of solid rock.
He chose not to respond to that. For one thing, he had an unfortunate distraction. The dryad remained unconscious, but it wasn’t peaceful. As they passed through the city streets, acres of asphalt and glass buildings separating them from a direct connection with the earth, he could feel the wasting weakness of her body increasing.
“Hurry, my lady.”
They’d scoped out several area parks within distance of the downtown area they’d been canvassing. She accelerated, heading toward the closest one. While she zigzagged through the predawn traffic, Jacob fished out his cell and made a quick cal to Elijah. He told him about Essie and where they were leaving the Mercedes so he could retrieve it, hopefully because both of them would have been transported into a whole different world.
The park was silent, of course, the main gate closed.
When Lyssa opened the door, Jacob slid out of the seat, carrying the dryad. For a moment they considered one another. Despite his elevated temperature and the hammering at his temples, the pain warning him to get below ground, he leaned forward, adjusting his hold on the Fae girl to close the distance to his lady’s lips. He gauged her mood enough not to make contact. Instead, he stopped just short of her mouth, teasing her with the proximity, earning a flash out of those mesmerizing jade eyes.
“Let’s just do it, my lady. Whatever happens, I love you.”
“You are a pain in my ass. Always.” Her jaw was tight, but the dark strands of her hair fell over her forehead, framing the mysterious power of those long-lashed eyes, tempting him to close the distance.
She shut her eyes at the brush of his lips, then opened them when he drew back.
The next moment didn’t require an exchange of thoughts, a mutual decision. Their hearts were shared, after all. Putting her hand on his face, she went to her toes. Reading her emotions, he bent his stance enough that they could press their foreheads together, even as he held the dryad between them.
They both understood the need not to alarm their son, but as one, they briefly touched his subconscious once more, leaving a lingering feeling of love, acceptance and reassurance there.
She straightened, held his gaze one vital second.
Then, giving him a nod, she turned. Together they walked around the main gate, which was designed only to keep cars out, and took the second walking trail identified by signs.
In her winged Fae form, Lyssa had visited many of the forested areas of Atlanta in the dark hours of night, even the more sparsely wooded ones. Now she guided him without hesitation toward a creek. It wasn’t a large body of water, probably unknown to most people who didn’t leave the walking trail. As they moved deeper into the woods, the canopy helped ease some of the scorching itch between Jacob’s shoulder blades. He wondered if the faint smell of smoke was coming from his skin. There’d been recent heavy rains, and so they heard the creek’s rushing, bubbling noise before they reached it. Jacob drew the cool smell gratefully into his nostrils.
The trees thinned, and there it was.
When Lyssa glanced at him, he saw her note his soaked T-shirt clinging to his body. The dryad’s body pressed against his chest was an abrasive friction.
Dawn was perhaps five minutes away. A vampire didn’t have to breathe, but he was doing so, and the sound of it was labored. The dryad stirred, making an uncertain noise as if picking up on the disturbing changes happening to her cradle. Lyssa’s brow creased, her lips thinning. Jacob shook his head, setting his teeth.
“Focus on the doorway, my lady.”
If he couldn’t cross over, he’d barely make it back to the car using vampire speed. Or he’d dig himself underground, as he’d indicated. There was no time for her to consider alternate possibilities. The fact that he was right didn’t make her any happier about any of it. She set her jaw.
“Give her to me. If you don’t
He chose not to respond to that. For one thing, he had an unfortunate distraction. The dryad remained unconscious, but it wasn’t peaceful. As they passed through the city streets, acres of asphalt and glass buildings separating them from a direct connection with the earth, he could feel the wasting weakness of her body increasing.
“Hurry, my lady.”
They’d scoped out several area parks within distance of the downtown area they’d been canvassing. She accelerated, heading toward the closest one. While she zigzagged through the predawn traffic, Jacob fished out his cell and made a quick cal to Elijah. He told him about Essie and where they were leaving the Mercedes so he could retrieve it, hopefully because both of them would have been transported into a whole different world.
The park was silent, of course, the main gate closed.
When Lyssa opened the door, Jacob slid out of the seat, carrying the dryad. For a moment they considered one another. Despite his elevated temperature and the hammering at his temples, the pain warning him to get below ground, he leaned forward, adjusting his hold on the Fae girl to close the distance to his lady’s lips. He gauged her mood enough not to make contact. Instead, he stopped just short of her mouth, teasing her with the proximity, earning a flash out of those mesmerizing jade eyes.
“Let’s just do it, my lady. Whatever happens, I love you.”
“You are a pain in my ass. Always.” Her jaw was tight, but the dark strands of her hair fell over her forehead, framing the mysterious power of those long-lashed eyes, tempting him to close the distance.
She shut her eyes at the brush of his lips, then opened them when he drew back.
The next moment didn’t require an exchange of thoughts, a mutual decision. Their hearts were shared, after all. Putting her hand on his face, she went to her toes. Reading her emotions, he bent his stance enough that they could press their foreheads together, even as he held the dryad between them.
They both understood the need not to alarm their son, but as one, they briefly touched his subconscious once more, leaving a lingering feeling of love, acceptance and reassurance there.
She straightened, held his gaze one vital second.
Then, giving him a nod, she turned. Together they walked around the main gate, which was designed only to keep cars out, and took the second walking trail identified by signs.
In her winged Fae form, Lyssa had visited many of the forested areas of Atlanta in the dark hours of night, even the more sparsely wooded ones. Now she guided him without hesitation toward a creek. It wasn’t a large body of water, probably unknown to most people who didn’t leave the walking trail. As they moved deeper into the woods, the canopy helped ease some of the scorching itch between Jacob’s shoulder blades. He wondered if the faint smell of smoke was coming from his skin. There’d been recent heavy rains, and so they heard the creek’s rushing, bubbling noise before they reached it. Jacob drew the cool smell gratefully into his nostrils.
The trees thinned, and there it was.
When Lyssa glanced at him, he saw her note his soaked T-shirt clinging to his body. The dryad’s body pressed against his chest was an abrasive friction.
Dawn was perhaps five minutes away. A vampire didn’t have to breathe, but he was doing so, and the sound of it was labored. The dryad stirred, making an uncertain noise as if picking up on the disturbing changes happening to her cradle. Lyssa’s brow creased, her lips thinning. Jacob shook his head, setting his teeth.
“Focus on the doorway, my lady.”
If he couldn’t cross over, he’d barely make it back to the car using vampire speed. Or he’d dig himself underground, as he’d indicated. There was no time for her to consider alternate possibilities. The fact that he was right didn’t make her any happier about any of it. She set her jaw.
“Give her to me. If you don’t
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