“What about teleporting?” his voice pulled her back from dangerousthoughts.
“What?”
“Teleporting. You appear to have that ability, too. You vanished and reappeared behind the demons youeliminated.”
“I don’t know anything aboutthat.”
Christ. She rubbed her burning eyes, trying to wipe away images of those bloody bodies lying on the asphalt before they disappeared, not wanting to remember how easily she’d taken lives. Deep down, she understood that they would have killed her and Dagan with no remorse and she’d had no choice, butstill...
Fog engulfed them as they drove along a bridge for several minutes before they hit solid ground again. Then huge, wrought-iron gates glided open, and Dagan drove through. Tall evergreens lined the road, the tops disappearing into the starless night. The truck’s bright headlights were the only things breaking the thickgloom.
Moments later, they left the dense trees behind, moonlight casting a silvery glow over the rolling, landscaped gardens. Shae simplystared.
Yes, she lived in luxury, but this ivy-covered, gray stone castle with its sweeping towers, turrets, and crenelated battlement set against the backdrop of the dark sky took her breath away. Lights backlit the windows, adding to the magical aura. “This is sobeautiful.”
Dagan’s gaze flickered briefly over the building but he remained silent as he brought the truck to a halt in front of the portico. Shae glanced at him. For some strange reason, she wanted to ease the grimness from hisexpression.
“You live in a fairytale, so what are you? Prince or beast?” sheteased.
A nerve pulsed on his jaw. He jumped out and opened the back door, retrieving another t-shirt from a duffle bag there. He pulled it on, hiding his sexy body oncemore.
Shae climbed out and wiped her face again with his shirt. Hopefully, she’d gotten rid of all theblood.
“Your face is clean. You’re beautiful,” he said quietly, shocking her. “C’mon.” He headed up the stairs and held open the enormous frontdoor.
Shae stepped into the marbled foyer and gaped at the sweeping grand staircase. A crystal chandelier illuminated the gorgeous stained-glass windows on one side depicting angels, knights, and their women. It was as if she’d stepped into anotherworld.
But Dagan didn’t give her a chance to admire them or the lush plants and armored statues there. He ushered her down a winding corridor, and the smells of something savory drifted toher.
She stopped at the entrance to a huge kitchen with a sea of oak cupboards and gray granite tops. A small flatscreen was mounted in the corner near a window. The French doors were still open, and the familiar aromatic smell of thyme and other herbs wafted inside, adding to whatever wascooking.
A slender, attractive woman with honey-toned skin and a cap of choppily cut ebony hair leaned against the island counter talking to Hedori, a half-eaten carrot stick in herhand.
She glanced at them. Curious mismatched eyes met Shae’s. Wow, but her eyes—one a fiery amber and the other cool like an ice-covered lake—held an otherworldly glow, yet she appeared human. Not that Shae had met any immortal woman. But there was something ethereal abouther.
“Shae, this is Echo,” Dagan introduced her. “Aethan’s mate. Echo, ShaeIon.”
Echo seemed startled that he’d spoken to her but she gave Shae a friendly smile. “Hiya, nice to meetyou.”
“Thanks.” Not sure what else to say, Shae settled for the truth. “It seems I’m going to be staying here for a while. Someone took a shot at me with a spelledbullet.”
Echo’s face lost all color. Then, just as fast, she appeared to pull herself together. “You can’t be too careful. Those things are really dangerous. You’ll be safehere.”
Dagan spoke to Hedori and said something about showing her to a room—probably in thebasement.
“I’ll do that,” Echooffered.
Dagan hesitated, then nodded before cutting Shae a sharp look as if to saybehave.
If she hadn’t just been through such a harrowing experience, she might have smirked and said something to irritate him. But she recalled the care he’d taken with her afterwards, so she remainedsilent.
Still, she relished the way his eyes narrowed suspiciously and couldn’t resist shooting him an innocent glance as she followed Echo. Oh, yes, he’d wonder what she was up to, and that made hersmile.
