Page 110 of Vipers and Vendettas

I survey the hound that’s now got its head in the dumpster and is noisily lapping at something in the bottom.

‘I have a link key on me,’ I say, already regretting saying yes. ‘But you need to get him through, or the plan is a no-go, Jules.’

I figure that’s my way out of this. That thing is not going to just walk through a roaring portal just because Jules wants it to.

Except that it does. I open the bridge, and she calls its ridiculous name. It trots through with its head held high and its limp a lot less noticeable. I narrow my eyes at it as it passes me and let out a low sound of disapproval as I follow it into the tunnel.

A second later, we’re outside the kitchen, and Jules is already picking her way across the frozen lawn in the falling snow, with the hound following at her heels like a trained pooch. I quickly message the others to tell them that Jules was tired, so we came home, and then I make my way after her.

I catch up, put my jacket around her shoulders, and scoop her into my arms. ‘It’s freezing out here, and you’re in a fucking evening gown,’ I growl. ‘You couldn’t have taken two seconds to grab a coat and some boots from just inside the kitchen door, at least?’

‘I just want to make sure Fluffy is okay,’ she says in a small voice.

‘You need to remember that it’s not just you anymore,’ I reprimand her lightly as I caress her stomach. ‘You have Jellybean. The clan. You’re not alone, and you need to consider that when you make decisions now.’

‘I know. I’m sorry. I guess I’m used to it just being me,’ she says quietly.

I kiss her lips gently, holding her a little tighter, and my heart breaks for her a little as I realize how lonely and alone she’s felt, probably for her entire life.

‘It’ll never just be you again,’ I say, and I feel her somewhat precarious pleasure at my promise.

We get to the maze, and I make myself put Jules down even though I’d love nothing more than to hold her like this forever. But we have to deal with the stray first.

Jules walks straight into the maze, and Fluffy follows. I let out a long-suffering sigh and follow up the rear, not letting them get too far ahead and keeping my eyes open because the maze barely tolerates me. I haven’t been here in ages, and for good reason.

She sits on a bench and touches the leaves of the bush next to her while I look on and try to pretend that I’m comfortable being amongst the closed-in foliage and malevolent energy of this place.

She’s murmuring to the hedge, pausing periodically to stare into space.

‘I think the maze is cool with Fluffy staying in here,’ she says after a bit.

‘You think?’

‘Well, I get thefeelingit’s okay,’ she clarifies.

‘It doesn't talk to you?’

‘Talk to me? No, I just get emotions sometimes. I think maybe I heard a whisper once, but I can’t be sure. Who can talk to it?’ she asks, looking more than a little intrigued.

‘Maddox can. He’s the only one, though.’

‘Not you?’ she asks, going over to Fluffy.

‘Only if you count the time it disappeared me for two days and then let me go by dropping me in the fountain astalking to me.’

Her eyes widen. ‘It did that? Where were you for those two days?’

‘It was when I first joined the clan.’ I look around the immediate vicinity with ill-concealed suspicion, though I realize that I’m a lot more powerful than I was then, so odds are it wouldn’t be able to do something like that to me now, and I relax a little. ‘I don’t remember anything about it.’

‘Why did Maddox let me come in here?’ she asks almost as an afterthought, and I shift uncomfortably.

‘I’m sure he knew you’d be fine,’ I mutter.

She scowls at me. ‘I’m sure,’ she echoes, muttering something under her breath as she turns away that sounds like ‘prick’.

Jules makes her demonic pet sit down and rubs something over the wound on its leg, which she then wraps in some white gauze.

‘Where did you get that stuff?’ I ask.