Every Last Breath - Armentrout Jennifer L. - Страница 23

I was distracted by the fact we were legit holding hands, walking down the crowded sidewalk like a...like a real couple, a normal couple. Air hitched in my throat. This was the first time we were holding hands as a couple, and even though we hadn’t called each other boyfriend or girlfriend, we were so that.

A goofy, stupid grin tugged at my lips and as my gaze danced over the people rushing to get wherever they were going, I stopped fighting it. I smiled so widely there was a good chance my face would split right up the middle.

In that second, I didn’t think about the ugliness with Zayne or the Lilin or my feathered wings or the thousand other troubles waiting to pounce on us. That happiness in the pit of my belly spread rapidly, like a levee breaking, the warmth whooshing through me. My steps suddenly felt lighter, and I wanted to stop in the middle of the sidewalk, grab Roth’s face and plant one on him. How many times had I wanted him to do that before? Even when I’d been pushing him away, I’d wanted him. Now he was mine.

“Layla?” Roth squeezed my hand. “What are you smiling about? Not that I’m complaining. That’s a freaking beautiful smile, and it makes me—”

I did what I wanted to do.

Stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, I ignored the harsh glances cast in our direction, and no one said a thing to us after receiving one look from Roth. I stretched on the tips of my toes. With my free hand wrapped around the nape of his neck, I guided his head down. Surprise flickered across his face, and then I closed my eyes, pressing my mouth to his. The kiss was brief, but when I pulled away, his expression made my day.

He stared down at me, his eyes wide and the pupils slightly dilated. His lips were parted and that bolt in his tongue glittered. The tops of his cheekbones were flushed. He looked... He looked gobsmacked.

“What...what was that for?”

My smile really was going to break my face. “Just because...well, there were so many times that I secretly wished you’d done that in the past, and I thought, why can’t I?”

His gaze searched my face. “I just want you to know that whenever you feel the need to do that, you do it. I don’t care what we’re doing, I’m always going to be down for that. Always.”

It was my turn to flush, but I focused on the important stuff as we started walking again. Knowing no one would pay attention to what I said, because they heard way stranger stuff on the streets of DC, I forged forward. “So, what do you think about my feathered wings?”

He gave a choked laugh. “I like the way you say feathered.”

I made a face.

“I think they’re kind of hot,” he added.

I rolled my eyes as we stopped at an intersection. “Of course you do, but that really doesn’t tell me much. I mean, that’s not normal, right? I know Zayne has seen them before, and so have you, but he said he’d only seen them once, on an Upper. And why now? Why would I look different now after all this time?”

A thoughtful look crossed his face as we waited for the light to turn. “Well, you only started shifting recently. Maybe this was how you were supposed to look.”

“Doubtful,” I muttered, and as the little green man lit up on the sign, I started forward.

“Yeah, I was just trying to be optimistic.” Roth slowed his long-legged pace as he scanned the crowds around us. A horn blew, followed by another, and the scent of roasted meat was strong as we passed a yummy-looking restaurant. “Look, I’ve seen wings like that before, but it doesn’t make sense.”

“Why doesn’t—?” I cut myself off as I caught a glimpse of brilliant white reflecting off the windowed front of an office building. I stopped, my heart speeding up as I searched for its source.

Roth immediately sensed the change. “What?”

“I see an all-white aura,” I explained, walking again as I strained to catch sight of it through the dizzying shades passing us. “It was dazzling, way too bright to be a human.”

“A Warden?”

I nodded. It had to be a Warden, unless it was an Alpha. Though I doubted the latter would be roaming the streets. As far as I knew, they looked the way they did all the time, and there was no hiding those wings.

Roth’s hand tightened around mine, and a general sense of alarm took root in my stomach. It could be any Warden, but if I’d caught sight of their aura, they could’ve sensed Roth and me in turn. If it was Nicolai or Dez out there, I thought they’d approach. Maybe not Zayne at this point, and that killed me to even acknowledge.

We walked another block, silent and on alert. Just as we were several feet from an alley, I felt the awareness. The Warden was nearby.

Roth’s chin dipped down. “You feel that?”

I nodded, and as we crossed the mouth of the alley, I caught sight of brilliant white again, and my head swung sharply to the right. All the way toward the back of the alley, there was a huge source of pearly goodness. The aura faded and I caught a glimpse of what existed beyond the glow.

Ice shot down my spine as I sucked in a sharp breath. Even from across the distance, I recognized that face. Who wouldn’t? The jagged scar that sliced from the corner of his eye to his lips was unmistakable.

It was Elijah.

My father.

In the back of my head, it registered somewhat dimly how misleading that white aura was. He had wanted me dead my whole life, his own daughter. But Wardens had pure souls, no matter what sins stained them.

Slipping my hand free from Roth’s, I didn’t think as I shot down the alley, racing toward the back where I’d seen him. I didn’t know why I was even chasing after him. I hadn’t seen him since he’d ordered his son, my half brother, to take me out. When Petr had vanished, Elijah had disappeared, and back then, I’d been under the protection of my clan. Not so much anymore.

But I didn’t need their protection now.

Right now none of us needed Elijah skulking around the city. We had enough problems, and if he was here to mess with me, which he had to be, I’d rather deal with him now instead of looking over my shoulder, waiting for him to strike.

“Dammit,” I heard Roth growl just before he took off after me.

I was fast when I wanted to be, but as I rounded the back of the alley, my target wasn’t there. My head jerked up. Elijah was scaling the fire escape at a rapid clip, the dark trench coat he wore whipping out behind him.

“This could be a trap,” Roth reasoned as he caught up to me, staring up toward the rooftop. He wasn’t telling me anything I didn’t already know. “Layla, we need to think about this.”

“We don’t need to deal with him haunting us. It’s bad enough that his son has been doing so as a wraith.” I turned to him. “That’s the last thing any of us need to be worried about.”

“Shortie...”

I met his stare for a moment and then I spun around. Running to the fire escape, I jumped and caught the rail. My body swung to the side and then back. My feet hit the ladder.

“Okay,” Roth called out from behind me. “You’re crazy, but that was also crazy hot.” He grunted as he landed on the ladder behind me. “Just thought I’d share that with you.”

I flew up the ladder, determined. It took only seconds to climb what had to be at least ten stories, and in the back of my mind, I wondered how that was possible. I’d always been faster and stronger than a human, but not like this. Now just wasn’t the time to really delve into why.

Reaching the top of the ladder, I propelled myself over the ledge, landing in a crouch. My eyes widened as I took in the scene before me and my stomach dropped a little.

Ah, Roth might’ve been right.

He landed beside me, cursing under his breath as we both rose. Standing at the other end of the rooftop was Elijah. He wasn’t alone. Three Wardens were with him. I recognized them from when his clan had visited the compound.