“Oh yeah, we had a nice little chat. He basically wants me. He made it pretty clear he wants me in his bed. But I assume once he has me, he plans to steal my power and eat it like he does everyone else’s magic,” I said.
Pretty insightful for someone half-dead.
“So this isn’t about Fin?”
I shook my head and held my arms open. “Your guess is as good as mine. It seems personal, though. They have a history and I think some of the appeal is taking something he thinks belongs to Fin.”
A voice spoke up from behind me. “Oh, how right you are, little one.”
The captain and I both spun to find Esteban clutching Fin’s unconscious form, a knife in the other hand poised at his throat.
“Esteban,” I said, “let him go and I’ll go with you.”
“You think I trust anything you say? I wish I could believe you, but you’ll try to kill me the moment I lose my grip on you.”
The captain chuckled and took a step to the side. “Trust me, you’ll slaughter her for her mouth alone, five minutes in. I don’t know how I’ve put up with her this long.”
I shrugged. “He’s not wrong. Lesser men have wanted to.”
Esteban eyed us both, tightening his hold on the knife. A line of blood appeared above it on Fin’s skin. “Well, looks like we’re at an impasse then. You don’t trust me, and I don’t trust you.”
“Isn’t that where we’ve always been?” I lifted an eyebrow at the Black Mage.
The captain took one more step, and I made my own move to draw Esteban’s gaze.
I continued talking. “We can talk about this. See if an agreement can be made.”
He stepped back, dragging Fin with him. I tugged on the magic, trying to see if I could wake him up, get him to fight back. Fin’s fingers flicked, barely, but nothing else.
“How do we do this?” I asked. “You hand Fin to the captain, unharmed, and I’ll let you take me.”
The captain cut his hand in the air toward me and whispered. “Zoey, stop it. This won’t go the way you think it will.”
Magic shoved me back, and I stumbled. As I fell, the captain launched himself toward Fin and the Black Mage.
I hit the ground hard, and my head slammed back. For the second time, the boughs of the Forest of Shadows heralded me into darkness.
Chapter Nineteen
I opened my eyes to warm sunshine splayed across my skin. No pain, no blood. Just glorious heat. I blinked against the light to find Fin leaning over me, his face only inches from mine. He lay his body alongside me and propped himself on one arm so he could stare down into my face. His honey brown hair reflected the light on glinting strands. Even his eyes looked deeper, bluer here.
“Am I dead? Is this heaven?” I asked.
Fin cupped my face and brushed his thumb along my cheek. “No, Zoey. This isn’t heaven, and you’re not dead. Just dreaming.”
I looked around and then back at him. He wore a white shirt like in an old-fashioned movie, all billowing sleeves and open to show his wide, solid chest.
“As much as I’d want to, I don’t have dreams like this,” I said.
He smiled at me. “This isn’t your dream. It’s mine.”
I peered down at my body. Not naked, thank goodness, but wearing a filmy gauzy thing. Sand coated my feet and calves.
“You dream of us half naked on the beach? That’s interesting. I mean, maybe you agree we both need a vacation after this.”
He ran his thumb down my lips from cupid’s bow to chin. “Shh, it’s almost time to wake up. Don’t ruin the few moments of peace we both have left.”
For once, I listened to him. I let the sun bolster me from the long couple of days we’d endured, and I let myself look at Fin. Just look at him. He was so beautiful, my chest ached.