“Library. I’ll showyou—”
“I’ll find it.” She walked away, feeling as if she were plummeting into an abyss with nothing to break herfall.
After several minutes of wallowing, she slowed to a halt and dashed the blurriness from her eyes. She wasn’t going to let this pull her down, finding her mother was all thatmattered.
Shae looked around at the elegant but unfamiliar corridor with abstract paintings on the walls. Okay, she was lost. Besides, if Echo were this all-powerful Healer, then she’d pick up on Shae’sdistress.
How could she explain her messed-up life? Explain she was mated to a man she was half in love with, but she wasn’t what he needed. No, she couldn’t bear anyone’s pity. She pivoted to head back the way she’d come when laughter reachedher.
Femininelaughter.
Like a hypnotic pull, it lured her. She pushed open a huge, black door and stopped short, just inside the entrance of what appeared to be an enormous, two-level library with countless towering bookshelves and a stunning ceilingmural.
Four women were in the seating area, each going through a magazine. Two reclined on the couch in front of the huge, lit fireplace, and one lounged in an armchair. Echo sat on the floor near the coffee table that held a tray with an assortment of cookies and cake, and a few moremagazines.
“Darci, everything in here looks so wonderful,” the redhead sporting a headful of skinny braids, a glimmer of gold flickering through her hair murmured. “Did you decide on the flowers and cake yet? What about avenue?”
The curvy brunette sighed and pushed back her curly bangs. “No. Blaéz gave me two weeks to get everything organized. Two! Now, all I see is a huge number two, and no time to pull offanything.”
“Don’t worry,” Echo said, flipping a page, “we’ll help any way we can—” She glanced up and her gaze flickered toward the doorway. “You’re back!” Her smile widened, and she jumpedup.
All eyes turned to Shae. Echo waved excitedly, beckoning her inside. “Come. Meet the rest of the gang. You guys, this is Shae Ion. She could be like me, but I can’t read her aura yet, so wewait…”
Shae slowly crossed to them, pulling her shields tighter around her, not wanting to reveal even an inch of her despair toanyone.
“Shae, that’s Darci.” Echo pointed to the tall, curvy brunette with the pale caramel skin and long, curly, honey-brown hair seated on the couch. Her eyes reminded Shae of sunflowers. “She’s mated to Blaéz. They’re getting marriedsoon.”
Now the bridal magazines made sense. “That’s wonderful.Congratulations.”
“Thank you.” Darcismiled.
“And that’s Elytani, another Guardian.” Echo pointed to the slender, six-foot, blonde goddess next to Darci—because, really, there was no other way to describe just how beautiful she was with her lightly tan skin and pale, moonlit hair, which she’d pulled back in a highponytail.
“A Guardian?” Right. Aethan had mentionedher.
Echo laughed. “Yup. We lowly humans aren’t strongenough.”
Elytani rolled her bright, copper-hued eyes and snorted. “Yes. It’s why I’m still stuck at the castle and not out on the streets yet. Shae, lovely to meetyou.”
“Oh, stop complaining, you know the big guy wants you safe.” The redhead shot Shae a grin. “I’m Kira, by the way.” She jumped off the armchair, her movements making the black beads on the ends of her multiple braids jangle. Her hazel eyes sparkling in delight, she grabbed a plate piled high with mouthwatering, chocolate-coated biscuits off the coffee table. “Have a cookie. And welcome to this dangerousworld.”
Feeling a little overwhelmed, Shae selected one, aware she hadn’t eaten anything for a while and took a bite. She didn’t understand Echo’s sympathetic look. She chewed and almost choked at the dry, cardboardy taste that not even the chocolate couldsave.
“Sorry,” Echo mouthed, handing her a soda. Shae quickly popped the Fanta and gulped some, washing away the awfultaste.
“It’s good, huh?” Kira asked, setting the plate down and plopped back on the couch. “I made them—it’s a newrecipe.”
“Er, yes, love the chocolaty taste,” she croaked, consuming moresoda.
“Did you find whom you were looking for?” Elytani asked softly, dragging Shae’s attention back toher.
She frowned. “What?”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I heard you when I walked past the kitchenearlier.”
And that brought her right back to the friction between her and Dagan. The knot in her stomach tightened further. She briefly told the women about her missing mother and the plans for tomorrownight.
“And they agreed you can be bait?” Echo asked, her bi-colored eyes bright withshock.
