“You're not taking her anywhere without me,” Verin said firmly to Banning.
“We might be there awhile,” Banning said. “You'll at least need a change of clothes.”
“What about Elaria?”
“Elaria is my wife,” Banning's voice went sharp. “She has everything she needs in my home.”
Verin's eyes twitched.
“Banning, Verin has never been to your club,” I interrupted before things got bloody. “He needs to be taken there first. If he needs to pick up some things, he can do it afterward.”
“Right,” Banning muttered. “Okay then.”
I said goodbye to my parents, thanked my dad for his help and my mom for lunch, then took Verin's hand. Banning reached for me.
“I—as you so kindly pointed out—have been to your club before.” I stepped back, closer to Verin. “We'll meet you there, Banning.”
“Fine.” Banning's jaw clenched as he pulled out his traveling stone and then disappeared.
“Good luck, sweetheart,” my mother called to me. “Call me with any updates.”
“I will,” I promised, then took Verin to Kyanite.
We materialized inside my bedroom in Kyanite Castle's tallest tower. Darc wasn't there; he must have packed in a hurry and left already. I was about to take us back through the Veil to Kansas when Verin stepped away from me and held up a hand.
“This is your bedroom?” He asked with interest.
“One of them.”
Verin glanced up at the peaked ceiling with the gold medallion at its center. White silk hung from the medallion and draped in full swaths to the top of the walls, where it was collected beneath golden strips so it could hang to the floor like curtains. Only one of the walls were flat and opaque—the one that hid the bathroom. The other walls were curving glass panels, broken only by the arched access to the balcony. Verin walked across the mahogany floor, past the golden vanity on its dais and the long, pale, wooden armoire that matched my massive yet feminine bed. He scowled momentarily at the photograph on the bedside table—Darc and me at our wedding—and ran his hand over the back of a chair in the sitting area. He avoided the snowy fur rug as he stepped out onto the balcony.
I followed Verin out but waited as he circled the tower. He came back to me and leaned against the railing to stare out at the Kyanite Kingdom with a soft smile. I went to stand beside him, my gaze going from the striking angles of his face to the courtyard below, then beyond it to the jungle that ringed my castle. Kyanite was a lush kingdom of exotic flora and fauna, high humidity, and warm nights. The sight relaxed me and with that relaxation came the realization that I was tired. Dinner had been hours ago but I'd been lectured by my parents, visited Sabban, spellsung a bird, and been encased in water since then. I sighed wearily and leaned my head on Verin's shoulder.
Verin shifted to put an arm around me. “We really are a fish and a bird, aren't we? You live in a lofty nest and I live under the sea.”
“Not anymore. Now, we live together.”
He smiled but then his expression hardened. “I won't be parted from you, Elaria.”
I looked up at him in surprise. “I just said that I'd live with you.”
“I mean tonight,” he clarified. “Your Blooder husband will try to separate us as much as possible, starting with where we sleep. I won't stand for it. I just wanted to warn you in case I have to...”
“Put your foot down? Or claw?” I lifted a brow at him teasingly. “Don't worry about it. I'll insist that we share a room.”
Verin relaxed, took another long look at the scenery, then straightened. “I suppose we should go.”
“Just one more thing,” I whispered as I pulled his face down to mine.
Verin smiled just before our lips met and his pleasure seeped into the kiss. That flash of arousal I'd experienced for Banning was forgotten. It couldn't compare to the inferno that ignited whenever Verin kissed me. I knew I should be fostering my lust for Banning, not ignoring it. I needed to love them, my life depended on it, but I couldn't think about that with Verin's arms around me. Just being held by him made me feel as if everything would be all right. We were strong together. We'd find a way, just as he said. That witch, whoever she was, didn't stand a chance.
Chapter Thirty-Six
I transported us to the front entrance of the Crouching Lion Country Club. The golf course stretched behind us and the club itself sprawled like its namesake before us. The sun was just starting to lighten the sky but none of the Blooders were scrambling for cover. Banning's gura was immune to sunlight thanks to the blood donations of several powerful Beneathers who had fought beside us at the Battle for Primeval. Verin looked around at the expanse of lawn and the thick forest beyond it, then grunted in approval.
“One of the reasons Banning chose this place is for the line of sight around the building,” I said in response. “You can see your enemies coming and that helps with defense. I've personally defended the Crouching Lion twice so I can attest to that.”
“You've fought here?” He asked with interest as I led him to the front door.
