enthrallment.
The weight of the rising sun beat at him. He needed to leave, and it was killing him to do it.
He laid her carefully to the bed, covering her with the sheets. “Go to sleep, Titania. You must rest. I will find you. Always.”
She whimpered once in groggy disagreement, but he held her thoughts captive, commanding her to sleep. She needed more care and rest. He needed to escape the sun’s path.
With a final kiss to her warm skin, he vanished.
* * * *
Tani rolled over, feeling the layers of sleep fade, like a heavy fog thinning. She blinked and groaned when certain points made their sore reports the more awake she became. Her ribs felt tight and when she yawned, her jaw ached.
She straightened out on her back, awash in the memories of the previous night. It had all been real. Thomas, his attack. Diego. Her eyes closed. What had he done? Was he a healer?
Diego had said he’d never tried that outside of healing himself, and there was no doubt she should have gone to the hospital. The details were hazy, how he’d helped her. She knew she didn’t want to look in the mirror. That was a definite.
She smoothed a cautious hand down her face, a moan of discomfort rising quickly when she did. “Ow,” she muttered, moving her jaw back and forth.
A knock on her door startled her. “Tani, are you ever going to wake up?”
She unlocked the door without getting up. Laney and Houston came in, took one look at her, and rushed to the bed.
“Jesus,” Houston snarled. “What the hell happened?” His hand was firm but tender on her chin, turning her this way and that.
She looked down, avoiding his examination, plucking at the blanket. “I, um, had a bit of a problem last night.”
“Why didn’t you get me? What happened?” His anxious brown eyes scoured her body above the blanket, scowling at the visible marks still on her skin.
She hung her head. “I knew I should have listened to you,” she said, her voice low. “I was attacked. The man from Arkansas had the hotel staked out.”
Laney gasped. “You’re kidding?”
Titania rested her chin on raised knees, hugging them close. Her ribs protested, but only a little. “I don’t think he expected it to be so easy, and I walked right into it.”
“Where is he now? How did you get to your room?” Houston turned her again. “It looks like you’ve had treatment. These are fading already. How’d you do that?”
She licked her lips, knowing she needed to be careful in how she explained this. “I didn’t. Diego did it. He rescued me. I remember seeing a knife, and then Thomas was gone.” She shivered, recalling the crunching sounds that happened afterward.
Laney’s green eyes grew huge. “That news break! Oh, my God! That was the same man.” She faced Titania. “They found his body behind the hotel. I’m so sorry, honey.”
“My fault. I should have listened. I couldn’t catch the limo either. What time is it? I need to call and have them recover my bag.”
“It’s after seven, and the limo company called this morning. The desk has your tote.” Laney sat next to her on the bed, Houston on the other side.
She sat straight. “After seven! That can’t be right. I never sleep this late.” She ran a hand through her hair.
“You needed it.” Houston’s brown gaze went flat. “This Diego, he’s the same one you saved? At the last concert?” Houston asked, a guarded wariness to his words.
She looked away again. How could she tell him Diego could talk to her? She couldn’t tell him the truth, not all of it. “He helped me last night. I don’t know what he did, but it’s because of him I’m not in the hospital.” She knew that for a fact. She wasn’t ready to go into the details she wasn’t sure she could even begin to explain. She let them come to their own conclusions.
“Then I owe him,” he said quietly.
“We both do,” Laney added.
Hoping they were ready to drop it, she told them, “I want to shower and
The weight of the rising sun beat at him. He needed to leave, and it was killing him to do it.
He laid her carefully to the bed, covering her with the sheets. “Go to sleep, Titania. You must rest. I will find you. Always.”
She whimpered once in groggy disagreement, but he held her thoughts captive, commanding her to sleep. She needed more care and rest. He needed to escape the sun’s path.
With a final kiss to her warm skin, he vanished.
* * * *
Tani rolled over, feeling the layers of sleep fade, like a heavy fog thinning. She blinked and groaned when certain points made their sore reports the more awake she became. Her ribs felt tight and when she yawned, her jaw ached.
She straightened out on her back, awash in the memories of the previous night. It had all been real. Thomas, his attack. Diego. Her eyes closed. What had he done? Was he a healer?
Diego had said he’d never tried that outside of healing himself, and there was no doubt she should have gone to the hospital. The details were hazy, how he’d helped her. She knew she didn’t want to look in the mirror. That was a definite.
She smoothed a cautious hand down her face, a moan of discomfort rising quickly when she did. “Ow,” she muttered, moving her jaw back and forth.
A knock on her door startled her. “Tani, are you ever going to wake up?”
She unlocked the door without getting up. Laney and Houston came in, took one look at her, and rushed to the bed.
“Jesus,” Houston snarled. “What the hell happened?” His hand was firm but tender on her chin, turning her this way and that.
She looked down, avoiding his examination, plucking at the blanket. “I, um, had a bit of a problem last night.”
“Why didn’t you get me? What happened?” His anxious brown eyes scoured her body above the blanket, scowling at the visible marks still on her skin.
She hung her head. “I knew I should have listened to you,” she said, her voice low. “I was attacked. The man from Arkansas had the hotel staked out.”
Laney gasped. “You’re kidding?”
Titania rested her chin on raised knees, hugging them close. Her ribs protested, but only a little. “I don’t think he expected it to be so easy, and I walked right into it.”
“Where is he now? How did you get to your room?” Houston turned her again. “It looks like you’ve had treatment. These are fading already. How’d you do that?”
She licked her lips, knowing she needed to be careful in how she explained this. “I didn’t. Diego did it. He rescued me. I remember seeing a knife, and then Thomas was gone.” She shivered, recalling the crunching sounds that happened afterward.
Laney’s green eyes grew huge. “That news break! Oh, my God! That was the same man.” She faced Titania. “They found his body behind the hotel. I’m so sorry, honey.”
“My fault. I should have listened. I couldn’t catch the limo either. What time is it? I need to call and have them recover my bag.”
“It’s after seven, and the limo company called this morning. The desk has your tote.” Laney sat next to her on the bed, Houston on the other side.
She sat straight. “After seven! That can’t be right. I never sleep this late.” She ran a hand through her hair.
“You needed it.” Houston’s brown gaze went flat. “This Diego, he’s the same one you saved? At the last concert?” Houston asked, a guarded wariness to his words.
She looked away again. How could she tell him Diego could talk to her? She couldn’t tell him the truth, not all of it. “He helped me last night. I don’t know what he did, but it’s because of him I’m not in the hospital.” She knew that for a fact. She wasn’t ready to go into the details she wasn’t sure she could even begin to explain. She let them come to their own conclusions.
“Then I owe him,” he said quietly.
“We both do,” Laney added.
Hoping they were ready to drop it, she told them, “I want to shower and
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