The Grey God

If he felt her tears, he said nothing, though his fingers lingered on her cheek. Jenn moved away.

"Jonny stripped my magic," she said.

"That's why you didn't respond when I called you mentally."

"Exactly," she said with enough sarcasm that he chuckled.

"C'mon. I'm taking you someplace warm." Darian didn't wait for her to respond this time. She felt herself lifted into his arms.

Jenn opened her mouth to object when they Traveled elsewhere. At once, the cold and dark was replaced by soft light and heat. Darian set her down on a small couch and moved away. She recognized the huge orange cat seated on the chair across from her.

Her hands were too cold to move. Jenn looked down at them with a grimace and tried to stretch out the fingers on one hand.

"You don't call, you don't write," Darian complained, returning. He had a bowl in one hand and pulled the ottoman closer, seating himself close to her. "Hands in the bowl."

Jenn obeyed. The warm water stung.

"Might take a few minutes," he said. He gripped the bowl between his knees then took one of her hands in both of his.

Comforting warmth spread through her fingers and palm.

"So you just thought you'd take a walk in the middle of a huge snowstorm?" he asked.

"Something like that." She kept her eyes on her hands, not liking how his warmth was spreading throughout her body. She pulled her hand away from him. "I'll be fine. I think I just want to sleep off the cold."

"For once, let someone else take care of you, Jenn."

She bit her lip. Darian took her hand again. She wanted to resist, to push him away, but she was so cold. And his warmth felt so good.

"What were you doing in the forest?" he asked again.

"I was going to find you," she replied. "I couldn't Travel, but I could walk."

"Jonny said he sent you after me." There was a guarded note in the Grey God's voice.

"He did," she confirmed. "Things got weird with Jonny."

"Which would explain this," Darian said and pushed up her sleeve to show the black cuff. He pushed it up farther, thumb moving gently over the bruise forming from where Jonny grabbed her. "And this."

She felt the air around him shift, darken. Jenn fought the urge to back away. Where Damian radiated sunlight and Jonny storm clouds, Darian shifted between the two.