Chapter 5: Lucas - Bound to Ruin

Wearing my dirty clothes from the night before feels wrong, especially when I approach Tor’s bed. She’s so beautiful in the morning, her face soft and peaceful while she sleeps.

I kneel beside the bed so that I don’t get any of the grime on her nice sheets. All the blankets are kicked down and her creamy smooth skin ripples in little bumps without my arms around her. I grit my teeth as the impulse to rip off my clothes and dive back in rocks through me. The best I can do is carefully free the blankets from her long legs and drag them up to her chest.

Jinx is sleeping on Tor’s pillow, her fluffy body like a crown upon her head. I scratch behind Jinx’s ears and she barely twitches. I frown as I stroke down the fluff. She’s flat again, no bones found at all. She was like that last night, too. I found her lying before the basement door. “Resting” was what she told me she was doing.

A blue cat eye peeks at me, and the chest expands under my hand until ribs and a spine form. Jinx tilts her chin when I scratch her favorite spot under it.

Then I drag my hand away to stroke Tor’s soft face, following the curve of the heart shape. I’m so damn pathetic for this wild creature. I could kneel here waiting for her to wake for hours. But I won’t have time to stop by my apartment if I wait too long.

“Tor,” I whisper, my thumb catching her lip. “I’m heading out.”

Her dark lashes flutter, the softness of her expression leaving when she scrunches adorably in a frown. Her green eyes meeting mine has a smile spreading across my face, and I wait while she stretches. What I wouldn’t give to slip my arm under her arching back and bury my face in her perfect chest.

Her voice rasps with sleep. “Where are you going?”

“To gather intel about the Guild, but first, I’m stopping by my place. I haven’t been back there in weeks. I need to make sure the rent is paid up and grab some fresh clothes while I’m at it.”

“You have clothes here.”

Her fingers wrap around my hand, and my heart aches. “They’re all dirty, unless this is you trying to convince me to do your laundry?”

“Even I’m not that cruel.”

I turn her hand in mine to inspect her palms. No blister in sight. “You’ve healed up nicely.” I run my thumb over the smooth skin.

“Huh. That was fast.” She inspects them, and my smile softens as I wait for her to finish chatting with Jinx. There was a time when I swore I’d never get used to it, but now it’s as easy as breathing. Tor nods and shifts her feet. “I’m an Heir now. My magic is different. Faster healing is part of it.”

Jinx stretches, too, and her deadly claws unfurl from her toes to glint menacingly in the light. She rolls on her back and Tor lifts her arms to wrap around her familiar. The sheets ride low to expose her nipples that are begging to be licked.

I suck in my lower lip and bite. I have time.

I lean forward and press a kiss along the soft side, my hand sliding up to cup the other.

A spitting hiss has me recoiling. Jinx glares at me with a low grumbling growl. I snatch back my hand before I shit myself.

Tor snorts and scratches Jinx. “Go downstairs if you don’t want to watch.”

Jinx doesn’t break her menacing glare from her comfortable spot, and I hold up my hands in defeat. I fold my arms and lean on my elbows. “I’ll be back to help you clean up downstairs.”

I’m fine with cleaning up solo. Especially if it means Tor stays in bed all day and rests. Maybe I can join her once I’m done and we can pick up where we left off.

“Do you want me to bring you back a treat from Café Francesca?”

Tor muffles a yawn. “I thought you meet with Nora on Thursdays?”

“It is Thursday.” I smirk when she blinks rapidly.

“Shit, I guess you’re right. Then yes. You better bring me back a treat, or I’m changing the locks.”

I ease back on my heels, but Tor’s picking at the sheets draws me back into my kneel, my elbows on the bed again. “What is it?”

She swallows, her gaze dropping. “I need to make a little trip to Monument Park.”

I pause, unable to believe she’s come around so quickly. “Visiting Valen?”

She startles. “What?”

“The transportation circle is the perfect way for you to slip over the border undetected. The public platform there connects to the Preservation Domain.”

Her jaw drops, and I smirk. She’s so cute when she thinks she can outsmart me. Her jaw snaps closed and she glares. “Do you want to fight?”

I hold up my hands in defeat again. “Fuck no. So, why the park?”

She sighs heavily. “I don’t know. I’m feeling… lost? Anchorless? When I saw Antonia in the Weave, she first appeared as her statue that dusted away to reveal her soul. It’s probably nothing, but maybe if I sit with the statue, she’ll send me a message? It’s that or deal with the body.”

I laugh. “You don’t like rotting corpses?”

More books to choose from.

Look up Lokepub on Google and find a novel you like.

“It better not be rotting or I’m going to flay you alive when you come back.”

I take her hand in mine. “Alright, we’ll go to the park when I get back.” Her brows crease, and I stroke my thumb along hers. “Or should I reschedule with Nora?”

“No. I want to make sure she’s okay after harboring us. Dimitar was pissed off when I fucked him over with my old grimoire.”

“His second got bit by the spider book. He’s probably too busy making sure Ivan survives to give Nora too much trouble, but I’ll ask her at breakfast. Hopefully I can tease out some information on what’s happening with the Guild from her. She doesn’t like it, but I’m sure she’ll tell me if last night had anything to do with Dimitar.”

Tori nods. “Yes, then definitely meet with Nora.” She wets her lips. “In the spirit of trying to be open and honest with you… because… you know…We’re…”

Damn, she’s so cute. “We’re barely a full day into a relationship?”

Her cheeks turn pink, and I could just bite them. “Yes, that. I’m trying very hard not to be the same toxic bitch you were friends with.”

“Hey, I’m rather fond of that toxic bitch.”

She laughs, and it takes some of the seriousness from her face. She finally meets my gaze, and my heart thuds when she says, “I want this to work, Lucas, and I promised it wouldn’t be the same. Last night was horrible. I don’t ever want to experience it again. If you’re not here in the shop with me, then I don’t think I can stay sane even with Jinx here. Going to the park will help.”

Heat floods my chest at the same time as my stomach drops. I grip her hand. “I don’t like you going alone. Take Jinx.”

“She has to stay here to keep the pentagram active. I’ll be okay. Don’t forget I’m an Heir now. I’ve got magic you couldn’t even dream of. Remember, you felt the power of both of my flames working for the first time.”

A shadow passes over her face and I search her desperately. What can I say? What should I say? We’ve known each other for years, and I’ve never had issues making her feel better before. It’s like I’m a virgin fumbling my way through my first time, and the inadequacy has me nodding. “If that’s what you want.”

She smiles softly. “I’ll be careful. I’ll make a circle in the loft to go to the park and come right back. Besides, I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who visits it.”

I hate it, but I bury this feeling. If it’s what Tor needs, then it’s what she needs. If we were just business partners, she would’ve done it without telling me. If I agree, then maybe she’ll break that habit of hiding things from me, and I won’t die at a young age from worry.

I kiss the back of her hand and make my way up her arm to her neck. “If you change your mind and wait for me, we can still go together.”

She giggles when my kisses tickle her. “I’ll be fine.”

My lips meet hers in a deep, slow kiss, my body sinking on top of hers. Desire surges, my head tilting when she moans, but a crawling sensation along the back of my neck has my eyes opening. Jinx glares at me, her eyes glowing, and I nearly piss myself. I pull back with a final kiss on Tor’s nose.

“I’ll be back as fast as I can.”

I shove off the bed before I push my luck and Jinx rips off my face with her demon claws. I scratch the familiar behind the ears in a peace offering. “And thank you for convincing her to tell me her plan.”

I throw on my usual teasing smirk and back away quickly before Tor can swipe at me. She glares from the bed. “I told you all on my own, thank you very much!” Her head whips around to glare at Jinx. “Don’t you start.”

I laugh and trot down the wooden stairs, the sounds of Tor’s one-sided argument with Jinx echoing after me. My threads lining the interior of the loft suck back into my rings when I grab the door handle.

I shut the door firmly behind me and lean against the wood.

My eyes close. Should I go back and convince her to take me with her to the park? I don’t want her to feel suffocated by my neediness. She’ll bolt from me if I come on too strong.

I rake my hands through my hair and grip.

Would Valen have done a better job than me in comforting her?

My teeth grind, and I shove off the door. I don’t need the Valen insecurities starting up again. I just spent a hellish week or so dealing with him and feeling like a floundering idiot with Tor. It’s bad enough being mind-numbingly in love with the woman who is afraid of relying on others and letting them into her heart without also fearing that her ex was a better boyfriend than me.

My toe catches on something at the base of the spiral stairs, and I cuss viciously as I right myself. Great. One thought of Valen and now I’m physically floundering.

My lip curls and I growl towards the tipped-over stack, “You all better clean up your nests before Torment finds you.”

The grimoires hiding in the shadows and piles of papery nests hiss and draw deeper into the ruins of weaker books. I look down at what I tripped on. I snatch up the ratty stuffed bear and frown at it. There’s something familiar about it, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.

“Did one of you steal this from a customer?”

The bear has seen better days. The eyes are missing and a hole sits where a nose once was. The fuzz is nearly all gone, and the limbs look thoroughly chewed on.

“Gross.”

I toss the bear towards the hiding grimoires. “Enjoy it while you can because she’s going to chuck you all in the incinerator when she discovers this.”

And I choose a different upright stack to walk through the dim bookshop, my rings lighting the way with the crystals still out.