“What are you doing?” she asked, pretending panic was in her voice. He spun her around, drawing her up to his chest and glared with as much intensity as he could muster.
“What does he want?” His voice was the vaguest whisper, hidden by deliberate knocking of furniture as he mimed forcing her backward.
“The Charm. He wants me to steal it from Wraith.” She pretended to fight his brutal grip, knocking over a vase before sweeping close enough to hear him.
“Your old apartment. I can meet you there,” he finished before stepping away again.
He took her arm once again, pretending to drag her to the door, though he feared it wasn’t believable. That he was being far too gentle and conscious of obstacles.
They reached the front door, and he glanced down to note she had taken his coat from the floor when she left. The coat he’d tossed aside when he’d been desperate to get her undressed.
He threw open the door, intending to cast her outside as their performance suggested—except letting her go was impossible. Sweeping his arm out, until they were both fully extended, joined by the hand he refused to unclench. He stared at her, eyes wide. True panic cut the controlled anger he was attempting to project. He couldn’t let her go. She was in danger. He had to protect her. Kieran had to—
Sera closed the distance and gently touched his hand. He shook his head, panic and fear openly twisting his features.No. Don’t.
With one final nod, she pried her arm free. Kieran stilled, overcome with a sense of loss so cold it threatened to hurt. She didn’t break her gaze as she turned, not until her back was to him and she fled into the dawn.
Kieran stared at her back until she was out of sight. He made no attempt to conceal the weight of dread over his features as she was lost to his sight. For several minutes he stared at the world, his arm still outstretched, his fingers still holding some of her warmth when he closed them into a fist.
It was weakness, yes, but he was not strong enough to resist anymore.
He loved her.
Anger replaced fear.
He loved her.
Fury that was so overpowering, he was vibrating with it.
He loved her.
This was not over.
—
That slimy bastard was gone by the time Kieran returned to the cellar. Cole was out there, chasing after Sera most likely, and somehow Kieran had to trust that Sera would be okay until he could get to her. Trust, however, was not the issue. Sera was so much more than she credited herself. Stronger and smarter than anyone he’d ever known. But the stab of anxiety shredding his insides when he found the cellar empty was hard to ignore. He concentrated on fury. The cold, ruthless anger tempering the near debilitating worry into steely resolve.
First, he would ensure that Seth was no longer leverage for Cole’s plans. To do that, he needed to find Seth, who was not in his room as Kieran anticipated. If he wasn’t in the house, then the next logical place to look would be the home of Varian Hawthorne. The two had grown close and Kieran recalled some distant mention of Seth heading there before.
It was a start, at least.
Kieran threw on a coat and grabbed the sword he’d used in college, the blade gathering dust all this time. He secured it to his side in its sheath. He was at Varian’s door ten minutes later.
After knocking, Kieran paced like a rabid animal. When it opened, he pushed through without a word.
“Is Seth here?” he asked the valet, forgoing introductions and polite greetings.
The valet began to shake his head, but Varian entered the foyer.
Varian’s eyes dropped to Kieran’s weapon then back up, forehead creasing with concern. “He left. Is something wrong?”
“Where?”
Varian flinched and his words were less certain. “He—to his old apartment I believe. He left something important behind and we had word that Cole was on the run. I advised against it, but he was adamant. I asked him to wait until I could accompany him later today, but he said it couldn’t wait.”
Kieran drew his fingers through his hair and then stalked back through the door without another word.
He returned to his carriage and ordered Joy—who was he kidding, he wasn’t going to fire her—to take the fastest route to Demon Row, no stops, he did not care about breaking laws on the way. She got the message.
