by Angel Lawson
Heat flashed between us, bathing us in the familiar blue light. When we healed one another, all the energy went to repairing our bodies. When we fed, like this, simple and physical, it was like attaching myself to a human sized battery. The power surge was beyond intoxicating, and in that moment I knew Liam told the truth: that I was special, and so was he.
My fingers sought his skin, pushing up the hem of his shirt. His breath caught at contact but his reaction was to bring me closer, kiss me harder. I bit down on his lip, tearing the skin. Liam pulled away, eyes flashing and half feral. He licked the wound.
“I’m sorry—“ I stammered. Heat rose to my cheeks, humiliated by my reaction.
“Don’t be,” he replied. With impossible speed he grabbed my hands and spun us to the bed. The springs creaked when he landed on his back, and again when I fell on top of him.
In a haze of blue, I healed him, gently repairing the skin. But the action was mixed with lust and want. My body ached with a type of need I’d never experienced before. I pushed at his shirt, revealing his taut stomach, and it was only a matter of seconds before my own blouse landed on the floor with a soft drop.
Liam’s hands gently explored my exposed skin. Goosebumps rose down my arms and I pressed against him—seeking heat. “It’s rare for me to see you like this,” he said, thumbs brushing past my navel. I squirmed, fighting off a shiver, but his hands clamped down on my hips and held me in place.
“Like what?”
“Whole. Strong. Normally I only get to see you in a weakened state. I like this just as much.”
I bent over to kiss him, halfway to shut him up. His words scared me. The weird feeling in my chest scared me more. The blue light faded and I pulled away. Liam’s cheeks had a reddish tint and his eyes shone bright. I ran a hand over his chest, brushing over the weird symbols and etched runes. A flutter of power soared through my body. I needed to find out what those runes meant.
“Something wrong?” he asked.
“God, this is exactly why I need balance in my life and privacy. There’s all this blue energy and pain and sex and lust and I don’t know, Liam,” I rambled. “I don’t understand any of it. We have to come up with something that works for both of us.”
He replied with a lifted eyebrow.
“I’m serious.”
“Was that unsatisfactory in some way?” He stared at my chest and I looked down. I was in nothing but my bra, and my skin was flushed. I was obviously aroused. He continued, “Because I feel like that was working for you.”
To prove a point (maybe more to myself than him) I lifted myself off his body and the bed. I turned to my dresser and tugged on a shirt. In the mirror I saw how much of a hot mess I was: disheveled hair, necklace and charm twisted at around my neck. I straightened myself, refusing to look at him. I touched the cover of one of the books from Liam’s library—Sidhe history books—and felt his eyes on my back. “That’s the problem. I have no control around you, and you know it.”
“I’m willing to cooperate as long as you’re honest with me.”
“No stalking.”
“No lying.”
“No showing up uninvited in my bedroom—things are a little too confusing for that right now.”
Through my dresser mirror I watched him get off my bed and tidy himself. “Fair enough. I won’t intrude in your private life, but you have to make your training sessions or at least notify me or Colleen if you can’t make it. I need you to take my concerns seriously.”
“I can do that.”
“I’ll respect your home—no more unannounced visits,” he said, halfway into the hallway. “But please understand that if you show up at my home, in my bedroom, all bets are off.”
He left with a confident smirk on his face. I sat on the edge of my dresser, knocking one of the books to the floor, and swallowed. He and I both already knew who would win this power struggle—I just needed a little more time before it happened.
Chapter 17
Liam
I left under a guise of cool confidence. In reality I was barely holding it together. She shook me to the core, bringing out an animalistic urge I fought valiantly to suppress. Between the surging adrenaline and the pure lustful desire I had for Nadya there was no reason to go home to rest. I turned toward Barnes Street to check on the vandalized houses, using the time to calm myself.
The drive didn’t take long. I parked the car near a small corner store and got out. Teenage boys stood around the outside of the shop, eating chips and drinking soda. I nodded my head in their direction.
“Nice car,” one of them said.
“Thanks.”
“How much you want for it?”
I ran my hand down the long lines of the car’s body. “Sorry, she’s not for sale.”
“Aw, man. You sure?”
I’d had this car since it was new and rolled out of the factory. It was my baby. No way I’d ever let her go. I shook my head at the kids and gave the one with the questions a hard look, daring him to touch my car. He blinked and that was enough to confirm he understood.
The houses on Barnes Street were small bungalows dating back to the 1920s. Many appeared empty, no light spilling through the leaded glass windows. A few had ramshackle cars in the driveways. I stopped in front of one of the houses with shattered windows and assessed the scene. Three houses in a row had their windows blown out, the one in the middle showing the most damage. Scorch marks ran up the exterior walls, but there was no other sign of fire damage. I inhaled. Beneath the stench of poverty, a scent made up of oil, grime and rotting, deteriorating wood, I searched for an accelerant. Instead, I caught a hint of something sweeter. A fruit tree, maybe? I looked around but came up empty.
A shimmer or movement on the porch of the middle house caught my eye. I kicked the gate back and heard my phone buzz from my pocket.
“Hello?” I stepped back onto the street.
“Liam, it’s Brayden. Can you come to the airport? Daniel has something to show you.”
“Be there in ten minutes.”
Back at the car I asked the kids, “You notice anything weird down there? The houses with the broken glass?”
“Nah,” the one from earlier replied. “Mostly just junkies in and out of there. Some old ladies.”
“Did you see what happened to the windows?”
A different kid with a dark blue hoodie steps out of the shadow. “I did. It was messed up. Everything was all quiet and then, well, it’s like the glass just slid off the windows.”
“Slid off?”
“Yeah, you know, like, normally when a window breaks it makes a loud cracking sound? This was different. It was like music. Tinkling and stuff, it all just slid down in neat little piles.”
Fae or not, it was definitely weird. I shook the kids hand and gave him twenty bucks for the information and not messing with my car. Then I headed back to the airport.
Brayden let me in the back door, even though he gave me a wary glance. Ignoring him, I continued on, seeking Daniel in his office. “Tell me you’ve found something,” I said, sitting in one of the desk chairs.
“Actually, I have.” He turned the computer monitor so I could see the screen. The image was similar to a radar, swirls of red and orange. I noticed several distinct spots of purple. “I had to go back and do a reverse spell on the wards—to see if there was something we missed. I did find a small wisp of disturbance in the portal last week.” He pointed to the purple.
“The day Fiona showed up?”
“Possibly. It’s almost like finding a fading footprint. The outline is there and I can’t tell exactly when it happened, but I did find more than one footprint.”
I looked at my two men and fought back the tide of anger. “You’re saying we’ve allowed more than one unapproved Sidhe through the portal? Now? When things are particularly dangerous?”
“It would appear so,” Daniel said. “Although to be clear, the break seems to be coming from the Otherworld, not over here.�
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“Unacceptable.”
“I know you’ve tried to remain closer to home, like your short trip today, but you’re probably going to have to go over there and assess the situation.”
“So we possibly have unauthorized Sidhe loose over here and the Queen herself showing up unannounced, and you want me to leave Nadya to go to the Otherworld? I don’t think so.”
Brayden cleared his throat and tried, unsuccessfully, to banish the fear from his eyes. He said, “If I may be bold, it is your duty to protect the portal first. Nadya is not your primary concern.”
I opened my mouth to set him straight but Daniel cut in. “He’s right. Colleen will guard Nadya. You take care of the portal.”
As much as I hated to admit it, they were correct. The portal was my assignment—Nadya a self-chosen duty. She wasn’t safe as long as it had been compromised. “I’ll leave in the morning. Let me go home and pack. I’ll leave instructions for Colleen.”
The airport was bustling at 8 AM. The wait behind other pilots gave me the opportunity to observe Nadya at work. Even after her late night, she looked bright eyed and red cheeked—a benefit from our brief feeding. I wondered if we took things further if she would become impossible to look at. Like an angel in her true form.
I stepped forward and her eyes swept over me, pausing on my travel bag. I’d like to kiss her one last time before I left. I wondered if she would be agreeable. We didn’t go over goodbye kisses last night.
She frowned at the schedule. “I don’t have you on the departure list.”
“Last minute trip.”
She handed over the flight materials. My shirt sleeved pulled up, just enough to reveal the new rune etched on my wrist. I tugged it down, but not before Nadya noticed. To her credit she didn’t say anything about it. Instead she asked, “How long do you plan to be away?”
“I’m not sure. I need to handle a security situation.”
Her frown intensified. “Is something wrong?”
“Nothing I can’t handle. Colleen and the others will be here if you need them.” She nodded but the worry line between her eyes remained tight. “Are you okay?”
“Of course. I just have to do a little extra work to fit you in last minute.”
She busied herself on the computer, the clicks and clacks of the keyboard sounding a bit tense. I glanced down at the counter and saw her beloved horoscope open on the top page of the paper. “May I?”
“You want to read your horoscope?”
“Why not? You seem enthralled by this particular habit.” I held up the paper and read, ‘Avoid coercive tactics since they add power to what’s not being said. Shedding light on your emotions minimizes unnecessary confusion later on. Engaging in an honest dialogue is the first step to being your authentic self.’
Rubbish,” I declared. “What am I supposed to get from that?”
“I suppose you need an open mind to understand horoscopes, or even yourself.”
“Is that supposed to imply something?” If I read her tone right, any hope for a goodbye kiss was quickly evaporating.
Nadya handed over my flight papers and gave me a bold smile. “Have a nice flight, Mr. Caldwell.”
I gathered my paperwork but hesitated before walking away. “Can I speak to you for a moment? Privately?”
She gave me a short nod and turned toward her father’s unoccupied office. “Is there something wrong?”
“No—not really. This trip may take a bit longer than I’d like. Please go to Colleen or Brayden if you have any concerns.”
“Okay.”
“I left you something at your home.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Did you break in? I thought we talked—“
“No. I didn’t break in. I gave it to your father this morning. You’d already left.”
“What is it?”
I smiled. “Something I think you’ll like. Something from your history.”
The hard lines on her face softened. “Oh, well, thank you.” Her hand reached out to mine. Energy flared between us. “Be careful.”
“I will.” I lifted her hand and pressed my lips to the soft skin in the middle of her palm. “You too.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly and again her mood shifted. Back and forth with this girl, I couldn’t keep track. We exited the office and I walked out the door toward my plane. The runway was loud this time of day, with so many planes coming in and out. The weather was perfect. I glanced toward the portal and everything looked clear.
“Is the plane ready?” I asked Brayden, opening the fiberglass door and placing my bag inside.
“You should be all set for passage to and from Otherworld. We’ll keep an eye on Nadya.”
“She’s smarter than she appears. Don’t let her manipulate Colleen.”
“Got it.”
Brayden dared to look as though he was humoring me. Dear Gods, the girl’s allure had me out of sorts. No wonder the guards wanted me out of the way. Perhaps I did need to go home, get a little distance. Maybe space would make Nadya understand the importance of our bond.
“I’ll send word when I plan to return. I’m counting on you to keep things tight, do you understand?”
“Yes, Liam.”
He slammed the door and I cranked the engine to life. Taxiing down the runway I kept my eyes on the portal in the sky. Next stop, Otherworld.
Chapter 18
Nadya
The punching bag swayed gently, back and forth, probably more from my heaving breathing than from any actual impact. Colleen’s phone rang, pushing past the insufferable sound of my panting and the pounding of my heart in my ears.
“Hello,” she said, walking toward the back door. The rest was muffled but I didn’t care. My only concern was getting through the final thirty minutes of my workout before going home to soak in an ice bath.
“That was Daniel. I’ve got to run by the airport for a minute.”
I paused. Liam made it sound like I would be on house arrest until he returned. If Colleen was leaving me alone, something big must be happening. “Is something wrong? Liam?”
“No, just some basic guard duty, nothing to do with Liam.” She grabbed her coat and gloves. “Finish and lock up. After that go straight to my apartment. I’ll take you home later.”
I forced my suspicions down. Liam was hiding something, I was sure of it. When he kissed my hand nothing happened. No visions. No memories. The normal surge of energy was there but something felt off. The taunting, ancient history that bubbled to the surface with little prompting. But not today.
Whatever. I cranked up the music, getting back in the groove. The bag swung a little harder and my triceps screamed with each punch. “Take that, you claw-faced bastard,” I shouted, pretending the bag was the soldier that attacked me last month. I slammed into the bag with a hard hit. Too hard. “Ow! Dammit!”
I complained a lot and made a big deal about the training, but I was starting to like it. I felt the change in my muscles and an increase in speed. In fact, it was possible I liked it a little too much. My wrist burned from that last hit and I adjusted the wrapping tighter. Taking a swig of water, I dove back in for another five minute round of kicks. I’d fallen completely in the zone when the music quieted and I heard, “So this is where you hide out. No wonder you never called.”
I spun and saw Grace in the doorway. “Hey! How’d you get in?” I ask. “The door was locked.”
“No.” She shrugged. “It wasn’t.”
“Weird.” I reached for a towel and wipe my face. Sweat poured down my face and neck. Colleen must have really been in a hurry not to lock the door behind her. “How did you find me here?”
“I was just walking by and saw you whaling on that bag. You do this a lot?”
“Yeah. More than I’d like.”
“Yeah?” She frowned.
“I’m just doing some extra training. Working on my speed and stuff.”
“The only thing I work on is lying around and cake.” She rubbed he
r flat belly as though it were big and round. It wasn’t.
“Whatever, you’re gorgeous.”
“Yeah right, guys in this town are totally into girls with purple hair,” she said, but attractive people know how they look. There was no denying Grace was a beautiful girl. Purple hair or not. “You want to grab a bite or something?”
I looked at my watch. Colleen shouldn’t be back for another hour or so. “Yeah, let me clean up and we’ll go.”
An hour later we were at a booth at the diner. I had a hamburger and fries in front of me, but all I wanted was the meat. My craving for protein had intensified over the last couple of weeks. The workouts had increased my appetite, but there was something else—a deeper hunger beneath my desire for food. I had a feeling I knew what, or who, it was for.
“So what have you been up to lately?” Grace asked. She had a thick piece of cherry pie on her plate.
“Nothing much,” I said. “Working out. Work. Sleep. The usual. You?”
“Just trying to get used to being in a new place. I found a job at the coffee shop on Third Avenue.”
“That’s great! I’ll come by and see you sometime.”
“I’ve got the early shift.” She checked her watch. “In fact it starts in about 6 hours.”
“Ugh, that sucks. I work a lot of mornings, too. I feel your pain.”
“Speaking of pain, how’s the wrist?”
She must have noticed how I wrapped the tender part of my arm before leaving the gym. “Just sore. It’s no big deal.”
“You need to be careful.”
“I am. A little aspirin will make it all better.”
“How about that boyfriend of yours? Maybe he’s a doctor?” Grace gave me a sly grin. “Or at least he plays one in the bedroom?”
My cheeks heated. I tried my best not to think about Liam in the bedroom. His or mine. “Yeah, he’d like to try—but no. This will be fine on its own. No doctors needed. He’s out of town anyway.”
“Oh well, then maybe we can hang tomorrow? There’s a shitty bar on Main Street I’ve been wanting to check out.”
I had never been in a bar. Or had a friend to go to one with. I smiled. “I get off work at six.”
