ClosertoFire (11 page)

Behind her, Darek made a warning noise.

“What?” Her fate hung in the balance, and yet every time the
subject came up their answers were evasive, reluctant. “Please talk to me,” she
entreated.

Bane sighed. “Very well. But I want to discuss this
face-to-face, in the comfort of the aerie,” he said. “And it’s right through
those trees.” He pointed ahead.

As they emerged from the path, Lily stopped, puzzled. “I
don’t see anything.”

Darek laughed. “Right there.” He also pointed ahead, but the
twisted branches of the coastal trees were blocking the moonlight and all she
saw was a low hill. As they got closer, she realized the hill had a door.

“A hobbit hole?” she asked, confused. She didn’t see how
anybody, let alone the three of them, could fit in there.

“That’s just the entrance, love,” Darek said, sounding
amused. Bane stepped forward and put his palm on the weathered wood of the
small door. Blue light illuminated the outline of his hand and the door opened
inward with a small, smooth
click
. He ducked inside and turned around,
and Lily realized he was grasping the extended railing of a ladder leading into
the darkness. He took a step down and disappeared below the rim of what she now
realized was a ledge. She backed up a step, bumping into Darek, shaking her
head vehemently. She
hated
small spaces.

He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay, Lily.
It’s not what it seems. You’ll see.”

She was about to reply that she didn’t care what it was or
what it seemed. There was no
way
she was going through that door. Then
warm, inviting light shone up from below. Lily hesitated, inching forward.

Darek stepped past her, taking her hand. “This one’s
underground, Lily. We can’t exactly build a huge complex out in the open and
expect it to remain a secret. But it’s not cramped. Come on.”

Somewhat reassured by the light, Lily took a deep breath and
ducked under the low threshold after Darek. He closed the door behind them in
the same way Bane had opened it, placing his hand against the wood. His hand
glowed red and there was a small but—to Lily’s ears, at least—significant
click
.

They were inside.
Trapped
inside, her mind whispered.
“Shut up,” she said aloud. Poised at the top of the ladder, Darek looked at her
inquisitively. She made a dismissive gesture. “Sorry. Talking to myself.”

He frowned, then his eyebrows rose with comprehension.
“Claustrophobic?”

“A little,” she admitted.

He waved her over. “Come here. Stand on the step above mine
and we’ll go down together. I’ll be right behind you the whole way.”

With his warm body behind her, his arms like steel braces on
either side of her, the tunnel around the ladder seemed to fade away. They
descended slowly and the light grew brighter. After what seemed like an
eternity, Lily saw the bottom, an intricate tile floor. When she put her feet
on it, she breathed out, resting her head against the ladder. She hadn’t
realized she was sweating.

Darek stepped away from behind her. “Turn around, love,” he
said lightly. “We’re home.”

She risked a peek over her shoulder and gasped at what she
saw. They were standing in a stone archway that opened into a huge,
high-ceilinged room. The main source of the light was a large, elegant
chandelier in the center. Flaming sconces lined the stone walls.

The room was divided into three main sections that met
beneath the chandelier. On the left side was a stone fireplace large enough for
her to stand inside. In front of the fireplace was a seating area full of
comfortable-looking couches and pillows arranged around an oriental rug. To her
right was a kitchen.

At the far end of the room, a large glass pane hung from the
ceiling, suspended by heavy wire. It was covered with handwriting and sketches.
More couches and chairs were arranged in a semicircle around the panel.

The wall behind the hanging glass was wood paneling. As she
looked closer, she saw that it wasn’t a wall but sliding doors.

Bane put an arm around her shoulder and drew her into the
room. “That’s the strategy room,” he said, gesturing to the area around the
glass panel. “Kitchen,” he gestured to the right, “and on the far end, lounge.
The bedroom wing is through that door,” he said, indicating an archway beside
the fireplace. The threshold was dwarfed by the stone hearth. “The rest is
through that doorway.” He pointed to a doorway tucked away on the far side of
the kitchen.

Lily raised her eyebrows. “The rest?” she asked.

“You know,” Darek said, “pool, playroom, prison cells, panic
room…the rest.”

“P-prison cells?” Lily sputtered.

Bane’s expression saddened. “This is an all-purpose
compound, Lily, and we’re a people at war. Occasionally we need secure
facilities for captives.”

Of course. Captives like I might have been.
“Oh.”
Seeking a change of subject, she waved at the wood paneling behind the hanging
glass. “What’s back there?”

“Hospital wing,” Bane said. “The doors slide open so it’s
quickly and easily accessible to us in any form.”

She paused for a moment, then realized he meant that it was
big enough to admit dragons.
Duh.

“We heal much faster when we can shift,” Darek explained,
extending his arm to show her the now-fading scar he’d gotten when he broke her
fall behind the library. It seemed like an eternity had passed since then.

She touched the pink, raised scar lightly with her fingers.
“Thanks…for keeping my head off the pavement.” He made a dismissive gesture.

Bane took his arm from around her and she folded her arms,
rubbing the chill from her biceps. She hadn’t realized how cold it was in the
room.

“Oh sorry,” Bane said. No sooner had he spoken the words
than welcoming flames rose inside the huge fireplace.

Grateful, Lily approached the fire. The men followed. She
stood in front of the fireplace, basking in the welcome heat. Curious, she
looked at the structure. There was no flue. “Where does the smoke go?”

“The flame is sustained from within the maker,” Darek
explained. “There’s no organic fuel so there’s nothing being consumed. So—no
smoke.” Lily turned her back to the fire, hoping it would dry her cold, damp
hair. Darek stretched out on a couch and Bane chose a big chair nearby. They
looked tired.

“I’ll cook the fish,” Lily offered.

Bane smiled. “That would be wonderful.”

Darek snorted. “Yes, it would. Bane’s not the greatest chef.
You’d think he’d have figured out how not to turn everything into charcoal
briquettes by now.” Bane smirked at him and Darek added, “Okay. Of the two of
us, he’s the better cook.”

Other than its impressive size, the kitchen seemed ordinary.
While she hunted down a scaler and filet knife, Darek hefted the huge fish into
the double sink.

When she stepped up to the sink, he took the scaler from
her. “I’ll do that.”

“Thanks.” Her mother, an extraordinary cook who insisted on
purchasing fish right out of the tank at the farmers’ market, had taught her to
gut fish. But she’d never prepared one this large. Darek picked up the scaler
and lifted his arms. “There’s not much damage I can do here.”

She grinned. “You want an apron or something?” she asked,
looking pointedly at his bare chest. “Scaling is messy.”

“I like messy,” he purred, pulling her close and kissing her
quickly. The brief contact left her wanting more but he waved her away. “Food
first.” He dug in and she stepped back to avoid the flying scales.

Lily made a makeshift marinade from Italian seasoning and
olive oil. The kitchen had a large gas grill built into the center island
covered by an industrial-grade smoke hood. But she couldn’t see any knobs or
controls of any sort on the stainless-steel front.

“Is there an igniter or something?” she asked.

“No,” Darek called from the sink. “Step back, babe.” Lily
took a big step back, guessing what to expect. Sure enough, fire roared to life
in the steel interior, leaping up through the grate and reaching high into the
air, scorching the underside of the hood. Startled in spite of her expectation,
Lily jumped. Darek paused. Looking chagrined, he swiped at the fish scales
dotting his chest with one bloody hand. The result was not an improvement. The
corners of her mouth twitched.

“Sorry,” he yelled over the hissing flames, which rapidly
diminished from “forest fire” to “grill” level.

Lily took a small step forward, eyeing the grill as if it
might explode. “You weren’t exaggerating about the briquettes,” she said,
trying not to laugh.

He grunted and turned back to the bloody mess in the sink,
out of which she sincerely hoped some decent filets would emerge—eventually.

“Fire’s not like earth or air,” he mused. “More difficult to
control. Water’s hard to handle too I hear, but not like fire. Fire is…” He
trailed off, tugging hard at the fish. There was a liquid, tearing sound and he
lifted the head and spine away from the flesh, tossing it to the side of the
sink. He turned on the water and she brought him a cutting board she found
lying beside the grill.

“Fire is what?” she asked.

He dropped the heavy filets unceremoniously on the wooden
board. “Fire is hungry,” he replied with a wolfish smile. She blinked, opened
her mouth to speak, and realized she had no idea what to say. He seized the
opportunity to plant a quick kiss on her lips. “I’m going to shower.” With
that, he was gone.

Lily basted the fish and put it on the grate, turning on the
smoke hood. She tried telling herself that she didn’t miss Darek but it didn’t
work. Across the room, Bane seemed to have fallen asleep, his tall form splayed
over the chair. He looked like an ER doctor catching forty winks on the sly.
Lily brushed more marinade over the fish and leaned back against the counter, watching
him as he slept. Where—or maybe more importantly, when—had he been born? What
had his life been like? What—or who—had given him that cold, detached face he
put on in public?

Unbidden, the image of her parents’ wedding photo drifted
into her mind. In her imagination, the frozen moment came to life, the flower
petals thrown by the guests floating to the ground. Her mother, the new Mrs.
Sinclair, tilted her head back to look up at the man she’d just married, her
eyes full of hope.

Lily could guess now what her mother might have been
thinking.
Perhaps there is redemption for me. I can be more—better—than my
blood. We can have a life together, grow old together, bring a child into the
world…together.
In only a few short hours, her mother would weep over the
body of her husband, her dream as shattered as her heart.

The fire crackled loudly and Lily started, her thoughts
interrupted. She turned the fish on the grill and glanced up at Bane, who still
slept. Her heart ached.
A car accident, Mom? Why didn’t you just tell me?
She reached up to rub her cheek and her hand came away wet.
Oh hell.
She
dabbed at the tears with a dishcloth and shook her head, trying with some
success to clear her thoughts.

“How’s it coming, love?”

Lily jumped and whirled, dropping the towel. Darek stood
behind her dressed in a black t-shirt and jeans, his damp hair tousled.

She put a hand over her pounding heart. “Jesus, you scared
me. Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

He frowned. “Lily, I made all kinds of noise pouring the
wine,” he said, reaching for her wrist. Indeed, she saw an open bottle of white
wine and a single full glass. He drew her closer, tipping her chin with his
knuckles to examine her face. “Were you crying?” he asked.

“It’s just smoke from the grill,” she replied, meeting his
level gaze with a smile that felt unconvincing. “I have to take the fish off.
It’s going to burn.”

Darek was silent, holding her wrist gently, waiting.

She felt naked under his scrutiny. “Okay. I was crying. I
don’t really want to talk about it.”
Please don’t push me
, she begged
silently.

He studied her features and his expression softened. “All
right,” he said, releasing her. “I just wanted the truth.”

Nodding, feeling tearful again, Lily set about taking the
fish off the grill. She concentrated hard on the task, trying to ignore the
unnerving sensation of Darek’s penetrating gaze on her.

He stepped up behind her. She grasped the sides of the plate
and his arms stole around her waist. He pressed his big, warm body against
hers, curling protectively around her. His breath touched her neck. The scent
of soap and skin and man filled her senses. Her eyes drifted closed.

“It’s going to be all right, Lily. We won’t let anyone hurt
you.”

“I know.” But she wasn’t just worried about herself
anymore—she was worried about Bane and Darek as well. The Inquiry weighed
heavily on her mind.

“Come on,” Darek urged, holding up a platter. “Let’s eat.
You’ll feel better.”

“Hang on,” Lily murmured. “I need to find plates.”

Darek lifted the fish off the grill with his bare hands and
set it on the platter. “No plates. Just get two forks and the glass of wine,
love.”

She looked at him, bemused. “Not three?”

“Nope.” The mischievous look in his eye made her curious…and
a little nervous.

Bane stood as they approached, Darek carrying the plate of
fish, Lily the wineglass and set of one-too-few forks. Darek spoke in Bane’s
ear and the men sat down in a loveseat not far from the fire. Lily stopped,
holding one fork in each hand. There was no room for her to sit between them
and there were no nearby chairs.

Bane let the silence stretch out, observing Lily’s
uncertainty and eavesdropping on her thoughts. She considered how to broach the
subject of seating arrangements.

“Lily,” Bane said finally, “I want you to think about what
we did in the steakhouse restroom.”

Her eyes widened. “I remember.”

He inclined his head, pleased. “What did you like most?” he
asked, his cock hardening at the rosy blush that crept from under the top of
her dress and suffused her neck, cheeks and ears.

She hesitated, fidgeting, looking down at her feet.

“Look at me, Lily,” he said quietly. Her amber gaze lifted
to meet his and he smiled, relenting a little. “Did you like obeying me?”

She looked flustered, but her answer came without
hesitation. “Yes.”

Bane chose his next words carefully. He didn’t want to
misunderstand—or be misunderstood. “When you said earlier that you wanted to
play games, was that the kind of thing you had in mind?”

She paused, biting her lip. “Yes.”

“Yes, what?” he asked, curious to hear her answer.

“Yes, Bane,” she answered.

“Good. Okay then,” he said, watching her carefully. She
squirmed a bit, but he saw no signs of fear, only nervousness and excitement.
Her gaze flitted to the floor, then jerked back up to meet his. “Lily,” he
said, moving forward on the seat and reaching for her, “we’d love to play with
you.”

He took the wine and forks from her and gave them to Darek,
then drew her onto his lap and sat back. Darek lifted the wineglass to her
lips. When she raised her hand to take the glass, Bane put his fingers on her
forearm, pushing down gently. She pursed her lips, an objection surfacing in
her thoughts. He gave her a disapproving look and the objection vanished. She
sipped the wine Darek proffered. When he held a bite of fish to her mouth, she
parted her lips and took it.

Bane waited for her to swallow, then took both of her wrists
in one of his hands. Darek continued to feed her, taking bites himself in
between hers.

Bane took the other fork and ate from the same plate. The
taste was divine.

“The fish is awesome, Lily,” Darek said. Bane nodded his
agreement. She smiled, seeming pleased.

As dinner rapidly disappeared, Bane told her what he needed
her to know. “We have only a few basic rules for this kind of game, but they’re
important. The first rule is that when either one of us asks you a question,
you answer truthfully and completely—even if the truth isn’t pretty and pink.
Got it?”

She swallowed. “Okay.”

“The second rule is that you try your very best to do as we
say—
exactly
as we say.” Bane saw the objection rising in her eyes and
spoke before she could. “We’re not asking for blind faith, Lily. But at first,
you’ll be giving us more trust than we’ve yet earned.”

“Think of it as a loan,” Darek interjected. Lily grinned.

“We’ll take it one step at a time,” Bane added. “Which
brings us to the third rule. If you want to stop, say so. We’ll stop.”

“All right,” she said.

“Any questions?” he asked.

She looked surprised. “That’s it? Tell you the truth, do as
you say and tell you if I want to stop?”

Bane chuckled. “That’s it. We have only three rules…for
now.” She raised an eyebrow but said nothing. “They sound easy but they’re
not.”