Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 115860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Not good signs.
Her proposition at lunch nearly had me launching myself at her with a hearty “yes” as I ripped off her clothes. Yes, I want her naked. Yes, I crave the chance to taste every inch of her fair skin. Yes, I burn to possess her sweet body. Yes, I’m eager to call all that intelligence and sass mine. Yes, I’ll die to protect her. But giving into my urges would spell disaster.
Too bad no one has given my instincts the memo.
“Focus on the mission,” I growl in frustration. “She knows I’ve scarcely said a true word to her since we met. She’s seeing her contact this afternoon and figured out I’m following her, so she intentionally lost me. She’s thinking of writing an article about the Doomsday Diary. You know what will happen if she does.”
Bram curses. “She’ll get a very unpleasant, first-hand look at magic, Mathias-style.”
“Precisely.” I grip the phone, the thought too terrible to contemplate. To protect Sydney, I have to do whatever it takes to silence her voice.
God, she’s going to hate me.
And as much as it chafes me to ask for Bram’s help, I have little choice.
“You need to step in,” I choke out. “I’m compromised. Sydney knows I’m zeroed in on the magical war story and that my seduction wasn’t real.”
“I can’t. You’ll have to manage.” Suddenly, Bram sighs, sounding frustrated. “There was another attack last night. Nearly everyone dead, two women missing. One transitioned just last week. Gossip and panic are beginning to spread around magickind about Mathias’s return. The Council elders have their thumbs up their arses, as usual. They want me to quell the rumors.”
I’m annoyed but hardly surprised. “Bloody fools.”
“They absolutely are. I’m trying to be the voice of reason, but they don’t want logic. Duke and I are visiting Privileged households likely to be attacked and preaching caution, but…being forced to dance around the truth is frustrating. I dare not leave the Council to their own devices for long. I’d insist on transcasting the truth to all witches, wizards, and younglings, but I don’t have enough of the other Councilmen’s votes in my corner. In the meantime, Marrok is ferociously training us for the war we know is coming.”
“Surely, you can spare someone—”
“Who? Duke is too high profile. Ice wouldn’t talk, merely destroy Out of this Realm with his big bloody hands. Lucan isn’t capable of being human right now. And don’t start me on Shock, the dodgy git.”
“But—”
“Magic isn’t a cure-all. I can’t just wave my wand and have Sydney forget about the book and her story ideas. None of us can. You must convince her.”
Then what the hell good is magic? None. I had proof enough of that early in life.
I grip the back of my neck and massage at the tension gripping me. The damn tingles have returned. I’m exhausted, yet my body craves sex. Lots of lovelies in the pub, several looking in my direction. But a glance south proves my cock is having none of them. It’s fixated on Sydney. I sigh.
“Get closer to Sydney, however you must,” Bram goes on. “Convince her of whatever’s necessary. Get that bloody diary out of her hands. Stop those stories.”
Fuck all. If Sydney doesn’t trust me and I don’t dare touch her, how am I supposed to do all that?
Chapter
Eleven
“I’ll talk to her tonight,” I tell Bram, though I have no idea what I’ll say. “I’ll be waiting for her when she gets home. Until then, I should visit my brother.”
“I can’t spare any of the warriors to transport you, but I can send my sister.”
“Sabelle’s company is always a delight.”
Bram snorts. “Spoken like someone who doesn’t live with the minx.”
We ring off, and I wait. Sure enough, within moments Sabelle walks into the pub. Every male head turns. Jaws drop. One man even rises to his feet, looking as if he’s in a trance. She holds up a hand, and he wanders back to his stool instantly, looking confused.
“Do you get that reaction from men everywhere you go?”
She shrugs. “It’s my grandmother’s siren blood, not me. I could be the ugliest hag in creation, and men would still respond that way.”
But she isn’t. Far from it. Sabelle is truly stunning. Wars have been started over faces half so lovely. Centerfolds would kill for her body. The first time I saw her standing in the middle of my living room in Texas, explaining that my brother was suffering, I had to force myself to focus on her words, not my shock at her utter beauty.
But I quickly learned that she isn’t just beautiful on the outside. I genuinely like her. I admire her, even. But I don’t want her.
In fact, now that I’ve met Sydney, I can’t think of anyone else.
“If Bram hasn’t passed the message to you, thank you for trying to help Lucan.”