Unleash the Storm by Annette Marie Read Free Book Online

power.

Chapter Four
    W ith a soft chirp and the flutter of wings, Zwi landed on the gazebo railing beside Piper. She chittered in reprimand.
    “Hi Zwi,” Piper murmured, dropping her hand from the carved design.
    If Zwi had come to find her, then Ash probably wasn’t far behind. What would he think of this place? The breeze whispered through the gazebo, chilly on her bare skin. Since he was already on the way, she might as well wait. Stepping out of the gazebo and onto the steps, she dipped a toe in and discovered perfectly hot water. With a little shrug, she descended into the pool. The steps continued underwater to the bottom, polished smooth by the long-ago craftsmen.
    With quiet wonder, she waded to the far side and discovered a submerged seat carved into the rock. Sitting, she folded her arms on the ledge and rested her chin on them, staring at the fantastical vista before her. She was probably the first haemon to ever see this place, and likely the last.
    As her eyes travelled over the majestic lines of the mountain peaks, her attention caught on a distant summit, little more than a shadow against the cloudy sky. Its shape was strange, somehow unnatural. A twinge of familiarity whispered through her.
    Still perched on the railing, Zwi grumbled in annoyance, then took off, disappearing into the steam as she headed back down the slope. Piper blinked after her. A moment later, soft sounds of movement reached her and she looked back toward the adjacent gazebo.
    Ash appeared from the mist, her blanket draped over his shoulder and his eyes roving over the gazebo. He’d donned his pants, and she belatedly realized she had no idea what he’d been wearing—or not wearing—when she’d confronted him in the spring. He had to have been wearing something though. She was sure she would have noticed otherwise.
    As his gaze locked on her, her breath caught. He looked through her, into her, down to her soul with one glance. Her heart beat faster.
    The view beyond her drew his attention away. The shadows inside the gazebo embraced him, absorbing his wings and tail so they almost seemed like shadows too. Her eyes darted to his new scar and she bit her lip. He dropped the blanket over the railing and stepped into the pool, heedless of his pants.
    “Ash,” she began, trying not to look at the scar as horror reignited inside her. “I know you don’t think—”
    Without a word, he crossed the pool to her. Then his fingers were under her chin, tilting her head up, and his mouth was on hers.
    Heat rushed through her and she thought she might melt from the inside out. Her arms snapped around his neck as she crushed her mouth to his. Her intended words were instantly forgotten. Since she’d woken up in the Underworld, they hadn’t had a truly private moment together—until now.
    One hand still holding her chin, trapping her mouth against his so tightly she could barely breathe, he slid his other hand around her waist and scooped her into his chest. She gasped against his lips. He pulled her up, then turned and sat on the bench. She straddled his legs, their kiss unbroken, and pressed her hands to his chest, sliding them over the dips and curves of his muscles and the smooth scales that edged his stomach. Memories of the last time she’d touched him like that came rushing back, her stomach doing summersaults of desire.
    Then she slid her hands lower and found the unfamiliar ridge of the new scar.
    She froze. His eyes—black as the night, hungry and hot—lifted to her face. She hesitated, aching with need for him, but aching even more from what she’d done to him. Her hands were still pressed against the scar, a reminder she couldn’t ignore.
    His fingers brushed gently across her cheek. “I would have endured far worse to save you.”
    “Not to save me,” she corrected in a near whisper. “To stop me.”
    He shook his head. “No. You were in the grip of something evil. All I wanted to do was save you from it.” A shadow