Chapter Twenty-Seven

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Lux

"Did you say something to Declan?"

Lux stood at the end of the king sized bed and stared down at Kitty. She had thrown herself into the center of the bed the moment she walked inside the room, and she didn't open her eyes when she answered.

"Why do you ask?"

Lux shrugged. She really didn't have an answer to that question, other than the fact that Declan had looked troubled when he stepped out of the car. That wasn't an all together unfamiliar expression. It felt like trouble followed them everywhere they went, but her intuition told her this had very little to do with their current predicament.

"We might have chatted about a few things," Kitty admitted, propping herself up on her elbows. "But don't worry. It wasn't a fight or anything. We're on the same side now, aren't we?"

That was a complicated answer if there ever was one. Guilt had always plagued Lux over how they'd handled Kitty. They'd tried to give her grace because of the situation. Daphne was a powerful, experienced witch, and it was easy to use a world that was very new to Kitty to frighten her. But when she persisted with her belief that Lux needed to have her powers bound or be taken out all together, some in the Circle decided it was time to give up on her. Lux agreed, but there had always been a nagging doubt in her mind that ostracizing her had been the right step.

Seeing the vision changed everything, but now she was forced to determine whether Kitty had gone too far in her attempts to keep the world safe. Even worse, Lux wondered if some of the guilt could be laid at her feet because Kitty might not have gone so far if her Circle had supported her. Faced with the same situation, would she have done anything to save the world or even just Declan? Could she take lives to save lives?

"How many, Kitty?"

"How many what?" Kitty asked, sitting all the way up, the blue of her irises bright through the slit of her eyes.

"Not what-who? How many people have you killed?"

The blonde hopped up from the bed and rushed to the door. "I think I saw a burger place across the street, and I'm starved. I'll grab something for you too."

"Kitty!" Lux yelled, but her shout struck the back of the door as it slammed.

Moments later, it swung open and Declan stormed in with a wild, dangerous expression, scanning the room and sagging in relief when no threat was detected. Closing the space between them, he rubbed his hands down her arms, generating heat not just where he touched but all the way through her center. Gods, she had missed him. Missed something as simple as his hands on her arms.

"You okay? Where is Kitty? Did she bolt?"

Pressing her forehead into the center of his chest, she exhaled. Something in the recesses of her mind stirred- Morgause most likely. But she settled back and grew quiet again.

"She went to get something to eat. To avoid a question most likely."

Declan kissed the top of her head and stepped away, leaving her cold. The look on his face was now far more wild and less dangerous than before. Almost panicked.

"Stay with me for a while?" Lux asked, and reached for his hand.

"I should go back to my room. You need rest."

"Decs-"

But his back was already to her, and his hand was on the doorknob. He twisted. It didn't turn. He shook it, and it jingled in protest but didn't budge. Her stone warmed against her chest as he cast a spell, but the door remained stubbornly closed.

"Damn it, Kitty," he growled, slamming a fist on the door.

"Why would she lock us in here?" Lux asked, nudging him out of the way and running her hands on the door to see if she could find Kitty's spell. Betrayal tightened her stomach, and hurt joined it not just because of Kitty, but because of Declan's strange need to get away from her. "Surely she's not betraying us?"

Lux cast three different spells, but none of them worked. Short of burning it down, she didn't know how to undo Kitty's spell. Audra would probably know. She patted her pockets and groaned. Her phone was in the car.

"Declan, do you have your phone?"

He shook his head. His dark hair fell into his eyes. "No. It's in my room, but I think Kitty is coming back."

Lux wrinkled her nose. "How do you know that?"

Declan pointed over her head, and she looked back at the door. Golden words formed on the surface.

Enjoy your alone time.

Lux laughed. It was a deep laugh, wrenched from her stomach. This felt so much like the old Kitty. The Kitty who would kidnap her after working at the coffee shop and force her into a skimpy little dress and paint her face with makeup. The Kitty who encouraged her to go after Declan and always pushed her out of her comfort zone.

And it made losing her hurt even more.

"Does this have anything to do with the talk you two had in the car?"

Declan flinched. "Did she tell you about that?"

"Nope. Witchy intuition."

He cracked a smile and sat stiffly on the corner of the bed. "Can never sneak anything past you."

Lux sat beside him and looped her arms around his neck. "Why would you want to?" She leaned in to press kisses along his jaw, but he unhooked her hands. "Did I do something wrong?"

Peering into her face, Declan sighed. "We should rest and preparing for tomorrow. We don't know what we're going to walk into."

"Would you stop telling me what I need to do?" she snarled. Gods, sometimes his restraint drove her crazy. Always denying himself and always putting others first. For once, she wanted him to be irresponsible and selfish.

"You were the one who wanted to keep driving before," he snapped back. He leaned in and studied her again. "Are you sure you're in control right now?"

She shoved him, suddenly furious. "Do you know what's worse than being possessed?" The sorcerer wisely remained silent. "People pinning every outburst on you being out of control. I'm allowed to be angry. I'm allowed to be frustrated."

He scrubbed his hands through his hair and propped his elbows on his knees. "Why are we fighting?"

She sucked in her bottom lip and picked at a loose thread on the plush white comforter. Finally, she found the courage to ask a question she'd wanted to ask for years.

"Do you not want me?"

Declan almost fell off the bed. "Why would you ever think that?"

"Sometimes I worry you stay with me because of our bond. That maybe you don't want me like I want you."

"Stop-"

She shook her head. "I've offered myself to you so many times, but you always pull back. At first, I ignored it because of how you were brought up, but we've been together for years now."

"Lux," he exhaled through his nose and looked up at the ceiling. "I want you so bad sometimes it hurts."

"Then what is stopping you?" she cried. This was so dumb. This was the worst timing,, but if she'd learned anything the last couple of years, then it was that timing was never in anyone's favor. "If it's about the bond permanence, then know that I choose you. I choose you, Declan. And tomorrow I may not have that choice."

"Fucking Kitty," he muttered, but before she could ask him what that meant, her mouth was too tangled up against his to form words.

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