When Darkness Ends (Guardians of Eternity #12)(16)

No shit. Unfortunately Cyn hadn’t been given an option.

“Too late,” he muttered. “I’m just hoping to survive the next few days.”

“What can I do to help?”

And that was what made Lise the perfect second-in-command.

No unnecessary dramatics. No annoying questions he obviously didn’t want to answer. Just a request to know how she could assist.

“I will need you to continue with my clan duties.”

“No problem.” She studied his carefully guarded expression, clearly sensing that he was hiding something from her. “Anything else?”

“I’ll need food.”

Lise nodded. “I’ll bring fresh blood tomorrow night.”

“And fairy food,” he commanded.

A startled blink. “Fairy food?”

Cyn ignored her response. “Nectar and the usual berries and nuts. And female clothing.” He waved a hand toward his companion. “Slender like you, but a few inches taller.”

Lise nodded, accustomed to Cyn’s habit of filling his home with unexpected guests.

“Just one fairy?”

Once again he realized that he’d unconsciously reached out with his senses to lock on Fallon, a low hum of awareness vibrating through his body.

Bloody hell.

“Trust me, that’s one more than I wanted to bring,” he muttered.

Lise’s power whipped through the room, forming a coating of ice on the overhead chandelier, at the edge of frustration in Cyn’s tone.

“Do you want me to get rid of her?”

“No.” His power rose to match Lise’s, an unspoken warning that his guest was not to be harmed. “She’s here at the command of the Oracle.”

Lise ratcheted down her rare ability to create ice as a weapon, studying Cyn as if he’d given away more than he intended.

“The mystery deepens,” she murmured, her nose abruptly flaring as she tilted back her head to test the air. “What is that smell?” She shivered. “Delicious.”

Cyn had already caught the unmistakable scent of champagne, his blood heating with a dangerous anticipation.

Damn.

“My unwelcome houseguest,” he muttered, glancing toward the bank of security monitors that were discreetly attached to the wall in a shallow alcove above the desk.

Lise moved to stand at his side, her brows lifting at the sight of the female Chatri who was floating with elegant grace down the sweeping staircase.

“Unwelcome? She’s beautiful.”

Cyn snapped his teeth together.

No, not beautiful. Fallon was exquisite.

A walking work of art.

A lethal temptation that threatened to drive him over the edge.

“And a pain in the ass,” he rasped, turning toward Lise as she gave a low chuckle. “What?”

“The best always are.”

“The best what?”

She sent him a cryptic smile. “I’ll leave you to figure that out.”

“Thanks.”

“I’ll return later with the food and clothes.”

With a mocking wave, Lise moved toward a hidden side door. The tunnel would take her directly to the small village that was built on a bluff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

Cyn gave a shake of his head, walking across the floor and out of his private chambers. He might not be the smartest vampire, but he had enough brains to know that he didn’t want his personal space saturated with the intoxicating scent of the bewitching princess.

She had already managed to become a nagging constant in his brain when he was awake, she wasn’t going to become a part of his dreams.

Not until she was soft and willing beneath him.

His long strides had him up the stairs and standing in the foyer that was paneled in a polished mahogany with an open beam ceiling and a massive stone fireplace. Absently he used his powers to light a fire beneath the neatly stacked logs. As a vampire he was immune to the distinct chill in the air, but he suspected that Fallon would be far more vulnerable to the temperature. The Chatri palace had been almost tropical during his brief visit.

He would have to remember to keep the lair warm.

Taking another step forward, Cyn watched as Fallon halted her descent down the stairs, her impatient expression being replaced by an annoying wariness as she caught sight of him.

“There you are, vampire.”

A growl rumbled in his chest at her haughty tone. Why the hell had he bothered with the fire? The Ice Princess deserved to freeze.

“I have a name. Use it,” he said, his fists planted on his hips.

“I don’t take orders from you.”

“And what about basic manners? Weren’t you taught civilized behavior in fairyland?”

She held herself stiffly, her gaze trained on his face, as if forcibly preventing herself from checking out his body.

“You’re right. I was being rude . . . Cyn.”

Ah. His bad temper abruptly melted away.

Fallon, the fey princess, might not want to admit she was attracted to a savage vampire, but there was no mistaking the slight dilation of her eyes and the blush that tinted her cheeks.

He strolled forward, leaning against the carved post at the end of the stairs, eye to eye with Fallon as she stood on the bottom step.

“What do you want?”