I didn’t know exactly where the mess hall was, but thankfully Arabella did from Jax’s memories, so I let her guide us to it. She led me out of the infirmary and down a long, wide stone hall with arched windows set into the right wall that offered a breathtaking view of Los Angeles. I’d never been here before, and I couldn’t stop stealing glances at the glittering city. I was sure it looked even more spectacular during the day, with the backdrop of the Hollywood Hills behind it. Perhaps the lass and I could explore it together, and she would show me around.
Not until Lucas is caught, I reminded myself.We cannae afford to go frolicking about like a pair of tourists so long as he’s after her life.
Arabella’s father had told me that under no circumstances was the lass allowed to leave the premises without an escort. I’d promised him that I would remain near her at all times, not that I had to since I was already under Gaia’s orders. The commander had explained to me the full importance of the Infinity Key, and I understood now why it was so important to Gaia that I look after the lass. She could not be allowed to fall into that smarmy bastard’s hands, even if I had to tie her to her bed to make sure she stayed put.
An image of a naked Arabella lying spread-eagled on satin sheets, her limbs fastened to the bed poles, made my mouth go dry. Heat swept through me, straight to my groin, and I hardened so fast it was almost painful.Quit it,I growled, shoving the tempting image away.”Tisn’t what I meant, and ye well ken it.
You know you want to, a voice in my head whispered, so beguiling it had to be the devil himself.What better way to keep a woman distracted than to pleasure her so thoroughly that she can’t think of anything but you?
I gritted my teeth—it was a good point. I might have hurt the lass’s feelings with my rejection, but I could coax her into my bed if I really wanted to. But if I did that, the visions would stop, and I couldn’t risk it. Gaia was stingy with them as it was—I didn’t need to give her another reason to close this door now that it had finally opened.
Surely Gaia wouldn’t stop sending you visions if she thinks the lass is that important, the voice argued.And there have been exceptions in the past. Why wouldn’t this be one of them?
“Are you all right?” Arabella’s voice pulled me from my internal argument, and I looked to see that she was glancing over her shoulder at me with a strange expression on her face.
“Aye,” I said nonchalantly. “Why do ye ask?”
“Because you were growling,” she said dryly.
“Oh.” My ears burned, and I cleared my throat. “Just talking to myself.”
“Uh-huh.” She gave me a skeptical look, then turned back around. “Well, make sure you’re still paying attention. Don’t want you falling down the stairs.”
“Ha-ha,” I said as I followed her down a spiral staircase. It wound down to the second floor, which had a little more color to it than the third—tapestries depicting heavenly scenes covered the stone walls, and thick carpet muffled our footfalls. We passed a few Sentinels on our way, and I responded to their suspicious looks with easy smiles. No need to let them know I was uneasy about being in their territory, or that I missed the wide-open spaces of my Highlands.
You’ll be back there soon enough, a voice reminded me, and my heart clenched. Not at the thought of returning home—I missed the sweeping fields of heather, the sound of Agnid singing as she kneaded dough for fresh bread in the morning, the sparring sessions with the Druids who called me friend despite my parentage. But the thought of having to leave the lass behind…
I heard the buzz of conversation long before we arrived at the mess hall—it seemed that this was where most of the Sentinels were at this time, and I couldn’t blame them. The rich scent of meaty lasagna being served at the buffet up front, along with a host of side dishes and salad, made my stomach growl. But my appetite was hampered by the stiff set of the lass’s shoulders as eyes followed her across the room. The buzz of conversation died down to mere whispers, too quiet for me to catch the words. But I could sense the intent well enough—Arabella wasn’t welcome here, or at least not by everyone.
Drawing myself upright, I glared at anyone stupid enough to stare at the lass too long. Most of the Sentinels held my gaze—after all, they were warriors, born and bred for battle against unholy evil. But none of them wanted to pick a fight with a man of my girth, so they eventually looked away, and conversations resumed.
“They all hate me,” Arabella murmured as we sat down at a deserted table in the corner. Her shoulders were back, her chin high, but the hurt in her eyes made me want to punch Mack, who had stared at her with the most loathing of anyone.
“No,” I said, forking up some lasagna. “They just dinnae ken what to do with yer presence. Yer supposed to be dead.”
Arabella shook her head. “I think a lot of people don’t believe that I fought Lucas when he tried to take the key from me. They view me as a weak-willed turncoat, who gave into her dark side and betrayed her family and fellow Sentinels.”
“That’s just silly,” a woman said as she flounced into the seat next to Arabella. I blinked, taking in her candy-pink curls, her heart-shaped face, and the skin-tight leather body suit that clung to her curves like a second skin. It was open at the top to reveal a generous amount of cleavage. “You’re one of the most loyal and hardworking Sentinels I’ve ever known, Arabella Palladino, and I, for one, am very happy to see that you’ve managed to cheat death.”
Arabella blinked, then broke out into a smile. “Brandy,” she said, her voice warm and full of delight. “I remember you. We’ve done a couple missions together.”
“Hell yeah we have.” She punched Arabella lightly in the arm, behavior that was so very at odds with the way she dressed and made herself up. “You’re almost as good a shot as I am,” she added with a wink.
“Are ye an archer too, then?” I asked.
“I use a crossbow,” she declared, giving me a lascivious grin. Her bright blue eyes raked up and down my body in a blatant once-over, and I found myself grinning at her unapologetic behavior. “My gift is a bit different from Belle’s—I can see heat signatures.”
My eyes widened. “So ye can shoot targets through walls? That’s very impressive.”
“Yeah, but only if I’m close enough.” Brandy put a slender arm around Arabella’s shoulder. “Whereas this gorgeous thing can shoot a target from half a mile away.”
I blinked, stunned. “Can ye really shoot that far?” I asked her.
“I’m a little rusty, but Jax’s memories say that I’ve done it before,” she said with a shrug, as if it were no big deal.
Other Sentinels came up to welcome Arabella over the course of the meal. Nearly all the women aside from a blonde who’d glared daggers at the lass when she’d walked in, and a goodly number of the men too. They hugged her and asked how she’d managed to cheat death, regaled her with stories of their most recent missions, and asked me a fair amount of questions as well. Several of the men sized me up, their interest in the lass plain. I wondered if she knew how many suitors she had waiting for her here.
She wilna miss me very much when I return home, I realized as I watched her laugh and talk with the other Sentinels. Her face was glowing with good humor, the tension gone from her shoulders—she was more relaxed than she’d been the entire time I’d known her. Despite the lass’s apprehensions, and the number of people who remained seated in their chairs and did not approach, Arabella had friends here. She would be well taken care of amongst her own kind, and she wouldn’t need an outsider like me hovering at her elbow like an anxious mother hen.
