The Darkest Touch

Did he regret his decision to stay with her?

No, no, of course not. She was an amazing catch.

An amazing catch with secrets.

Her stomach twisted into a thousand painful knots. We’ve started fresh. I have to tell him about Galen. And I will, just as soon as the right moment arrives. But as the next few minutes passed, all of their moments consisted of longing glances paired with narrowed glances, and gloved caresses paired with muttered curses, then small talk, and it was hard to fit “By the way, I really like your greatest enemy and want to invite him to the family Christmas party” between “Tell me what’s wrong” and “What do you mean, nothing’s wrong?”

I trust him. If he says he’s fine, he’s fine. His attitude, and whatever drove it, had nothing to do with their blooming romance.

“Let’s go,” he said.

Keeley had to run down the hall to keep up with him. The time to find his friends had arrived at last. And maybe that was the problem, she thought. Did he think she would screw this up?

He barked orders at some of the warriors. Do this. Do that. His tone was far harsher with them than it had ever been with her, and she took a strange kind of comfort from that.

Tension was tempered by hope as both the males and females did as they were told.

Paris appeared at her side and kept pace beside her. “When can we schedule that chat?”

“Soonish,” Keeley said.

“Great. I’ll take that to mean the moment you finish the search and rescue.” He branched away.

As she passed Anya, the woman ran a finger across her neck.

Death threat? Keeley yawned.

Torin backtracked to glare at the goddess. “Never again.” Fury smoldered beneath the surface of his skin. Always Keeley had feared her own temper, but maybe she would have been better served fearing his. Just then, he looked capable of the worst kind of violence.

What would he do?

Perhaps a better question: what wouldn’t he do?

Was it bad that she shivered in anticipation?

“She’s mine,” he snarled, “and I will kill to protect every hair on her head. Understand?”

A bolt of awareness. A zing of joy.

“She could be lying to you about needing the artifacts, you know,” Anya said, crossing her arms. “Just trying to steal them from us.”

“She’s not.” He looked to Keeley, his eyes blazing with a fierce, carnal hunger he wasn’t allowing his body to project. “I trust her. More than that, I put her first. In all things.”

A shiver more intense than the last. “Thank you,” Keeley said softly, her heart seeming to beat for him and him alone. She turned to the goddess. “And thank you for the much-needed trim. As you can see, I’ve never looked better.”

“I do give a good haircut.” Anya stiffened as Lucien materialized at her side. “Oh, and because I’ve been told to do this or else...the Cage of Compulsion is yours. Majesty. I pass my ownership to you.”

“I’ll consider it a gift for honoring you with my presence.” As Torin pulled her away, she whispered, “Can I hurt her just a little?”

“Please don’t. For some reason, Lucien likes her.” He rounded a corner, stopped in front of an open door, and motioned for Keeley to pass him.

She flounced inside the room, purposely brushing her shoulder against his chest. He sucked in a breath.

Play with fire. Always get burned.

Play with Torin. Always get results.

The room was midsized and bare except for a rusty cage large enough to hold a crouching adult, a glass case containing the Paring Rod, and Reyes and Danika. Keeley walked around the cage, tracing a fingertip over the top edge. It was cold and solid, made from a metal that would never bend, no matter how much pressure was applied. Tingles shot up her arms.

She turned her attention to the Rod. It had a long, semi-thick shaft with a bulbous head made of glass, a sea of colors swirling inside, glowing brightly. Probably the world’s best phallic symbol.

Reyes stepped in front of Danika before Keeley could study her, the All-seeing Eye. “My female has seen into your past. An evil like yours can never be redeemed.”

“Well, you would know, wouldn’t you?” she said, reminding him of his own crimes and pretending not to hurt. “By the way, I could move you aside without any real effort.”

“Try,” he said simply. “I’ve got this.” He waved an arm scarred by brimstone.

“And I’ve got this. A pimp-slap of truth. Get out of my way or I won’t find your friends.”

He bent down, putting them nose to nose. Opened his mouth to blast her something fierce, most likely.

Torin moved in the warrior’s path, forcing him to back away. “She’s my honored guest and she’s here to help us, Reyes. Remember that. She’s not going to harm Danika. But I will harm you if you threaten her again.”

“And you know I’ll like it.” Reyes glared at him for a tense moment before he held up his hands in surrender. “But all right. Do what needs doing.”

Planned to. “Where’s the Cloak of Invisibility?”

“Here.” Reyes pulled a small gray square from his pocket.

Keeley claimed it, looked Danika over—small, fragile girl—and motioned to the Cage. “You must climb inside it.”

The plug was pulled on the girl’s composure, a tremor rocking her on her feet. “But why?”

Enough! “If you want to find your friends, you’ll do what I say, when I say. Without argument.”