Point of No Return (2 page)

“You are a far cry from Harrison Ford,”
Danial chuckled, recognizing my quotation. “Remember, you need to
lock up after Terian leaves.”

“I always do. Don’t worry so much, Danial. I
can teleport.”

“There are other dangers in the world besides
vampires—”

“Yes, there are,” I interrupted gently. “But
I’m fine.”

“When Theo was there with you I didn’t worry
so much. Please consider coming back—”

“No,” I said as firmly as I could. “I’m not
moving back in, much as I want to.”

“Why not?” Danial said, incredulous. “If you
are going to be living with Dev half the week, it’s only fair to
live here for the rest.”

“He said that, not me. I need my own space.
By the way, I can’t believe you’re proposing me moving back in
guised in the form of equal time-sharing.”

“It’s apparent now that this might have been
what I should have done from the beginning,” Danial said
sarcastically, the old arrogance and possessiveness in his tone.
“All of my compassion and understanding has gotten me nowhere. It
was Devlin’s refusal to take no for an answer that made you finally
accept him.”

“No, you have it wrong, Danial,” I said
coldly. “It wasn’t force; it was him asking me what I wanted that
let him into my heart. I never needed him to take charge of me,
like some bimbo that needs a man to make up her mind for her!”

“Sar—” Danial placated.

It had been a day from hell and I’d had
enough. “Goodnight, Danial.” I hung up on him, and turned to face
Terian, who was staring at me openmouthed.

“Devlin and you...when he rescued you last
fall?”

“Yes,” I said curtly, downing my wine.
Grabbing the bottle, I poured the rest of it in my glass. “Don’t
ask me anything more. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“All I need to know is you’re okay,” Terian
said, coming closer. He put his hands on my shoulders. “Are
you?”

“I don’t know,” I replied honestly. “But I
think I will be, in a little while.” I swallowed hard. “I shouldn’t
have drunk that wine so fast. I’m all emotional now.”

“Come sit down.” Terian led me back to the
couch, and sat facing me. “Will you give me permission to look
through your memories?”

My better instincts were advising against it,
but I’d drowned their influence in alcohol. “Why?”

“Because nothing makes sense to me,” he said
worriedly. “Theo’s behavior, Devlin’s sudden love for you, even
Danial’s sudden return to arrogance is all odd. Nothing adds up,
which means I’m missing too many pieces.” He touched my face
gently. “I think you might hold a few pieces that could solve this
mystery.”

“There’s no mystery,” I replied, relieved my
words weren’t slurred. “Devlin’s after a baby, because he loved a
woman once with blood like mine. They tried to have one and she
died. Danial’s just being Danial; he’s always been jealous of
Devlin. As for Theo, he’s an asshole.”

“Please?” Terian pleaded. “It won’t hurt. I’m
not after anything but the truth.”

I almost said no, that everything else he’d
ever done for me magically had caused problems. But I was buzzed
enough that the danger seemed small, and instead I closed my eyes.
“Go ahead.”

Terian put his hands on either side of my
face. “Think back to when you and Theo were together, before he was
taken.”

“Okay. Stay out of my intimate memories.”

At once, I began reliving the past three
years. Most of the memories flashed quickly past. Terian slowed
certain ones of Theo and Devlin, and again I listened to them pour
out their hearts, declaring their love and devotion, telling of
their pasts and all they’d endured. As Devlin was telling me
farewell before the Gathering, the stove buzzer went off, startling
Terian and I.

I shook my head to clear it of memories, and
got up. “These are ready. You want two or three?”

“Keep them,” Terian said hastily, buttoning
his coat. “I’ve got to go.”

Disgruntled, I turned to him. “What’s the
rush?”

“Please drive the Expedition back for me to
Danial’s when you can,” Terian said. Then he disappeared.

“God damn it!” I shouted in frustration. The
dogs leapt to their feet, growling.

“Sorry,” I consoled them, petting each one.
“I’m just on edge. I don’t know what that was all about—”

The phone rang.

Chapter Two

I cleaned up the dishes and let it ring, not
wanting to talk to anyone. It rang ten times and then stopped.

A minute later, it began ringing again. I
ignored it, covering the brownies. This time, after ten rings, it
stayed quiet. “Let’s go to bed,” I told the dogs.

Just as I was drifting off to sleep, the
phone rang shrilly. Wide awake and angry, I lurched out of bed, and
grabbed the phone. “What?” I screamed into the receiver.

“Sar,” Devlin said curiously. “I’ve called
three times. What’s the matter?”

“Sorry,” I said more quietly. “I’m on
edge.”

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

“Nothing,” I said, pushing my hair back from
my face. “I was sleeping.”

“Oh,” he said. “I forgot you don’t yet keep
my hours.”

It was the “yet” part that made me most
angry. “Why did you call?”

“I wanted to hear your voice,” he said,
concerned. “The easiest way was to call you. Now, what is wrong? I
don’t have to be Danial to know you’re upset.”

Instantly, my anger dissolved into despair.
“Theo came and got his stuff today,” I said hollowly. “It’s been a
long day—”

There was a prompt click.

“Hello?”
Had he hung up on me?

“Sar?” Devlin said from the kitchen. “Where
are you?” Sudden blackness hit me, making my skin crawl.

That had to be Titus. “I’m in here.”

Devlin stood in the doorway, looking
stunning. He gazed at me for a moment, then crossed to my bedside,
hugging me tightly. Blinking back tears, I hugged him back.

“Come back for me in a few hours,” he said to
Titus. The black feeling vanished as Devlin got me back into bed,
then lay down beside me, covering us both with a blanket. He held
me for a long time, stroking my hair, not speaking.

“Thank you for coming,” I said finally, then
blushed, sure he would say something sexual about my remark.

“How could I not?” he said tenderly,
tightening his arms about me. “You needed someone, and I said I’d
be here for you. It is never easy to lose a lover, even if all they
are to you is sex. It’s a hundred times worse when it is someone
you actually love.”

I burrowed my head into his chest. “I don’t
know why I care after all he did.”

“If love was an easy thing to rationalize,
there wouldn’t be so many poems about it,” he said kindly. “As much
as I’m happy Theo’s out of the picture, I don’t want you to be
unhappy.” He tilted my head up to look at him. “Do you want me to
remove Tasha?”

I gaped at him. “You can’t just—”

Devlin’s gold eyes were serious. “I can, Sar.
Lash could take care of it easily,” he kissed my forehead. “Just
say the word, and it’s done.”

I drew back from him, horrified at his casual
offer. “You would kill her just because I asked?”

“It’s in my power to do,” he said simply, as
if we were discussing buying new sheets. “Besides, she doesn’t have
to die; she just needs to disappear for a while. I could have Titus
teleport her back to Russia, to her father. If she married
another—”

“No,” I said forcefully. “I don’t want to get
him by default, to know I killed someone he loved. I could never
live with it.”

“I had to offer,” Devlin said quietly. “I’m
impressed as always with your fortitude, Love. Many a deserted
lover would have taken what I offered and never looked back.”

“I’m not them,” I said tiredly. “I don’t love
that way.”

Blackness caressed me again with icy
fingertips.

“Your demon’s back.”

“I have to go,” Devlin said reluctantly,
getting up from the bed. “Alas, I have a lot more to do before
dawn.”

I got up, too. “Why didn’t you come to me
before using him as transport, instead of on the Harley? You would
have been warmer.”

Devlin shrugged. “Titus says he can’t
teleport somewhere he has never been. And he had never been here
before, Sar.”

Made sense. I certainly had enough trouble
teleporting to places I had been. “Oh.”

“I’ll be back to you soon, perhaps in a few
days. Get some sleep,” Devlin said. He kissed me almost chastely,
then left, closing the door behind him. The blackness receded, then
vanished.

* * * *

When I awoke, it was about eight in the
morning. I opened my eyes, looked out the window to a clear and
bright winter’s day, and smiled. Then I remembered everything that
had happened, and tears flooded my eyes.

I wiped them angrily away. They weren’t going
to get me Theo back. I was stupid to want him back, anyway.

Once I tended to my pets, I called Danial and
left him a halting message on his cell voicemail.

“Danial, it’s Sar. I know you closed the
business for January. I’ll come in once a week, as there’s bound to
be a few clients to handle stuff for, at least on e-mail. If you
need me more than that, call me back, and let me know. But I’m
going to need some time...um, by myself. I won’t be coming to your
home for a while. I’m not saying that you can’t have what it’s
within your right to take—”
God, could I sound stupider?

I cleared my throat, then quickly finished.
“If you want to come to me here, just call me and tell me you’re
coming and I’ll...um...get ready. Bye.”

That embarrassment out of the way, I took
down the few Christmas decorations I had put up, and thought about
what kind of life I was going to have now.

Devlin had been understanding last night, but
he’d summon me as soon as he had a free night. There would be
fireworks if I didn’t come when he called. While I couldn’t wait to
be back in his arms again, I didn’t like him ordering me around.
The same went for Danial.

My first priority was to see Elle, both to
tell her what had happened and to find out how best to arrange time
with her while avoiding Theo. There was still the matter of him
signing the papers, but maybe Danial could assist with that. I also
wanted to see Theoron, but that would be easy, as Theo never went
near him.

Thinking that annoyed me. Theo had never
liked Theoron, not really. He’d acted like he did at first, but
after he’d always made some excuse...

Stop thinking about him. There’s no
point.

Terian, well, who knew what the hell he was
doing, or where. Some bodyguard...

Ghost came up and pawed me.

“Yes, its time for the daily walk,” I said
with a reluctant smile. “Come on, Darkness, let’s get the
snowshoes.”

* * * *

As I was dozing that night sandwiched between
sleeping dogs and cats, Danial called.

“Greetings, Oathed One,” I said. “You’re
lucky I put the cordless phone within reach. I’m buried in
animals.”

“I’m glad you’re feeling better,” he said
neutrally. “Take off all of January if you want to. You don’t have
to come in once a week. Consider it a paid vacation, Sarelle.”

He was calling me by my full name. Something
was wrong. “Danial, I’m sorry I yelled last night—”

“You are right, you need time alone. Take
it.”

“I want you to know—”

“Sar, I know. I love you, too. Good-bye for
now.” Click.

I listened to the dial tone and debated
calling him back, then hung up instead.

Later that night, as I was falling asleep,
the phone rang. I fumbled for the cordless phone on my nightstand.
“Hi, Dev,” I said, groggily.

“Hello, Lover,” Devlin purred. “Are you ready
for me?”

“Now?” I replied, rapidly trying to awaken.
“Tonight? I’m not—”

“No,” Devlin laughed. “I was just teasing. I
want to see you this weekend, Sar. How about Saturday?”

“What time?” I stalled, thinking hard on how
best to respond.

“Is there someone else you were planning to
see?” Devlin said sarcastically.

“No, Danial’s told me to take some time off,”
I replied. “But you need to understand that seeing Elle has to come
first. I need to talk to her about Theo leaving me, and make sure
she understands I’m not going anywhere. She was upset before we
left for the Gathering about everything that was happening, and
she’s probably more upset now. I don’t want to see Theo, so I’ll
have to see her when he’s not around. That may interfere with your
proposal.”

“Ah,” Devlin said, mollified. “I’ll call
Danial, and ask him to arrange Theo to be somewhere else for most
of Saturday morning and afternoon, so you can visit her. I’ll send
someone to pick you up at Danial’s about five. Is that enough
time?”

“It should be. Thanks, Dev. Danial’s acting
oddly.”

“He’s likely preoccupied with his business,
Love. He had a tough case he said was requiring all his attention.
Don’t concern yourself. If you need to talk to me, just call.”

“Um,” I said, my face coloring. “I don’t have
it.”

“Call my cell. It will be in your phone’s
incoming call log under D. Dalcon. I called you last night from
Hayden, and that number will be under my full name, same area code.
Whomever answers, just tell them your name, and they’ll put you
through.”

I should have thought of that. “Do you sleep
all day? Should I call only at night?”

“You can call anytime,” he purred.
“Especially if you’re missing me.”

I was simultaneously aroused and unnerved.
“You said you had a lot to do in Canada. Unless it’s an emergency,
I won’t interrupt you.”

There was a brief pause. “Pack for a day,
Sarelle. Oh, and don’t worry about your pets. I’ll arrange for
Serena to come and see to them.”

“Who is Serena?” I asked, curious.