“Uh,” I said. “I already told you. I dreamed of nothing.”
“No.” His voice was dangerous like whiskey, broken glass, and freshly spilled blood. “You lied and said you had a fucking good dream. So tell me the truth.”
“I’m not lying,” I lied.
“You are clearly lying, tell me the truth!” Malum barked out.
A headache throbbed in my left temple.
This was bizarre behavior, even for him.
“What have I said about yelling in the morning?” Vegar snarled as he sat up on his bunk.
“I’m not yelling!” Malum shouted back.
I peered around uneasily. Orion and Scorpius were missing. I peered over the edge of my bed and looked up. The twins were also gone.
They’d all left and hadn’t thought to tell me where they were going.
My stomach twisted, and my heart sank.
Ice crackled between my fingers, and my hands turned cobalt blue like I was wearing gloves.
“Tell me the truth.” He bent over so we were eye level with each other.
I deadpanned, “I already did.”
“I know you’re lying.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Yes.” Flames trailed out of the corners of his eyes. “I do.”
Creepy.
I pointed at him. “You have a little fire on your face.”
He made a harsh noise and scarlet engulfed his head completely.
“There he is.” I sighed as I inched closer to the warmth. It felt divine.
Flames shot from his mouth as he yelled, “You’re the most infuriating woman!”
“Aren’t you supposed to be wooing me?” I asked with genuine confusion. “If you keep this up, you’re going to be single forever.”
“I’m not single.” Fire shot toward the ceiling. “I HAVE A MATE, AND SHE IS IN FRONT OF ME, LYING HER ASS OFF!”
His face was flushed with passion, and he heaved like he’d been running.
I blinked. “That was a lot. Simmer down.”
He took a deep breath.
Silver eyes glowed as the flames receded from his head.
“Caring for you is killing me,” he said. Without warning he grabbed the back of my neck and slammed our mouths together.
It wasn’t a nice kiss.
It was brutal.
Vicious.
“Imagine how hating you feels,” I said against his lips as we fought each other with kisses.
Malum wrapped his mammoth hand around my throat and slammed me down against my bed. His grip was tight. He towered over me like a vengeful creature from a foreign realm. Like a devil.
He was disturbingly handsome.
Pain streaked down my spine.
As he held me pinned, he said, “You’re the most infuriating, insolent Revered in all of history. You’re going to be the death of me.”
“Good,” I rasped out as I struggled to breathe.
His grip loosened, and he stroked his thumbs across my sensitive skin tenderly as I regulated my breathing.
“Are you okay?” he asked gruffly, pink staining his cheeks like he was embarrassed that he’d lost control.
“Peachy,” I said sarcastically.
“Want me to kiss it better?” he quipped, and I smacked him with my pillow. He laughed darkly and sauntered away.
I flopped backward onto my bed, put my pillow over my face, and tried to smother myself.
The skin on my throat burned with heat.
The worst part.
I wanted more.
Chapter 40
Aran
WARPED SOULS
Adust （adjective）： burnt or scorched.
DAY 28, HOUR 14
A few hours later, I stood on a mountainside with the bane of my existence as a blizzard raged. Snow whipped in a frenzy, and sheets of ice slammed against us mercilessly.
The twins, Orion, and Scorpius had all disappeared without a word and left me alone with the blight on womankind who had choked me this morning like he owned my body.
The problem was I hadn’t hated it.
I’d spent the entire trip up the mountain daydreaming of Malum holding me down as he did wicked things with his mouth.
“Okay,” Malum said as he cracked his neck back and forth like he was preparing for battle. “So—I’m going to release my flames, and you need to try to stop me with your ice. Can you do that?”
I didn’t reply.
Stupid questions didn’t deserve answers.
I inhaled enchanted smoke and exhaled Horse. He circled and spun in the snowy air above my head.
Up on the mountainside, visibility was at an all-time low as the wind whipped angrily through the basin. The sky was dark with cloud cover.