Nate’s mouth tightened,but he accepted it.
Did he not want Michael to speak with Aba?Ely frowned. His tension wrapped around her in a chokehold.
He tapped the number, then deleted it, and slowly tapped it in again, a tic working his jaw. She recalled the last time he puthisnumber on her cell, he’d been the same way.
“I’ll make the call,” she offered, removing her phone from her jeans pocket.
“I got this.” He put the cell to his ear. “Aba, could you come over to the castle? Yeah, I’m fine, thanks.” He returned the cell to Michael. “He’ll be here. He’s finishing off with a client. The wards?”
“Will be lowered,” Michael said, still studying Nate, making Ely uneasy.
Nate nodded, opened the French doors, and stepped outside as if needing space.
Ely bit her lip and followed. “Nate, what is it—”
“Echo, dammit, wait!”
At Aethan’s yell, Ely wheeled around. Nate stepped closer, putting his hand on her back as a panting Echo rushed past a frowning Michael. She grabbed the doorjamb, breathing hard, dressed only in pajamas and thick socks on her feet. Her face was far too pale beneath her honey complexion, and her spikily cut hair stood out in every direction. Wide, panic-stricken bi-colored eyes latched onto them.
“Dammit, Echo,” Aethan grunted, stopping at her side, his gunmetal grays dark with worry. “You could hurt yourself and give me a damn heart attack, bolting awake and rushing out of our quarters like the very devil’s after you.” He put a woolen coat on her shoulders and dropped her furry slippers on the floor.
Echo didn’t respond or seem to hear Aethan, but she pushed her feet into the slippers, then shuffled across the terrace to where they stood near the few steps leading down to the snow-covered lawn, stopping a foot from them. She stared up at Nate, blinking rapidly, her overlong bangs falling into her eyes.
“Echo?” Ely said softly, concerned now. “What is it?”
But her friend didn’t look at her, her focus only on Nate.
He stared at Echo for a long second, then blinked, confusion rolling over his features.
“Keta?” she whispered, reaching up to touch his jaw.
Aethan growled.
Ely’s stomach clenched.
Nate looked like he’d been tasered. He rubbed his chest as if it hurt. Hell, Ely could feel his utter shock even more through their soul bond.
“I know you,” he whispered. “Your eyes…” He let Ely go, reached out a hand, and gently brushed back strands of the shaggy bangs dipping into Echo’s eyes. “Unforgettable.”
Aethan growled and strode across or attempted to, but Michael grabbed his arm, stopping him. “Wait.”
The warrior glowered but stood by like a barely leashed tiger.
Ely watched Nate and Echo, unsure what was happening. And hastily shut off her thoughts from going elsewhere. She trusted Nate. Whatever this was, they’d find out soon enough. Because Nate would never look at another female the way he looked at her, a soul-joining assured that.
“How could I have forgotten you?” Nate asked roughly, still staring into her eyes. With a soft groan, he drew her into his arms, his expression broken. “I’m so sorry.”
His roiling emotions blasted Ely like she’d been shot, followed by immense pain, guilt, and then joy.
“You left me,” Echo choked out.
“It was never intentional.”
Echo pulled back, her face wet with tears, and at the agony and confusion on Aethan’s face, Ely could understand. A part of her was starting to feel the same way.
“A while ago, the dreams started,” Echo whispered, and Ely stilled. “Always flames surrounding me…then I saw you. I didn’t know you, but somehow, I knew you in here.” She touched her chest, over her heart. “And it hurt that you were leaving again, forever. There was so much fire around you, I tried to stop you. You left anyway.”
Ely froze.She saw Nate falling off a ledge in that volcano?
