there?”
“You’re extremely powerful.”
He turned, arching an eyebrow as if she’d said something filthy. “Am I now?”
She ignored him. “And I felt Miranda’s, too.”
Caine’s footsteps echoed around the hall. “I knew Miranda was there. It was the first time a scrying spell had worked, and I caught a glimpse of her in Harvard Square. But when I got there, the atmosphere rippled with magic. I can’t see it like you can, but I can feel the auras. I transformed and flew above the city. I saw the keres, and I was fairly certain Nyxobas hadn’t sent them.” Irritation laced his voice. “They shouldn’t have been there.”
“Orcus seemed perplexed, too.” She frowned. “But what made you certain Nyxobas hadn’t sent them?”
“He’s the god of shadows. He doesn’t like to draw attention to himself.”
“I see.” Her muscles burned as she climbed the steps. She rubbed her arms, her damp clothes chilling her to the bone.
At last, he stopped at a door, pushing it open into a long hall that seemed to stretch on forever. She crossed into the high-ceilinged hall. Moonlight shone through tall windows.
“I’ve secured this wing for you,” Caine said, walking quickly. “No vampires are allowed in, so you’ll be perfectly safe from all the monsters.” He arched an eyebrow. “Apart from me.”
“Thank you, Caine.” Her teeth chattered. That fountain had been pure ice, and the vamps weren’t big on heating in here. “Do you think Miranda would have given Tammi over to the Brotherhood? My sister seemed completely brainwashed. Although if she was working for the Brotherhood they wouldn’t have let her put up the ward. You know how they are about magic. All I know is, the Brotherhood have the motivation.”
“It’s true—they would use her to draw you out of the shadows.” Moonlight washed over his golden skin. “Tomorrow, when you’re rested, we’ll search for both of them with a powerful spell. But we must stay focused on our objective. Our first priority is retrieving your sister.” Caine’s silver magic whirled from him. “And, in the future, you’d be wise to limit your emotional attachments. The Brotherhood will prey on them. It gives them an advantage.”
“Right. Loyalty is a weakness.”
“It can be,” he said, looking straight ahead.
Drew’s family motto was Loyalty binds me. Apparently he was at odds with Caine on this issue, too.
Caine approached an oak door, stopping to turn the knob. He opened it into an enormous, dark-walled room. “This is where you’ll be staying.”
The room was beautiful, but strangely forbidding—not unlike Caine himself. A tapestry hung on one wall, depicting a beautiful vernal scene: a grove of trees and plants blooming. A canopied bed stood against a wall, opposite an expansive bay window draped with sage green curtains. A fire burned in the fireplace, and a stone table stood by its side, set with drinks and food. Across from the fireplace stood a tall, oak armoire.
Caine turned, letting his gaze slide over her. “You need to eat, and sleep. I need you at full strength.” He pointed to another door by the armoire. “There’s a warm bath already made up for you, and you’ll find clothes in the armoire. You should have everything you need. I’ll be back after you’ve rested.”
“And we can’t search for Tammi or Miranda until then?”
“The spell we need to use to search between dimensions will require a tremendous amount of energy from both of us. And you can’t perform any powerful magic until you’ve rested. I’ll admit, I kind of like the tired and drenched look on you. Your soaked clothes leave nothing to the imagination right now, and your eyes look like I’ve kept you up all night. On the other hand, they also tell me you won’t be particularly helpful when it comes to magic.”
She sucked in a sharp breath. He had a way of distracting her, but her mind resisted the idea of sleep. It would be even harder to
“You’re extremely powerful.”
He turned, arching an eyebrow as if she’d said something filthy. “Am I now?”
She ignored him. “And I felt Miranda’s, too.”
Caine’s footsteps echoed around the hall. “I knew Miranda was there. It was the first time a scrying spell had worked, and I caught a glimpse of her in Harvard Square. But when I got there, the atmosphere rippled with magic. I can’t see it like you can, but I can feel the auras. I transformed and flew above the city. I saw the keres, and I was fairly certain Nyxobas hadn’t sent them.” Irritation laced his voice. “They shouldn’t have been there.”
“Orcus seemed perplexed, too.” She frowned. “But what made you certain Nyxobas hadn’t sent them?”
“He’s the god of shadows. He doesn’t like to draw attention to himself.”
“I see.” Her muscles burned as she climbed the steps. She rubbed her arms, her damp clothes chilling her to the bone.
At last, he stopped at a door, pushing it open into a long hall that seemed to stretch on forever. She crossed into the high-ceilinged hall. Moonlight shone through tall windows.
“I’ve secured this wing for you,” Caine said, walking quickly. “No vampires are allowed in, so you’ll be perfectly safe from all the monsters.” He arched an eyebrow. “Apart from me.”
“Thank you, Caine.” Her teeth chattered. That fountain had been pure ice, and the vamps weren’t big on heating in here. “Do you think Miranda would have given Tammi over to the Brotherhood? My sister seemed completely brainwashed. Although if she was working for the Brotherhood they wouldn’t have let her put up the ward. You know how they are about magic. All I know is, the Brotherhood have the motivation.”
“It’s true—they would use her to draw you out of the shadows.” Moonlight washed over his golden skin. “Tomorrow, when you’re rested, we’ll search for both of them with a powerful spell. But we must stay focused on our objective. Our first priority is retrieving your sister.” Caine’s silver magic whirled from him. “And, in the future, you’d be wise to limit your emotional attachments. The Brotherhood will prey on them. It gives them an advantage.”
“Right. Loyalty is a weakness.”
“It can be,” he said, looking straight ahead.
Drew’s family motto was Loyalty binds me. Apparently he was at odds with Caine on this issue, too.
Caine approached an oak door, stopping to turn the knob. He opened it into an enormous, dark-walled room. “This is where you’ll be staying.”
The room was beautiful, but strangely forbidding—not unlike Caine himself. A tapestry hung on one wall, depicting a beautiful vernal scene: a grove of trees and plants blooming. A canopied bed stood against a wall, opposite an expansive bay window draped with sage green curtains. A fire burned in the fireplace, and a stone table stood by its side, set with drinks and food. Across from the fireplace stood a tall, oak armoire.
Caine turned, letting his gaze slide over her. “You need to eat, and sleep. I need you at full strength.” He pointed to another door by the armoire. “There’s a warm bath already made up for you, and you’ll find clothes in the armoire. You should have everything you need. I’ll be back after you’ve rested.”
“And we can’t search for Tammi or Miranda until then?”
“The spell we need to use to search between dimensions will require a tremendous amount of energy from both of us. And you can’t perform any powerful magic until you’ve rested. I’ll admit, I kind of like the tired and drenched look on you. Your soaked clothes leave nothing to the imagination right now, and your eyes look like I’ve kept you up all night. On the other hand, they also tell me you won’t be particularly helpful when it comes to magic.”
She sucked in a sharp breath. He had a way of distracting her, but her mind resisted the idea of sleep. It would be even harder to
Similar Books
