Kat accepted gratefully. When Clelia took her hand to lead her upstairs, Lann stepped up, but Joss gripped his shoulder to hold him back. A silent message passed in Joss’s eyes as he looked at Lann, but she was too tired to interpret it. All she wanted was a warm bath, food, and a bed.
Eve had disappeared ahead of them, apparently at home in the fort. Kat followed Clelia up two levels and down a long, stone wall corridor. They stopped in front of the last room.
“The castle was abandoned for a long time,” Clelia said. “We only moved in a couple of months ago. I’m still trying to make a home of it. It belonged to Joss’s ancestors.”
They entered a large room decorated in neutral colors. A fire burned in the fireplace, and the four-poster bed that stood in the middle of the floor looked inviting.
Clelia opened a door on the far side of the room. “This is your bathroom. I think you’ll find everything you need.”
Kat removed her coat and sank down onto the sofa facing the fire. “Thank you. You’re too kind. I know this is a risk for you, taking me in.”
Clelia walked to the sofa and took a seat next to Kat. “You’re safe here. Lann will protect you. We all will. I know you’re tired. Why don’t I run you a warm bath, and fetch you something to eat?”
Kat offered the small woman a grateful smile. “That sounds wonderful.”
Clelia looked at Kat’s stomach with something like wonder. Reaching out, she asked, “May I?”
Kat nodded.
Clelia laid her hand on Kat’s abdomen. “You’re so flat. When will you be able to feel the baby move?”
“Only from about five or six months,” Kat said. “Or that’s what I’ve read.”
Clelia got to her feet. “Do you like lavender? I’ll add some to your bathwater.”
Joss took Lann to the ground floor study and shut the door. Not being close to Katherine didn’t sit well with Lann. Whenever she was near, there was a displacement in the air around him. The first time he’d noticed her at the airfield in Santiago, the movement had been a soft whisper. As she’d swept past him, the molecules had gathered and twisted into a light vortex that had surrounded him. The beautiful movement had made him lightheaded. The way she made the air move around him was like a physical caress. Now that he was used to that sensual brush of air against his cheek, emptiness prevailed in her absence.
“Stop pacing,” Joss said.
Lann paused. He’d been walking back and forth like a caged lion. In an effort to remain still, he glanced around. “You’ve done wonders with the place.”
“It’s Clelia,” Joss said, looking proud. “We had the books transferred back from storage.”
Lann scanned the titles.
“How’s your new home coming along?” Joss walked to a liquor tray and poured amber liquid from a bottle with a Calvados label into two glasses.
“Good.” Lann accepted the drink Joss offered. “Only, it doesn’t seem half as important as before.”
Joss regarded him from the rim of his glass as he took a sip of the apple brandy. “A woman will do that to you.”
“If David had taken her…” Lann shuddered.
“Things between you and her are tense. She’s in a fragile condition. You need to loosen up. For her sake.”
“Loosen up?” Lann kept his voice level, but inside he was shaking. “She’s going to die, Joss.”
“You fucked up.” It wasn’t a question. Joss crossed his arms, his glass balanced in one hand.
“Do you think I got her pregnant intentionally? What the hell do you take me for?”
Joss watched him narrowly. “That’s not the fucking up I’m referring to.”
Lann returned Joss’s stare, but after a while, he admitted the truth. “I fucked up.”
“Fix it,” Joss said with an uncompromising tone.
“It’s not that simple.” Lann took a long drink. “How do you fix something with someone you’re killing?”
“Stop blaming yourself. As you said, you didn’t do it intentionally.”
Lann looked at his commander. Joss had never given him advice on his personal life. They’d never been close friends. Hell, he had no friends. He was good at keeping people at arm’s length. But he’d always known he could count on Joss where his life was concerned.
“You hurt her when you left Santiago,” Joss said. “That’s the part you better fix.” His voice dropped an octave. “You’re on a deadline.”
“Don’t I know that.” Lann rubbed the sore muscles of his neck. “I tried to protect her.”
Fine damn job he’d made of it too. If he’d contained his lust, Katherine wouldn’t be in this mess. God, he was a selfish bastard.
Emotions he’d been suppressing since he’d learned Katherine was pregnant rose in him like lava searching for an outlet to the surface. The glass shook in his hand. With a cry that could split a diamond, he flung the glass into the fireplace. The crystal shattered against the stone. A blue flame flared up and died a second later.
Joss didn’t move. “You’re expending your energy in the wrong way.”
Lann turned on his commander. He felt like tearing down the walls and ripping out his heart, because he didn’t deserve to have one.
“Don’t tell me how I should or shouldn’t react,” he said, his voice like frost.
“I’m not telling you what to feel. I’m telling you what needs doing. I know what I’m talking about.” Unnamed emotions flashed through Joss’s eyes. “I almost lost Clelia.”
“It’s not the same.” His anger vanished as quickly as it had erupted, leaving a terrible coldness in his veins. “You weren’t responsible for her imminent death.”
“Wasn’t I? Because of me, she faced danger. Because of me, she nearly died. Lupien was a breath away from killing her, and I had to stand by and watch, helpless.” He gripped Lann’s arm. “Eve will do everything in her power to find a cure.”
Lann nodded, his eyes fixed on the door.
“Cain’s arriving soon. He wants to interview you.”
Lann narrowed his eyes. “You mean he wants to see if I’m emotionally stable enough to do my job.”
Joss shrugged. “Of all the people I’ve met, you’re the most untouchable.”
“Yeah.” He pressed his thumbs against his tired eyes. Until Katherine.
“Go to her,” Joss said, “but calm the fuck down first.”
That was exactly what he was going to do. Time was too little, too precious.
Chapter 5
The candles flickered in the hallway as Lann passed. Despite the new modern overhead lights, Clelia still preferred illuminating the rooms with fire, her element. His element, air, was supposed to make him light, aloof, but his steps were like iron on magnet, his mind heavy as he made his way to Katherine.
The door in the middle of the corridor opened and Eve stepped out. They regarded each other, unmoving. The heaviness of the situation bore down on them.
After another beat, she said, “I’ve analyzed the blood sample I took at the safe house.”
“And?” He walked closer.
She shook her head. “Her body has turned. If we terminate the pregnancy now, she’ll die.”
“Fuck.” He slammed his fist against the wall. Pain exploded in his knuckles. “Why did she have to run off like that?” Because she didn’t trust him, and he couldn’t blame her.
“I’ll do what I can,” Eve said, laying her hand on his arm.
He knew by Eve’s unusual display of affection that the pain he felt had to show in his eyes, but he couldn’t cry. Instead, it felt like his soul was sliding like a rain shadow wind on the lee side of a mountain. Dry.
“Time…” His voice was gruff. “Will it be enough?”
“I don’t know, Lann.”
He nodded.
“I’ve never had an actual case to work with before,” she said. “It’s difficult to conduct research in theory only. Maybe this will give us the breakthrough we need.”
Eve was
offering consolation, but that wasn’t what Katherine needed. Katherine needed a hell of a lot more. She needed a miracle. He closed his eyes. Eve squeezed his arm.
Lann looked back at her and tried to smile. “Thanks.”
He continued down the hall and stopped in front of the last door, remaining outside for a moment to regain his composure before he entered.
Katherine sat on an ottoman facing the fire and Clelia was brushing her hair. When Lann walked into the room, Clelia got up and left the brush on the dressing table.
“Kat had a warm bath and ate a big bowl of tomato soup.” Clelia looked happy with herself. “The baby’s going to love tomatoes.”
The baby. The cause of Katherine’s death. Lann pushed the thought away.
“Thank you, Clelia,” Kat said.
“We’ll have dinner with Eve in the dining room later if you want to join us. If not, just help yourself to anything in the kitchen. While you’re staying, this is your home.”
Lann gave a small nod to show his appreciation for Clelia’s consideration. He’d sensed the gentleness in her from the first time they’d met, when Joss had abducted her. That was why she sheltered a whole zoo of stray animals. Firestarters were like that. Fire was the only element not from Earth. It gave light, energy, and wisdom without needing to receive anything in return for its endless capacity to give. Him, he was remote, cool, and would rather analyze a situation with reason than emotion. He was like the disciple, Thomas. He needed physical proof to believe. But that was before Katherine. All of what he was seemed different. His perfect control was slipping. Right now, he was about as stable as a low-pressure weather system. Joss’s words rang in his mind. He needed to hold onto his control. For her.
“I could bring your dinner to the room if you prefer,” Clelia offered.
“Thanks,” Lann said. “I’m good.”
The last thing on his mind was food. He wanted to be with Katherine. Alone.
When Clelia left, he walked over to the fire and looked down at Katherine. The atmosphere changed. A wave of air rippled down his chest. Without lifting a finger, she moved the air for him. Her presence was like a ribbon flying in the wind. With every minute he spent with her, it became stronger, her pull more undeniable. A week ago, he’d nearly killed himself by cutting off the oxygen that fed his soul. When he’d set her free, he’d thought his addiction would destroy him. Rather him than her. Now it was too late. For both of them.
Burgundy curls fell over her shoulder. She was dressed in a purple polo neck dress. Her skin was soft and tanned, her lips red and plump. She stared up at him with those blue eyes that always made him falter. Before, he’d found her breathtakingly beautiful, but now there was a new glow about her, a blush on her skin and a light in her eyes that shouldn’t have been there after what she’d just been through. The best and worst was the desire she tried so hard to deny shining in her eyes, a secret part of her only he knew.
She cleared her throat. “I know we need to talk about what I did at the clinic.”
“It’s done. We can’t turn back time. I understand why you did it.”
Her voice was hopeful. “Do you?”
He sat down next to her. “Yes.”
“Thank you.” She looked at her hands. “I don’t have enough energy left to fight over that too.”
He traced the perfect line of her jaw with a finger, but she pulled away. He hated the distance she put between them. It left him powerless when she needed him most.
“Katherine,” he started carefully. “Let me take care of you.”
“You already are. You brought me here, didn’t you?”
He gave her an indulgent smile. “That’s not what I meant.”
Then he took the risk, planting a kiss on her lips, but she behaved as if he’d sent a bolt of lightning through her, jumping to her feet.
“It’s been a taxing day,” she said. “I’m tired.”
Dejected, he got up. She might keep on rejecting him, but he wasn’t giving up. She was hurt. He understood that. Proud. But they were living on borrowed time. He started to unbutton his shirt.
Her eyes flared. “What are you doing?”
“Getting ready for bed,” he said, keeping his tone neutral.
Her voice was filled with disbelief. “You’re not sleeping here.”
“Better believe it, krasavitsa. I’m staying right here next to you, in my rightful place.”
Her cheeks flushed a pretty, angry red. “What gives you the idea that this is your rightful place?”
“You wouldn’t have asked this if I hadn’t hurt your feelings.”
“All the more reason why you can’t stay in my room.”
He shrugged off the shirt. “You’ve seen me naked.”
She gave him an incredulous look. “We’ve broken up.”
“Things have changed. You need me to stay.”
Pulling her back straight, she said, “Don’t tell me what I need.”
“I said I’d be here for you.” He threw the shirt over the back of the sofa. “So just let me do it.”
“That doesn’t mean we can jump right back into a thirty-day fuck.”
“It’s about the contract, isn’t it?” He reached for her, but she took a step back. “You don’t understand.”
“I do. I always have. I took what you offered. Thirty days.”
“It wasn’t because I didn’t want more.”
She looked away.
“Look at me, Katherine.”
Obstinately, she refused.
Gripping her chin, he turned her face back to him. “It’s time that I explain some things. When I first saw you, you stirred the air around me. It had never happened to me before. Nobody ever affected me like you. I noticed you, even before I felt it. You wore those tight jeans and yellow top, and when you moved toward me, the air split in two. I couldn’t have turned away, even if I wanted to. I’ve never been hard for a woman just by looking at her.” He took her hand and guided it to the erection that had been torturing him since he’d returned to Santiago. “I’ve been hard ever since I laid my eyes on you again.”
She yanked her hand away, but he wasn’t going to let her off the hook. Joss was right. He was on a too damn tight deadline.
Pulling her against him, he wrapped his arms around her. “I want to make it better for you, Katherine, and God knows, I don’t deserve it, but I need your comfort too.”
She stilled at the confession. Slowly, her body relaxed in his embrace.
When the tension left her shoulders, he lifted her chin with a finger. “I’m going to kiss you now, Katherine.”
That was what he’d said the first time he kissed her. He’d deliberately repeated the words, hoping she’d see them for the new beginning he offered. When he brought his lips down to hers, it felt like déjà vu. Like the first time, he kept his eyes open to read her expression, to be sure she wanted what he was about to do.
His heart started beating with an uneven rhythm when her gaze softened. Taking that as his cue, he pressed their lips together and kissed her with all the tenderness he was capable of. She tasted sweet and wild and unobtainable. How he’d missed that heady taste.
Through the fabric of her dress, her nipples hardened against his chest. He wanted to taste those curves again too, but for now, he focused on her mouth, kissing her until her whole body turned soft in his arms. When he reached for the zipper of her dress, she caught his hand.
“What are you doing?” she asked, stepping away from him.
He placed his hands on her hips and dragged her back to him. “Let me take care of you. That’s all I’m asking.”
“We’re no longer together, Lann.”
The truth lodged in his heart. She was no longer his, and might never be again. Not by choice. But damn her choice when time wasn’t on their side. Nothing mattered but making every second count.
He offered the truth gently, because no matter how he was going to say it, it was going to hurt. “What does it matte
r in the bigger scheme of things?”
“In the bigger scheme of things,” she repeated, her wide eyes glistening with emotions. “You mean what does sleeping together now matter if I’ll be dead anyway in eight months?”
Wincing, he tightened his fingers on her hips. “Don’t say it like it.”
“Like what should I say it?”
“I want to be with you.” He pressed her body against his. “Regardless.” When she said nothing, he continued, “Don’t deny us this, Katherine. Your pride will just spite and hurt both of us.” He kissed the top of her head. “It’s only going to get harder. We’re going to need each other in the days to come.”
Her voice held a bitter note. “I suppose you’re right. What’s sex when we have much bigger issues to worry about?”
“It’s not just about sex and you know it.”
She didn’t answer, but when he gripped the zipper at the back of her dress she didn’t stop him this time. She let him pull it down and brush the dress from her shoulders. Her skin was as soft as velvet under his palms. The air twirled around him like a ribbon when he planted a tender kiss on her shoulder. She smelled like flowers and spring, like life and love. Threading his fingers through the silky locks of her hair, he inhaled greedily. Before she changed her mind, he pushed the dress over her hips and let it pool at her feet. Her white, lacy underwear hugged her curves. With her sky-blue eyes and burgundy curls, she was a sight to behold.
Memories of Santiago flashed through his mind—the first time he’d taken her, the well-loved way she’d looked when she’d woken in his bed, the naked swimming in his pool, the picnic by the lake, cutting her air and making her come so hard she almost hated him for it.
“What are you thinking?” she whispered.
He forced a smile. “That you’re beautiful.”
When a sad expression transformed her face, he peeled off his pants and picked her up in his arms. For the first time in his life, he ran from the truth. He deflected by avoiding the subject, hiding behind action. She didn’t protest, but leaned her head against his chest in a gesture of defeat rather than affection.
Aeromancist (SECOND EDITION): Art of Air (7 Forbidden Arts Book 3) Page 6
