I kneel in front of Oreo. He looks even worse than before. I scratch behind his ears, down his back, my heart squeezing at the sight of him. “Oreo. You have to go back to the others. Go back to Tristan.”
He whines and butts his head into my hand. I keep scratching him with a sad smile. Having him close by was all the boost I needed to move on. The scent of sulfur grows stronger for a moment,and I look up to find Zaki dangling a piece of paper and a fountain pain in front of me. I pick them up.
“Where did these come from?” I ask with an arched brow.
“No demon walks around without paper and pen. We might have to write contracts, you know.” And he chuckles. “Not that I do that much. That’s more for crossroad demons and their sort. My contracts are usually sealed in much more interesting ways.”
I glance up at him to find him smirking at me. Even as I shake my head, I can’t help the blush creeping across my cheeks. “Alright,” I breathe out, trying to focus. There’s so much I want to tell them. So much they might not have known. I haven’t said I love them enough. And I should make sure they’re not blaming themselves for my death. And as much as it might hurt now, they need to run before Kayn gets them...
“You’re thinking too much,” Zaki says before he sits against the nearest wall, his knees bent, elbows propped on top of them. “Remember, he’s a hound. The paper’sedges are going to burn off good.”
I frown, baring my teeth at him. “The edges are going to burn?”
“Of course. Never seen him traveling? There’s a lot of fire. If I were you, I’d write a couple of words in big letters in the middle. Make sure there’s enough space at the edges.”
I sigh and plop down on the floor. Great. There goes everything I wanted to say. Spreading the sheet on my thigh, I write in bold letters in the middle Burn my body. Putting the pen down, I fold the paper and give it to Oreo. He bites into it, gently, and I lean forward to hug his body against mine and kiss the top of his head.
“Thank you,” I whisper before sitting back to give him space.
Oreo gives me a loving look—I’m sure it’s a loving look, even if he’s a dog—and proceeds to shoot Zaki a dirty one. There’s pure warning in his gaze, almost a threat. I can’t help but smile. The hound turns around and rushes at the opposite wall. I make to cry out,but before he slams into stone, fire appears in front of him,and he jumps into it. The flames disappear a second later, leaving me gawking. “Shit.”
Zaki laughs. “Let’s hope it makes it to your men unscathed.”
I nod before getting to my feet. The silence presses into my ears, and I try to ignore how alone we are now. I sit down next to Zaki, as far from the exit as possible. “There’s also that. I might manage to cross the Abyss and go back up into the Light Realm, and then be missing a body. Being a ghost won’t help me.”
“You could possess someone,” he says, cocking his head. “Maybe take turns with your mates. I would watch that.” And he grins.
I roll my eyes. “As if.” I’d sooner possess Kayn and throw myself off a cliff, just to make sure he won’t touch my men. Another shiver races down my body,and I foldmy arms across my chest. It’s so damn cold near the Abyss. If it gets any colder when we get there, I’m going to freeze my butt off. And I don’t even have a body. “Why is it so cold, anyway?”
Zaki shrugs. “We run hot.”
“Oh.” Like shifters, but way worse. “Does it get colder than this? I’m going to need a snow jacket or something.”
“No, it doesn’t get much worse. We can find something for you to wear later on. Which reminds me...” The smell of sulfur wafts to me again and, when I turn to face him, Zaki is not in his suit anymore.
I jerk away from him. He’s shirtless, exposing his perfectly sculpted chest and a ridiculous set of eight-packs. No, not six, eight. Both of his nipples are pierced, but I don’t look long at them. The tattoos attract my gaze, stripes like fingers of flame reaching over his shoulders to his chest. I blink, and I swear the black ink shimmers in the darkness.
Zaki stretches his legs out, putting both arms behind his head. He has ditched the tailored pants in favor of black joggers,and his once slick shoes are now a pair of black slippers. He looks a bit like he’s about to enter a martial arts tournament. Then my gaze finds the ridiculous bulge in his pants,and I’m forced to look away, my cheeks burning.
“What the fuck, Zaki” I hiss, gaping at the entrance.
“That suit was killing me.” There’s humor in his voice, and I know he’s internally laughing at my reaction.
“Why aren’t you dressed?”
“I am dressed.”
I roll my eyes. “You’re in joggers. Joggers only.”
“That’s what I usually wear. They’re easier to stripoff.”
I want to punch him more than ever. “Wouldn’t it be easier to walk around naked then?”
He takes a beat. “What a great idea.” And I hear him shuffling and getting to his feet. Oh, no. Is he going to strip? No,no,no, I cannot deal with that.
“Stop!” I call out, nervous laughter climbing my throat. “You’re such a jerk! You know I was kidding.”
Zaki plops back down next to me, his rich laughter making my heart flutter. “What, you wanted me to guess?”