Sinister Secrets Book. 3

❅Chapter 9❅

I woke cradled against a warm chest, the pounding of the heartbeat familiar against my ear.

I smiled, snuggling further into Foster, savoring his warmth, the feel of his arms wrapped tightly around me. He chuckled. "About time."

Groaning, I hid my face in the crook of his arm. "How long have you been awake?"

"For about an hour now."

Looking up at him, I huffed a sigh. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

At this he smiled that easy-going grin I had grown to adore. "Because you're just too cute when you sleep."

I raised my hand to smack him lightly on the arm, but the motion was slowed, almost painful. I had used a lot of magic the day before, and my body was paying for it in ways I couldn't completely explain. It felt as if my bones were breaking from the force of the breeze, my skin melting under the soft spring sun.

Foster saw the strained look on my face, the grin instantly vanished. "And you need as much rest as you can get." He shifted to look at me. "What hurts?"

I debated if I should tell him, but thought against it. There was no point to hide my weakened state at this point. I was decaying.

"Just my arm," I said. He took it in his gentle fingers, poking and prodding the skin lightly, the crease between his brows deepening when I hissed in pain.

"No more magic. It's draining you too much."

"Foster I-"

He gave me a leveling stare. "I won't let you sacrifice yourself."

The sun was high in the sky, tendrils of light leaking in through the chopped up canopy above. Sunlight danced over his face in swirls of white, bringing out the diamond-like fractures cutting across his irises. I sighed, letting the subject drop.

His eyebrows rose, as if surprised. "That easily?"

I offered a small smile. "I just want to enjoy this moment while we have it, okay?"

A genuine smile stretched across his lips, his teeth a blinding white as he grinned. "Whatever you say, m'lady."

I rolled my eyes but sank back into his arms regardless.

The previous evening had been... tense. Nyx was heartbroken, I think it was safe to say we all were. But she had stayed away from camp, making her own little nest deep in the woods, but we all could hear her gut wrenching wails as she screamed his name up to the night sky.

Foster had stated that she would need time, and it was best to leave her alone. I agreed.

The group, however, had taken up camp on the outskirts of the forest, enough to have shelter and to keep us out of the open, but also not deep enough to draw attention from other creatures that would be stalking throughout the night. And they were all deadly silent, lost in their own emotions swirling like a hurricane in their chests.

Shae had refused to take her human form, so instead she lay nearly ten feet away, curled into a tight ball, her tail twitching back and forth around her hunches. She watched me with her piercing feline eyes, her nostrils flaring.

Genius, it seemed, was the only one that snagged any type of supplies before we bolted from the cabin. He had grabbed a few blades, stuffing them in his boots, and a single blanket. He offered Clance the small quilt, and the boy had took it with a nod before laying next to Akan, out of all people.

I looked at the spot next to Clance and realized that my father wasn't there at all.

"Where's Akan?"