FORTY-ONE
LIV
Aleric did not book me a first-class flight from Kentucky to Chicago.
Instead, I spent four hours shuddering in his grasp as he flew us, vampire-style, high above the ground at speeds that made my eyes water if I tried to peek out from his shoulder. It was the least comfortable road trip of my life, and by the end of it, I was so cold I wasn’t sure I’d ever warm up again. My only consolation was that Aleric had had about as much fun as me, since I spent the whole trip bitching about how horrible the ordeal was.
But when we finally landed in Warin’s back yard, my discomfort and irritation faded to white noise as butterflies the size of bald eagles swarmed in my stomach.
“What if he doesn’t want me back?” I whispered as I stared at the mansion.
Aleric rolled his eyes and
