

Her head lolled toward him as she moaned.

“I’m here, princess. I’m here. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you ever again.” Not even me.

* * *

KEELEY STRETCHED AND blinked to full wakefulness. When her surroundings registered, she frowned and eased to a sitting position. She was in an unfamiliar bedroom, and there were holes all over the walls. Every piece of furniture—not including the bed—was toppled over and in shambles.

Interesting decorating choices.

Sunlight streamed through the large bay window, casting bright rays over the king-sized monstrosity she occupied...alone. There was an indention on the other side, making her think someone had spent the night with her. Torin?

The thought thrilled her. But where was he?

A voice drifted from the shadows, answering her unspoken question. “He’s with his friends. They want to question you when you awaken, but he’s refusing.”

A voice she recognized. Smiling, she said, “Galen.”

“None other.”

Her gaze moved through the room a second time until she’d rooted out his location. He sat in a corner amid broken pieces of wood. Strong and stalwart, his wings several inches longer. “You risked a lot, coming here.”

He nodded as he rose. He approached her. “That I did.”

“To harm Torin?” As much as she liked the warrior, her acquaintanceship with him was beginning to bother her. Torin was her man, and he’d supported her, choosing her well-being over that of his friends. What kind of girlfriend would she be if she consorted with his enemy?

“No. Torin has nothing to do with it.” Galen sat beside her, his thigh brushing against hers. “Or even revenge.”

Interesting. I’m still touch-deprived, surely. The nearness should affect me despite my lack of attraction to him. But there was no tingle. No quiver.

Had Torin ruined her for all others?

“You no longer hate him?” she asked.

“Oh, I hate him.” He grinned coldly. “I’ll always hate him. He was once one of my closest friends, if not the closest. But he didn’t trust me, still believes I’m the one who revealed our plan to steal Pandora’s box to Zeus.”

“Didn’t you?”

“Of course. But did you not hear me? He should have trusted me.”

She rolled her eyes. “So you, the guilty party, got angry at the innocent party for daring to react to a betrayal with hurt and anger. Typical.”

Unashamed, he nodded. “That about sums it up, yes.”

“And you, the guilty party, hold a grudge.”

His grin returned, but this time, there was a hint of warmth to it. “I like that you get me.”

Another eye roll. “Why are you here? And if you tell me you’re crushing on me and want a go at me, I will seriously gut you. I belong to Torin. He said so.” And he better not have changed his mind. There would be hell to pay!

“That’s good, because you aren’t my type.”

Hey! “You don’t like spunky girls with temper issues?”

He playfully flicked the end of her nose. “You aren’t Legion, so, no.” He thought for a minute, frowned. “I suppose I should call her Honey. That’s what the Lords are calling her. Apparently, she reinvented herself. Part of her recovery.”

Bits and pieces of their past conversations drifted through Keeley’s mind, and she sighed. “This Legion slash Honey chick.” An enemy who’d given him her virginity—and then tried to kill him. Not just teasingly, but truly poisoning him. Then she’d run away from him. He’d gone after her, intending to mete out revenge, only to be slowed down by the war with the Lords. During that time, Legion—Honey—had somehow ended up in hell, where she was tortured mercilessly. “You’re here to steal her away?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. First, I just want to talk to her.”

“Well, do me a solid and don’t. Not yet. These people just got Torin back and just met me. Not to mention the battle with the Unspoken Ones. They’re a bit overwhelmed, I’m sure, and won’t react well to another disturbance.” Plus, she didn’t really want to explain her association with Galen right now. She and Torin were finally making progress. No reason to screw that up.