Chapter 54

 

“That’s the vibe Raf picked up.” Troy confirmed.

“When are we going over?” Chase’s voice sent shivers down my spine and they weren’t at all good ones.

“Tomorrow night we’re going to meet and get it set up so we’re all over there long before they have a chance to do anything.”

Chase ran a hand through his hair. “You’re going to have to take more than one mage, possibly even a witch or two to keep the locals in the dark.”

I processed this quickly. “You can block the humans from seeing?”

Sighing, Troy shrugged. “That’s the plan.”

Which meant it would be fighting like they were on this side of reality. “Where are they meeting?”

“Raf says it’s a worse neighborhood then you live in.” Troy stated with a note of surprise. “I find that hard to believe.”

I snorted. “My neighborhood is a rose garden compared to the other side of the bridge.” I chewed on my lip for a minute, doing some fast math. Eight brothers, plus me only made nine against way too many psychos. “We need more.”

“More?” Chase came over and looked down at me. “More what?”

“Able bodies to fight.” I ignored the look in his eyes that said he didn’t think I should be involved. “If your witch or whatever can block out the rest of the world from knowing what’s going on then I think we should take Tim and a few of the other guards with us, we’re seriously outnumbered. “

His expression hardened. “I agree with the guards, but not to you going.”

I could actually feel his concern for me; it was good, but bad. Good that I could feel it but bad because now I couldn’t tear a piece off him for saying it. “My side, my territory.”

Chase’s jaw clenched and for thirty seconds he mulled it over before nodding abruptly and moving to the other side of the room.

I was suddenly swamped with emotion and couldn’t even describe what kind of emotion. It was hot, but cold at the same time. Opening my mouth, I shut it just as quickly and looked over at Troy. “I’m going.”

His lips quirked. “I didn’t say otherwise. In fact, we need you there because as you said it’s your side. I believe you have to be present to keep the balance between the realms.” With a quick glance to his brother, he rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. “I need to get some rest. We’ll meet at breakfast and hammer out the details?”

“We’ll be there.” Chase answered before I could say a word.

Troy nodded and then looked down at me. There was a look on his face that he wanted to say something, but it vanished. “I’m glad you’re recovered.” He turned and left without waiting for a reply.

Mouth hanging open, I stared at the door and then looked over at the man standing in the shadowed corner in my room. “What was that about?”

“I didn’t shield my twin from the sudden urge to strangle you and kiss you; I’m not sure which I wanted more.” The vulnerability was clear in his voice. “I’m afraid he didn’t know what to make of it.”

I didn’t know what to make of it. “You know your life would be much simpler without all this connection stuff.” I didn’t move any closer, not sure if I really wanted to. “I have to be there, Chase, surely you know that.”

Moving away from the corner, he walked over to the desk and sat on the edge of it. “I do but it doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“I didn’t ask you to like anything.” Still reeling from the onslaught of his emotions moments earlier I kept my distance.

He sent me a heated look before he cloaked his expression with his long lashes and looked down at the floor. “I don’t seem to be in control of that lately either.”

I should have asked what he was talking about exactly, but that voice inside my head that keeps me from sticking my nose in things I really don’t want to be in spoke up, so I brushed right over his comment. “I understand completely. I’m in another realm, who knew”

“Damariss, please come over here.” His voice was soft and it sent shivers all over me, the good kind.

Wary of why, I moved over to stand a few feet in front of him. His eyes, bordering on changing again moved over my face. “I’d like to have dinner with you and maybe for a few hours not have to debate fighting tactics or whether or not you should go to battle again, can we do that?”

In all the possible things he could say, that wasn’t one of them, it wasn’t even on the list of possibilities. “I think so.”

Reaching out, he grabbed my hand and pulled me toward him. When I stood between his knees, close enough to see his chest rise and fall, he tipped my chin up and studied me. “Later, after we’ve had a chance to eat and relax, I’m going to ask if you’re still willing.”

I didn’t have to ask what he was referring to, knowing that I had volunteered to be his next meal, or whatever he called it. “Okay.”

Releasing my chin, he clenched his jaw a few times. “Could you please go put a bra on so Tim doesn’t trip over his own feet?” His eyes dipped down to my chest.

Suddenly feeling like I had no shirt on, while my body responded to his stare, I nodded and backed away. “I’ll be back in a minute.”