Sloan’s eyes went wide. A corner of his mouth twitched as he scooted to the edge of his chair. “Piss off?”
With her fists clenched, she lifted her chin to a defiant angle. “Yes.” She wondered what he would try to finish her. Whatever it was, she hoped she could at least land one good kick to his balls.
Sloan rose and stretched to his full height, threw back his head, and roared. His laughter echoed through the chamber until tears streamed down his face. “Piss off.How amusing.” He strolled over toher then traced a cold fingernail along her jaw while continuing to chuckle and snort. “Such a beauty and such wondrous fire. Perhaps we shall come to anunderstanding.”
“Not bloody likely.” She drew back from his touch. Bitter bile burned at the back of her throat. She wished she had something left in her stomach to vomit all over his tacky, iridescent dressing gown.
“Pity.” He hummed out of tune as he turned on one fine leather heel and returned to his velvety perch. “I grow bored with Mia and need a replacement in my chambers. Although from the stench of you, you are eternally mated to my brother.”
“Eternallymated?” Her stomach flip-flopped. Sloan’s use of the word tainted it. “What do you mean by that?” They had enjoyed unbelievable sex, but said nothing about anything permanent.
Idly rubbing his thumb across his lower lip, he leered at her. “Did you or did you not have sex with Taggart?”
She flushed hot as memories of the night she and Taggart had shared returned. “That’s none of your business.”
With a shake of his head, he gifted her an evil chuckle. “Well, dearest Guardian, my business or not, Taggart made it quite clear that you had when he marked you as his own.” He motioned toward her chest with a flutter of his fingers. “It is our way, woman. When we find a partner we are no longer willing to share with anyone else, we mark them. Any from Erastaed, or several other realms I might add, who get anywhere near you will clearly smell Taggart’s scent on you. You are his mate. There is no mistaking it.”
“He didn’t tell me,” she whispered. Why hadn’t he told her? Her heart swelled at the thought of it. Bloody hell! Why hadn’t he told her?
Sloan’s leer widened and his eyes narrowed. He tickled a fingernail through the silver stubble sprouted on the very tip of his chin. “Truly?” He leaned to one side, looked around Hannah, and cast a malicious jerk of his head toward Mia. “Did you hear that, Mia? Taggart marked the Guardian as his mate, but forgot to tell her about it. What do you suppose that means? How long were you with Taggart? How long were the two of you betrothed and yet he nevermarked you as his? I don't think the two of you ever had sex either, did you? Whatever could have happened there? Could it be you were a coward, perhaps? What say you to that, Mia?”
“Taggart loved me,” she hissed while glaring at Hannah with hatred.
“Ah, but he never marked you, not once in all the times you professed to be his betrothed. Not once in all the times you stood together before the council. Are you certain he loved you, Mia? If he loved you, perhaps he marked you and you merely did not realize it. Did you check to be certain?” Sloan lifted his nose higher and sniffed. “I do not detect his scent on you.” With an exaggerated wag of a finger, Sloan winked at Hannah as he rose and sidled closer to Mia.
Mia lowered her eyes and avoided his gaze. “No, my love. He never marked me.”
Sloan frowned at her, then tipped his head toward the corner. “Go over there until I summon you. As usual, you are a complete disgrace.”
After a deep breath, he rolled his shoulders and resumed the demeanor of a benevolent host. He bowed, then extended an arm to Hannah. “Walk with me, Guardian. You have nothing to fear. I assure you.”
She believed that about as much she believed she would someday win a billion dollar lottery. Pure evil radiated from his cold, dead eyes. Vileness colored his tone.
“Mia and Taggart should have mated and brought forth an army of Draecna hybrids.” He stroked the red fingernail across the back of her hand as they strolled across the sumptuous purple carpet to a raised pedestal at the far corner of the room. “But when Mia saw what Taggart really was, she could not bring herself to consummate their union. I told the lad he should have taken her before he shifted, but Taggart always had a twisted sense of honor.”
As they walked, Hannah fought not to yank her hand out of Sloan’s moist, cloying grasp. The repeated stroking of his fingernail made her skin crawl. But instead of giving into the urge to yank away and give him that satisfaction, she kept her eyes straight ahead andconcentrated on steady breathing. “So, they never had sex. But they were betrothed, and Mia backed out when she discovered Taggart was a hybrid. What of it?” Mercy sakes, she wished he would send her back to her cell. She would rather sit on that cold, damp floor than have him touching her. “Anything else?”
“My, my are we a bit tense?” He tapped his nail harder on the back of her hand until her flesh stung with every hit.
Teeth clenched, she steeled herself against the pain and concentrated on the softly glowing Draecna egg she spotted on the raised pedestal. With a nod toward it, she turned to him. “So, that is why you stole the egg? Because you want to start your own army of Draecna?”
“Something like that.” He chuckled and released her to slip both hands beneath the large egg. With a loving smile, he cradled it close like a treasured child. “What has Taggart taught you of these delightful beasts? Has he told you of all their wondrous possibilities?”
Uneasiness churned in the pit of her stomach. Unfortunately, Taggart had told her very little about the Draecna, but she couldn’t let Sloan know that. With a tip of her head toward the rose-colored egg in his grasp, she fixed him with her most convincing smile. “I know that little one needs me to be able to see the light of day.” She hoped that was true. William had needed her help to emerge from his shell, and Taggart had hinted at that when they visited the nursery the first time.
As Sloan brought the egg closer to her, the corner of his right eye twitched with an uncontrollable tick. The light within the egg increased in intensity the nearer it came to her. “Then bring forth this life, Guardian. This one has waited a long time to, how did you put it? See the light of day?”
Did he think her a complete fool? She shivered with the cold certainty that if she released the hatchling, Sloan would order her immediate execution. No matter what, that little Draecna needed to stay inside that egg. She clasped her hands behind her back and shook her head. “I don’t think it’s ready.”
His pallor took on a little color as he scowled down at the egg, then back up at Hannah. “I can see its heart beating strong with everyflash of the light. I can see every movement of the little beast. How much longer before it will be ready? When can you release it?”
She made a great show of looking over the egg but took great care not to touch it. With her hands behind her back, she racked her brain for every bit of information Taggart had ever told her. “Not much longer. I will be able to sense it when the time is right. I just helped William hatch, so I’m sure it can’t be too long for this one.” That wasn’t a lie, so if Sloan’s magic enabled him to read her mind, he wouldn’t catch her in an untruth.
“Mia!” Sloan barked as he returned the egg to its velvety pedestal then waved a hand to increase the heat of its warming stones.
Mia scurried to his side with her head bowed, but still lifted enough to shoot a murderous glare in Hannah’s direction. “Yes, my love.”
“Return the Guardian to her cell.”
