have time. So let’s do it. Right now.”
“Not in my lifetime. Or yours.”
With a sharp twist, he snapped her neck. The surprised look faded from her face, then her body dissolved into ash.
Gray particles swirled in the air like smoke, floated on the wind and drifted away. It was their way. Leave no evidence behind.
Damn it. Matt jammed a hand through his hair. No more answers than before.
Just more threats.
* * *
It wasn’t safe here. No place seemed safe. Sienna couldn’t stop shaking. She sat on the bed in their hotel room, rubbing her damp hair. Even after a hot shower and scrubbing her skin until it pinked, she could still detect the stench of smoke.
And death.
Tim, poor Tim, the betrayal he’d committed was unforgivable, but to be burned by pyro demons. Yet he hadn’t uttered a word, told them the Orb’s location. Matt was firm in this.
“Trust me, if the pyro demons found the Orb, I’d be dead by now.”
The thought made her skin crawl. No more talk of death. Sienna set the towel down and hugged herself.
The bathroom door opened. Steam drifted out and in the cloud, Matt emerged, a towel slung low on his lean hips. Water beaded in the dark hairs on his powerful chest. His limbs were long and muscled, dusted with dark hair, his feet sturdy. Breath caught in her lungs. Gods, he was magnificent. Remembering the sharp pleasure he’d given her, she felt her body grow hot and tight. She’d wanted him so badly. Until that growl…reminding her of his true origins. And then she’d run, scared. Afraid, not because he was Draicon, but scared of her own response to this sexy wolf.
He ran a hand through his damp hair. “Sorry,” he muttered. “Forgot my clothing.”
Everything female cried out in disappointment as he retrieved his jeans and shirt, and vanished back into the bathroom.
When he came out, fully dressed, he joined her. Cleaning his weapon, his jaw taut.
“What does Feau teinl mean?”
She searched her memory. “It’s Old Sidhe. ‘Forever gone.’”
Grunting, he slid a magazine into the pistol.
“Who said that?”
“Tim did. It was written…by his body.”
“He must have written it as parting words about dying. His soul, flying into the Other Side and leaving this plain. They tortured him for information, didn’t they?”
Matt glanced up. “Yes.”
“Won’t the police investigate and find out?”
“No. I got rid of the body and planted misinformation to keep them from suspecting anything. They’ll see a burned store and nothing else.”
He carefully set the pistol down on the nightstand, within reach. Then he turned, all seriousness.
“I’m taking you off this mission. I’ve made a call to my C.O. and he agrees. Fae agreement or not, it’s gotten too heated. What they did to Tim…they won’t hesitate to do to you. I can take care of it myself.”
Her heart dropped to her stomach, then he added, “The conditions still stand. When I recover the Orb, you’ll be allowed to show it to your people. That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”
To march the Orb in triumph back to her aunt, hear the wild cheers of the celebrating Fae. Once, it was. The thought of victory soured. It was no longer enough.
She had to push on. Because allowing Matt to go solo, knowing something could happen and she wouldn’t be there to help… Sienna swallowed, remembering the burns he’d suffered in the witch’s house.
“You need me.”
His expression softened. “I need you to be safe more. And I can’t guarantee your safety, Sienna. Not if I’m to do my job. Seeing what they did to him…if anything happened to you.”
“He was very brave in the end.”
Matt nodded.
Imaginary screams echoed in her head, the terror of Tim as the demons had sprayed him with fire, trying to make him surrender the Orb’s location. She would tell the Fae of his courage.
After she went running back to the colony, like a coward? And yet, he was right. The stakes were much higher. She could
“Not in my lifetime. Or yours.”
With a sharp twist, he snapped her neck. The surprised look faded from her face, then her body dissolved into ash.
Gray particles swirled in the air like smoke, floated on the wind and drifted away. It was their way. Leave no evidence behind.
Damn it. Matt jammed a hand through his hair. No more answers than before.
Just more threats.
* * *
It wasn’t safe here. No place seemed safe. Sienna couldn’t stop shaking. She sat on the bed in their hotel room, rubbing her damp hair. Even after a hot shower and scrubbing her skin until it pinked, she could still detect the stench of smoke.
And death.
Tim, poor Tim, the betrayal he’d committed was unforgivable, but to be burned by pyro demons. Yet he hadn’t uttered a word, told them the Orb’s location. Matt was firm in this.
“Trust me, if the pyro demons found the Orb, I’d be dead by now.”
The thought made her skin crawl. No more talk of death. Sienna set the towel down and hugged herself.
The bathroom door opened. Steam drifted out and in the cloud, Matt emerged, a towel slung low on his lean hips. Water beaded in the dark hairs on his powerful chest. His limbs were long and muscled, dusted with dark hair, his feet sturdy. Breath caught in her lungs. Gods, he was magnificent. Remembering the sharp pleasure he’d given her, she felt her body grow hot and tight. She’d wanted him so badly. Until that growl…reminding her of his true origins. And then she’d run, scared. Afraid, not because he was Draicon, but scared of her own response to this sexy wolf.
He ran a hand through his damp hair. “Sorry,” he muttered. “Forgot my clothing.”
Everything female cried out in disappointment as he retrieved his jeans and shirt, and vanished back into the bathroom.
When he came out, fully dressed, he joined her. Cleaning his weapon, his jaw taut.
“What does Feau teinl mean?”
She searched her memory. “It’s Old Sidhe. ‘Forever gone.’”
Grunting, he slid a magazine into the pistol.
“Who said that?”
“Tim did. It was written…by his body.”
“He must have written it as parting words about dying. His soul, flying into the Other Side and leaving this plain. They tortured him for information, didn’t they?”
Matt glanced up. “Yes.”
“Won’t the police investigate and find out?”
“No. I got rid of the body and planted misinformation to keep them from suspecting anything. They’ll see a burned store and nothing else.”
He carefully set the pistol down on the nightstand, within reach. Then he turned, all seriousness.
“I’m taking you off this mission. I’ve made a call to my C.O. and he agrees. Fae agreement or not, it’s gotten too heated. What they did to Tim…they won’t hesitate to do to you. I can take care of it myself.”
Her heart dropped to her stomach, then he added, “The conditions still stand. When I recover the Orb, you’ll be allowed to show it to your people. That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”
To march the Orb in triumph back to her aunt, hear the wild cheers of the celebrating Fae. Once, it was. The thought of victory soured. It was no longer enough.
She had to push on. Because allowing Matt to go solo, knowing something could happen and she wouldn’t be there to help… Sienna swallowed, remembering the burns he’d suffered in the witch’s house.
“You need me.”
His expression softened. “I need you to be safe more. And I can’t guarantee your safety, Sienna. Not if I’m to do my job. Seeing what they did to him…if anything happened to you.”
“He was very brave in the end.”
Matt nodded.
Imaginary screams echoed in her head, the terror of Tim as the demons had sprayed him with fire, trying to make him surrender the Orb’s location. She would tell the Fae of his courage.
After she went running back to the colony, like a coward? And yet, he was right. The stakes were much higher. She could
Similar Books
