Dagan drew her to him, asked quietly, “Youokay?”
She didn’t want to worry him, so she justnodded.
“Good thing the bastard’s been captured,” Týr muttered, a half-empty bottle of water in his hand. “You have some great abilities there, Shae—” He broke off at the sudden draft of air blowing into thekitchen.
Shae frowned at the tall, snow-haired man on the terrace. Anotherimmortal.
He didn’t come inside. Dagan pushed her behind him. Aethan and Týr immediately flanked him, swords drawn, and moved Shae farther away from the door. They knew him, and he wasn’t a friend. A shiver of unease slid down herspine.
“It’s why we came back early,” Aethan muttered. “Echo told me Shae had awoken, knew this asshole law-keeper would beby.”
Týr grunted in agreement. “I’m quite happy to take hishead.”
“What do you want?” Dagansnapped.
The stranger held up a hand in the universal peace sign. “Before you all get your blades in a knot, the Fallen has demanded the female he marked as mate be handed over. I have come forher.”
Oh, Lord. She’d barely had time to recover from what had happened, and now this? Her stomachchurned.
“Not fuckinghappening.”
At Dagan’s snarl, Shae rubbed the brand on her wrist, wishing she could scour itoff.
Without a doubt, Dagan would find Aza and kill him, but retribution burned deep inside her. He’d hurt the people she loved.Andhe’d killed her father andHarvey.
The Guardians and Dagan looked ready to hack the stranger into firewood, while he appeared determined not to leave withouther.
At their standoff, Shae worried her lip between her teeth, and realized there was only one way to end this. “Dagan?”
“Yeah?”
“He wants me, let me go. I can handlemyself.”
His head snapped to her. Fury cracked through the ice in his gaze. “Not fuckinghappening!”
She wasn’t surprised at his furious response.Then she remembered something pivotal from the commotion when Samael had her trapped in the power storm at Stone Ridge, and Dagan had fought his way to her. Not even Michael had broken through, yet Daganhad.
Without a word, she grasped her man’s hand and tugged him from the kitchen.Honey, you know I can do this, that I can kill him, right?she mind-linked with Dagan, not wanting the law-keeper to hear her.You can follow in your invisible state after Ileave.
No way. His snarl, though tinny and faint, reverberated through her head like nails as she hauled him down the hallway.You’re still struggling with all those new powers flowing through you, and you’ve barely gotten used to your wings. They are more a liability right now. They will appear in a fight and weaken you with their weight. Besides, the fucker will havebackup.
Shae bore his anger. It was no easy feat dragging an inflexible obelisk with her.You know the law-keeper’s not going to leave without me, and you guys can’t kill him, not if you want to avoid another bloody battle on our doorstep with the gods.Besides, Aza can’t be as scary as Samael was.She slowed when she came to a door just past the rec room and opened it. It was a small closet with circuit boards and stuff. She shut theminside.
Dagan switched on the light, his jaw melded in that intractable jut.No, it’s too dangerous. Your powers still roil inside you, I can feel them, and I’m sure everyone here can, too. You’ll draw every fucking evil out there toyou.
“We can speak aloud now,” sheteased.
His yellow eyes burned with deep-seated emotions. “I’m not handing youover.”
God, she loved him so much. “Kissme.”
He scowled. “You brought me here for—dammit,Shae!”
“You don’t want to?” She put on a hurt expression and let her mouthtremble.
Growling, he pressed his lips to hers, and before he pulled back, she wrapped his shorter hair in her fists, keeping him there. “Bite me, take myblood.”
“I’m nothungry.”
