“Whoa!” The younger woman grabbed her, a husky laugh escaping. She smelled of chlorine, and her normally spiky hair was flat from her swim.
“Sorry,” Darci breathed, stepping back. “I didn’t see you.”
“That’s okay.” She didn’t seem surprised that Darci was here. “Where are you off to so early?”
“Work. I’m going to be late, and Lester will sulk—he’s my boss,” she explained, slipping on the pumps. “The demon spawn will make me work late to cover the time, and I’ll probably end up dusting shelves on both floors.” She straightened and met Echo’s amused gaze.
“He can’t be that bad.”
“Oh, he is,” she said with a wry smile. “You haven’t seen Blaéz around, have you?”
Echo frowned. “Their meeting ended a while ago. Try the gym. If the nights have been quiet, they train sometimes, probably to get rid of all that pent-up energy. Better yet, call him.”
Damn. Both her phone and tote were back at her home. “I don’t have my cell.”
“Here, use mine.” Echo handed her iPhone over. “Star four.”
Darci called Blaéz. Several rings and it went to voicemail. “He’s not answering.” Dammit. “Any way I can get into the city?”
“There are more than enough cars in the garage. Ask Hedori where the keys are.” At Darci’s skeptical look, Echo grinned. “Good therapy when you’re mad at your man. I took Aethan’s Reventón when I was pissed at him.”
A while later, and a bit disappointed that Blaéz had left her on her own, Darci left the island with the purring black Veyron under her control after Hedori had showed her how to work the unfamiliar vehicle.
A cool breeze flowed through the open car window, ruffling her hair. She pulled in a long, shaky breath and hunched over the steering wheel, her fragmented dream haunting her. Was it because Blaéz had said he’d been imprisoned in Tartarus? It had to be.
Heck, Blaéz was from the Celtic pantheon—a god! Hell, she worked in a library, granted she hadn’t read much about the gods and their pantheons before, but now she had a lot invested in them. And to think she’d always thought them a myth.
Darci drove down the quiet, tree-lined road toward Northern Boulevard when a dark figure suddenly appeared in the middle of the deserted road.
Slamming on the brakes, the tires squealed on the tarmac as the car came to a shuddering halt. Her heart crashing against her ribs, Darci sat there frozen in shock. Then fury exploded. She jumped out of the car and stormed up to the man striding toward her, looking all sorts of dangerous even in jeans and t-shirt.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” She thumped Blaéz hard on his chest. Her fear at how close she’d come to hurting him wouldn’t leave. “I could have knocked you—hurt you badly—and don’t you dare tell me you can heal fast!”
He frowned as he searched her face. “I had to stop you. It seemed the quickest way. Why did you leave?”
“Work,” she snapped. “I have work! Did you forget?”
“Darci, did you not understand anything I said when I brought you to the castle? The dangers that come after me will be after you, too, now.”
“Yes, but that’s at night. Demoniis only roam the streets at night since the sun’s hazardous to them. You said so yourself.”
“I know I did. But you had a horrific nightmare, you should be in bed, resting,” he pointed out.
“Blaéz—” She sighed. “I’m fine. I called to tell you, but you didn’t answer. Where were you anyway?”
“I went for a swim. You should have waited for me.”
“Youshould have wakened me or left a note,” she retorted. “Post-it. Great invention.Darci, wait for me. Simple, see?”
Shaking his head in exasperation, a hand on her back, he ushered her toward the car. “My mistake. I thought you needed to rest, I didn’t realize you’d be this energetic and ready to tackle the day after last night.”
Wrinkling her nose, she glanced at him as he opened the car door, and found him scanning the area. She looked around too, but couldn’t see anything.
“Let’s get out of here—” he broke off and hauled her to him, as if shielding her with his body. Just as a gust of wind swirled around them, tearing at their clothes.
Darci clutched onto him, buried her head in chest against the debris flying around them. As the squall died, she looked past him, her eyes widening. “Blaéz—”
“I know.”
