He frowned, looking to where Roni knelt trying to calm the crying girls down. “How did you know to come here.”’
“I didn’t,” she said as he turned to look down at her. “I just knew that where you were I would be safe. Though if you had stayed, I could have just shouted your name.”
“I needed to think—” he started to explain, but she cut him off.
“Forget it,” Lanias snapped. “I don’t care why you left. I’m not going to let the bad blood between you and my father take you away from me. So, whatever you need to work through. I hope you’re done, and we can get back to us.” She punctuated this by pushing at him so that he’d put her down.
Alek reluctantly let her leave his embrace. She lifted her head and kept her eyes focused upon him. She tapped him on the chest to emphasize. “What you need to understand is that when you left I—” She blinked; her lashes fluttered as she lowered her chin.
Curious, he lowered his head, “You, what?”
“I was lonely.” She confessed, her eyes filled with anger and something else. “Are you happy?”
He couldn’t help offering her an exasperating smile. “I don’t know why I bother trying.”
She frowned, “Bother with what?”
He leaned down, taking her by surprise. Lanias took a step back automatically. He caught her, pulled her in close and twitched her nose. “Planning with you involved.”
She rolled her eyes at that. “I told you not to do that. It’ll only give you a headache. Speaking of,” she trailed off and she gave a cursory look around. “Where are we?’
Before he could explain, someone very important spoke up. “So, are you going to explain why a dead woman is alive.”
Lanias’ eyes widened as she whipped around to meet the serious eyes of Raijin.
Instead of seeming fazed by his appearance she said, “Well, if it isn’t the man eater. How’ve you been darling?” Her lips stretched in a cool smile. “Eating your vegetables, I hope.”
“Well, that, and taking care of the sister, you seemed to have forgotten.”
“Don’t.” Alek grabbed her hand before she stabbed Raijin. “Calm down, my love.”
The violence in Lanias’ gaze was completely focused on Raijin. “I dare you to say that again. Alek won’t be able to protect you the second time around.”
She snatched her hand back from Alek’s and grimly continued. “So, back to my first question, where are we?”
Alek looked from her to the rubble. “A place I used to live.”
“Oh, really,” she said, completely losing the blood lust that had surged up earlier. “Looks like it hasn’t been lived in, in a long while. What brought you here?”
“I needed to close some doors.”
She looked at him then. Her eyes searching his face. Seemingly pleased with what she saw, she turned to him again. “Did you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Close the doors?”
He moved up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned down pressing his nose against her shoulder. “Yes, I think so.”
Placing her hand over his, “Good. It looks like you’re not the only one who has doors to shut. The True Ones aren’t going to leave us alone. And one of them, Icarus seems to have a vested interest in getting her hands on me.”
She turned around to look up at him. Expression serious, she asked him, “Are you still interested in being my protector?”
“Did you plan on getting rid of me?”
“At first, yes,” she said, “but after experiencing some time away from you. I realized I didn’t want to do this alone.”
“Then may I make a suggestion,” Raijin’s words drew their attention, he moved over to his jacket. Picking it up he dusted it off, “Why don’t you both return to the Veil.”
