Page 6 of Warrior Unraveled

“I’m old enough to recognize when somebody’s full of shit.”

His response was unexpected. He chuckled. And damn, if that sound didn’t send a shiver of pleasure down her neck and all the way to her nipples, lighting them on fire like Roman candles.

She had to get a grip of herself. Distract herself no matter how.

“You don’t like witches much, do you?” he suddenly asked.

“I don’t like witches who’re able to breach our defenses,” she shot back, not missing a beat.

“It was the only way to make contact with your kind.”

“Only Stealth Guardians are able to use our portals, no other creature has ever even managed to open one, let alone operate it.”

“Guess I’m a genius.”

She tilted her head to the side, studying him. “Either that, or you’ve had help from the demons.”

“What?”

“You heard me. The demons are the only other preternatural species who operate portals. If anybody might have a chance at accessing one of ours, it’s them.” Which was the Stealth Guardians’ greatest fear. Because if the demons ever gained access to one portal, they’d have access to all of them and could destroy her race from within.

“I’ve never met a demon. And nobody helped me. It was a spell I cast.”

“What kind of spell?”

“A transformation spell.”

“That does what precisely?”

“It made the portal think I was one of you.”

He looked smug, and she wanted to wipe that smugness off his face. Or perhaps kiss it away.

Stop it! Not another thought in that direction!

The faster she could get him into the lead cell, the better. So why was she still standing around here, letting him drag her into a conversation?

“Let’s move it, witch. Time to lock you up.”

He huffed. “Name’s Wesley. It’s really not that hard to remember.”

Only to make him comply, she conceded, “Fine, Wesley.”

“See, wasn’t that hard, was it?”

Another one of his charming smiles. Did this guy ever give up?

She pointed to the next flight of stairs leading down. “This way.”

Wesley followed her command, but instead of walking ahead of her, he walked alongside her. She knew if he tried to go for her dagger, she’d have no trouble overpowering him. After all, the runes that lined the walls, floors, and ceilings of the compound had stripped him of his magic. Only once he was outside again, would he gain his powers back. So why then did his closeness put her on edge? Was it because she felt another power in him? Not witchcraft, no.

The potency of a man.

When they finally arrived at the cell, Virginia was relieved. She unlocked the door and swung it open. She looked into the dark, lead-lined interior. The cell was meant for members of their race who’d committed crimes or, worse, had been compromised by the demons. It was escape-proof. Stealth Guardians couldn’t pass through lead; it stripped them of their ability to make themselves invisible and drained them of their strength. Eventually, if locked up in a lead cell for an extended period, a Stealth Guardian’s powers would be extinguished for good and they would become human.

She’d heard of cases where Stealth Guardians had been locked up for a year—punishment for treason—then released into the human world, outcasts to their race. A harsh sentence.

“So you’re really not gonna change your mind, huh?”

At Wesley’s words, she met his gaze. His baby-blues locked with hers. For a moment she felt hypnotized. And for a fraction of a second she wondered what would have happened between them had they met under different circumstances.

A soft smile suddenly curled the corners of his mouth upward. “One day you will.”

His gait confident, his head held high, he walked into the cell. Once inside, he turned around. “You’re an interesting woman, Virginia. I’m looking forward to getting to know you…” He paused, his gaze dropping to her lips. “…more intimately.”

Cocky bastard!

As if he knew what effect he had on her! As if he could see right through her.

Trembling—whether with rage or arousal, she wasn’t sure—she slammed the heavy door shut and turned the key in the lock.

Her heart pounded, and she leaned against the door, when she heard his voice through it.

“Sweet dreams, Virginia.”

A chuckle followed.

This witch would be her downfall if she wasn’t careful.