Page 81 of Hunted By Fear

I know he’s trying to make me feel better, but somehow I only feel worse.

“Do you know what his sin is?”

“Lust.” I don’t know for sure; he’s never said it outright like that, but it feels right as I say it.

“Yeah, and the demon of lust hasn’t felt real, true lust for another being in a few hundred years.’’ He pushes lightly on my shoulders, and I sink lower into the water, tilting my head back so he can wash out all the soap. “Just give him a few to get himself under control; he doesn’t want to scare you.” I look up at him through my lashes, where he sits towering over me.

“He doesn’t scare me. Bast would never hurt me.”

Talian’s hands continue working through my hair even as his lips purse and he arches a brow.

“Everyone is capable of hurting you, Aeri. Even the people who love you most, even if it’s not their intention. This is what Bast believes will keep you safe. It's not forever. I'll be shocked if he can stay away for more than an hour or two. You two have been joined at the hip since I brought you back.”

He’s right, or at least I hope he’s right. I haven’t spent a night in the castle without Bast, and I don’t really want to start now.

“And what about Ruin?”

That makes him laugh. “Ruin is what I like to call apuresoul.”

I raise a brow in confusion, and it only seems to make him laugh harder.

“Well, you were Luce’s first hug, and I’m pretty sure you were a first for Ruin today, too, and now he has no idea what to do with himself.”

Oh.Oh!

That doesn’t even make sense. He’s been alive for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. There's no way Talian is telling me he’s never seen a woman naked before now. But judging by the look he’s giving me, I’d say that’s exactly what he’s trying to tell me.

Can my life get any crazier?

No, that’s a stupid question. The last thing I need is for the universe to take that as a challenge.

What I need is some normalcy, which is exactly what Talian is offering me, and right now I’m just crazy enough to say yes.

“Alright, well, how about we finish up here and go watch a movie? I can’t wait to stuff my face with popcorn and chocolate!”

The rest of my bath is uneventful, and like Ruin, Talian is a gentleman, turning away when I get out and get dressed, but not before he uses his magic to dry me the way he’d done for himself. It was just as amazing the second time, maybe even more so because he did it to me this time.

He pops away long enough to grab drinks and a huge bowl of popcorn once we get to my room, and a TV screen rises out of the little bench at the end of my bed that I’d thought was for sitting.

“That was there the whole time?” I ask, trying to keep my jaw from hitting the floor.

I don’t think I do a good job, though, with the way he laughs.

“Yup.” He pops the “p” before moving toward me with a mischievous glint in his eyes. I don’t have enough time to move before he reaches me, scooping me up in one arm with the popcorn in the other. He manages to maneuver us onto the bed without dropping a single piece.

“Impressive.”

“You ain’t seen nothing yet.” He winks at me, and I can’t stop the blush that colors my cheeks.

Talian is charming when he wants to be, and somewhere along the way, he decided to turn that charm on with me.

He lets me pick the movie, and I click on something that I’ve been hearing about all over but haven’t had the chance to watch. Besides, who better to watch it with?

“A demon boy band?” The way he says it has me breaking down in a fit of giggles.

“Oh yes, because a demon who owns a bar called Purgatory is so much better,” I say, and he snaps his mouth shut.

“She’s got a point.” The sound of Bast’s voice washes over me like a warm blanket, and I turn toward the door fast enough that I hear my neck crack.