During the ride, I explain everything I can to Faye about Mournwrath/Decius/Manx and how Caz was trapped with him. Faye doesn’t say much as I provide my explanation—not that I expect her to. Here she is with a strange man from another world in her backseat, her best friend telling a near-death experience story, and all she’s been doing is reading, eating, and sleeping like a normal human being while I was away.
“I just…” Faye works hard to swallow as she parks in the lot of my apartment. She grips the steering wheel, staring ahead at one of the buildings. “And this all happened when you went back? From the last time I left you?” she inquires.
“Yeah, shockingly,” I breathe.
“That seems like days’ worth of events.”
“It was about three days.”
“But only, like, a day here. That’s so strange.”
“How long are we going to sit here?” Caz’s deep voice rumbles behind us.
I look ahead at my building, anxiety coursing through me. Caz peers out the back window, seemingly confused by his surroundings.
I’m not sure why I’m so nervous having Caz come to my apartment, and that feeling cinches every part of me as we walk up the stairs. I find a key inside the half empty flowerpot next to my doorstep with a dead snake plant still inside it, and stuff it into the lock.
“Love of Vakeeli, Willow. Are you asking to be robbed?” Caz drops his eyes to the key in my hand.
“No one knows that key is there,” I counter.
“I do now, as well as your friend Faye here.”
“And I trust you two not to tell anyone where I’ve hidden one of my spare keys.”
Through my periphery, I see Caz shake his head as he follows me into the apartment. All the lights are still on, my bed unmade, clothes strewn about. The books Faye brought from Lit and Lattes are still on the bed, my joint papers and baggie of weed still on the nightstand next to it. I hurry inside, picking up loose pieces of clothing, glad there isn’t a stench permeating the air like last time.
Faye closes the door behind us, and Caz walks deeper into my apartment, scanning every surface, nook, and corner. I amble toward the bed, placing a pile of dirty clothes on the floor next to it, then pick up my joint papers and weed to stuff into the nightstand drawer.
When I turn, Caz is in the kitchen, picking up a half empty bottle of tequila. He reads the label, blinks with a frown, then puts it back in place.
“So, I’m going to let you two settle in,” Faye announces, still standing by the door. “I have to run to the pharmacy for Abuelita, but I’m off work tomorrow, so I can swing by and help out with this Tether thing if you want. Maybe we can find someone else here who has experienced the same thing you two have.”
“Doubt it,” Caz mumbles, collecting a book from one of my built-in floating shelves and reading the back cover.
I walk up to her. “Thanks, Faye.”
“Of course.” She swings her eyes to Caz, narrows them as she looks him all over, then puts her eyes on me again. “Text or call me if you need anything. And I mean it. Anything, Willow.”
I huff a laugh. “I will.”
Out the door she goes, and when it clicks shut behind her, I turn to Caz who faces me with his arms folded across his chest. “She clearly doesn’t trust me.”
“Hmm. A situation like this seems familiar, doesn’t it?”
He eyes me. “How so?”
“I dropped into Vakeeli, you didn’t trust me, and neither did your family at first. Especially Killian.”
Caz drops his arms. “He’s just protective.”
“Yeah, well, so is Faye.”
He presses his lips, taking a sweep of the apartment again. “So, this is your apartment in the North Carolina?”
“Yep.” I clasp my hands together, fighting a laugh. “As you can see, it’s not a castle or anything, but it’s only me here, so…”
He bridges the gap between us. “It’s fine. Enough for you, I gather.” When he’s only a step away, he takes my hand and tugs me toward him. I melt in his grasp when he wraps his arms around me. Even here, our Tether is strong. I can feel the power surging between us, as well as his soothing relief. My senses with him are still so high, but…
“Wait. I just realized I can’t hear your thoughts,” I tell him after a gasp.
He’s quiet a moment, then his eyebrows dip as he studies my face. “I can’t hear yours either.”
“Do you think that means we’re not Tethered anymore?”
“I can still feel your emotions, so I doubt it. They run through me—your worry, your anxieties. I felt your relief when Faye found us in that basement, but you’re riddled with worry now. What is it that has you so nervous?”
I avoid fidgeting in his arms. “Why do you assume I’m nervous?”
“It’s either that, or you’re scared.”
“I’m not scared.” A half-lie. I press my lips, resting my forehead on his chest. “I just thought I lost you, Caz.”
He tips my chin with a finger, forcing my eyes to his again. “I’m right here with you, Willow. You made the right call having Beatrix send us here. You’re so damn smart.”
I can’t help smiling at his words, but for some reason, the smiles aren’t lasting. As much as I want to be happy, Caz is right. I am worried.
“What if Decius finds a way here?” I ask. “What if he comes and attacks even harder?”
“Then I’ll be ready for him this time. He may think he has a hold on me, but the truth is I have the hold on him. Apparently, without me, he can’t conquer whatever it is he wishes to conquer. We figure out how to rid ourselves of him, and we can get back to our lives.”
“Yeah.” I drop my head again. “I guess.”
“Oi,” he whispers. “Look at me.”
I tilt my head so I can find his eyes. They’re icy blue and shimmering with emotion. “He won’t split us apart, Willow. Not now. Not ever. I’ve got a second chance, and I’ll be damned if he captures me again.”
I can’t help smiling at his words, though I wish I could find comfort in them. I start to say something, but then a growl erupts between us. His stomach is grumbling.
“Oh, wow.” I fight a laugh as he smashes his lips together. “Someone’s hungry.”
He chuckles, and I don’t miss the way his face turns a shade of red. He’s so easily embarrassed. It’s honestly adorable. “You try resisting cold chains and mental warfare and see if it doesn’t work up an appetite.”
I laugh, going for the purse I left on the sofa the last time I was here. I sling it over my shoulder as I make my way to the door. “Come with me. I know a place we can eat.”
