Demon Day by Penelope Fletcher (best novels in english .TXT) 📕

all your glowing and pulsing.’ Ipointed to myself with my thumb. “I’ve been trained in Subterfuge.I can manage a rescue mission, and with you at my side there’s noway we would be seen. We just need to find where they’re beingheld.”

I looked back to gage his reaction. Hepursed his lips. “You seem to have become quietinvincible.”

I glowered at him, slapped him on theback with my tail. The tap I’d planned landed on his upper thigh.Wet skin hit wet skin and made a sharp thwacking noise. He hissedin my ear and I squirmed, the tip of my tail tingling.

“Sorry,” I mumbled,blushing.

Letting out a long, protracted breathhe placed his hands on my shoulders, and pulled me closer. I did soreluctantly and focused on the pointed tip of his left ear. Mywings flexed and rustled behind me restlessly, and rather than havemy arms trapped uselessly between us, I unwound them to have themdither in the air. I had no choice but to place them at his sides,at the bottom of his ribcage. My head just reached his shoulder. Hebent his knees, and with this half seated position my inner thighsslid over his outer legs until I sat on his lap. I stoppedbreathing and held still. Not sure what to do or what this meant Idecided the best course of action was none. I waited, still staringat his shoulder as if the silvery skin had all the answers to everyunanswered question in the universe locked in the pores. His handsslid down from my upper arms to lace together on my lowerback.

After a minute or so of barelybreathing I relaxed, one muscle at a time.

“Better,” he concluded andhis thumbs stroked circles into my skin.

My eyes drifted closed. “So you getantsy when I get frisky on the grass, yet naked frolicking in lakesis allowed?” I asked breathless and fidgety.

“Oh yes. We are not doinganything that would compromise your virtue. So calm down.” When myface got pouty, he spoke again and I heard a smile in his voice,but I was too mortified to open my eyes and see it. “I guess you’rewondering why I brought you here.” I nodded empathically because Iwas majorly confused. “You need to get used to being around me.This way there are fewer barriers between us.”

I couldn’t stand it … not seeing hisexpression as he spoke. My eyes opened long enough to send him adry, accessing look. “At what point did clothes becomeinsurmountable barriers?”

“When you feel ashamed orscared you twist your hands into your pockets to stop yourselftouching me.” He frowned. “Always you should be touching me. Itfeels good and it makes us stronger.”

Gods above strike me down the boy hadme worked out. “But … you avoid me. Sometimes.”

He stared at me. “I am anoutcast. I have no Tribe, and you are a highborn fairy. It would bea dishonor to treat you so in public when we are not mated.You can alwaystouch me.”

I was not sure I got it entirely. Howcould love be a dishonor? Why could I touch him and he not touchme? It hadn’t been an issue before. I knew Lochlann wanted us to bediscreet, but Conall knew how we felt about each other. He may be abit over-protective, but surely after a while he would just getover it.

Breandan moved off the topic. “Weshould stay here for a few days. Rest and be together.”

His hands were so warm, so hard, andgentle. They distracted me from trying to figure out why he was socareful all of a sudden. “Hmm, say-say?” I mumbled. It was more amoan than anything resembling agreement.

“I told you when Lochlannreturned I would spend more time just being with you.”

He was determined to keep on talkingso I peeked an eye open. “You want us to stay on thePride?”

“Byron, Conall and I shallplan the rescue, and you can learn more about our ways. Who andwhat you are. No hovel is big enough for Devlin to hide in that wecannot find him. We have time.”

I blinked at the suggestion of thearrogant fairy High Lord staying anywhere that was remotely ‘hovel’like. Devlin was an extrovert character, someone who played gamesand played them well. He had infiltrated the human Temple, posingas a Sect Disciple for an entire month to gain my trust beforetrying to trick me into joining him. He was beautiful and handsome,of course; most fairies were in their own way. Devlin had hair soblonde it was white, and mesmerizing green eyes that sparkled evenin the absence of light. His features were sharp, pristine, and hisgait assured, confident. But he was also cruel and hard of hearttowards all apart from his life-mate, Wasp. His flair formanipulation was bone deep, engrained, and I knew he would not giveup the High Lordship to Lochlann easily.

We had a hard road ahead of us and sowhat Breandan was suggesting was beyond tempting. He was saying Ineeded time to accept and adjust, to think about what I wanted todo next, and allow myself to shape the future rather than be sweptinto it by what was happening right then. Possibly I could plan alittle rather than just reacting to each explosion that seemed tohappen after every decision I made. To spend a few days tucked inBreandan’s arms seemed too good to be true. But then againsometimes good, normal things did happen to people. I could justhave fun. Learn about the shifters, and get to know Alec more. Hewas so kind and he felt like a friend, something I had fewof.

My heart squeezed painfully. No, I hadno friends. My only friend was dead.

I looked down into the water’s surfaceand saw us. Our skin glowed. My ear tips were elongated to slenderpoints and peeked through a tangle of hair that cascaded down mybare back, and Breandan’s fair arm that clutched me tightly. Mytail weaved through the air over my shoulder, and my golden wingsrustled. Pinions the width of my wrist supported the gauzy,multifaceted membrane that made up the main body of my wings, fourovals - the upper two broader - of shimmering segments thattwinkled in the gloaming. I opened my