Page 126 of 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Forty-Two

He froze for a long moment before relaxing and sliding hislarge hands around her waist. The warmth of them trailed across her stomach andover her back, and she sank against him.

She tried not to cry. It was surely getting old. But he hadquite possibly saved them all. Or, at the very least, saved Elwyn since Siawould likely die trying to defeat Kursch. “Iron,” she said against his neck.“Tell everyone that Kursch can be stopped with iron.”

“Iron. Got it. Is Kursch your ex or something?”

A bubble of laughter burst out of her. She’d been so scaredfor so long, but now there was a chance. Not, like, a huge one, but... She sankback and lowered her gaze. “You were right. I’m not entirely human. But I’m nota demon either,” she rushed to add.

He chewed on his lower lip, the actso sexy she was certain her human body ovulated. Then he asked softly, “What areyou?”

“I’m kind of like what you would consider a ghost. Only on my world—one that Kursch destroyed, bythe way—certain plant life had souls, as well. Just like humans do. Weworked synergistically with the foliage we inhabited. We are basically thespiritual remnants of a type of plant that poisons its enemies using anirresistible scent.”

He eased back to get a better look at her. “Is that why yousmell so good?”

She offered a sheepish shrug. “It’s possible.”

“Wait, can it kill me?”

She laughed. “I don’t think so. Not directly, anyway.”

He shook his head as though astonished. “Tell me more.”

“Are you sure?”

“One hundred percent.”

“Okay, well, we wereelementals living on a very hostile but starkly beautiful planet. We were knownto be very powerful, so Kursch ravaged our world, rounded us up, and sent usinto a void where he could feed off our energy for eons.” She glanced up toassess Donovan’s reaction. When his expression remained neutral, she continued.“We languished in the void for so long, we forgot anything else. Until acertain god named Elle-Rhyn-Ahleethiashowed up on our doorstep.” Sia grinned at him. “You know her as CharleyDavidson.”

He gaped at her. “You’re from Marmalade?”

She laughed. “How did you know she named it that? It was sofunny because we didn’t know what it meant until we followed her here. It’squite yummy.”

“Did all of your kind escape?”

“No.” A wave of sadness swept over her. “When she was sentback, only a few of us were lucky enough to make it through before the portalclosed. But she’s the one who opened our eyes. Who showed us what Kursch wasdoing to us. Feeding off us. Manipulating our minds.”

“That’s why you’re seeing things that aren’t there.”

“Yes. But it seems the iron in your bracelet somehow scareshim off. Or maybe it hurts him. Charley told us it would. I don’t know how sheknew, but she told us iron was his weakness. That we could use it to fight him.To possibly escape the void.”

“Did she happen to mention where to find said iron, whatwith you being in a void and all?

“We didn’t get that far, but I think she had a plan.”

“I’m sure she did. She’s pretty amazing.”

“She is.”

“About this body,” he said, swinging back around to theelephant in the room.

“The doctor was attacked. But not by a possessed like youthink.”

He reached over and took her hand as though fascinated withher fingers. He ran the tips of his over the length of hers. It sent waves ofpleasure spiraling through her body. “Then who attacked her?”

She cleared her throat and tried to ignore what he was doingto her. “Her ex.”

His gaze shot to hers.

“Don’t worry,” she continued. “He’s dead.”