Three Trials (The Dark Side Book 2)(42)

Kai gives me the neck-wringing look before his lips are on mine again, almost punishing me for trying to make sense of their rambles.

As much as I want to keep kissing him, I can’t. My head drops to stare at the subtly expanding bruise on my waist, and I slightly curse. I might finally get my virginity taken if I wasn’t in too much physical duress to do it.

“Shit,” Kai says, almost as though he’s just noticing the fact the stab wound isn’t there, but it’s still leaving a mark.

In the next breath, he’s lifting me and cradling me to him, and I give him an incredulous look. “I’m not quite that helpless. I can still stand. Just maybe don’t grip me so hard,” I tell him, expecting a grimace and an apology. Not an exasperated eye roll. Which is what I get.

He sits down, still holding me like I’m glass, and cradles me to him like I’m precious. To be honest, it’s freaking me out.

“Who are you and where is Kai?” I ask him, moving my hand up his chest a little hesitantly.

The really angry glare he gives me can’t be duplicated by anyone other than Jude. So I realize it’s actually him. And he’s being nice. It’s still freaking me out.

“I can’t be satisfied,” I say on a sigh, annoyed with my own self.

Nobody even bothers to ask what that means. It’s as though they know it’s a private conversation with myself. It’s like they get me. Finally.

Sort of.

They’re still completely disregarding my list of expectancies.

Ezekiel crouches in front of me, his finger tracing over the bruise, and I wince while painfully swallowing back the weak little cry I almost give up from such a little touch that shouldn’t hurt so badly.

“Lucifer’s poison did this to you,” Ezekiel says while grinding his jaw. “Lake was armed with it either by him, or by her father. She was part of a group preparing to overthrow hell, though the facts on that are still murky,” he adds.

“But she was also a royal escort—”

“No, royal escorts wear bags over their heads. I’ve seen what they look like without them,” I point out, then smile bitterly. “She definitely didn’t have to wear a bag.”

“In hell, she’s hideous. Topside…you saw. The balance was grotesque in one place, exquisite in another,” Gage goes on, cracking his neck.

“Wait, you mean those scarred, charred, and half human guards…she looked like one of them? They made them bag their heads because the Devil thought they were too stomach-curdling for him to have to see so often.”

Frowning, I try to remember exactly how I know that last part. Did Lucifer say something about it?

“The point is,” Gage goes on, drawing me out of my reverie, “she worked for both. She might have done it for the rebellion because Lucifer needs us. She might have done it for Lucifer to spare herself from the culling going on. So we don’t know which one wants us dead, and which one wants us on their side. But in the past month since Jude killed her, everyone has gone silent. Not even Harold has called me until today. We’ve not even been charged with bringing in souls.”

“But why would—” My words cut off when I feel something coming, and I go phantom in the next instant.

I also put on the first outfit that comes to mind, like I’m shielding my naked form before someone sees me and pisses off the guys. They like me, so that means they’ll be jealous, right?

Seems important they be jealous, though I’m not sure why.

I shake my head, blaming the fact I’m still a little poisoned for my even more random-than-usual thought process. I feel so clean now at least.

“She’s back, isn’t she?” a familiar voice asks from behind me somewhere.

Kai leaps up, and I end up on the chair alone as he passes through me and turns around, taking a defensive stance.

I poke my head through the chair, seeing Lamar standing there and looking overly excited. Jude swirls a sword in his hand, coming to stand a little in front of my head like he’s protecting me.

“I thought so,” Lamar says as he takes them in. “We heard of a botched attack on one of you in New Orleans last month. Then I lost the feel of her,” he goes on, stepping closer. “Then I felt her again, and knew this time without a doubt it was her. She feels weakened, though.”

Jude takes a step toward him, and Lamar frowns at him like he’s offended for some reason.

“I’m not sure what’s going on right now,” he says, sounding genuinely frustrated. “I understand she somehow resurrected you as mortals and gifted you a chance to live with a balance that defies all laws. She never was much of one for the rules, and she broke them quite frequently. But why keep up the charade now that you’ve clearly been outed?”

“Is he talking about me? I think he’s confused,” I tell the guys, moving closer to Kai, even though the wound is starting to drain me now that the adrenaline is wearing off.

“She’ll heal faster in hell,” Lamar goes on. “You know it. They’ll never know I gave you passage, and you can continue to keep your secret. I won’t tell them, if she really doesn’t want them to know. But why keep it a secret from me?” Lamar asks, actually sounding a little hurt. “Especially when she’s spent over a month healing from whatever it is she could have healed immediately from with my help.”