example.”
“Fine. I should’ve known cleaning things would be your favorite spell.” She sighed and closed her eyes. As he watched, her hair magically rearranged itself into two neat shining braids.
“Did it work?”
“Yes.” His smile was enough to have her running to the mirror.
“I look like a Swedish tourist.”
“Nothing wrong with that.”
She returned to her seat, fingering one of her braids. “Now, if you’ve finished prevaricating, do you want to tell me what’s really going on?”
“I think I’ve told you most of it.”
“ Bullshit , Morosov. I know how your devious Fae mind works. Even if I can’t quite access all the important bits, I can still sense when you’re hiding things from me.”
She could?
Damn.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
Perhaps it was time for the truth. “That you need to be on your guard, and that I would prefer it if we stayed together at all times.”
She wrapped her arms around her drawn-up knees and rested her chin on them. “You’re afraid for me?”
“You’re my mate. Otherworld knows that. You will be used against me.”
“Do you think I’d let myself be used?”
“Not intentionally.”
“Well, thanks for that, at least.” She considered him for a long moment. “What can I do to make myself less vulnerable?”
“You’re taking this much better than I thought you would.”
She shrugged. “Otherworld is your world. I’m a liability for you there. I don’t want to be one, so I’d like to improve our odds.”
“I appreciate that. With my magic, you aren’t without power. You just need to learn how to use it.”
“Can you teach me?”
“Not in time.” He grimaced. “I fear that someone will come after me fairly soon.”
“And when you say after you, you really mean after me , don’t you?”
“You heard what Rossa said. Otherworld is interested in us.”
“That’s right, he did say that. Why are your parents fighting over you?”
“I’m something of a divisive force. The maternal line wants me back in Otherworld to carry out its wishes, and my father wishes me in hell.” He held her gaze. “I’ll do everything in my power to prevent you from being taken.”
“I know that.”
“It would also be better if you didn’t go to Otherworld in the near future.”
“Got it. Not that I want to go back to Merton ever again. I’ll send Sam to pick up the photos tomorrow.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s been a horrible day, and tomorrow isn’t going to be any easier. How on earth are we supposed to know what kind of victim Adam will choose next?”
“Going by his previous behavior, it will be close by, and fairly soon.”
She shivered. “Somehow this feels really personal.” She glanced up at him. “Do you feel that too?”
“Yes.”
Because it was.
He’d tangled with the sect in the past many times. But he wasn’t in a position to reveal that to Ella yet. He hoped he never had to. It was going to be difficult to keep her safe while trying to solve his issues with Adam.
“Is there anything else you want to ask me?”
She uncurled her legs and stretched. “Loads, but I can’t think straight.”
“Then shall we go to bed?”
“Sure.”
Her smile made him forget sleep and immediately think of sex. He rose to his feet and held out his hand, and she took it. He instantly felt better, more connected and safer. His mother always insisted that love was a cage. He could feel it all around him now, but somehow it was less frightening than he had imagined. If only Ella could see it that way too. But then how would she survive his inevitable death? He followed her into bed and held her close. Perhaps she was right not to allow anyone near her—especially him.
Chapter Seven
“What the hell’s that?”
Ella looked up as Sam and Rich manhandled another desk in through her office door and dumped it right next to hers.
“It’s for Vad.” Sam beamed at her. “Now that he’s your official partner, he,
“Fine. I should’ve known cleaning things would be your favorite spell.” She sighed and closed her eyes. As he watched, her hair magically rearranged itself into two neat shining braids.
“Did it work?”
“Yes.” His smile was enough to have her running to the mirror.
“I look like a Swedish tourist.”
“Nothing wrong with that.”
She returned to her seat, fingering one of her braids. “Now, if you’ve finished prevaricating, do you want to tell me what’s really going on?”
“I think I’ve told you most of it.”
“ Bullshit , Morosov. I know how your devious Fae mind works. Even if I can’t quite access all the important bits, I can still sense when you’re hiding things from me.”
She could?
Damn.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
Perhaps it was time for the truth. “That you need to be on your guard, and that I would prefer it if we stayed together at all times.”
She wrapped her arms around her drawn-up knees and rested her chin on them. “You’re afraid for me?”
“You’re my mate. Otherworld knows that. You will be used against me.”
“Do you think I’d let myself be used?”
“Not intentionally.”
“Well, thanks for that, at least.” She considered him for a long moment. “What can I do to make myself less vulnerable?”
“You’re taking this much better than I thought you would.”
She shrugged. “Otherworld is your world. I’m a liability for you there. I don’t want to be one, so I’d like to improve our odds.”
“I appreciate that. With my magic, you aren’t without power. You just need to learn how to use it.”
“Can you teach me?”
“Not in time.” He grimaced. “I fear that someone will come after me fairly soon.”
“And when you say after you, you really mean after me , don’t you?”
“You heard what Rossa said. Otherworld is interested in us.”
“That’s right, he did say that. Why are your parents fighting over you?”
“I’m something of a divisive force. The maternal line wants me back in Otherworld to carry out its wishes, and my father wishes me in hell.” He held her gaze. “I’ll do everything in my power to prevent you from being taken.”
“I know that.”
“It would also be better if you didn’t go to Otherworld in the near future.”
“Got it. Not that I want to go back to Merton ever again. I’ll send Sam to pick up the photos tomorrow.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s been a horrible day, and tomorrow isn’t going to be any easier. How on earth are we supposed to know what kind of victim Adam will choose next?”
“Going by his previous behavior, it will be close by, and fairly soon.”
She shivered. “Somehow this feels really personal.” She glanced up at him. “Do you feel that too?”
“Yes.”
Because it was.
He’d tangled with the sect in the past many times. But he wasn’t in a position to reveal that to Ella yet. He hoped he never had to. It was going to be difficult to keep her safe while trying to solve his issues with Adam.
“Is there anything else you want to ask me?”
She uncurled her legs and stretched. “Loads, but I can’t think straight.”
“Then shall we go to bed?”
“Sure.”
Her smile made him forget sleep and immediately think of sex. He rose to his feet and held out his hand, and she took it. He instantly felt better, more connected and safer. His mother always insisted that love was a cage. He could feel it all around him now, but somehow it was less frightening than he had imagined. If only Ella could see it that way too. But then how would she survive his inevitable death? He followed her into bed and held her close. Perhaps she was right not to allow anyone near her—especially him.
Chapter Seven
“What the hell’s that?”
Ella looked up as Sam and Rich manhandled another desk in through her office door and dumped it right next to hers.
“It’s for Vad.” Sam beamed at her. “Now that he’s your official partner, he,
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