nodded.
“So, who’s going to Torth to get it?” Brooke asked.
Kai stopped in front of the tall windows flanking the fireplace and stared out into the autumn night. “I am.”
“Oh.” Brooke glanced down, trying not to sound surprised. Had he volunteered for the job? He didn’t want to talk about the other night. Does he want to get away from me badly enough that he’d go to another realm? She nibbled her lip, too curious to stay quiet. “How’d you end up drawing the short straw?”
“I grew up in the area. I can find that fucking plant faster than anyone else.” His gaze remained on the dark yard.
“Are you going by yourself?” Brooke asked. Nicole had spared no details about the dangers lurking in the demon realm. Kai was tough, but a thread of concern niggled at the back of her mind. Why do I even care?
“Nope,” he said, turning to look at her. He raked a hand through his hair.
Why is he making me drag this out of him ? “So, who’s going with you?” She tilted her head, searching his face.
Brown eyes settled on her with a piercing intensity. “You are.”
“ What?” she gasped.
“Absolutely not!” Nicole’s tone could’ve cut glass.
“Told you guys this was gonna go over like a brick,” Rhys drawled. He settled deeper into his leather armchair and folded his hands behind his head.
“Why me?” Brooke squeaked.
Gunnar held up a hand, stopping the chatter. “Why don’t we listen to what Rilan has to say?”
The Elder nodded. “As Kai mentioned, he grew up in the region. He can navigate it more skillfully than the rest of us, and that includes finding the bells as well as avoiding any pitfalls.” Rilan’s tone was firm. “And Brooke, you wanted more challenges with your power. This area of Torth is extremely dry, more so than any part of this country. You’ll have the chance to try things that you can’t do here. I have a list of tasks for you, starting with pulling water from the proverbial stone.”
Brooke opened her mouth, then closed it. A hundred thoughts fired through her mind. Be careful what you wish for was the most prominent one. That koi pond was looking better and better.
She figured someday she’d travel to the demon realm, but she didn’t expect the day to come so soon. Kai scowled as he resumed his pacing. He didn’t look any happier about this arrangement than she felt.
Her gaze dropped to where his black boots thudded a line in the floor. True, she had wanted to go. Will I slow him down? “How long will it…how long would we be gone?” She turned to Rilan.
“It will only take a few hours, at most. You’ll go tomorrow morning and be back by lunchtime. I don’t need to remind you of Kai’s fighting skills,” Rilan said, giving her a small smile. “And if you run into unexpected danger, you can abort the trip and come right home.”
“I don’t like this,” Nicole said. “And what do you mean by ‘inhospitable?’”
“Picture the aftermath of a fire and volcanic eruption.” Kai pulled out one of the chairs from the dining table and straddled it backwards. “All you see is gray rock, gray clouds, gray ash. There are mountains with caves and dead trees. No water. Nothing green.”
“It sounds like red flowers would be easy to spot,” Nicole pointed out.
“You’d think so, but they hide in tiny crevices along the mountainsides,” Kai said.
“What about other creatures?” Nicole asked. Brooke was glad for her older sister’s persistence, as she couldn’t form a complete sentence.
“We may see a few small lizards or snakes, and some birds. Hardly anyone lives there, since food and water are scarce. We’ll have the place to ourselves.” Kai’s gaze locked onto Brooke’s.
Her stomach did a little flip. They’d be alone for hours, with just a few critters to keep them company. Her gaze drifted to his sensual mouth and those soft, demanding lips that had seared her skin. She fought the urge to touch her
“So, who’s going to Torth to get it?” Brooke asked.
Kai stopped in front of the tall windows flanking the fireplace and stared out into the autumn night. “I am.”
“Oh.” Brooke glanced down, trying not to sound surprised. Had he volunteered for the job? He didn’t want to talk about the other night. Does he want to get away from me badly enough that he’d go to another realm? She nibbled her lip, too curious to stay quiet. “How’d you end up drawing the short straw?”
“I grew up in the area. I can find that fucking plant faster than anyone else.” His gaze remained on the dark yard.
“Are you going by yourself?” Brooke asked. Nicole had spared no details about the dangers lurking in the demon realm. Kai was tough, but a thread of concern niggled at the back of her mind. Why do I even care?
“Nope,” he said, turning to look at her. He raked a hand through his hair.
Why is he making me drag this out of him ? “So, who’s going with you?” She tilted her head, searching his face.
Brown eyes settled on her with a piercing intensity. “You are.”
“ What?” she gasped.
“Absolutely not!” Nicole’s tone could’ve cut glass.
“Told you guys this was gonna go over like a brick,” Rhys drawled. He settled deeper into his leather armchair and folded his hands behind his head.
“Why me?” Brooke squeaked.
Gunnar held up a hand, stopping the chatter. “Why don’t we listen to what Rilan has to say?”
The Elder nodded. “As Kai mentioned, he grew up in the region. He can navigate it more skillfully than the rest of us, and that includes finding the bells as well as avoiding any pitfalls.” Rilan’s tone was firm. “And Brooke, you wanted more challenges with your power. This area of Torth is extremely dry, more so than any part of this country. You’ll have the chance to try things that you can’t do here. I have a list of tasks for you, starting with pulling water from the proverbial stone.”
Brooke opened her mouth, then closed it. A hundred thoughts fired through her mind. Be careful what you wish for was the most prominent one. That koi pond was looking better and better.
She figured someday she’d travel to the demon realm, but she didn’t expect the day to come so soon. Kai scowled as he resumed his pacing. He didn’t look any happier about this arrangement than she felt.
Her gaze dropped to where his black boots thudded a line in the floor. True, she had wanted to go. Will I slow him down? “How long will it…how long would we be gone?” She turned to Rilan.
“It will only take a few hours, at most. You’ll go tomorrow morning and be back by lunchtime. I don’t need to remind you of Kai’s fighting skills,” Rilan said, giving her a small smile. “And if you run into unexpected danger, you can abort the trip and come right home.”
“I don’t like this,” Nicole said. “And what do you mean by ‘inhospitable?’”
“Picture the aftermath of a fire and volcanic eruption.” Kai pulled out one of the chairs from the dining table and straddled it backwards. “All you see is gray rock, gray clouds, gray ash. There are mountains with caves and dead trees. No water. Nothing green.”
“It sounds like red flowers would be easy to spot,” Nicole pointed out.
“You’d think so, but they hide in tiny crevices along the mountainsides,” Kai said.
“What about other creatures?” Nicole asked. Brooke was glad for her older sister’s persistence, as she couldn’t form a complete sentence.
“We may see a few small lizards or snakes, and some birds. Hardly anyone lives there, since food and water are scarce. We’ll have the place to ourselves.” Kai’s gaze locked onto Brooke’s.
Her stomach did a little flip. They’d be alone for hours, with just a few critters to keep them company. Her gaze drifted to his sensual mouth and those soft, demanding lips that had seared her skin. She fought the urge to touch her
Similar Books
