A gust of wind stirred the loosened strands of hair against her hot face. A sob caught in her throat as she rubbed her burning skin. She slumped against the abbey wall, a few feet from the door, and thumped her head against the granite surface, gut-twisting pain taking hold.
God, she was so, so stupid, believing in this beautiful chimera he’d enclosed her in, letting herself dream, even knowing it was a fantasy, knowing it would only lead to pain—her pain.
She sniffled, pulled the sleeves of her sweater over her cold fingers, and wiped her damp cheeks. This was all her fault. She let herself get emotionally involved when he had never promised her anything.
“Nia?” Lore called out, his voice muffled by the building wall.
Dammit. She didn’t want him to witness her devastation. Hastily, she scrubbed her wet eyes with her sleeves and turned for the door.
The mist grew denser and damper. She couldn’t make out anything. The bitterly cold winds picked up, stinging her face, and she stumbled?—
Hands grasped her, and she fell into a rock-hard body.
“Dammit, Lore, let me?—”
But he felt different; smelled different, too, of ice and spice…
Oh shit!
“No!” She tried to free herself, scratching and clawing.
The stranger’s arms cinched her harder, choking off her scream of terror as a howling tornado of darkness swept her away.
Chapter
Twenty-Three
Lore shuthis eyes and resisted the urge to follow Nia into the kitchen. He wished she hadn’t heard his conversation with the seraph. He’d bent the truth for Jehoel and knew how it must have sounded to her.
Cold and callous.
The betrayal in those pretty amber irises caused a heart he’d never given much thought to, to shudder in torment. But he didn’t dare risk an explanation, aware Jehoel would probably have others watching, listening. Only his lifelong ties to the Celestial Realm had restrained him from revealing anything to Nia.
By the dark stars!He pinched the bridge of his nose and paced along the game table and machines. This wasn’t how he expected things to go. While he’d taken on the riskier elimination jobs for the Celestial Realm in the past, he refused to leave Nia unprotected by accepting another one now. As if he believed the drivel Jehoel had spouted, that the kill order against her had been rescinded.
He stopped and glared across the living room.
Jehoel’s trickery would not defeat him, nor would he allow anyone to harm Nia. The very thought of her being hurt ignited his blood with a burning rage.
Now…nowhe’dhurt her.
Because he was a fool with no experience in relationships, but that could never change just how much he needed her—longed for her.
And he’d never needed anything in his long life.
He frowned at the silence in the kitchen.
“Nia?”
And nothing.
With a deep sigh, he made his way into the room only to find it empty. He flashed outside to the front courtyard, heavy mist enclosing him.
“Nia?” he yelled.
Only the whine of the wind answered him, and instinctively, he knew she wasn’t there. With a wave of his hand, he cleared the mist-covered yard. Empty.
No. She wouldn’t leave, knowing the danger was still out there…but of course she would!
