Now that was a great idea.
She walked to the bathroom and turned on the taps, focusing on how it would feel to have Hunter run his hands over her skin again.
Something rippled through his presence.
She sat on the edge of the tub and waited. But he didn’t come. She pressed her hands to her stomach, imagining they were Hunter’s.
His emotions rippled again, this time with recognizable desire.
I’m waiting,
she thought at him and inched her hands over her abdomen.
The desire swelled with hot need. Then he clamped down on it and she was left suddenly cold. Her throat constricted. He’d obviously noticed her invitation, but she had no idea why he’d refused her.
A male voice rumbled over the hiss of the water and her heart skipped a beat. Hunter wouldn’t talk to himself so he was either on the phone or someone was here.
Another voice, masculine but definitely different than the first, replied.
She took a robe from the hook by the door, slipped it on, and eased the door open.
“Well, I’m here.” It sounded like Grey.
The thrumming in her chest eased. Hunter had probably called for help or something.
Although he didn’t strike her much as a ‘call for help’ kind of guy.
“You’d think I’d asked you to take
Jerusalem
.”
“Been there.
Done that.
Rather not do it again.”
She glanced at the sitting room door but couldn’t see either of the men from that angle so she stepped farther into the bedroom, inching closer to the doorway.
“This’ll be easy. Keep
Anaea
here until
I
get back,” Hunter said.
“Independent, is she?”
She couldn’t believe Hunter was going off without telling her again. Yeah, she knew he would, but she’d really hoped he wouldn’t.
“It’s part of her charm. But in this case, I don’t want her to get involved.”
For the love of— She could strangle him. And if she wasn’t wearing only a robe and Grey wasn’t here, she would.
“You mean you don’t want Regis to find out you’ve made a sorcerer.”
The heat in her chest, Hunter’s presence, chilled.
“She’s a mage, not a sorcerer.”
“Semantics.
Regis won’t care.”
“He won’t find out,” Hunter said.
“You’re playing a dangerous game.”
She moved closer to the door, peering into the living room.
“I don’t need you to remind me,” Hunter growled. It sounded strange coming from Mark.
Hunter stood in the middle of the room. She could see his fury radiating from him and feel it smoldering in her chest. Grey still stood by the front door, duffle bag slung over his shoulder, as if he hadn’t committed to staying. He looked pale, his brows pinched together.
“Hey,
Anaea
is nice enough to me, but you have to face reality. Magic is magic. There’s no way you can keep her hidden from Regis forever. There isn’t anywhere in the world where you can hide her from the
Asar
Nergal
. And when they find out, it’ll be execution for her and rebirth for you.”
“She’s not a danger.”
“Regis won’t see it that way.”
“I’ll make him.” Uncertainty flickered through their connection. Hunter didn’t believe what he’d just said.
Grey raised an eyebrow.
“Really?”
With a growl Hunter leapt for Grey, grabbing the front of his coat and jerking him close.
“Really.”
Grey shoved Hunter back and sunk low into a fighting stance. “You and I both know you killed her the moment you transferred into her body. The only way to prevent being reborn is if she’s dead.”
Hunter hissed and bared his teeth, but didn’t attack. Emotions flashed through her. Regret and fear.
“Say I’m wrong.”
Need.
Desperation.
Yearning.
“Say it.”
Resignation.
He knew what Grey said was true.
“You can’t say it ‘
cause
you know I’m right.”
“I’ll find a way,” Hunter said, his voice low.
Hunter’s emotions quieted. Only a hint of his presence simmered within her.
“If you hide her, he’ll find her. If you let her go, he’ll find her.” Grey inched closer to Hunter, reaching a hand out to his friend. “The only kindness you can offer her is how she dies. Your hand would be the gentlest.”
Hunter wrenched away from Grey. “We are not having this conversation.”
“Yes, we are.
If not now then with certainty later.”
“Grey, I can’t.” Hunter’s voice hitched in his throat and
Anaea’s
stomach churned. Grey was right and Hunter knew it.
“Yes, you can.”
Hunter shook his head. He couldn’t and Grey couldn’t see it. She wasn’t ready to die again either, but she couldn’t bear to know the truth and feel Hunter’s grief. She would not be responsible for his death.
* * *
Like a coward, Hunter had Grey gate him to the edge of Nero’s estate while
Anaea
was in the shower. He’d wanted to say goodbye, join her in the shower with long kisses and a whole lot more, and forget about the truth Grey wanted him to acknowledge. But that would lead to another glorious round of lovemaking and delay his departure... by a lot.
That and if
Anaea
knew what he planned they’d argue.
And rightly so.
She had the right to determine her life.
To having a life in the first place.
He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he didn’t fix this. He had to fix this.
He sucked in a steadying breath.
Getting killed wouldn’t help her. He needed to focus for the next forty-five minutes until Grey returned to gate him back to her.
He shifted the
asru
bead in his boot to the toe and continued heading to Nero’s mansion. While he didn’t anticipate Grey would need to use the mini-anchor
enspelled
into the bead to find him, nothing about the last couple of days had gone as anticipated. And he wasn’t going to take any more risks than necessary. Nero’s estate sat in the middle of a hundred acres of forest and farmland northeast of
Newgate
, containing a sprawling house built by Nero in the mid-eighteen hundreds when it was discovered that the main gate into Court was in the area.
Hunter wasn’t sure what he was looking for but rummaging through Nero’s office seemed like the place to start. What
Anaea
had overheard at the spa could have referred to anything, but it was the best he had. If he didn’t have her to worry about, he’d probably walk up to the front door and start asking questions, with a liberal dose of violence to encourage looser lips. But he did have
Anaea
and if something happened it would be up to Grey to protect her—regardless of the fact that Grey knew her existence meant trouble. He was sure Grey would keep her safe, but he didn’t want to burden either of them with that.
Besides, it always helped to be armed to the teeth when bashing down someone’s door and Hunter hadn’t had the time,
nor
the access, to obtain his full supply of weapons. All he had was the long sword and hunting knife Grey had brought him. So with stealth being his only available option, he’d just have to pray something conveniently, and quickly, showed up.
Mother of All, he just wanted to get back to the hotel and wrap himself in
Anaea
and everything she was. His insides twitched with the effort to concentrate on the task at hand instead of running back to her.
Soon.
Soon.
He’d figure out how to keep her safe from Regis and... No. They would figure it out.
Together.
He owed her at least that much.
He inched to the edge of the tree line and scanned the vast, empty lawn leading up a slope to a sprawling patio complete with pool and hot tub and beyond that a massive, three-story manor house. Floor-to-ceiling windows on this side of the building revealed a sunroom with white wicker furniture. So far he hadn’t noticed much of a security system, but with the ground open to wildlife big and small, it was probably a hassle to have much of anything. The mansion, however, was likely a different story. Nero was a smart drake and without a doubt had the best technology could offer.
Which meant even if Hunter bypassed the systems he found, there were probably more lurking in the background.
Bashing down the door, even without all of his weapons, was looking more and more appealing by the minute. He couldn’t believe he’d rushed off without a plan, or research, or anything. He knew better.
Well, shit. He’d have to consider tonight research. Do a little skulking around, try to determine the layout of the mansion, pinpoint some of the security systems. He didn’t really want to have to come back, but he didn’t see any other option.
He inched along the tree line to a side of the mansion with fewer windows, and dashed across the lawn. Pressing his body to the rough brick, he held his breath, listening for any indication that someone had seen him.
Everything remained quiet.
Good.
He glanced in the closest window.
A boardroom, by the looks of it.
In the center sat a large table, surrounded by chairs. A whiteboard hung against one wall and opposite it, floor-to-ceiling bookcases crammed with thick, hard-covered books. It looked like a boardroom, which didn’t fit at all with what he knew about Nero. Most of the drake’s business was overseas in
Rome
—established before
Columbus
and all that—and from everything Hunter had heard Nero kept his business life and personal life separate.
A chatter of voices rose on the sunroom side of the house and Hunter peered around the corner of the building. About a dozen people had poured out onto the patio, talking ad laughing. Their auras flickered in and out of focus.
Good news at last. His new body was starting to connect to the earth’s magic already. Although some of the auras didn’t look right. But that could be the tentativeness of his connection.
The young dragon he’d seen with Nero at the feast made her way to the front of the group and led them onto the lawn. Her hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail, the ends brushing her waist. She called two youths forward. Both of them had those strange auras. The first, a girl of about eighteen, raised her hand and a ball of light formed in front of her.
The woman nodded and the ball shot across the lawn. The second youth, a lanky teen, dropped to his knees and pressed both hands to the ground. Clumps of sod rocketed from the lawn, inches from the light as if trying to hit it. The ball danced and the geysers of dirt blasted faster and faster.
If Hunter didn’t know any better, he’d say he was watching earth magic training. But drakes didn’t teach other drakes. It could mean loss of power within the coterie and Court if the student surpassed the teacher. And there was something really wrong with the auras of the two students. That and their bodies seemed awfully young. Usually the Handmaiden preferred to rebirth into fully grown humans.
Ponytail Woman’s aura, however, was strong, radiating wide and dark, promising powerful earth magic.
Another woman, probably in her mid-thirties, with wild red hair, took the place of the boy, and the ball of light stilled, waiting to resume the exercise. The redhead’s aura was like Ponytail Woman’s. But most in the group had the strange wavering auras and seemed too young.
Hunter’s stomach churned. His aura sight wasn’t screwed up. He’d gained a rare gift when he took Mark’s body. He could see the aura differences between human mages and drakes, something only one percent of dragons could do. Nero was training mages. Depending on how many he had, he could try to take the throne. All he really needed was to kill Hunter and take the medallion.
Regis needed to be warned.
Hunter inched back from the patio, but a man in the back of the group spun around and stared at him. Damn, he had to have enhanced hearing.
Ponytail Woman yelled something he couldn’t quite decipher.
The ball of light shot toward him, drawing the gazes of the rest of the group.
Oh, shit.
Anaea
fought the urge to squirm in her seat as she sat in one of the stiff wing-backed chairs. She knew what she had to do,
knew
the only way Hunter would be safe was if she was out of the picture.
It was so cruel. The moment she realized she wanted every minute, every second allowed her, was the moment she had to give it all up. Her presence endangered Hunter. If anyone caught a glimpse of her, anywhere, they’d rebirth him, and from his infusion of memories she knew without a doubt that the spell would strip him of everything that made him who he was. She would not allow herself to be responsible for that.