Page 164 of The Bonds of Indigo

“Yeah? Bullshit, Zuhara.” I rake my fingers through my hair and close my eyes. “Fucking bullshit. He had every means to come see me, yet he didn’t.”

“He wanted to.”

“Then he should have.”

“It’s more complicated than that. He’ll explain before trying to send you both home…”

I let out a snort, shaking my head. “Try is right.”

“For what it’s worth, Kayn, I am sorry.”

I scoff. “No need for you to apologize for his actions. I’ll get my answers, then I’m kidnapping him.”

That makes her laugh. “Always the brute. You won’t see me stopping you, that I can promise.”

Chapter 42

We sat in the tub only a little while, and once I’d fed enough to at least prove I had, I stopped.

Even if it was the hardest thing I’ve had to do in quite some time, I’m proud of my restraint. Her energy is bright and soft—fluffy—unlike Kayn’s, whose is thicker and richer. She tastes like spring, he like winter.

After helping her out and handing her a towel, I stepped out of my bedroom to get her some clothes. The only person I’d dare ask for that from is my mother, and when she didn’t answer her door, I slipped inside and stole a full-length dress from her closet. Nothing she owns is modest, but at least this would cover Amarah’s breasts and ass.

When I returned to my room, the bathroom door was open just a crack, and the moment I stepped inside, she peeked her head out. I offered a smile that she didn’t return and handed her the dress. She shut the door swiftly, leaving me to sit on my own bed, alone, and feel every second drag like a century while she got dressed.

“Zuhara.” I reach out to my Familiar while I wait. “Is Kayn okay?”

She sighs through the bond—long, theatrical, and full of irritation. With this attitude, I’m denying her any mortal-world treats for a decade. “He is okay,” she finally says. “Quite angry with you. And with me right now.”

“As is his right.”

“How is the girl? He demands to know.”

I wet my lips, lean back on one hand, and rake the other through my hair. “She’s okay. Desperate to see him, but fine. Did he tell you who she is to him?”

“No, but let us be honest with each other—it’s pretty obvious.”

I’m not stupid. I know exactly who she is to him. Kayn has never claimed anyone. At least, that’s what he told me once. He even begged to do it to me, but I told him it wasn’t a good idea. And look at that, turns out I was right.

What are the odds that the man I love is with the woman I haven’t been able to stop thinking about since the moment I laid eyes on her? I can’t tell if fate is an evil cunt for that, or if she’s actually trying to tell me something.

“Lucifer?”

I shoot to my feet at the sound of her voice. “Yes?”

Her head peeks out from between the door and its frame. “Do you have anything else I can wear?”

I let out a low chuckle. “I was going to have you wear a pair of my sweats and a shirt, but I don’t think that would bode well.”

I can’t be rock-hard at dinner, and seeing her in my clothes would guarantee exactly that. Plus, my father wouldn’t appreciate her showing up anything less than presentable.

She sweeps her long white hair over one shoulder, eyes closing briefly. “Do you have anything to go over my shoulders? Maybe a jacket? I may get cold.”

I manage not to laugh. She’s in the Beyond—this part of it doesn’t get cold. If anything, she’ll get a bit warm. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. Come on out, let me see.”

She hesitates, scanning the room as if expecting someone else to appear, and then finally steps out.

I’m suddenly very glad I didn’t find anything else for her to change into and equally glad nothing hides a single part of her frame. Yes, I saw her naked, but only in passing. I was too preoccupied with the fear of my father catching Kayn’s scent on her to actually look.