Fear the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #9)(43)

Caine sucked in a sharp breath, realizing he could pinpoint the precise moment that Cassie had changed from his sweetly generous lover to a distant stranger who could barely look him in the face.

Clearly sensing his revelation, Yannah narrowed her dark eyes. “What is it?”

“The vision.”

“A prophecy?”

“Yes.” With a muttered curse he shoved his fingers through his tangled hair. “I knew something was wrong. Gods. I should have forced her to tell me.”

“Hey.” Yannah snapped impatient fingers. “You can wallow in self-pity later.”

His low growl rumbled through the air. “You are—”

“Charmingly blunt?” she interrupted with a hint of warning. He was nearing her line in the sand. They both knew he didn’t want to step over it.

With an effort, he leashed his frustration. “Do you know where Cassie is going?”

“No, but you do.”

“Me?” He scowled at the ridiculous accusation. “If I knew, I wouldn’t be running in circles.”

“I knew you were all brawn and no brain.” Yannah shook her head with profound disappointment. “You’re lucky you’re so pretty.”

His hand dropped, his fingers curling into a tight fist. He wanted to hit something. Or better yet, kill something.

“God dammit, we’re wasting time,” he rasped. “Why can’t you just tell me?”

“Because I don’t know.” She held up a hand as his lips parted with an angry protest. “I only know that you know.”

“Crap,” he muttered. “You’re making my head ache.”

“She must have said something,” Yannah said, utterly unapologetic. “Think.”

Caine bit back his angry words and forced himself to recall what Cassie had said about her vision. For all he knew this Yannah was a crazy-ass demon who was following him around to make his life hell. But if there was even the slightest chance she could help him locate Cassie, then he’d jump through hoops and dance the mambo if that’s what she wanted.

“All she said was that she had a vision and we had to travel west.”

“Just west?” Yannah appeared troubled. “That’s a little vague.”

“You think?”

A choking power filled the air, wrapping around Caine with enough strength to warn Yannah could easily crush his every bone.

“Careful, Were.”

He waited until the power had receded enough he could draw in a breath. Only when he was reasonably confident he wasn’t about to become a mangled corpse did he speak. “She’d obviously decided to take off before . . .” He lost track of his words as he actually considered the time line. “Wait.”

“What?”

He stared blindly over the recently mowed field, mentally walking through the morning from the moment that Cassie woke in his arms.

“She started acting strange after her vision.”

“And?”

“The vision must have convinced her that she had some task she had to deal with alone.”

“Yes, yes.” Yannah waved an impatient hand. “Quite possibly.”

“So when she said we had to travel west she must have been trying to throw me off her trail.” He frowned, not entirely satisfied with his logical conclusion. “But why the elaborate scheme? Why not sneak away from me while I was cooking breakfast?” He sorted through his chaotic thoughts, brutally ignoring his snarling wolf, which was nearing the edge of a meltdown. “Oh, I’m so stupid,” he at last muttered.

Yannah flashed her pointed teeth. “You’ll get no argument from me.”

He ignored the insult. “She had to get past the hexes.”

The demon blinked in confusion. “What hexes?”

“The ones I had placed around my lair.”

“You were holding her prisoner?”

His brow furrowed in outrage. “No, I damned well was not holding her prisoner. I was trying to protect her. In case you haven’t noticed she has more than a few demons desperate to get their hands on her.”

“I’m all too aware of her danger. Which is why you must find her.” The demon poked a finger into his belly. “Soon.”

Caine froze in fear, detecting the worry that Yannah was attempting to disguise. “You know something,” he accused. “What is it?”

“I only sense that she’s being hunted.” She gave him another poke. “Think, Caine. Where did she go?”

“Dammit, I don’t know,” he roared.

Pacing in a tight circle, he wracked his mind for any clue he might have overlooked. Cassie rarely spoke of the future. Who could blame her? Her visions were a crippling burden that she wanted to forget, not dwell on.

But a niggling voice in the back of his mind whispered that she had said . . . what?

Something he should remember.

He continued his pacing, ignoring Yannah’s dark glare and the distant sound of passing cars as he fiercely tried to recall his every conversation with Cassie over the past week.

Then suddenly he had a vivid image of Cassie perched on the edge of the breakfast bar as the scent of pizza filled the air.

“Did this foretelling happen to mention some magical means to keep us from becoming leech food?”