to soothe him.
Open the door. Open the window.
Aed went to the door, throwing it open. Dawn light filled the courtyard, making the lemons and grapefruits hanging from the trees gleam yellow and pink.
He took a breath of cool, fresh air, but the heat was still there, burning him from within.
Too hot. You’re suffocating.
In ten long strides he was across the room at the shuttered window. He grabbed the heavy, carved wood cover, but the cross bar had been welded to the stone. He dug his fingers in and heaved. Metal groaned and crystal hissed as the Fenian pitted his strength against structures that had been welded with both iron and magic.
Hurry. Hurry.
He heaved again, his whole being focused on opening the window.
A hiss was all the warning he got before Isabel slammed into him.
Aed hit the floor, his armor ringing against the marble. The impact rattled through him, the suffocating heat that had filled him gone in a moment.
She was naked, wet hair clinging to her face and breasts. The vampire was a study of dark and light with her pale skin and dark hair. Her eyes were black, her red lips pulled back from her long, white fangs.
Aed blinked, then looked at the sunlight spilling in the open door.
What had he done?
Before he could say anything, Isabel grabbed his breastplate at the neck and waist. Lifting him, she threw him across the room. He crashed into the doorframe. He was stunned both from the impact and from the fact that she was strong enough to do it. In the next second she was behind the door, shoving it closed and pushing him out into the corridor along with it.
“Isabel, wait.” He was still disoriented from what he now suspected was a spell. He struggled to get to his knees, but she kicked him. For a moment her leg was in the dawn light, the sun’s rays seeming to shine not on but through her flesh. He saw dark pink muscle, blue veins, red capillaries and the white twine of tendon.
Isabel screamed in pain.
Her kick knocked him into the corridor where he landed heavily on his ass and hands. Before he could get to his feet the door was closed with him on the outside. The heavy bar on the inside fell into place with a thud.
“Isabel!”
There was a crash followed by an enraged scream from inside. Aed stepped back, prepared to ram the door. She was in danger, he had to protect her.
But he’d been the one who’d opened the door. He was the one who had hurt her. The danger was not inside the room with her, it was outside in the corridor with him.
Taking a step back, Aed called on his training. Putting aside his feelings, he focused on what he knew. Someone had just tried to kill the vampire ambassador, using him as a weapon. He slammed his mental and magical defenses into place, wincing as they settled in the back of his mind, almost a physical weight in his skull. No one could break his mental barriers, but they had not been breached—he’d been tricked into dropping his shields, opening the way for someone to use magic on him.
Aed looked at the door, pictured the woman on the other side. He’d felt something with her he never had before, the intimacy between them was rare and special. But he’d betrayed her. Though he was the weapon, not the assassin, Aed knew that didn’t matter. He could pound on the door and demand that she let him explain, but what was the point? He needed to focus on his job, which was protecting her.
Aed braced his feet, laid one palm on his sword handle and scanned the courtyard.
He was a Fenian, and would not fail a second time.
Chapter Five
Isabel hobbled into the bathroom and turned on the cold water, sticking her burned leg under the stream. She beat her fist against the wall as pain washed over her, but after twenty minutes the fire had dulled to an ache and she shut the water off.
Either she had just been taken in by the most skilled liar she’d ever known or Aed was a pawn in a larger scheme to kill her.
Isabel dropped down onto the bed, willing her
Open the door. Open the window.
Aed went to the door, throwing it open. Dawn light filled the courtyard, making the lemons and grapefruits hanging from the trees gleam yellow and pink.
He took a breath of cool, fresh air, but the heat was still there, burning him from within.
Too hot. You’re suffocating.
In ten long strides he was across the room at the shuttered window. He grabbed the heavy, carved wood cover, but the cross bar had been welded to the stone. He dug his fingers in and heaved. Metal groaned and crystal hissed as the Fenian pitted his strength against structures that had been welded with both iron and magic.
Hurry. Hurry.
He heaved again, his whole being focused on opening the window.
A hiss was all the warning he got before Isabel slammed into him.
Aed hit the floor, his armor ringing against the marble. The impact rattled through him, the suffocating heat that had filled him gone in a moment.
She was naked, wet hair clinging to her face and breasts. The vampire was a study of dark and light with her pale skin and dark hair. Her eyes were black, her red lips pulled back from her long, white fangs.
Aed blinked, then looked at the sunlight spilling in the open door.
What had he done?
Before he could say anything, Isabel grabbed his breastplate at the neck and waist. Lifting him, she threw him across the room. He crashed into the doorframe. He was stunned both from the impact and from the fact that she was strong enough to do it. In the next second she was behind the door, shoving it closed and pushing him out into the corridor along with it.
“Isabel, wait.” He was still disoriented from what he now suspected was a spell. He struggled to get to his knees, but she kicked him. For a moment her leg was in the dawn light, the sun’s rays seeming to shine not on but through her flesh. He saw dark pink muscle, blue veins, red capillaries and the white twine of tendon.
Isabel screamed in pain.
Her kick knocked him into the corridor where he landed heavily on his ass and hands. Before he could get to his feet the door was closed with him on the outside. The heavy bar on the inside fell into place with a thud.
“Isabel!”
There was a crash followed by an enraged scream from inside. Aed stepped back, prepared to ram the door. She was in danger, he had to protect her.
But he’d been the one who’d opened the door. He was the one who had hurt her. The danger was not inside the room with her, it was outside in the corridor with him.
Taking a step back, Aed called on his training. Putting aside his feelings, he focused on what he knew. Someone had just tried to kill the vampire ambassador, using him as a weapon. He slammed his mental and magical defenses into place, wincing as they settled in the back of his mind, almost a physical weight in his skull. No one could break his mental barriers, but they had not been breached—he’d been tricked into dropping his shields, opening the way for someone to use magic on him.
Aed looked at the door, pictured the woman on the other side. He’d felt something with her he never had before, the intimacy between them was rare and special. But he’d betrayed her. Though he was the weapon, not the assassin, Aed knew that didn’t matter. He could pound on the door and demand that she let him explain, but what was the point? He needed to focus on his job, which was protecting her.
Aed braced his feet, laid one palm on his sword handle and scanned the courtyard.
He was a Fenian, and would not fail a second time.
Chapter Five
Isabel hobbled into the bathroom and turned on the cold water, sticking her burned leg under the stream. She beat her fist against the wall as pain washed over her, but after twenty minutes the fire had dulled to an ache and she shut the water off.
Either she had just been taken in by the most skilled liar she’d ever known or Aed was a pawn in a larger scheme to kill her.
Isabel dropped down onto the bed, willing her
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