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“It is if there’s a chance you could be hurt again.”
“I’ll be careful. You’ve given me back my strength. Now is the time for me to further explore. They won’t catch me unaware again. I’ll be alert to their tricks.”
“I want to help.”
“No. It’s too dangerous.”
“How? I’m human. They don’t care about me, and I couldn’t break Iulian out if I wanted to. You said that’s why you’re here. You’re the only one. They’re on alert for you, not me.”
“They came into the mansion, Ensley. They saw you. Even if they realize you’re human, they’ll be suspicious that you’re working with me.”
He firmed his lips. The fight in his eyes persisted.
I lazily stroked a hand down his spine and over the soft mound of his ass, drawing his leg around my waist. “Don’t be reckless, love. It’s not your fight.”
“You told Cristofer there were barriers that presented difficulties for your kind. If I’m reading between the lines correctly, then you need me. I’m human. I’m not limited like you are. Those barriers wouldn’t affect me. I can help.”
“Ensley—”
“Don’t tell me no. I can’t sit back and watch you do this alone. I saw what happened last time, and it was terrifying. I thought you were dying.”
“None of that would have happened if I wasn’t depleted.”
That wasn’t entirely true. Even at full strength, the blast of UV lights would have rendered my abilities useless either way. My only saving grace had been the faulty batteries. I could have been killed. During those horrible minutes, while suffering at the hands of hunters, I was prepared to die.
But had I been at full strength, Ensley would never have seen my injuries. I would have regenerated and been whole again by the time I returned to the mansion.
He was right. The chances of my accessing Iulian alone were slim. Now that they knew I was around, they had likely reinforced his prison and increased their guard. The incident at the mansion would have put them on high alert.
They would be waiting for my return.
“Perhaps,” I said, thinking aloud, hoping to placate Ensley while also giving myself time to think of a solution, “I could come with you this weekend and give them time to lower their guard. They will be expecting immediate retaliation, and before I strike, I need to consider the best approach.”
“Really?”
I kissed him, lingering and savoring his taste. “Really. Now, enough chat. Your stomach is growling.”
“You heard that?”
I smirked. “Indeed.” I kissed the tip of his nose. “Stay here. Let me make you something.”
“You can cook?”
“I have no idea. Haven’t needed to learn. We’ll find out.”
23
Ensley
Two days later, at five in the morning, long before the sun was set to rise, we hit the road. My hometown of Strathroy was a three-hour drive south, and the last place on earth I wanted to be. Considering Mordecai’s restrictions, I was surprised he’d agreed to accompany me.
Daylight hours were manageable, if not uncomfortable, he’d explained. Spending one or two or several nights without a proper place to rest was a minor annoyance, nothing more. Apparently, resting on his native soil acted as a means of regeneration. It was not a substitute for feeding but could restore depleted energy to a point.
The memorial service, however, was being held in a Catholic church, and my mother had planned a short visit to the cemetery afterward—owned by the same church—neither of which Mordecai could attend. His explanation made me recall an earlier conversation about cemeteries, when we’d been contemplating locations where his uncle might be held. Puzzle pieces clicked, and his questions made sense now.
The gathering following the service was thankfully at a hall. It would involve a light lunch including platters of finger foods and desserts, none of which Mordecai could eat.
Explaining these obstacles to my mother would be challenging, but Mordecai assured me I shouldn’t worry. It would work out.
