“You’re going to the heavens?”
He nodded, his skin like polished gold in the sunlight. The vibe of animal savagery left him, and he actually relaxed. She liked this side of him, too.
“Why?” What she really wanted to ask: How long will you be gone? Are you meeting a woman? An angel? His friend Aeron had fallen in love with a goody-goody with wings. Why not Strider, too?
I’ll kill the bitch.
“Sure you want to know?” he asked. “It involves Paris and another woman. A woman he wants.”
Relief bombarded her. “Sweet! Gossip.” Grinning, she rubbed her hands together. “Give me.”
He ran his tongue over his teeth. “I never repeat gossip, Kaia.”
“Oh,” she muttered, shoulders sagging with disappointment.
“You didn’t let me finish. I never repeat gossip, so listen closely.” He was fighting a smile, and the knowledge delighted her. “The woman Paris loves…hates, whatever. He wants her, like I said, and she’s being held prisoner up there.”
Sooo. Strider was going to war to aid his bro, not to give some wide-eyed, ripe-for-the-plucking winger a booty call. Her relief tripled. “I could, I don’t know, help you help him. I have connections up there—” not necessarily a lie “—and I—”
“No!” he shouted, then more calmly stated, “No. Thank you, though. But… Do you really not care that the man you desire now desires someone else?”
“Wait. Who says I desire him?”
“You don’t?”
“No.”
His expression didn’t change, but he did clear his throat. “Not that it would have mattered either way, you understand. But as I was saying, he’s already spoken to Lysander about getting a little angelic help, and gotten a no-can-do.”
“Of course Lysander won’t help him. He’d help Bianka, though, and Bianka would help me.”
“Nope. Sorry.”
Stubborn brute. He was so desperate to get rid of her, he wouldn’t even consider using her. Another rejection; how quaint.
Motions stiff, he waved her over. “Come on. Let’s take care of your hunger.”
All I want is a few nibbles of you. “Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.”
“I know, but I’ll stay until you’re fed. I want to make sure you aren’t arrested again.”
Her Harpy squawked inside her head, a command to prove to Strider just how capable she was, just how worthy. Are you? “Fine. Oh, and here’s a truth missile for the demon who always wants to win. I doubt you can keep up,” she taunted, more out of habit than anything.
He huffed out a breath, and she figured this was round two of pissed-off mode.
“Lead the way,” he snapped before she could apologize.
Okay, so maybe she shouldn’t have pushed so hard. My bad. “I will.” She didn’t take him hunting, though. Not yet. She took him to the cabin she and Bianka shared a good distance from civilization. Thankfully, her sister was nowhere to be found. “Feel free to look around. I need to shower and change.”
“Kaia,” he began, following her down the hall. “I’m kind of pressed for time here and because of what you said, I need to keep up with you and—”
She shut her bedroom door in his stunned face, heard him snarl low in his throat and grinned. The grin vanished as a thought occurred to her. There was plenty of stolen food in the kitchen. If he noticed, there’d be no good reason for her to take him hunting.
Have to risk it. I smell. Kaia hurried through a shower, grateful as the grime and total body makeup that had caked her washed away. She almost raced from her room after changing into a glittery pink T-shirt that read Strangers Have the Best Candy and short jean shorts, but caught a glimpse of herself in her full-length mirror. Outfit was fine, but not her hair. The red mass was sopping wet andpractically glued to her head and arms, making her resemble a drowned clown.
Back to the bathroom she raced for a crucial blow-dry. She thought about applying another layer of makeup to her exposed skin,
He nodded, his skin like polished gold in the sunlight. The vibe of animal savagery left him, and he actually relaxed. She liked this side of him, too.
“Why?” What she really wanted to ask: How long will you be gone? Are you meeting a woman? An angel? His friend Aeron had fallen in love with a goody-goody with wings. Why not Strider, too?
I’ll kill the bitch.
“Sure you want to know?” he asked. “It involves Paris and another woman. A woman he wants.”
Relief bombarded her. “Sweet! Gossip.” Grinning, she rubbed her hands together. “Give me.”
He ran his tongue over his teeth. “I never repeat gossip, Kaia.”
“Oh,” she muttered, shoulders sagging with disappointment.
“You didn’t let me finish. I never repeat gossip, so listen closely.” He was fighting a smile, and the knowledge delighted her. “The woman Paris loves…hates, whatever. He wants her, like I said, and she’s being held prisoner up there.”
Sooo. Strider was going to war to aid his bro, not to give some wide-eyed, ripe-for-the-plucking winger a booty call. Her relief tripled. “I could, I don’t know, help you help him. I have connections up there—” not necessarily a lie “—and I—”
“No!” he shouted, then more calmly stated, “No. Thank you, though. But… Do you really not care that the man you desire now desires someone else?”
“Wait. Who says I desire him?”
“You don’t?”
“No.”
His expression didn’t change, but he did clear his throat. “Not that it would have mattered either way, you understand. But as I was saying, he’s already spoken to Lysander about getting a little angelic help, and gotten a no-can-do.”
“Of course Lysander won’t help him. He’d help Bianka, though, and Bianka would help me.”
“Nope. Sorry.”
Stubborn brute. He was so desperate to get rid of her, he wouldn’t even consider using her. Another rejection; how quaint.
Motions stiff, he waved her over. “Come on. Let’s take care of your hunger.”
All I want is a few nibbles of you. “Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.”
“I know, but I’ll stay until you’re fed. I want to make sure you aren’t arrested again.”
Her Harpy squawked inside her head, a command to prove to Strider just how capable she was, just how worthy. Are you? “Fine. Oh, and here’s a truth missile for the demon who always wants to win. I doubt you can keep up,” she taunted, more out of habit than anything.
He huffed out a breath, and she figured this was round two of pissed-off mode.
“Lead the way,” he snapped before she could apologize.
Okay, so maybe she shouldn’t have pushed so hard. My bad. “I will.” She didn’t take him hunting, though. Not yet. She took him to the cabin she and Bianka shared a good distance from civilization. Thankfully, her sister was nowhere to be found. “Feel free to look around. I need to shower and change.”
“Kaia,” he began, following her down the hall. “I’m kind of pressed for time here and because of what you said, I need to keep up with you and—”
She shut her bedroom door in his stunned face, heard him snarl low in his throat and grinned. The grin vanished as a thought occurred to her. There was plenty of stolen food in the kitchen. If he noticed, there’d be no good reason for her to take him hunting.
Have to risk it. I smell. Kaia hurried through a shower, grateful as the grime and total body makeup that had caked her washed away. She almost raced from her room after changing into a glittery pink T-shirt that read Strangers Have the Best Candy and short jean shorts, but caught a glimpse of herself in her full-length mirror. Outfit was fine, but not her hair. The red mass was sopping wet andpractically glued to her head and arms, making her resemble a drowned clown.
Back to the bathroom she raced for a crucial blow-dry. She thought about applying another layer of makeup to her exposed skin,
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