She doesn’t know anything because you didn’t tell her the truth.
His jaw clenched. He shot up to the rooftop of the abbey and probed the surroundings for the familiar vibrations of angels. When one of his kind was close, a soft hum usually prickled his psyche. He scanned the mountain, the village, and then all of Romania… And nothing.
No, no, no. He spread his search wider and wider.
It was like she no longer existed.
Unparalleled terror strangled him, a sensation he’d never known in all his centuries of existence. His chest constricted, each breath a struggle. Only his eons-old conditioning preventedhim from spiraling into panic. He had to find her fast—before they did.
Reverting back to the coldness he wore like skin, Lore shifted to the nearby Guardian’s abode. “Race?” he yelled.
As usual, precious wasted seconds passed. Just when he considered dragging the damn dragon out by his horns, Race appeared in his naked mortal form, glaring at him through unbound silver hair.
“You are messing with my slumber?—”
“Nia’s missing,” Lore cut him off.
The warrior narrowed his eyes. “What do you meanmissing?”
“Because she’s not at the abbey,” he bit out.
“Why the hell didn’t you call and warn me of the current trouble?” Race demanded.
“Because she and I…”
“She and you—what? What the fuck did you do?”
“We were talking…” Stars! It wasn’t talking. He’d decimated her with a brutal truth, that she was just a job, without revealing his emerging, turbulent feelings for her, so she would believe him, and Jehoel would leave her alone.
With his cruel words, he’d driven her away and into danger.
He shook his head. “We had a…a disagreement. She ran outside and vanished. Help me find her. Please.”
He flashed back to the abbey courtyard, scanning for her again, looking for anything he might have missed. If Nia had left on her own, he would have sensed it. She wasn’t strong enough to shield herself. Whoever had taken her had blocked him. Demons wouldn’t care to hide?—
No! Lore’s gut twisted.
Theyhad dared?
A vicious growl escaped him, a dark rage breaking.They would pay!
The arms banded around Nia loosened their hold. She stumbled and spun to face a tall, burly angel in weathered brown leather. Dark wings rustled free.
Dull light flickered through the narrow gap at the entrance, briefly revealing a gloomy cave, heavy with the odor of cold stone. Chunks of rock were strewn about the damp floor.
Her heart thundered, dread swamping her. “Wh-Who are you? Why did you bring me here?”
“Silence, human.” He grasped her wrist and dragged her farther into the dark cave.
“No!” She tried to break free, but his grip tightened, nearly hard enough to break her bones. “Let me go!” Furious, she kicked him.
Without slowing, he cast her an impassive stare and slapped her hard across the face.
Pain exploded across her jaw and cheek, and she stumbled. Tears burned her eyes. Her throat tightened, and the side of her face stung. She licked her split lip and blood coated her tongue. She swallowed hard.
These winged beings were cruel and not as nice as books made them out to be.
Apparently satisfied, he’d cowed her enough, he pivoted and surveyed the obscure cave.
