The men dressedas EMTs came back into the room shortly after that, Blondie walking a few steps ahead of the still-disheveled Redeye. They settled in front of me, careful not to get too close. Redeye still looked a little rough around the edges, but much improved from the limp sack of a man Blondie had dragged out earlier. I wondered what Blondie had done to help him recover so quickly.
Maybe Blondie has healing powers like Lucas, I thought. A shiver crawled down my spine when I remembered that unearthly red light, which had healed my ribs so effortlessly. There was no telling what else that strange power could do. Obviously, it could wound as well as heal—Redeye was proof of that.
I still wasn’t sure how Lucas had wounded Redeye anyway. The man had smashed Redeye in the stomach with a glowing mace that didn’t draw blood. Yet, Redeye had still been hurt. It didn’t make sense. Nothing about this made sense.
Maybe you’re going crazy, I thought. Or maybe this was all just one long, nightmarish hallucination that would come to an end at any second. But only seriously hardcore drugs could make me conjure up a nightmare where I’d been kidnapped by a lunatic who insisted that he was part of some forgotten past.
I don’t think assuming this isn’t real is going to help you, a voice in my head whispered. Until proven otherwise, I was going to have to assume this was my new reality.
I took a breath. If this was my new reality, if Lucas was real, then maybe he was just crazy. But if that was the case, how did he know my name? And what was up with the superpowers? I wished I could ask someone, but the only people here were the so-called EMTs, and I doubted they’d be forthcoming with answers.
What they were forthcoming with, however, was a whole lot of attitude.
“You think you’re hot shit, don’t you?” Redeye snarled as he raked me with his bloody gaze. “Think you’re special, because the Master doesn’t want to hurt you?”
“What the fuck are you doing?” Blondie growled. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
“I’m not going to let this little bitch sit here and look all self-righteous,” Redeye spat. “The Master brought us here to do a job. Or have you forgotten why we were recruited in the first place?”
“Have you forgotten that the Master almost exorcised your ass just a few minutes ago?” Blondie’s eyes blazed with rage, and he bared his monstrous teeth. “You keep letting your temper get the best of you, Xibrax, and you’re no better than the lesser demons we left behind in Hell.”
“Thanks for the lesson, Mom.” Redeye, or rather, Xibrax, sneered. I wasn’t sure what kind of name that was, but it definitely sounded foreign. Maybe these guys were European, despite the lack of accents? That certainly seemed more plausible than them being demons from hell, as they seemed to be suggesting. “Doesn’t change the fact that this bitch knows where the key is. If I get her to tell us, we win, and the Master will reward me handsomely! Why can’t you see that?”
“Because she doesn’t remember, you idiot!” Blondie threw up his hands. “God himself must have stuck me with you, just to torture me for being one of the damned.”
“I dunno,” I said nonchalantly as an idea struck me. “Maybe I do know where the key is.”
“Shut up,” Blondie snapped at me. “She’s trying to screw with you,” he growled at Xibrax. “She knows what’ll happen if the Master catches you laying another finger on her.”
Before Xibrax could answer, the door swung open again. Both men turned toward it as one, their faces going blank, their shoulders straightening. But it wasn’t Lucas who entered. Instead, a mountain of a man barreled straight toward us, green energy blazing from his hands. Xibrax hurled a fireball at the intruder, but the man waved his hand, and a gust of wind blew the fire straight back toward them. I fully expected him to attack them with the weapon. Instead, he swung his glowing arm wide, and a gale-force wind slammed Xibrax and Blondie into the far wall. Bones crunched, and the two men slid to the dusty floor, unconscious. I watched with bated breath as the stranger knelt beside the two men, checking their pockets. My heart galloped in my chest as though I’d been the one swinging glowing fists and slamming men into walls with the power of the wind. What the hell had just happened?
You may as well stop asking that question, the voice in my head said dryly.You’re starting to sound like a broken record.
I scowled, but put my questions aside and focused on my savior. Now that he wasn’t darting around the room like the Flash, I took advantage of the moment to get a better look at him. He was built like a god, at least six foot four, with massive shoulders, a broad chest that stretched his black T-shirt to capacity, and corded arms covered in Celtic tattoos. His thigh muscles bulged as he squatted next to my jailers, barely contained by his jeans, and I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry. His face was shadowed by the shaggy copper hair that covered his eyes, but I could make out his slightly crooked Roman nose, his broad, razor-edged cheekbones, a chiseled jaw, and full lips that were currently pressed together in consternation.
He looked up, as though sensing my perusal, and my heart stopped for a moment as I met the most unreal green eyes I’d ever seen in my life. They were the color of emeralds, deep and true and stunning. Power brimmed from their hidden depths.
“Thank the gods I made it in time.” I blinked at the thick Scottish brogue in his voice. “Are ye all right?” He crossed the room in three long strides, then knelt in front of me.
“Y-yeah. I’m okay.” Jesus, I was stammering. My cheeks were flushed, my heart racing, and it had nothing to do with the danger I’d been in. No, my body was reacting to the presence of this gorgeous Scotsman, as if I were a schoolgirl come face to face with my football star crush for the very first time.
Get a grip, Arabella!I didn’t know who this guy was or what he wanted—major stranger danger.
“Umm, any chance you could untie me?” I asked, shifting in my chair as much as my restraints would allow. Now that the adrenaline rush had faded, my limbs were starting to ache like nobody’s business.
“Of course. That’s what I’m here for, lass.” He rose, then walked around the back of my chair to untie my arms. Warm breath caressed the back of my neck as he leaned down, sending goose bumps racing along my flesh. But these were the good kind, with none of the creep factor Lucas had given me earlier. His rough, calloused fingers brushed against my inner forearms as he untied the rope, and then my arms fell to my sides, suddenly free.
“Thank you,” I said fervently, tension sliding off my shoulders as the man came back around. He bent to free my ankles, then slowly rose, his big hands settling on my hips. Those calloused fingers grazed my abdomen as they pushed up my shirt, sending sparks through me. I sucked in a breath, taking in an unexpected lungful of his manly, woodsy scent.Mmm.
Wait. What?“Just what the hell are you doing?” I demanded, heat rushing to my cheeks as I realized what was going on. I shoved at his chest with my newly freed hands, trying to get him off. But it was like shoving at a boulder, and my ribs protested sharply at the effort.
The Scotsman glanced up at me, arching an auburn brow. “Calm yerself, lass. I’m not trying to ravish ye. I just need to check yer injuries. Don’t worry. ’Tis nothing I haven’t seen before.”
Those emerald eyes dropped back down to my exposed midriff, and I frowned. Who was this guy? “Damn.” He whistled low as he inspected the mottled bruising on my rib cage. “Ye’ve definitely done a number on yerself here.” He pressed his palm lightly against my ribs, and I couldn’t quite hold back the whimper that escaped. “Och. Are ye in a lot of pain?” His gaze jerked back to mine, full of concern now.
“No, not a lot,” I admitted. In fact, his warm palm felt good against my skin, sending a pleasurable heat through me now that he wasn’t pressing so hard. “One of them healed me.”
“Well, if they did, they did a bloody terrible job. A proper healer would have made ye whole, not left ye with these damnable bruises.” Scowling, he removed his hand and sat back on his haunches. “Why the bleeding hell did ye let these buffoons do this to ye anyhow? I figured someone like ye would have known better.”
