mess .
“He was in pure warrior mode today,” Zeebi continued as if she hadn’t heard Tessa’s protests.
“Zeebi, stop.” Tessa drained her glass and set it down. “There’s no point in talking about this. Nothing can change the past. Or the future.”
“The past, okay. Nope, no changing that.” Zeebi refilled her own glass. “But the future is one…big…mystery.”
Tessa reached over to give her friend a hug. “I’m going to bed. I can’t think about this anymore.”
“Fine.” Zeebi stifled a yawn. “See you in the morning.”
Tessa circled around the side of the cabin and started down the dirt path that would take her to her own cabin. But before she got there, she changed direction. Prompted by a subtle feeling she couldn’t explain, she headed to the center of the gathering area.
To Scorpio’s cage.
C HAPTER 9
M OST OF THE COVEN SLEPT , yet Scorpio sat awake and watchful. The cage dampened his senses, but didn’t obliterate them, and he wasn’t about to rule out a counterattack by Vespera. Not that he could alert Hallon quickly enough from here, but still, his fighter’s brain wouldn’t let him relax.
Soft footsteps on the path drew his attention and his heart pounded double time. He leaped silently to his feet.
Tessa.
What was she doing up? She’d had a hell of a day, looking ready to drop when they’d returned to Bronwy—
Long legs and sexy unbound hair short-circuited his thoughts as she approached. Riveted, he tracked her hips, her thighs, her toned arms. He was sure she was on her way to somewhere, anywhere…but she stopped in front of him.
He leaned forward, clutching the bars. “Is everything okay?”
She didn’t answer, just stared at him with eyes that rivaled the bluest waters he’d ever seen. Honeysuckle swirled around her, enveloping him in the fragrance he’d come to crave. He inhaled, and caught another scent. He quirked a brow. “Wine?”
“Girl talk with Zeebi,” she murmured, and lowered herself to the grass. She leaned against the cage, her shoulder and head resting on the cool metal.
Gods, he welcomed her company. But something still didn’t seem right. He sat down, facing her through the bars. “Is everything okay?” he repeated.
She gazed at him like the weight of the world was on her shoulders. “Why did you do it?” she whispered.
His heart pinched at the mix of vulnerability and honest questioning that was plain on her face. And shit, she was buzzed and being a little vague. “Do what?” he asked, at the risk of sounding like an idiot.
“Why did you kill?” Her eyes locked on his.
He swallowed, dying to reach for her fingertips. But he’d wait, not knowing if she was ready for even that tiny touch. “I was forced to work for a demon named Dalamos. I was his conscripted mercenary.”
“Why couldn’t you leave? Or kill him?” The oaky scent of red wine mixed with the husky tone of her voice, ripping him open with the need for her to truly know him. “Didn’t he get killed by a rival group? He wasn’t invincible.”
“No, he wasn’t.” Scorpio’s eyes drifted over the soft waves of her hair as the gentle night breeze lifted a strand and blew it between the bars. He fought the urge to grasp its feather lightness. “That was a skillful, precise attack by a group of Vipers. A combination of cockiness from Dalamos and luck for them.” He shook his head. “Thank fuck it happened, but I never thought I’d see the day.”
“But if someone was able to get to him, why not you?”
Unsure of exactly where she was going with this, and conscious of her wine buzz, but not wanting her to leave, he weighed his words. “Dalamos had constant security. Even though I was on the inside, still, he was never alone with me. Or anyone. Also…” He stopped, taking a moment to erect a shield against the emotion that made his blood boil. “Dalamos captured my younger brother and sister. They’re twins. At the time they were
“He was in pure warrior mode today,” Zeebi continued as if she hadn’t heard Tessa’s protests.
“Zeebi, stop.” Tessa drained her glass and set it down. “There’s no point in talking about this. Nothing can change the past. Or the future.”
“The past, okay. Nope, no changing that.” Zeebi refilled her own glass. “But the future is one…big…mystery.”
Tessa reached over to give her friend a hug. “I’m going to bed. I can’t think about this anymore.”
“Fine.” Zeebi stifled a yawn. “See you in the morning.”
Tessa circled around the side of the cabin and started down the dirt path that would take her to her own cabin. But before she got there, she changed direction. Prompted by a subtle feeling she couldn’t explain, she headed to the center of the gathering area.
To Scorpio’s cage.
C HAPTER 9
M OST OF THE COVEN SLEPT , yet Scorpio sat awake and watchful. The cage dampened his senses, but didn’t obliterate them, and he wasn’t about to rule out a counterattack by Vespera. Not that he could alert Hallon quickly enough from here, but still, his fighter’s brain wouldn’t let him relax.
Soft footsteps on the path drew his attention and his heart pounded double time. He leaped silently to his feet.
Tessa.
What was she doing up? She’d had a hell of a day, looking ready to drop when they’d returned to Bronwy—
Long legs and sexy unbound hair short-circuited his thoughts as she approached. Riveted, he tracked her hips, her thighs, her toned arms. He was sure she was on her way to somewhere, anywhere…but she stopped in front of him.
He leaned forward, clutching the bars. “Is everything okay?”
She didn’t answer, just stared at him with eyes that rivaled the bluest waters he’d ever seen. Honeysuckle swirled around her, enveloping him in the fragrance he’d come to crave. He inhaled, and caught another scent. He quirked a brow. “Wine?”
“Girl talk with Zeebi,” she murmured, and lowered herself to the grass. She leaned against the cage, her shoulder and head resting on the cool metal.
Gods, he welcomed her company. But something still didn’t seem right. He sat down, facing her through the bars. “Is everything okay?” he repeated.
She gazed at him like the weight of the world was on her shoulders. “Why did you do it?” she whispered.
His heart pinched at the mix of vulnerability and honest questioning that was plain on her face. And shit, she was buzzed and being a little vague. “Do what?” he asked, at the risk of sounding like an idiot.
“Why did you kill?” Her eyes locked on his.
He swallowed, dying to reach for her fingertips. But he’d wait, not knowing if she was ready for even that tiny touch. “I was forced to work for a demon named Dalamos. I was his conscripted mercenary.”
“Why couldn’t you leave? Or kill him?” The oaky scent of red wine mixed with the husky tone of her voice, ripping him open with the need for her to truly know him. “Didn’t he get killed by a rival group? He wasn’t invincible.”
“No, he wasn’t.” Scorpio’s eyes drifted over the soft waves of her hair as the gentle night breeze lifted a strand and blew it between the bars. He fought the urge to grasp its feather lightness. “That was a skillful, precise attack by a group of Vipers. A combination of cockiness from Dalamos and luck for them.” He shook his head. “Thank fuck it happened, but I never thought I’d see the day.”
“But if someone was able to get to him, why not you?”
Unsure of exactly where she was going with this, and conscious of her wine buzz, but not wanting her to leave, he weighed his words. “Dalamos had constant security. Even though I was on the inside, still, he was never alone with me. Or anyone. Also…” He stopped, taking a moment to erect a shield against the emotion that made his blood boil. “Dalamos captured my younger brother and sister. They’re twins. At the time they were
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