Rise of the Gryphon (Belador #4)(22)

Just as he raised his arms to deflect her hands, Evalle’s face changed in midflight from fury to confusion. He caught her when she fell against him, limp from the sudden loss of the unknown power. Chugging in deep breaths, he lifted her up and hugged her close, whispering words to soothe her.

She panted and trembled as if she’d run to the top of Mount Everest.

Their hearts beat in a staccato, so fast he couldn’t tell his from hers. She got her footing and tightened her grip on his arms, then pushed up to bear her own weight. He let her ease back, but he held on, watching a mix of emotions flash through her eyes until one came through clearly. Humiliation.

Damn that witch to an eternal hell.

He couldn’t let go of Evalle yet, not with her looking at him as though she’d degraded herself.

She drew in a deep breath and said, “That was—”

“Not you, sweetheart. It’s that freakin’ bone. It started to influence you as soon as it wrapped around your arm back at the Beast Club.”

Evalle looked down at her wrist then back at him. “What’s it doing?”

“Imogenia said unless you intended to use it for dark arts it only enhances your desire. I’m guessing it amplifies or boosts your intention to get what you want. I think when you want something, the bone drives more power into that want until it overrides everything else, demanding you fulfill the urge or desire above all.”

Nodding her head, she looked away, eyes glancing here and there. “I can’t tell when anything changes. I need to figure out when the Volonte’s power is taking over.”

He thought on that and recalled how her skin had turned to fire as he held her. “Try to notice when your skin heats up. I could feel it getting hotter as that armband influenced you.”

She lifted her gaze back to his with a wry smile tilting her lips. “Sure that wasn’t your influence?”

Glad to hear the amusement in her voice after what she’d just gone through, he leaned close, inhaling her delicious scent. “You’ll know when it’s me, and I’ll make you hot in a far better way.”

She shivered, and he knew damn well she wasn’t cold.

“Careful,” she warned. “Or we’ll be right back where we started.” But she’d said that in a breathless voice that was so damned sexy it rode along his senses, stroking him even harder.

Evalle whispered, “What’d you do to . . . uhm, stop me from attacking you a minute ago?”

That broke the tension threatening to snap his body in half. He sucked in a deep breath and straightened away from her, anything to keep from pulling her up against him. “I used a spell to wrap you and dilute the power, but it’s probably only temporary. I doubt it will hold long. We need to get that thing off your arm.”

She wiped a hand over her face. “In the meantime, I’ll be . . . dangerous to be around.”

He could see where this was going. “I’m not letting you out of my sight. I’m not concerned.”

“You should be. I’m not Bernie. I can kill you.”

He had more faith in her than she had in herself. “I’ll take my chances.”

She got that stubborn look on her face, but she didn’t argue with him. “That armband had to be why Imogenia was acting erratic when we first met her. I thought she was on some cooked-up drugs. Think she was using a spell to block her reactions?”

“Possibly, and one much stronger than mine.”

“She could have told me about this. She might have told us the truth, but she was twisting the words. Probably pissed that I got the upper hand on her.” Evalle pounded her fist into her palm and started pacing. “I’m going to find that bitch and break her—”

“E-valle.”

She snapped her head around to him and snarled, “What?”

Ah, hell. “You’re letting the bone influence you again.”

Her mouth opened and closed. She started to say something, then just growled. “Crap. I have to talk to Macha and VIPER. If I go around Sen with this thing, it’ll end in a bloodbath.”

Of her blood. “You’re taking it off.”

“I have to gift it to someone. Remember? Who am I going to give it to?”

“Me.”

“We already had that discussion. No. Besides, I wouldn’t give this to my worst enemy.” She rubbed her arm. “I’m tired, Storm. I need to go home and get some sleep.”

Telling Evalle he wanted her close to keep her safe would probably set her off again, but he couldn’t leave her alone with her wearing the powerful artifact. “You’re staying at my place.”

“No.”

Didn’t she realize this was not up for debate? She wasn’t safe being out alone, when anyone could trigger a reaction from her. “Why not?”

“I don’t want a replay of Sex in the Country.”

“You know I won’t do anything.”

“I’m worried about what I might do to you, Storm, plus I need to talk to Macha before she hears about these games another way and thinks I’m holding back information.”

Had she lost her mind? “Talk to Macha while you’re wearing an ancient bone that shoves your pissed-off level into hyper speed? She’s dynamite and you’re a hot fuse. She raises your hackles when she’s in a good mood, and right now she’s at the end of her patience with Alterants. Snarl at her once and she’ll destroy you with a flip of her finger. You can’t do this.”