As the blanket falls from my body, my eyes travel across his lean chest and carved muscles, the side decorated with a black ink tattoo of symbols running vertical. “I’m sorry,” I say, blinking my gaze off his body. “I should have knocked first.”
“It’s okay,” he says as he gets out of his bed, wearing only his boxers. I’ll admit he’s sexy as hell. Long legs, tattoos hidden in places I’d never thought of—I want to touch them all, but the thing that stops me is Alex and how I feel for him, which is mind-blowingly terrifying. “Did you need something?” He grabs a pair of jeans off the floor and puts them on.
“Yeah, I need your help with… something.”
He buckles the studded belt around his pants. “With what?”
“I need you to come with me to Stasha’s,” I say, watching him tug a black shirt over his head.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” He looks down at the olive-green lines scarring my arm as he ruffles his hair into place. “Considering what happened the last time you went there.”
“But I need to. The Purple Flame won’t work unless I do.”
“Wait, you got the Purple Flame? When?”
“Oh, I guess I need to back up a few steps, don’t I?”
He nods and we sit down on the bed. I start from the beginning, telling him what’s happened while he’s been napping.
“So you think the scars on your arms are what’s stopping the Purple Flame from working?” he asks after I finish explaining. I exclude the details of how I received the information about the scars. Laylen is understanding, but telling him that a talk-show-host voice told me about it and that I’m pretty sure it was Nicholas disguising his voice is something I don’t want to share with anyone ever.
I nod. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure.”
He sweeps his blue-tipped bangs away from his forehead. “How do you know that’s what’s wrong? I mean, it could be a thousand different things.” He eyes me over with skepticism. “Why do I get the feeling you’re keeping something from me? Something about how you got the information?”
“Would you believe me if I said that a little birdie told me?"
“Gemma,” he starts, but I stop him.
“Look, I get that you want to know, but I just need you to trust me.” I carry his gaze. “It’s for the best that you don’t know.”
I feel a splash of emotion current through me and for the briefest second I feel like tearing off Laylen’s clothes and touching him all over. But I’m not sure if it’s stemming from myself or if Laylen is feeling something at the moment and his emotion manipulation gift is accidentally seeping into me, and it makes me feel slightly uncomfortable, if he feels something for me as more than a friend. Could that be possible?
“Okay, if that’s what you think needs to be done, then let’s go to Stasha’s.” He rubs his jawline with a thoughtful expression “But if she tries to kill you again, I might have to resort to violence.”
“And that’s perfectly okay with me.” I grab his hand, tugging him up as I stand. He towers above me as I shut my eyes and moments later we are being swept away.
Chapter 28
We land in Stasha’s living room between the two floral sofas and the brick fireplace, surrounded by the creepy vines growing along the walls and the ceiling.
“Careful.” I point up at the vines dangling above us. “They come alive. They attacked me the last time I was here.”
Laylen pulls a disgusted face. “Leave it to Alex to date such a weirdo.”
“Hey,” I say, offended, but then realized Alex and I have never officially dated.
Laylen waits for me to say something, but when I don’t, he lets go of my hand and we wander around the house. We check every room and the kitchen, but Stasha is nowhere.
“I don’t think she’s here,” I say as we return to the living room.
“Good observation,” he jokes and I stick out my tongue amazed at how the tension has crumbled between us. I’m beginning to see that kind of up and down pattern between Laylen and me and wonder what it could lead to in the future, good or bad. “But that just means we can take her by surprise.”
“I like the way you think.”
He flops down on the sofa and gets comfortable as he stretches his arms out on the back. “So did you know Aislin came to me and said she was sorry for everything?”
“That’s a little weird.” I’m not surprised, after the talk we had on our way to the cemetery. “But good, right?”
He wavers, gaze fixed on me as I stroll around the living room looking at photos, some of which are of Alex and Stasha and they make me feel ill to my stomach because they actually look happy together. “Yeah, but I was wondering where it all of a sudden came from?” He pauses. “Did you have anything to do with it?”
I shrug, keeping my back at to him as I stare at one picture in particular of Stasha kissing Alex on the cheek. He’s rolling his eyes but he looks content and it kind of gets under my skin a little. “Does it really—”
“Shhh…” Laylen hisses, leaping up from the sofa. “I think I hear something.”
We freeze, listening to the sound of footsteps heading toward the front door. Then we run down the hallway, making it just in time as the front door swings open. I crouch behind Laylen who hunkers down at the edge of the wall.
“I don’t know why he made me take one of you stupid things.” Stasha slams the door and I hear her keys land on the table. “I mean, it’s not like you do any good. And I can’t even hear what you’re saying. And don’t ruin my plants,” she snaps at someone, clearly not alone. “I need them to keep me alive.” There’s a pause and then she says, “This is ridiculous. Do you leak ice or something?”
Laylen’s head whips in my direction. Ice, he mouths as the temperature drops and frost begins to glaze the floor around us. I’d be afraid, but after taking so many of them down at the castle, it doesn’t seem as terrifying.
“Do you want to take down Stasha or the Death Walker?” I whisper in Laylen’s ear as the ice slips under our feet and along the wall behind us.
“I’ll take death girl, since you’ve proven you can handle a Death Walker,” he whispers back. “Besides, her touch won’t kill me.”