Rise of the Gryphon (Belador #4)(100)

No way would Tzader stay away with Brina under threat, and he needed Quinn’s powerful mind, especially to stop the gryphons.

Evalle might possess Medb blood, but she had a Belador heart.

She sat down, dropping the towel on the bed, and hurried to write the note. She wrote two sentences, scratched them out and started over. When she finished, she hoped Storm could explain the rest of what she couldn’t. Otherwise, this would sound stupid.



Storm—

Give this note to the person I trust as much as I trust you, and explain that all I can do is give a hypothetical tale because I’ve been compelled.

If a person had pets who didn’t need ears to hear words and couldn’t die, that person might teach her pets how to steal a special home in a faraway place. But she would have to travel with her pets, because of being the only one who could control them with silent commands. If her pets proved to be successful, she would rule not just her new home but homes everywhere.

But for every strength there is a weakness and hers is in her heart.

And considering any of these pets friendly could be royally dangerous.



Evalle read it over quickly, trying to think of what else she could tell Tzader. She hoped Storm would not take out that last line, where she basically was saying she was just as dangerous to Brina as all the other Alterants. Another look at the clock gave her eleven minutes. She gripped the pen, determined to leave one last message for Storm to have when she left.



Also, Storm, this is for you only. Thank you for being everything I could ever want in a man. You live in my heart every minute that I breathe. Trust me that I will find a way to come back to you. Please don’t make me face you in battle. I won’t be able to protect you. In fact, I’m now the greatest threat to those I love.

I love you,

Evalle



Laying the note on the nightstand, she put on Storm’s shirt, which she intended to take with her, then glanced over and realized she’d left the note facedown. Turn it over so he sees the message.

Before she could reach over to touch the paper, the air in the room stirred with energy.

Kizira stood on the other side of the bed.

Evalle hissed at her, “You’re early. I have ten minutes.”

“Unavoidable. Flaevynn’s on a warpath looking for you.”

Crap. “Let me go tell—”

The room spun out of focus.

Evalle yelled, “Storrrmmm,” but she knew she’d already left the room behind.





THIRTY-EIGHT





Kizira had better come prepared for a fight.

Storm pulled two mugs from his kitchen cabinet. Evalle should be finished showering. His jaguar stirred, wanting more.

He wanted more, too.

Just thinking about Evalle made his jeans too snug for comfort. More than that, he struggled against the urge to shift into his animal and kill anyone who tried to take Evalle from him. He wanted to pack her away somewhere dark and safe.

The human part of him was barely restrained.

He tried to convince himself it was nothing more than the protectiveness he’d felt since first meeting her. But that was a lie. All he had to do was breathe her scent and she became a part of him.

Mine. He’d mated with her. It had happened fast, an unconscious action that came of the innate knowledge that he’d met the only woman for him.

That didn’t excuse his lack of control. She should have been given a choice. Should have been told that he had no soul. It was done, and he’d die to protect her, but he still should have told her before he made love to her.

And he’d planned to, until he’d opened the door to find her standing there. Every thought had fled his mind except touching her.

But he still had to get his soul back, and his father’s, which he would just as soon as he killed the witch doctor.

Not wanting to give up even a couple of minutes with Evalle, Storm turned away from the counter with intentions of heading back to his shower in case she hadn’t finished.

A rush of smoky licorice engulfed his senses.

The witch doctor stood between him and Evalle. The witch doctor couldn’t teleport, or hadn’t been able to the last time he’d seen her, but she had some strong majik to pull off getting past his security. She cooed, “I’ve certainly missed . . .” Her eyes drifted down his half-clothed body, pausing at his groin. “You.”

Sick bitch. She was just trying to throw him off track.

Her yellow eyes twinkled with sinister delight. As if in answer to his unspoken questions, she boasted, “My powers have gotten stronger since we last met, yes? Do you like how fast I can move and mask my scent? But I actually gained access because you were too distracted when you first came home to notice a herd of elephants crashing through here.”

She’d been here since he’d arrived an hour before Evalle had shown up? She’d hidden her presence and scent from him.

But she hadn’t tried to take control of him. She still feared him, and should.

Just when he thought he couldn’t feel any more contempt for this female vermin, Nadina surprised him. He might as well think her name if she’d found him and breached his security.

This wasn’t the time to fight with her, but he was ready and hoped Evalle stayed in the shower.

His fingers curled, wanting to choke the life out of her, just not yet. Not until he reclaimed all he’d lost. “Give me back my soul—and my father’s—I’ll let you leave alive.”