weren’t on the up and up.
“Hold him,” Eryx said.
Ludan and Ramsay snapped forward and seized Reese by his upper arms.
Eryx speared into Reese’s mind, and Reese’s knees buckled, his body sagging into Ludan and Ramsay’s firm grip.
Snippets of Reese’s youth plowed by . Not the whispered, painless sweep Ludan’s unique gift provided, but a slow, detailed study that left a burning trail of discomfort in its wake. Intelligence gained, and a warning given all at the same time.
He slowed through Reese’s training years. So much time with Ramsay , Ludan and Eryx absent for most of it. Galena was prevalent then too, picture after picture, though most were captured from a distance.
He lumbered through more recent years. A solemn stretch spent alone, Maxis finding and blackmailing him, all of it confirming Reese had spoken the truth. He slowed at Reese’s memories of the battle, scrutinizing every moment. What the—
Galena hadn’t just healed Reese on the battlefield, she’d talked with him. And the way Reese registered her appearance wasn’t anywhere near the way Eryx saw her. This woman was exotic. Sensual and enticing.
He fast-forwarded and growled at the site that greeted him. Galena, on her knees between Reese’s thighs and locked tight to his chest. He shook his head to clear the vision and refocused on Reese in real-time. His gut roiled, energy pounding for release. He should make the link and get out. Take advantage of the traitor while he could. But damn it if he didn’t want this man’s head.
He stabbed his link through Reese’s palm, and spasms wracked Reese head to toe. The thread pulsed neon red in Eryx’s mind, loaded with enough energy to jump Reese’s tremors to outright shakes.
Lexi’s warning from the night before shuttled past his thoughts. “He means something to her. Right or wrong, the emotion is there. You, of all people, should remember what it’s like to have to choose.”
Reese’s emerald green link inched toward Eryx’s. It coiled around Eryx’s angry red strand, slow, but determined.
The link snapped tight and the colors merged to solid black.
Reese’s eyes rolled back in the back of his head and he sagged deeper into Ludan and Ramsay’s hold.
Eryx dropped Reese’s hand and stepped away before he could snap Reese’s neck.
Reese staggered and tried to push upright.
The image he’d witness flashed back in full color. The flush on her cheeks when she’d knelt so close to Reese. The need in her eyes. Eryx knew that rush firsthand. Felt it every time he looked at Lexi. Histus, every time he thought of her. Galena would suffer enough at Reese’s death. Better for Maxis to bring his downfall than her brothers.
He sucked in a lungful of air. “Your mother’s homestead’s in Runa?”
Reese rubbed his forearm and stared almost defiantly at Eryx. “Close to Cush’s border, halfway through Big Valley on the east side.”
Good. Far enough to keep him away from Galena until tomorrow.
Eryx motioned to Ludan and Ramsay to step back, but kept his focus on Reese. “You’ve got twenty-four hours. We meet on the ridge across from Maxis’ rat hole at ten AM. You’re so much as a minute late, I’ll make the burn you just experienced feel nice in comparison.” He spun for the door. “It’ll last a good, long time before I kill you.”
* * * *
Reese touched down in front of his mother’s homestead. Crosswinds whipped his bare torso and cheeks, easing the noonday sun’s heat. Compared to the rest of Eden, Runa paled in terms of beauty and its sweeping winds were hellacious on a tame day, but no other region beat its fertile soil.
The stretch of land in front of him was no exception. Waist-high wheat stretched twenty acres wide and five deep, the color more a rose gold than what grew in Evad. The puffy topped stalks bobbed a happy greeting and their familiar honey-cinnamon scent grounded him in a way no other place could.
Praise The Great One, he’d missed
“Hold him,” Eryx said.
Ludan and Ramsay snapped forward and seized Reese by his upper arms.
Eryx speared into Reese’s mind, and Reese’s knees buckled, his body sagging into Ludan and Ramsay’s firm grip.
Snippets of Reese’s youth plowed by . Not the whispered, painless sweep Ludan’s unique gift provided, but a slow, detailed study that left a burning trail of discomfort in its wake. Intelligence gained, and a warning given all at the same time.
He slowed through Reese’s training years. So much time with Ramsay , Ludan and Eryx absent for most of it. Galena was prevalent then too, picture after picture, though most were captured from a distance.
He lumbered through more recent years. A solemn stretch spent alone, Maxis finding and blackmailing him, all of it confirming Reese had spoken the truth. He slowed at Reese’s memories of the battle, scrutinizing every moment. What the—
Galena hadn’t just healed Reese on the battlefield, she’d talked with him. And the way Reese registered her appearance wasn’t anywhere near the way Eryx saw her. This woman was exotic. Sensual and enticing.
He fast-forwarded and growled at the site that greeted him. Galena, on her knees between Reese’s thighs and locked tight to his chest. He shook his head to clear the vision and refocused on Reese in real-time. His gut roiled, energy pounding for release. He should make the link and get out. Take advantage of the traitor while he could. But damn it if he didn’t want this man’s head.
He stabbed his link through Reese’s palm, and spasms wracked Reese head to toe. The thread pulsed neon red in Eryx’s mind, loaded with enough energy to jump Reese’s tremors to outright shakes.
Lexi’s warning from the night before shuttled past his thoughts. “He means something to her. Right or wrong, the emotion is there. You, of all people, should remember what it’s like to have to choose.”
Reese’s emerald green link inched toward Eryx’s. It coiled around Eryx’s angry red strand, slow, but determined.
The link snapped tight and the colors merged to solid black.
Reese’s eyes rolled back in the back of his head and he sagged deeper into Ludan and Ramsay’s hold.
Eryx dropped Reese’s hand and stepped away before he could snap Reese’s neck.
Reese staggered and tried to push upright.
The image he’d witness flashed back in full color. The flush on her cheeks when she’d knelt so close to Reese. The need in her eyes. Eryx knew that rush firsthand. Felt it every time he looked at Lexi. Histus, every time he thought of her. Galena would suffer enough at Reese’s death. Better for Maxis to bring his downfall than her brothers.
He sucked in a lungful of air. “Your mother’s homestead’s in Runa?”
Reese rubbed his forearm and stared almost defiantly at Eryx. “Close to Cush’s border, halfway through Big Valley on the east side.”
Good. Far enough to keep him away from Galena until tomorrow.
Eryx motioned to Ludan and Ramsay to step back, but kept his focus on Reese. “You’ve got twenty-four hours. We meet on the ridge across from Maxis’ rat hole at ten AM. You’re so much as a minute late, I’ll make the burn you just experienced feel nice in comparison.” He spun for the door. “It’ll last a good, long time before I kill you.”
* * * *
Reese touched down in front of his mother’s homestead. Crosswinds whipped his bare torso and cheeks, easing the noonday sun’s heat. Compared to the rest of Eden, Runa paled in terms of beauty and its sweeping winds were hellacious on a tame day, but no other region beat its fertile soil.
The stretch of land in front of him was no exception. Waist-high wheat stretched twenty acres wide and five deep, the color more a rose gold than what grew in Evad. The puffy topped stalks bobbed a happy greeting and their familiar honey-cinnamon scent grounded him in a way no other place could.
Praise The Great One, he’d missed
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