Annoyance replaced her shock and wariness. “Why didn’t he just say so? Why must he order me about?”
“It’s what he is.”
“What? Arrogant and bossy?”
“No.” Amusement flared briefly in Hedori’s orange-green eyes. “He’s protective of the one he...ah, cares about.”
She snorted. “Like I said, bossy and arrogant.”
The fight drained out of her and she sat down. But all she saw in her mind was the white light taking over Aethan’s body. It had been the most frightening, most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. Why did he bother with a sword when he had such power?
She turned to the butler. “Hedori, that sword on his biceps? What is it?”
For a moment, she thought he wouldn’t answer. “It’s a gift he received when he became a Guardian. Like the sires, Týr and Blaéz.”
Her gaze strayed to the window again. She saw Týr, with the dark-haired man, heading for Aethan. She chose to hunt demoniis, wanting to exact revenge on the one who’d killed Tamsyn. Had Aethan made such a choice, too?
“But who would give such a gift? It looks painful.”
“Gaia.”
She turned back to Hedori, frowning.
“And no, it’s not painful,” he smiled as if to reassure her. “Not when evil is present. Only then does it become sentient. It’s important that, as Guardians, they are always armed.”
“Gaia?” she repeated.
“Yes. I guess humans would refer to her as Mother Nature. She er...drafted him in as one of her Guardians. His abilities serve him well in what he does.”
“Mother Nature? She’s real? She actually exists?”
Hedori nodded.
Echo wanted to pinch herself to make sure this conversation was real and not a dream. But after all that happened this morning and what she just saw, how could she doubt any longer?
She looked out of the window and saw Aethan and the others were looking around the grounds, talking. As if nothing earth shattering had happened just minutes ago. For them, this must be a normal occurrence, she realized.
She glanced at Hedori. “You said you’ve known Aethan since he was a little boy. Are you like him, too?”
“I would never claim to be one such as he.” There was a reverential tone in Hedori’s voice. “But yes, I am from Empyrea. When Aethan left, I followed.”
“Why did he leave?”
There was a moment of heavy silence before Hedori spoke. “He didn’t leave. He was banished.”
“Why—who would do something so cruel?” she asked, horrified.
“The high ruler of Empyrea.” Hedori stepped away from the window. “My lady,” he said softly and with a nod, he slipped out of the door.
Echo pushed to her feet.
Aethan entered the library, his gaze pinning her to the spot. The impassivity of his expression had her trepidation coming back in full force, reminding her of what he truly was. Instinct, made her take a step back.
He was immortal. Deadly. He wasn’t like her.
“You–you took out an entire army of demoniis,” she whispered.
“Yes.” There was no apology in his tone. For a taut moment, his gaze held hers. “Go to bed, Echo. I can taste your fear. Your heart pounds so fast, I’m afraid it will give out on you.”
The next minute he disappeared. There was no coercion, no emotion beneath his words. Either he was very, very angry with her or she’d hurt him with her fear.
Left alone in the silent library, Echo bit her lip. No, she wasn’t afraid of him. Hesitant, perhaps. Awed definitely. But afraid? No. Her heart pounded not in fear, but from knowing how much she wanted him.
Unwilling to start their relationship on doubt, she headed for the stairs and jogged up to the third floor. By the time she reached his room, a landed trout would have undoubtedly sucked in air with more grace than she did.
Echo rushed into the bedroom as he came out of the dressing room wearing sweats and Nikes. He held a T-shirt in his hand.
“Aethan, wait,” she panted. “I know I shouldn’t have gone outside—”
The gaze he turned on her flamed with silver ice.
Oh yes. He was furious.
“You should have never left the safety of the house, Echo. And now, you should have stayed away until I calmed down. I’m seconds away from making good on my promise.”
Her back stiffened. “I’m not some possession to be packed away because you fear it breaking. You want a relationship with me, you need to accept me for who I am.”
“At the expense of putting your life in danger? Don’t push me on this. You won’t like the trade-off.”
She bit back on the deluge that would have spewed out at his threat and said, “I don’t like you very much, right now.”
At her words, something shifted in his stance, his gaze. The chill in his eyes went into a slow burn, reminding her of a dangerous predator. He flung his T-shirt aside and prowled closer.
Hastily, she backed away. She wasn’t a fool. Whatever he planned wouldn’t be good for her. Then she met his eyes and fear gave way to anticipation. Breathing became harder, aware she’d unleashed this dangerous side of him.
“You don’t like me, do you?” He stalked her until her back hit the wall. Hands planted on either side of her head, he locked her in. “Let’s see about that, shall we?” His eyes glowed fiercely, filled with possession. He bent his head. His nose trailed lightly down her jaw to her neck.
Echo stilled, unprepared for the sensual feeling of his lips lightly grazing her skin. The heady scent of rainstorms, his masculine heat, and raw sex surrounded her. She could almost taste him on her tongue.
“Aethan,” she whispered, desire surging in her veins. If he could do that without even touching her, she truly was in trouble. But she didn’t care. She only knew if he didn’t kiss her, she would burn up from her own heat and die, and then he’d be sorry. She angled her face toward his, seeking his lips.
Soft laughter reached her ears as though he heard her thoughts. “Still don’t like me, do you?”
“Aethan, please,” she moaned, her hands sliding up the heated skin of his chest. His body was too hard, too big to tug closer. So, she grabbed his hair, wrapped the silky strands around her hand and drew his head to hers.
But he picked her up and braced her against the wall, her legs anchored around his waist. The warmth of his naked stomach against her center, the temptation of all those powerful muscles holding her up, made her heart beat faster. Unable to resist, her hand trailed down his chest and circled his flat male nipple. The shudder rippling through his hard body and the seductive sound of his groan caused the tiny hairs on her arms to rise.
His hot, possessive eyes skimmed over her hair, her face, to latch onto her mouth, then slid lower. Bending his head, he licked her nipple through her tee and blew on the damp patch. Her body tensed, her breath caught in her throat. He bit down gently before sucking on the nub and driving her out of her head with mind-numbing pleasure.
He let go of the tight bud and covered her mouth in a kiss so hot, it branded her to the very depths of her soul. Flames gathered, rolled, and pooled between her legs. A flood of moisture dampened her panties.
Her hand slid restlessly down, pushing between them to stroke his heavy erection. He grabbed her hand.
“I want to touch you,” she protested.
“No. It’s your punishment for disobeying me.” He carried her to the bed. The moment her bottom hit the mattress, he reached out and ripped her T-shirt down the center.
Shocked, she gasped. “You tore my shirt.”
He flung the tattered remains away. “I’ll buy you more.”
Desire stole her breath at the thought of being the sole focus of a man this powerful. His scorching gaze trailing over her bare skin made her tremble. Going down on his haunches, he hooked his fingers into the waist of her sweats. “Lift, if you want them intact.”
Her elbows braced on the bed, she lifted her bottom.
Aethan tugged her sweats down, his fingers stroking the length of her skin from her thigh to her ankle. He removed her pants and tossed them aside, revealing the tiny white panties she wore.
“Move up,” he ordered in a hoarse tone.
Echo dragged herself farther up the bed. A gentle push of his hand on her chest had her falling back. She broke her fall, bracing herself on her elbows, and watched him. Holding her gaze, he licked his way up from the inside of her knees, stopping midway. “Spread your legs for me.”
At his words, Echo blushed, her face growing hotter. Unwilling to miss out on the experience of all he would show her, she spread her legs a little.
He spread them wider. His hair like silken fingers caressed her thighs as he leaned down. He licked the tender skin on her inner thigh, trailing little kisses and sharp nips, making her squirm as a voracious hunger swept through her.
“I’m dying to taste you.” His voice was raw. Edgy. “You smell incredible.”
Any other time, she would have cringed that he could smell her arousal. Now, her lust spiked dangerously high, as anticipation of what would follow filled her.
He reached the juncture of her thighs and sucked the tender skin there, close to where she wanted him and far enough away to torment her. He ran a finger down the center of her cotton panties and cupped her heated core. Strong strokes with the heel of his hand had her breath seizing up. Then his thumb pressed down firmly on her clit.
Lights exploded behind her closed eyes at the pleasure flooding her. Echo wondered if she’d survive the storm she’d unleashed in him. A ripping sound filled the air and her eyes snapped open. Her panties were gone. She no longer cared that she was so exposed to his gaze.
He licked her, a slow, decadent stroke of his warm tongue. A scream tore from her throat. She gripped his hair tightly, fighting for control against the overwhelming pleasure consuming her.
Aethan became single-minded in his focus to take it all from her, tormenting her with his intimate kiss. The heat of his body surrounded her, filled her. Pinpricks of sparks sent tingles racing up her arms and down her body to pool in her core. Her pleasure heightened, driving her insane with need.
Her body a teeming mass of sensations, Echo let go of her grip on reality. She moaned, moved her hips, her legs sliding over his shoulders, giving him better access to her most feminine part.
***
Male that he was, Aethan took full advantage of her vulnerable state.
He flicked his tongue over her sensitized nub, held her down when she would have squirmed away, and taught her what it was like to be possessed by an immortal like him. Her pleasure his ultimate aim, he licked and suckled, leaving no parts of her unexplored.
Slipping his hands under her bottom, he tilted her pelvis up to take more of her into his mouth. Her thighs fell open. Her surrender tasted as sweet as her honeyed skin. After today, she would never doubt whom she belonged to.
Beneath his sensual haze, he felt his powers gathering force. He clamped down his shields as the pleasure in his mate drove him on. Her strangled scream deepened his arousal as he pushed her closer to the edge. He wanted her so badly, it became a testament of how much she mattered, of his willpower, that he wasn’t already sliding into her welcoming heat.
Aethan glanced up at her, but her eyes were shut tight. He needed to see her eyes. “Echo, look at me.”
Her eyelids flickered open. Hazy with desire, they locked on his.
He eased a finger into her tight, silken heat. “Know always, how much I want you.”
She cried out, her body arching off the bed. His hand splayed over her stomach, he held her down, felt the ripples at the start of her orgasm. He slipped another finger into her throbbing heat, felt her feminine muscles squeeze around them. He slid his mouth over her clit and worked her with his tongue. His fingers thrusting harder, faster, he took her over the edge.
Her cry of passion resonated in his being as she fell into a mind-shattering orgasm.
Slowly, he eased off and gently brought her back to him. His heart raced along with his rioting powers that battered at his shields. His vision blurred, became cloudy, a streak of pain shot through his head. His eyes were changing, becoming inhuman, he knew it.
She raised a hand and touched his face. “Come inside me, Aethan. I need you.”
Her husky words, a whisper of seduction, tortured him. His eyes squeezed tight. Anger filled him at the unfairness of having the only female he’d ever wanted with his heart and soul in his arms, yet unable to love her with his body. Gods, he’d so foolishly thought he’d be all right. Thought he could finally claim her after expending some of that cursed energy when he’d wiped out the demoniis. His erection unbearably hard, with release nowhere in sight, the pain in him intensified. He had to get out.
***
Aethan rolled away from her and moved off the bed in a speed that baffled her. It took Echo a moment to realize he was leaving.
“Aethan, wait!” She scrambled off the bed, dragged the sheets with her and nearly fell onto her knees, still weak from her orgasm.
He turned, and Echo saw his eyes. White had trickled into the gray irises. “What’s wrong?”
It was a moment or two before he spoke. The tendons in his neck stood out, the muscles of his body tensed. Made her realize he was straining, holding himself together.
“I have to go.” His words were hard, flat, the sensual lover gone.
“What? Why? Don’t you want me?”
A harsh laugh left him. He looked ready to tear something or somebody apart with his bare hands. The wall sconces sputtered, flickered on and off at an alarming rate. The air around him shifted, changed.
He turned away. “I can’t stay. I have to go.”
In desperation, she hurried after him nearly, tripping on the trailing navy sheets. He was hauling on a T-shirt in the dressing room with none of the finesse she was used to.
“Aethan, talk to me. Please.” She gripped his arm. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
This wasn’t just about the abrupt ending to the most fantastic experience in her life. Something was seriously off.
The tingles in her increased and her legs trembled as his powers shimmered across her skin. Aethan turned, his irises more white than gray. But the horror filling his face when he saw her holding him, Echo knew she’d never forget as long as she lived.
He reared back so fast it sent her stumbling to the floor. The recessed lights overhead shattered. “Don’t touch me!”
No! Her head spun and her heart constricted in protest. No. This can’t be happening. Pain erupted as tears welled in her eyes.
A blinding flash brightened the room, so brilliant it hurt her eyes and left her reeling. When the white light faded, she was alone in the dark.
Aethan had disappeared.
CHAPTER 16
Lazaar made his way to Andras’s chambers, easily navigating the dark passages. It wasn’t guilt that made him help Andras look for the psychic girl. Or brotherly love. He just wanted the bastard out of his hair. His sire chose right by making him the one to inherit the sin of greed, instead of Andras.
A demonii as a Sin. Really? The idiot couldn’t even control his urges around mortals. Helping Andras find the human female who could break the spell keeping him bound, was a small price to pay.
Whatever prophecy his brother guarded, like it was his own life, did not interest Lazaar. He just wanted Andras out of the Dark Realm. He didn’t care what damage Andras did to the mortal world. But with those Guardians around, hopefully Andras wouldn’t be a problem for long.
***
Andras’s veneer of patience evaporated. Agony spread from the pit in his chest and rocketed. He tugged at his hair as a shudder tore through him. He needed another soul to ease the pain.
Flames flickered from the torches on the wall, casting an ominous, orange glow throughout the black chamber.
He glowered at his brother. “You’ve been topside in the human realm and
you’re telling me you haven’t found her?”
Lazaar shrugged and shoved his hands into his trouser pockets. “All humans smell delicious.”
At his glib answer, Andras had to suppress the urge to tear off Lazaar’s face.
“Bael,” Andras snarled at the demon standing beside him. “Get me a soul.”
He collapsed into his chair, as the pain in his chest grew worse. Bael hurried out of the chamber, only to return moments later, dragging in a moaning human male. He tossed him on the floor at Andras’s feet.
With a flick of his hand Andras callously cut off the mortal’s vocal cords.
Lazaar shook his head. “You cannot aspire to greater things if you can’t see the big picture. You need a clear mind. All that clouds yours is when you can feed off the next human.”
“Need I remind you to whom you speak, little brother?” Andras snarled.
“What is it you want?” Lazaar asked, his expression growing bored.
“Did you find the psychic girl?”
Lazaar rocked back on his heels and smiled. “Just one. However, free will makes it impossible to bring her through the portal. And she resisted my mind manipulation.”
Andras glared at him. “What do you mean she resisted? We are powerful—we can make anyone do our bidding. Yet, you stand there and tell me you cannot bring one from that feeble race to me?”
“She is under the warriors’ protection. One came to her rescue.”
“Guardians do not consort with humans.”
Lazaar shrugged. “Then I suggest you go after her yourself.”
“You think to mock me because I’m bound to this place? Be careful, Brother. Be very careful you don’t get on my bad side.”
“Believe what you want, Andras. As always, you chase after rainbows in Hell. The girl can’t break the curse of the binding. I’m done helping you.” Lazaar strolled out of the chamber.
Andras scowled at his brother’s retreating back, his hatred growing. Lazaar dared to mock him? His gaze shifted to Bael. The demon nodded and followed Lazaar. A loud grunt echoed through the open doors, followed by a thud. A moment later, Bael reappeared, Lazaar’s body draped over his shoulder.
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