I had a flashback of Darius, and my stomach sank as the bond became excited again. Only this time, Tobias gripped my wrist and yanked me on his lap. Ryze hissed loudly behind me and screeched.
“Quiet, bird. I won’t hurt her,” Tobias snapped as I straddled his waist.
I swallowed, and Tobias rolled his eyes before gripping the back of my neck and pulling me closer. His lips were warm and soft as he kissed me when I felt his tongue trace across my bottom. Tobias groaned and his other arm wrapped around my waist, tugging me flush against him, which made me gasp.
Tobias took advantage of my parted lips and delved his tongue into my mouth. His groan was lewd as his tongue played with mine, wanting me to kiss him back. The bond answered his kiss longingly, and I kissed him back hungrily. His tongue tasted every inch of my mouth when he pulled me closer, deepening the kiss, which made my stomach tighten as arousal coiled within me when he pulled away.
“Like, I don’t mind if you want to keep kissing me, but you are supposed to be taking my magic,” Tobias laughed.
My cheeks heated, having completely forgotten as I was too busy enjoying the kiss. Tobias smirked and raised an eyebrow at me when I kissed him again. He groaned, kissing me back, and I moved my hand to his neck, feeling his pulse and energy under my palm before stealing some of it when I kissed him deeper.
Pulling away, I gasped at the feel of his magic writhing within me, cold and sweet. I shivered when I felt his hands slide up my thighs to my hips, and I thought he would demand something more, but instead, he lifted me off him.
“Heal your phoenix. Then I will help you get him to the attic,” Tobias said. “And don’t let him bite me.”
“And you won’t tell Darius?”
“It will be our little secret,” Tobias said.
I turned back to Ryze, excited that I could heal him.
Chapter 50
Every night, I hadspent the night in their room, unable to return to mine. Darius still believed wholeheartedly that I was trying to escape. I wasn’t willing to tell him differently for the sake of Ryze, who now lived in the attic. Tobias was right, however. Even healed, Ryze never left. I noticed, though, with each passing day when Tobias would sneak me up to see him and feed him, that he grew larger, which was concerning because he would soon not fit through the hole in the roof.
I still couldn’t bring myself to feed him the mice. I tried to give him frozen ones, even thawed-out ones, but he liked them alive. So I was thankful that Tobias had no issues sacrificing the mice for me. Ryze even let him pat him. He nearly lost a finger, and Ryze only tolerated his touch for a few seconds before snapping at him. Tobias was thrilled that he had touched a live phoenix, like it was some sort of acceptance, and he was suddenly a phoenix whisperer.
Tobias opened a portal back to the room, and the moment I stepped through it, Darius was there, waiting, his arms folded across his chest. His temper had gotten worse over the last fewdays. The more time Tobias and Kalen spent with me, the more furious he seemed to get.
“Where have you both been?” he demanded, and Tobias quickly closed the portal behind us before he could see into the dark attic.
“The library,” I said.
“I checked the library,” Darius said, and I knew we would have to come up with a better lie.
“Must have just missed us then.” Tobias shrugged before pulling a book from his pocket. He tossed it to Kalen, who caught it and smiled. I had no idea when Tobias got time to grab it unless he got it before he went up, but it seemed to placate Darius for now. He muttered under his breath before storming out.
Kalen looked the cover over before flipping it and reading the back. I realized Kalen spent most of his time reading because Darius had pulled him from the classes he taught so that I wouldn’t spend more time than necessary with him. Moving toward the couch, I sat next to him when Lycus came over and rolled his eyes before walking off.
“I’m going for a run,” Lycus growled.
Tobias sighed before sitting at my feet on the floor. “They’re just jealous,” Tobias said, resting his head on my knees.
“Of what?” I asked incredulously.What could they possibly have to be jealous of? They weren’t the ones held prisoner?
“That Tobias and I don’t hate you, and we spend more time with you than them?” Kalen said while opening the book.
I sighed. “And why do they hate me, exactly?”
Neither answered, and I knew it was to do with Darius forbidding them from telling me.
“Okay then, why did you hate me?” I asked Tobias.
He shifted uncomfortably, leaning forward before also getting up and leaving. Was I a repellent? What was up with them all today? Tobias had been fine all week, and I asked one question, and he, too, stormed off and into the bathroom.
“Well, can you tell me?” I asked Kalen, and he sighed.
“Nope, because unless Darius agrees for you to know, we are bound by his stupid bond,” Kalen growled.