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"Hey," I say to stop Kyol before he disappears

He turns away frouy"

He smiles down at me "You just met him, kaesha"

The smile and the kaesha undo me I throw my arms around his neck He wraps his aroundaway from each other than others This isn’t one of those days

His kiss burns through er on the sensitive spot just below his left ear I wantwith his tongue His chaos lusters rush into my hands, into et to breathe I’ht-headed, but I don’t want to stop I press ently betweenI can to break his self-control It’s beco hirow tired of playing

He grips ood tiaainst his chest I don’t want to have a good tiht here in his arms, sleep forever in them

"No Don’t sleep, McKenzie"

"I’m not" I close my eyes He’s warainst his heartbeat

"McKenzie Please"

He sounds worried That’s strange He hardly ever worries Always so in control More in control than I want him to be But that’s okay It’s comfortable here Quiet Peaceful and

I’M dropped into a vat of scalding water I lurch up, trying to evade the blistering heat, but ed beneath the surface

"Easy, McKenzie You need this"

The room spins and blurs as I awaken Focus, I order I need to focus

Chaos lusters slither from a fae’s hands into my skin "Kyol?"

After an eternal pause, the voice says, "Aren"

"Aren?" I repeat, confused I squeeze my eyes shut once, twice Ah, yes Aren, the Butcher of Brykeld, my captor Of course it’s hiet out of the vat--no, the tub--again "It’s too hot"

"It’s fine, McKenzie You’re too cold Stay still"

His hands don’t unlock from my shoulders My bare shoulders His edarratae flow unhindered into ers to s below the water’s surface, disappears briefly beneathmy hip

My attention snaps back to Aren "I’m naked"

"Not completely," he says, and sorip loosens I try to sit up, to get out of as much of the water as I can, but he won’t letIt feels like I’over I swear to God, I’ate