Dead After Dark (Companion #6.5)(100)

Rowan laughed and swung unholy eyes at him that burned bright as the setting sun. “You can’t stop me.”

“Oh, but I can, witch,” Lucien said from behind her. “That is, if you aren’t afraid of me . . . witch.”

Rowan released Sasha and knocked Trey aside when she spun in midair. She rose another two feet higher, her dress fluttering as she locked in Lucien as her next target.

Trey grabbed Sasha up and wrapped her trembling body within his arms.

“Do you dare to taunt me?” she asked in a voice that sounded as dangerous as it did insane. Trey hoped Rowan would calm down and regain her sanity before he was forced to use his powers on her. Sasha might never forgive him for that.





5


“A witch?” Lucien laughed. “You don’t scare me.”

Trey cursed Lucien’s arrogance and stupidity. On the other hand, Rowan’s strength had been amazing. Maybe she’d teach the new guy a lesson.

“Come on, witch,” Lucien prodded. “What have you got?”

Rowan howled and lunged at Lucien whose face turned fierce. He shot a hand up as if to stop her with the simple gesture.

“Don’t hurt her!” Sasha yelled at him, but Lucien’s full attention was on Rowan who slammed to a halt as soon as her abdomen came into contact with his open palm. He held her suspended above his shoulders at arm’s length, his unbending gaze slammed against her crazy one.

Energy charged through the room, slapping walls. The air whipped around Lucien. His lips moved with silent words.

Rowan’s hands flew to her head. Her body quaked, rocking against Lucien’s hold. She cried out, “Help me, help me, help me, please. It hurts.”

Mouth in a hard line, Lucien seemed to debate something then scowled. He raised his other hand and grasped her shoulder. At the contact, his body jerked and his jaw muscles flexed, lips curled back over clenched teeth. Sparks rippled across the top of Rowan, pooling at her abdomen, then wicking down Lucien’s arms and along his body. The energy spun, engulfing him in a bright glow.

Trey couldn’t believe Lucien was drawing whatever was inside Rowan into his body. What the hell was Lucien? Trey prepared for whatever might happen once Lucien released her.

The muscles covering Lucien’s body pumped once, thickening his size to double before he murmured something strange and eased back into his normal shape. When everything stilled, Rowan went limp. Lucien caught her to his chest as she fell from her levitated position; then he lifted her into his arms.

“Rowan!” Sasha pulled against Trey, but he held her back.

Lucien was breathing hard. His gaze zeroed in on Trey. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to attack anyone here.”

“What did you just do?” Trey asked.

Shifting Rowan’s rag doll body in his arms, Lucien said, “I purged the force holding her . . . temporarily. She’s not mad, but someone has control over her when her guard is down. I’m thinking her mind’s being poisoned while she’s asleep since Sasha told us Rowan is tired and sleeps a lot. That’s probably when the possession is woven into her subconscious. My bet is Ekkbar caused the insanity to use his ability to cure her as a trade for opening the portal. Why else would he be so sure he could cure her?”

“Good point. Shouldn’t we wake her?” Trey asked.

“No. She needs rest to fight the madness. If she weren’t so strong, she’d have killed someone by now.” Lucien turned his attention to Sasha. “Where should I take her?”

“I’ll show you.” Sasha tugged away from Trey. “I’m okay, really.”



At the top of the stairs, Sasha led Lucien to Rowan’s room above hers, but her sister preferred lavender and cinnamon red to Sasha’s Goth colors.

Sasha remained at the door as Lucien laid Rowan on the velour bed cover. Rowan roused, grasping his arms as he lifted up. When her fingers tightened on him, Sasha held her breath.

“You know what happened to me, don’t you?” Rowan whispered in an exhausted breath.

“Yes.”

“How did you make it stop?”

“I pulled the negative energy away from you.”

“But you don’t like witches. In fact, I felt an intense hatred—”

“I keep personal opinions to myself when I’m on a job.”

He hated witches? Sasha took a step forward, ready to put him in his place even if he had just saved Rowan.

Rowan stared up at him with that same curious look she’d had earlier, pausing Sasha in mid-step when she said, “Well, this witch considers you a friend and welcomes you back into her home anytime you wish to visit or need a place to stay. Thank you.” She offered him a weak smile.

“Rest for a while” was all he said in reply.

The man was sexy as hell, but scary too. Sasha debated what she should do when he remained caught in place. He didn’t move until Rowan’s eyes drifted close, then he gently pried her fingers from his arms and placed her hands alongside her body.

Had Sasha not been watching for any hint of threat from him she might have missed when he brushed a wisp of hair from Rowan’s face in an almost intimate gesture.

He may not like witches in general, but Lucien didn’t seem to be a threat to Rowan so Sasha breathed a sigh of relief and backed away into the hall. When he stepped through the doorway and passed her in a fast stride, she fell into step behind him. A million questions bounced through her thoughts. None she was foolish enough to ask a man who had dealt with Rowan’s madness so easily and wasn’t fond of witches.