She blinked up at him and something rare and indefinable passed between them.
That warmth spread through her belly again. She wanted to go there with him, where she could learn how to use her magic from him, where she could finally feel safe. Glories, who was she kidding? She just wanted to be with him. Wanted him.
She’d never felt anything like it.
It was pointless to deny it any longer.
She was going with him.
That’s all there was to that.
Lance cleared his throat. When had he returned?
Her brother’s eyes narrowed on them, tracked to their joined hands. “Jewel?”
She blinked up at him, going for a picture of innocence. “Lance.”
“There’s food downstairs,” he ground out, his features stone. “He needs nourishment. Sheppard’s drugs take a lot out of you.”
Kicked him in the teeth more like.
“How long was I out?” Alexander asked, speaking to Lance though his gaze was still locked on Jewel. She felt the burning intensity of it.
“A little over thirteen hours.”
Alexander closed his eyes over that little tidbit, worry over his friends scrolling across his features and the heat between them slipped away. “I need to go.” Letting go of her hands, he pulled himself up and headed, well more like staggered toward the only doorway that Lance stood in that led to the tight stairwell and the open horse stalls below.
Crossing his arms across his chest, Lance didn’t move out of the way. Instead he strode forward and pulled Alexander none-too-gently to his side to steady him. Voice low, he warned, “That’s my sister. She doesn’t get hurt. In any manner.”
Jewel rolled her eyes. “Really? It’s the time for this now?”
“Well it’s not the time to be making batty eyes at a perfect stranger,” Lance defended.
“And it concerns you how?” Jewel glared at him.
Alexander and Lance met each other’s eyes, both at a loss for words.
“You’re my sister. Of course it con…”
“Who can take care of herself,” Jewel countered.
Alexander pushed away from Lance and braced a hand on the door jamb. “I need to go to my men.”
Nice diversionary tactic, the coward.
Lance deflated under Jewel’s hot glare. “We’re going with you.”
That made Alexander pause, leaning harder against the jamb. “I don’t need you. I’m a sorcerer, last of my kind. Sheppard had no idea what kind of magic he had been tangling with.” Oh now, he was ready to toss in his I’m-a-sorcerer chip? He looked back at Lance. “Sheppard doesn’t know you’re alive. Don’t jeopardize that. This isn’t your responsibility.”
“The hell it isn’t,” Lance growled, green eyes sparking. “Shepard’s been getting away with this for months. It’s time, past time, he’s stopped. We’re going.”
Her brother was determined, she’d give him that, a little impressed with his tenacity even while she was annoyed with his overprotective brother routine.
Lance crossed his arms over his chest. “What if Sheppard holds a gun to your man’s head again? That worked out so well for you last time.”
Alexander winced. She knew he wouldn’t risk that again. Not with his friends’ lives on the line. “All right.” Just as she’d thought, Alexander conceded their point. “But we do this my way. I take the lead on this, and the highest risk. I don’t want your people endangered. How many of you are there?”
Lance smiled. “I think it’s time for you to come downstairs and meet the others.”
“Good idea.” Jewel headed for the stairwell. “But you’ll be eating your soup while you talk.”
Alexander grinned at her. “Bossy, isn’t she?”
Lance shook his head. “You have no idea.”
Chapter Eight
A vampire. There was an ever-living vampire standing right in front of him.
Alexander had assumed they’d died out—or been starved out long ago when the Sifts depleted their source of blood. He’d never seen a full-fledged vampire. Though his uncle was part vampire,
That warmth spread through her belly again. She wanted to go there with him, where she could learn how to use her magic from him, where she could finally feel safe. Glories, who was she kidding? She just wanted to be with him. Wanted him.
She’d never felt anything like it.
It was pointless to deny it any longer.
She was going with him.
That’s all there was to that.
Lance cleared his throat. When had he returned?
Her brother’s eyes narrowed on them, tracked to their joined hands. “Jewel?”
She blinked up at him, going for a picture of innocence. “Lance.”
“There’s food downstairs,” he ground out, his features stone. “He needs nourishment. Sheppard’s drugs take a lot out of you.”
Kicked him in the teeth more like.
“How long was I out?” Alexander asked, speaking to Lance though his gaze was still locked on Jewel. She felt the burning intensity of it.
“A little over thirteen hours.”
Alexander closed his eyes over that little tidbit, worry over his friends scrolling across his features and the heat between them slipped away. “I need to go.” Letting go of her hands, he pulled himself up and headed, well more like staggered toward the only doorway that Lance stood in that led to the tight stairwell and the open horse stalls below.
Crossing his arms across his chest, Lance didn’t move out of the way. Instead he strode forward and pulled Alexander none-too-gently to his side to steady him. Voice low, he warned, “That’s my sister. She doesn’t get hurt. In any manner.”
Jewel rolled her eyes. “Really? It’s the time for this now?”
“Well it’s not the time to be making batty eyes at a perfect stranger,” Lance defended.
“And it concerns you how?” Jewel glared at him.
Alexander and Lance met each other’s eyes, both at a loss for words.
“You’re my sister. Of course it con…”
“Who can take care of herself,” Jewel countered.
Alexander pushed away from Lance and braced a hand on the door jamb. “I need to go to my men.”
Nice diversionary tactic, the coward.
Lance deflated under Jewel’s hot glare. “We’re going with you.”
That made Alexander pause, leaning harder against the jamb. “I don’t need you. I’m a sorcerer, last of my kind. Sheppard had no idea what kind of magic he had been tangling with.” Oh now, he was ready to toss in his I’m-a-sorcerer chip? He looked back at Lance. “Sheppard doesn’t know you’re alive. Don’t jeopardize that. This isn’t your responsibility.”
“The hell it isn’t,” Lance growled, green eyes sparking. “Shepard’s been getting away with this for months. It’s time, past time, he’s stopped. We’re going.”
Her brother was determined, she’d give him that, a little impressed with his tenacity even while she was annoyed with his overprotective brother routine.
Lance crossed his arms over his chest. “What if Sheppard holds a gun to your man’s head again? That worked out so well for you last time.”
Alexander winced. She knew he wouldn’t risk that again. Not with his friends’ lives on the line. “All right.” Just as she’d thought, Alexander conceded their point. “But we do this my way. I take the lead on this, and the highest risk. I don’t want your people endangered. How many of you are there?”
Lance smiled. “I think it’s time for you to come downstairs and meet the others.”
“Good idea.” Jewel headed for the stairwell. “But you’ll be eating your soup while you talk.”
Alexander grinned at her. “Bossy, isn’t she?”
Lance shook his head. “You have no idea.”
Chapter Eight
A vampire. There was an ever-living vampire standing right in front of him.
Alexander had assumed they’d died out—or been starved out long ago when the Sifts depleted their source of blood. He’d never seen a full-fledged vampire. Though his uncle was part vampire,
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