Page 68 of Magic Forsaken
“Okay.” If my voice was trembling, I hoped he would chalk it up to our recent near death experience, and not the risk I was about to take. “You can come. But only you. You drive, but you stay in the car.”
I thought he might reject my demands, but as our eyes locked together and I fell into that amber fire, oddly, I felt no threat. Only concern. Possibly even worry.
“Deal,” he said. “Let’s go.”
I could tellAngelica wasn’t exactly happy as we drove off, but she had plenty of other worries to keep her busy. Even Magnus stared after us with a furrowed brow, but it took only a moment to leave them in the rearview as we pulled out into Sheridan Avenue traffic, heading towards the hostel.
“I meant it about you staying in the car,” I reminded Callum firmly. “I don’t want you scaring anyone. They’ll probablyassume you’re holding me hostage, and I don’t know how they’ll react.”
“I doubt your family can hurt me,” Callum said, with an expression of sublime and utterly unwarranted confidence.
I would have so enjoyed proving him wrong, but alas, that would be counterproductive.
“I wouldn’t count on it,” I said instead. “We’re very protective of each other. We’ve had to be.”
He was silent for half a block before curiosity got the better of him. “What happened?”
I shook my head. “You haven’t earned that story.”
“What would it take for you to trust me enough?”
I almost laughed. Not because I was amused, but because it seemed so impossible. Trust a dragon. Trust the king of the shapeshifters. Trust a man who could kill us all without a second thought, and probably would if he ever learned the truth.
And yet, he’d asked the question in earnest, as if the answer actually mattered, so I had no choice but to answer him honestly.
“I don’t think it’s possible.”
Because it wasn’t just my story. It was Kes and Ari and Logan’s. Zoe and Lucas and Blake’s. And so many others who might not even be alive now. Human and Idrian alike, none of whom had ever made it home, leaving their loved ones with nothing but questions that might never be answered.
For the sake of all of us, I would never take that risk without their permission. Even if I was beginning to wish that I could…
I had to distract myself, and Callum, so I turned to confront him on an entirely different topic.
“You know, if I were you, I’d be firing my bodyguard right about now.”
One of Callum’s eyebrows shot up. “Why?”
“You have to admit that I’ve failed rather spectacularly at my job today.”
His lips curved, acknowledging my statement with the ghost of a smile. “On the contrary. You’ve done everything I’ve asked.”
“But you ended up getting hurt trying to saveme. And now you’re driving me home. Have you forgotten who’s supposed to be guarding whom?”
He didn’t even pause. “No. And you’re right. You’re a terrible bodyguard. But you did warn me. And besides, if I fired you, I would have to find someone new, which is way too much trouble.”
I tilted an eyebrow. “So the only reason you aren’t firing me is because it would betoo much work?”
My sarcasm didn’t even ruffle his scales.
“Well, as you so helpfully pointed out, your performance hasn’t exactly warranted a medal.”
I turned to scowl at the windshield.
“I had to open my own door. Twice.”
Now he was just being a jerk.
“The second time was your own fault,” I muttered, casting a slightly guilty glance at his shoulder. The bleeding seemed to have stopped, but even for a shapeshifter, it was going to take a little longer for that kind of damage to heal.