Page 6 of Ignited Spirits (Haunted Magic #3)

ARCHER

I curl my hand into a fist to keep myself from tracing my fingertips over Izzy’s high cheekbones, full lips, and dainty chin.

Her expression is so peaceful as she sleeps, something I rarely get to see on her. She fell asleep a little while ago, and she could really use the rest after how crazy the past couple of days have been.

At least, I think it’s only been a few days. I honestly don’t know, because I haven’t seen anyone but Izzy since I woke up hours ago.

My arms reflexively tighten around her as I think about what could’ve happened if I hadn’t pushed her out of the way of Lua. She would have been the one who died, and there would be no bringing her back.

I wait for my wolf to growl in my mind at the thought of losing our mate before remembering that I might not have him anymore.

Smothering the panic that tries to rise up about losing my wolf, I bury my nose in Izzy’s hair to inhale her sunshine and berries scent. Everything about Izzy calms me in a way that nothing else does, and I need it right now more than ever.

Waking up after Izzy brought me back, I felt…

different. I don’t know what changed, but something did.

Something inside me feels unsettled, like it could explode at any moment.

I have no idea what happens if whatever magic is now chilling inside me does go off, but I want her as far from it as possible.

I’m trying hard not to think about how being brought back to life might’ve changed me, because I’m beyond grateful for a second chance that most people never get. A second chance to be a better mate, brother, pack member, and man.

I spent so much of my life being a self-absorbed asshole. While I tried to change that after my parents died, I still don’t feel like I’ve made up for how I used to act.

With this second chance, I’m more committed than ever to being the type of man I should’ve been from the start. Not just for myself or the pack but for my mate, who has trusted me with something so special.

A dopey grin spreads across my face as I think about mating with Izzy. It’s still hard to believe it’s real. That I bonded my dream girl, the love of my life, and my favorite person.

I expected her to flat-out refuse me, but I figured it didn’t hurt to ask. Good thing I did, because that was one of the best moments of my life.

I press a light kiss to her forehead, careful not to wake her.

I’m almost lulled to sleep by her even breaths and the steady beat of her heart against mine when the door creaks open.

Lifting my head, I raise an eyebrow at Bishop, wordlessly asking him what he wants.

There’s not much I’m willing to disturb Izzy for, though.

“Hades wants to see all of us,” he whispers. When I open my mouth to tell him that Hades can fuck right off, Bishop shakes his head at me and adds, “He wants to make sure that Izzy’s okay after using so much magic and drinking from the River Styx.”

I close my eyes and hang my head because her well-being is about the only thing I’d consider waking her up for.

“Hey, sunshine?” I ask softly against her hair.

“Hmm?” Izzy’s voice is adorably sleepy, and I hate having to wake her up. She opens her stormy gray eyes and gives me a heart-melting little smile, her expression uncharacteristically unguarded.

I cup her face and tilt it up before leaning down to give her a quick kiss. “We gotta get up. Underworld bossman summoned us.”

She snorts as she sits up, her borrowed gray shirt slipping off her shoulder as she does so.

When her gaze connects with Bishop’s, she freezes and blinks owlishly at him. “Um, hi?”

One corner of his mouth kicks up at her question. “Hey, sweetheart. How are you feeling?”

She shrugs. “Fine, I guess. That healing was pretty easy compared to most I have to do.”

Bishop’s eyes darken at the mention of our mate and the magic she had sworn she wasn’t using anymore. He clenches his jaw hard enough that a muscle in his face starts ticking before closing his eyes and blowing out a breath.

When he opens them again, he levels Izzy with an unimpressed look. “How about you don’t remind me of all the things I’m still livid at you about and need to punish you for?”

Izzy gulps at Bishop’s threat, or promise, before nodding vigorously. “I’m good with never talking about it again. Moving on. Where are my clothes? Because there’s no way I’m walking into Infernus’s throne room in a tee and panties.”

He huffs a laugh before his expression sobers. “Your clothes were ruined after you healed Archer. Levi got you new stuff to wear from Seph. I’ll go grab it for you.”

Izzy mumbles her thanks as he walks out of the room. She deflates when he’s out of sight.

“Well, that was a close one,” she mutters to herself. I can’t help the laugh that bubbles up. Her cheeks pink as she realizes I could hear her talking to herself, and she ducks her head. “Sorry.”

Grasping her chin, I angle her face up so she’s looking at me. “No reason to apologize, sunshine. I think you’re cute.”

She scowls at that. “I’m not cute. Badass and intimidating, yeah, but cute? No way.”

I try hard to fight my smile, but my lips twitch up of their own accord. “Hate to break it to you, but you’re the cutest person I’ve ever met.”

She glares at me and tries to hold on to her annoyance. The grin that tips up her lips ruins any attempt to seem put out. Shaking her head, Izzy opens her mouth to say something when Bishop walks back through the door with a bundle of clothes.

He walks over and drops the black and purple clothes on the mattress next to Izzy.

She clambers out of bed. “Thanks,” she tells Bishop before trying to move past him. She doesn’t get far before he loops his arm around her waist and hauls her against him.

Leaning down, Bishop captures her lips for a long kiss that has her clutching his shirt almost desperately. With a hand on her lower back, he presses her against his front and rocks against her. She moans into the kiss and moves her hips against him.

I eventually tear my gaze away, feeling like a creep for watching the two of them and enjoying the show they’re putting on.

A long moment later, Bishop rasps, “For the sake of my sanity, I’m gonna need you to stop almost dying or passing out covered in your own blood. Can you do that, sweetheart?”

Izzy chews on her lip for a long moment as she seems to debate what to say. “I don’t make promises I can’t keep.”

His eyes narrow on her. “That shouldn’t be a difficult promise to keep.”

She throws up her hands in exasperation.

“Have you seen my life lately, St. James? How the hell am I supposed to promise to be all safe and sound when I have to deal with the threat of someone discovering my highly illegal magic, the fact that at least one of the councilmen figured it out, and, oh yeah, a crazed hyper-powerful being trying to destroy the world?”

His hands flex on her waist before he leans down to growl, “I don’t give a shit about any of that. The world can burn to the fucking ground for all I care. All that matters to me is that you’re safe.”

At his tone, something in me rises up and urges me to make Bishop stop talking to Izzy like that. It views Bishop as a threat to my mate and wants to solve the problem with bloodshed.

I do the best I can to shake off the weird sensation. I know he would rather die than harm her and arguing is kind of their thing.

Once I shove the strange thoughts down, I can acknowledge that I one hundred percent agree with the mage.

While I support Izzy and will be behind her every step of the way, I don’t really give a flying fuck about Lua trying to destroy the world. I’m happy to let the war goddess set the world on fire to keep Izzy out of harm’s way.

Unfortunately, I don’t think my sunshine can sit back and let Lua hurt others while staying safe on the sidelines. It’s one of the things I love about her, but it’s also one of the things that makes me worry about Izzy the most.

“Well, I’ll never be safe as long as Lua is free. She has it out for me because the fates said I’ll stop her. The only way this ends is when one of us is dead, and I’d much rather she bit the dust than me.”

At the mention of something happening to Izzy, my vision goes red. All I can see, hear, and feel is absolute fury at the prospect of her dying and a soul-deep devotion to keeping it from happening.

I must black out at some point because, one moment, I’m in bed, and the next, I’m pinning her against a navy wall. I’m caging her in with my forearms against the wall by her head, my hips pressed firmly against her stomach to keep her in place.

I lean down, getting in her face. “No,” I snarl, the deep sound having a hair-raising, eerie quality to it. Even though I know it came from me, it’s nothing like my usual voice.

Izzy’s wide eyes stare up at me. She doesn’t look scared, which is good, at least. I don’t think I could take her being afraid of me.

Her gaze bounces between mine for a moment before she says, “I think it’s safe to say that the River Styx didn’t make you entirely human, so that’s something.”

I tilt my head in confusion as the earlier rage drains away and I process what she said. “What?”

Izzy’s lips kick up at whatever she sees on my face. “Your eyes were glowing almost neon purple, and you crossed the room to back me against the wall faster than I’ve ever seen anyone move.” Her smile drops. “I just hope I didn’t take away your wolf.”

“The only thing you did was bring me back. Whatever happens with my wolf happens, but it’s not on you. And you know what? I’m gonna be okay with or without my wolf because I have you.”

I mean every word I said, but I can’t deny the soul-crushing grief I feel about possibly losing my animal. Even though my wolf can’t speak, he’s still been a constant companion through the hardest parts of my life. And being a shifter is a huge part of who I am.