A tic pulsed hard on Dagan’s jaw as they headed for the third floor. He pointed across the landing and said something about the other wing belonging to Aethan and Echo. She barely heard him, her mind on the obvious friction between the two men. “You and Týr don’ttalk?”
“It’s notimportant.”
“I think it is.” She eyed his rigid expression thoughtfully. “I once asked you about who you consider a friend, and even though you said Nik, I always thought you meant to say another name. It was him—it was Týr, wasn’tit?”
He finally looked at her. Those beautiful, inhuman eyes were haunted and filled with desolation. “He was my sister’s protector. He failedher.”
“What?” Shae halted in front of an intricately carved, wooden door. It was the last thing she’d expected to hear. “How—why?”
“It doesn’t matter how or why. We have things todo.”
“Tell me.” She stepped in front of him when he would have opened thedoor.
His expression tightened. “Inara was not yet eighteen and far too young when she became the Goddess of Life—her safety had to be absolute…” He told her what had happened the last day in the Sumerian temple—about Lucifer’s attack. “Týr was her guard that day. And I trustedhim.”
Shae didn’t know what to say, but the anger behind his flat words troubled her. More, she’d seen the shadow of torment in Týr’s eyes, too. “Did you speak to him? Find out whathappened?”
Silence. It wrapped around her like barbedwire.
He opened the door into a massive bedroom and stood aside. “That’s not important right now. Youare.”
Knowing it was a painful subject for him, she didn’t push. She stepped past him, and her eyes widened. Gorgeous, vaulted ceilings rose high above her, and two doors flanked a massive fireplace accented by a beautiful, earth-toned Aubusson carpet. Above the mantel, several old-looking swords weremounted.
“Oh, how lovely.” She wandered to the wall of windows with undrawn, champagne-colored drapes and retracted blinds and looked out into rolling gardens as duskencroached.
Her worried mind slipped back to her mother. She pivoted to him. “What did you mean when you said we needed to speak to Hedori? What does he have to do with mymom?”
“About that…” He shut the door behind him. “Hedori’s been checking things out for me while we were in Romania. We don’t believe your mother ranoff.”
Unease prickled her skin as he made his way to her. “What do youmean?”
“The last time we were at the penthouse, Hedori picked up on anguish and despair. Not yours, but definitely female. It didn’t connect with a woman who’d want to take off and live her own life. Now, with your demon friend’s news, it increases mysuspicions.”
Anger swelled. “We were in Romania for several days, and you didn’t say aword?”
“You’re too emotional when it comes to your parents. You’d have dashed back to New York and into danger the moment you knew. And with your growing power, you’d have every evil thing out there afteryou.”
Even though he was right, betrayal still cut deep. “You should have told me, should have given me a choice, not made it for me. For so long, I thought…” Tears and frustration formed a hard knot in her throat. “I thought she took off because she couldn’t stand to look at me, that she hated me for what I’d done, for hurting her when my laptop exploded. And you kept quiet about something soimportant?”
“I couldn’t take achance.”
“You didn’t trustme!”
“And you just proved my point when your friendcalled.”
God! She inhaled a shaky breath and pivoted to the window. Getting upset wasn’t helping. Maybe he had a point, but she was used to doing things on her own. She was all her mother had left after her fatherdied.
“Shae.” He came up behind her, his hands settling on her waist. “I only have your best interests atheart.”
“How can I believe you when you keep things from me?” She swiped the perspiration beading on herbrow.
“You are my mate. And human. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe, even if I have to bear the brunt of youranger.”
The heat inside her hiking, she broke away, opened the door, and stepped onto a small balcony overlooking the trimmed lawn at the back of the castle. The cold night air swept over her, cooling her damp face. She inhaled deeply, making sure her psychic shields were locked in place, then got out a dextrose from her pocket and chewedit.
Dagan stepped up behind her. “All my life, I’ve failed the people who mattered most to me, those whom I’m supposed to protect. I will not lose you,too.”
At the raw pain in his voice, she pivoted. She had a feeling he wasn’t only talking about his sister. “Who?”
