Aerén shrugged. “To own him. It’s punishment because he refused to cower.”
Own him?
Reynner had growled out that furious question at her when he’d found out she’d touched him in his sleep. She didn’t want to own him…she’d never do that.
Eve went still when she recalled something else.
That was why he’d ordered her to wash her hands when she’d first tended to him. Did he think his blood would taint her? And why he didn’t want to release himself into her. He thought he’d what? Infect her with evil because that demoness had force-fed him her blood?
Her chest hurt for him. How could he hold himself in such low regard?
She’d only experienced absolute bliss in his arms. She didn’t feel any differently, except for that moment when they’d made love and a warm light had flowed through her. There was nothing dark or sinister about it, just undeniable warmth, and a tantalizing masculine essence that was all him.
But talking about Reynner when he’d disappeared so soon after they made love lowered her spirits again. She changed the subject. “Where do we go to locate the Stone?”
He glanced at her. His jaw dropped. Then he grinned. “Eve, your eyes—dammit, they’re beautiful.”
Eve snorted. He wasn’t distracting her that easily. Sleeping with an angel would probably do that. Thankfully, the glowing blue specks had dulled somewhat. “Where, Aerén?”
“New York,” he said, crossing to pick up his tee from the bench. “There’s nothing for you to fear. We’ll be with you every step of the way. We’ll keep you safe from any type of danger.”
Eve chewed her lip and thought back to when those demoniis had confronted her and Reynner in the alley. She’d been more a liability than a help. Her pepper spray wasn’t going to work on immortals.
“Can you teach me to fight? A few techniques that will keep me alive.”
His head emerged from the tee. Aerén looked horrified as if she’d asked him for his royal inheritance. “You don’t need to learn to defend yourself. We will do that.”
She gave him a level look. “I don’t know what the women in your world are like, but where I come from? We prefer to rely on ourselves. However, if you don’t want to, fine. I’ll go ask Izzeri. He looks quite capable.”
A smile tugged at his mouth. “He’s an old fae. All he’d want to do is hie off with you. Faes tend to like mortals—keep them as prizes.”
Her mouth dropped open. “No way. As in faeries?”
He nodded.
Well, that shot another illusion to dust of faeries being tiny, Tinker Bell-like people. It also explained why he’d stared at her when he’d first seen her. “Jeez, I’m not very safe in this place, am I? That makes it all the more imperative for me to learn.”
“Convincing argument,” Aerén said, smiling. He ran his gaze over her with an appreciative male look. And nodded his approval at the black sweats and fitted white tee she’d pulled on after her shower. “All right. Come on, then. Let’s go teach you to fight, but Reynner’s not going to be happy—”
“He’s not human,” she retorted as they left the gym, then hastily stepped aside as an avalanche headed toward them.
“Hey priest,” Aerén called out.
Eve didn’t respond. Lucan looked like he’d bathed in a vat of ice. His gaze flickered to her, and he stopped. His narrow-eyed regard made her want to squirm and tell him she hadn’t done anything wrong.
Then he nodded and continued down.
God, the man was strange. Eve hurried to catch up with Aerén.
***
Reynner stepped through the portal and onto the balcony of his home as daylight gave way to dusk.
He stood there, breathing hard through his nose. The pain, instead of easing like it usually did after one of these visits, only hurt more, because he refused to give Inanna the day she demanded. All she wanted was to keep him with her and find ways to change his mind. Get him to submit.
In two thousand years he never had. Why the hell would she think he’d do so now? He pinched the bridge of his nose, like that would help ease him, and scanned for Eve.
Nothing.
