“Why?” I asked, studying the buzzing insects. “They remind me of pixies.”
“Fire gnats are disgusting little jackasses who bite. Don’t provoke them.” Zephyrus released me. “Our wildlife isn’t like yours. We coexist because we have to, not because we want to. So trust me, you do not want to touch anything in this realm. Especially not those.”
I shivered at the warning, then gasped as a phoenix landed not three feet away from us. Its massive wings billowed in the flames, the eyes predatory.
“Case in point,” Zephyrus muttered. “Fuck off.” His words seemed to be for the bird, not for me.
The beautiful creature tilted its head, his red irises focused and intelligent. A curious little caw left its throat, causing my lips to curl. Oh, I had no doubt this being was dangerous, but I could respect its gorgeous existence. Not that I had any intention of feeding the bird or stroking it. I knew better than that.
Just as I knew not to disturb the fire gnats.
Admiring nature didn’t require any sort of interference.
“You’re stunning,” I praised.
The phoenix preened as if it understood, his wings expanding to show off the variety of colorful flames.
Zephyrus stepped in between us, cutting off my view, and flapped his cloak in warning at the handsome being. “I won’t tell you again. Fuck. Off.”
A hiss of sound preceded the phoenix’s departure, leaving me in awe of the way it swooped across the grounds to a nearby burning thwomp.
“Let’s get something straight,” Zephyrus said, facing me once more. “As your assigned Guardian, my duty is to keep you alive. To do that, I need you to obey my every word. Let’s start with this: do not provoke the wildlife.”
I bristled at his tone. “I wasn’t provoking him.”
“Don’t engage with the wildlife,” he amended.
“That’s like telling me not to breathe.”
“Then hold your fucking breath,” he snapped, causing me to flinch. He cursed and turned away. “Let’s go. This list is burning a literal hole in my pocket, and I want this over and done with.”
“Yes, sir,” I muttered.
“Better,” he replied as he continued down the path past a gazebo overlaid with more of that violet ivy. I wasn’t given much time to admire the architecture, his long legs leading us into a clearing filled with lava rock instead of grass. My eyebrows lifted at the bizarre textures. Then my lips parted as the ground shifted.
Not rocks.
Animals.
Zephyrus cleared his throat, his hands on his hips, as he glowered at the writhing swarm of birdlike creatures.
Oh my…
They all activated at once, their wings flickering to life and blooming with thin, sharp edges. The air around them pulsated with magic, their chattering beaks and crackling feathers grinding against the wind.
Zephyrus pressed his palm to my lower back, pushing me into the center of the flocking mass. I lifted my arms to shield my face, terrified of being cut by their jagged points. However, they resembled feathers against my skin.
I peeked through my forearms to find us being swarmed by crow-like birds. Black eyes, black beaks, black feathers. Not rocks.
“What in the…?” I trailed off as a keypad appeared.
This is a portal.
Zephyrus acted before I could catch the movements, his fingers flying over the destination code too fast for me to catch. Not that escape was much of an option for me right now, but having a backup plan couldn’t hurt.
The obsidian flurry swam around us, forming a ribbon of solid ink that had me stepping closer to Zephyrus. His palm against my lower back slid to my hip in response—a protective move that didn’t go unnoticed for either of us because his gaze seized mine as soon as it happened.
Intensity built between us.