by Cynthia Eden
Fresh from a break-up. She probably wasn’t looking for a new guy. He should walk away. Steer clear. But…
His gaze slid back toward the mirror.
She was gone.
Immediately, his heart squeezed in his chest and he took a fast step forward.
I can’t lose her! The thought raced through his mind. Totally irrational. Totally insane. He didn’t know her. There was no losing her involved. There was no need for this choking panic that was consuming him. There was—
He saw her on the stairs. She was just strolling right up them. Still acting as if she owned the place. Acting as if she’d been there so many times before.
“Keep an eye on things down here,” Adam directed without glancing at Raymond. “I’ll be right back.”
Then he started pushing his way through the crowd, and his gaze never left the stairs.
I can’t lose her.
***
This is bad.
Raymond drowned a quick scotch and then his shaking fingers pulled out his phone. He dialed fast, knowing there wasn’t any time to lose. And his call was answered on the second ring. Raymond didn’t bother to identify himself. He just said, “She just walked into the club…and he’s already trailing after her. It’s started.” A pause. “Dammit, I like the guy. So help him. Help—”
The line went dead.
Raymond glanced toward the staircase. He didn’t see Adam. And he didn’t see Sabrina.
Shit.
***
Adam shoved open the door that led to the roof. “Hello?” he called out. “Miss, you’re not supposed to be up here!” He wasn’t even sure how she’d gotten up there. The door should have been locked.
Obviously, it wasn’t.
“Miss?” He stepped away from the doorway, searching for her.
And there she was. Standing near the edge of the building, glancing down. The wind caught her hair, tossing it back just a bit, and as he stared at her…
I swear, we’ve been here before.
“My name is Sabrina,” she said, not looking up at him.
“I know.”
Her head immediately whipped up and turned toward him. “You do?” Hope was there, dancing in her voice as she took a few quick steps toward him. The moon was shining down on them. A full moon, big and bright, and it showed the utter beauty of her face.
He swallowed. “Yeah. Turns out my bartender, Raymond, he knows you.”
“Raymond.” She seemed to be tasting the name. She’d also stopped advancing toward him. She gave a little laugh that danced along his nerve endings. “I can’t believe he’s working for you. Didn’t expect that.” She tilted her head as she seemed to consider things. “Only maybe…maybe it’s not you he’s really working for.”
She was gorgeous. She was sexy as all hell. She also seemed…maybe a little crazy. “Uh, yeah, he’s working for me. It’s my club. He’s my bartender.” He flashed her a broad grin.
She didn’t smile back.
Okay. He took a step toward her and held out his hand. “My name is Adam. Adam Cross.”
She looked at his hand. Didn’t take it. Just looked. “I don’t think I should touch you.”
What?
“It’s probably a bad idea. Coming here was a bad idea, but I just needed to see you. I wanted to…I don’t know, make sure you were happy?” Then she smiled, but it was mocking.
That’s not her real smile.
How did he know what her real smile looked like?
“Your opening seems to be a big success,” she told him, nodding. “Congratulations. I know this place means a lot to you.”
He slowly lowered his hand. “Am I missing something? Because I swear…you talk as if you know me.”
“Impossible, right?”
He inched closer to her. He loved the way she smelled.
But she stepped back. “I told you, touching is probably a mistake.”
I want to touch her. She feels like silk beneath my hands. I want to kiss her because I love the way her lips feel beneath mine.
He shook his head.
“Is…something wrong?”
I have more pleasure with her than I’ve ever had—or will ever have—with any other woman. “I…I’m having weird thoughts.”
“That’s because of me.” Now she seemed sad.
I don’t want Sabrina to be sad.
“I tend to have that effect on people. Especially humans. And that’s what you are now.”
He laughed. “Right. I’m human.” Wasn’t everyone human?
“I wanted to fight for you. I wanted to find a way to be with you…but even the strongest witch I know can’t figure out a way to make it work.”
It was a shame that someone so beautiful seemed to be riding on the crazy train.
And yet…he was still not moving away from her. He was still standing right there, drinking her in and thinking…I’ve missed you.
Maybe he was riding on the crazy train with her. If so, Adam wasn’t so sure he wanted the ride to stop.
“So I came here tonight, because I wanted a memory of you being happy. The last memory I had of you…it wasn’t so good.” She turned away and walked to the edge of the roof. “I’m sure Luke or Leo will appear after I’m gone. They’ll make this little visit vanish from your mind, just like everything else vanished.”
I can’t lose her.
He bounded forward and his hands curled around her shoulders. He spun her to face him.
Hunger, need…desire…blasted right through him.
“Touching me was a bad idea,” she whispered. “I warned—”
He kissed her. His lips took hers in a frantic kiss and a dozen visions seemed to explode in his mind.
Sabrina…wearing a dress the same shade as her eyes, standing in a ballroom, surrounded by fawning men.
Sabrina…trapped in a car, hurt, scared.
Sabrina…kissing him. Staring at him as she wore absolutely nothing.
Sabrina…crying as she bent over him and begged for his life.
Sabrina…My Sabrina…
Inside of him, something woke up. Something dark. Something strong. Something that seemed to be clawing at his insides…
She is mine.
Sabrina shoved against him. “Bad, very bad.” Her breath choked out. “Coming here was a bad mistake, but I’m selfish and I’ve never exactly had the best nature. So I wanted to see you once more. I didn’t want to—oh, dammit, I can see streaks in your aura already. You need to get away from me!”
“No.” That hardly even sounded like his voice. Deep. Growling. But…he couldn’t let her go.
“Adam?” Sabrina blinked and stared at him uncertainly.
“I won’t leave you.”
Her lips were trembling…
And then the whole building seemed to tremble. Was that some kind of earthquake? What the fuck? Adam grabbed Sabrina and held on tight. He—
“Sabrina…Sabrina…Sabrina…” That was a male voice, rumbling from the darkness. A man had just appeared on the roof. Tall, broad-shouldered, with dark hair and the faint stubble of a beard covering his jaw. “What part of stay away from the human did you misunderstand?”
“Luke,” she breathed the name. “Figured you’d show up.”
The stranger—Luke—inclined his head toward her. “But…what? You figured you’d be out of here long before I actually arrived?”
“Raymond is working for you, isn’t he?” Sabrina said, her voice louder and stronger. “What did he do? Call you as soon as I walked into the club?”
“Pretty much, yes.” Luke flashed a broad smile. “Now, it’s time to say good-bye to the human, Sabrina. A seriously, forever good-bye this time. Think you can manage that? Or should I just throw your sweet ass off the roof so that you can let the guy go?”
Adam surged toward the stranger, immediately going toe-to-toe with him. “Don’t you even think it.” Throw her off the roof? Was the asshole insane?
Luke sighed. “You were with her—what? Five
minutes? Four? Three? And already you’re in protective mode.” He slapped his hand on Adam’s shoulder. “You’re choosing the wrong side, my friend.”
“Luke, don’t hurt him!” Sabrina cried out.
“Let him try,” Adam invited. His head was pounding and he could have sworn that something was still clawing at him from the inside. The world around him didn’t make sense but Sabrina…
She’s mine.
That certainty went soul deep.
Luke leaned closer. “I wouldn’t just try. I’d succeed. And then all the work I’ve done…well, it would have been for nothing.” He quirked one brow. “She’s not worth it, Adam. You’re finally on the good side. Stay near her, and she’ll drag you back into the darkness. Most people don’t get the chance you have. I thought Sabrina could sacrifice for you. She offered to pay any price, but I guess that was a lie.”
“It wasn’t!” Sabrina yelled. “I was saying good-bye…”
“It looked to me like you were saying hello…” Luke drawled. “You know, with your tongue in his mouth—”
Adam grabbed the guy and lifted him a foot into the air, holding tight to the bastard’s shoulders.
“My, my…” Now surprise could be heard in Luke’s voice. “Aren’t you strong…for a human?” His gaze cut toward Sabrina. “What did you do?” Suspicion had entered his voice. “Did you get your witch to work her magic? Knew I should watch Cordelia more carefully…”
“You won’t hurt Sabrina,” Adam shouted at him.
That clawing in his chest was worse. Something was in him—and it wanted to break free.
He dropped Luke, and Adam’s hands flew over his own chest. “What is happening to me?”
Luke straightened. “I have no idea.”
“Adam?” Sabrina’s hands reached for him. “Adam, are you okay?”
He looked up at her. “It…hurts, sweetheart.”
“Did you just call her sweetheart?” Luke snarled.
“What hurts?” Sabrina ran her hands over his shoulders. “Tell me…I’ll help you. I’ll—”
He stared into her eyes. “I remember you.”
“Fuck,” Luke said. “Now I have to be the bad guy.” He grabbed Sabrina, hoisting her into the air.
“Luke, stop it!” Sabrina yelled. “What are you doing?”
“Testing a theory…let’s see what happens when a muse decides to fly…” He held her over the side of the building. His eyes glittered. “If I were you, I’d try really, really hard to…inspire.”
“Sabrina!” Adam bellowed.
Luke let her go.
Sabrina plummeted.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Sabrina!” Rage and terror exploded inside of Adam. He didn’t stop to think. Didn’t hesitate.
He jumped off that roof, racing after her. She was falling and—
He caught her. Right before her body would have slammed into the ground. He caught her and he held her tight. “It’s okay,” Adam whispered into her hair. His heart was pounding like a damn drum. “You’re okay.”
Her head lifted. She stared up at him with stunned eyes. “Adam?”
He flew them right back up to the top of the club. Four stories. That sonofabitch Luke had just dropped Sabrina four stories. I will kill him.
He landed on the roof. Carefully put Sabrina on her feet. Then he whirled, ready to rip apart his prey. “Luke!”
The bastard was still there. Standing with his arms crossed over his chest. Looking as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
“Yes?” Luke lifted his brows. “You need something else?”
Growling, Adam charged for him. His hands flew out to attack—
What’s wrong with my hands?
Adam stumbled. His gaze flew over his hands…hands that weren’t human, not any longer. They were covered with stone, not flesh. Stone…and tipped with razor-sharp claws.
“I think we…misinterpreted a few things…” Luke announced.
And then Sabrina was in front of Adam, standing between him and…He’s the Lord of the Dark. I remember him. I remember her.
Sweet fuck, I remember everything.
He stared at the stone on his hands.
“You flew,” Sabrina breathed the words. “I…I can see your wings. They’re back. I thought you were supposed to be human again.”
His gaze rose to hers. Desperate hope was in her eyes. Hope and fear.
She whirled to face Luke. “What happened to him? He can’t be a prisoner of the stone again. That can’t happen. Throw my ass off the roof once more—do it a dozen times—but don’t make him a prisoner again—”
“He’s only half-stone, love. This is different. Not like before.” Luke’s voice was musing. “Because I don’t think…he’s quite like he was before.”
Sabrina and Luke both studied him.
Adam closed his eyes. He breathed, nice and slow…
“Look at that.” Luke had turned admiring now. “He’s even managing to control it now. No breaking to freedom needed. No bursting out of the stone shell to become a man again. It’s almost like a normal shifter’s transformation.”
Sabrina grabbed Adam’s hand. His eyes flew open. He stared at her fingers—so soft against the stone. Until that stone turned straight to dust and vanished.
“I thought this might be the case.” Luke sauntered closer. “Before I left her on the beach with you—you know, during that unfortunate time when you passed straight out from agony, Sabrina—I did get Cordelia to scry for me. I wanted to see that big battle scene with Eric for myself. I was a bit curious about things…I mean, I’m not wrong very often. And I was so sure that a muse with your power could help Adam to break free of his curse.”
“I didn’t help him,” Sabrina denied. “I wish that I had.” Her fingers were linked with Adam’s. “Raymond shattered the binding stone, that’s how Adam got free of the curse—”
“No.” A flat denial from Luke. “Your gargoyle came rushing into the room in order to save you…though I am pretty sure he had orders to the contrary. He went against those orders. He fought for you…and that was even before the stone was shattered.”
Her lips parted. “Eric told him…to kill himself. He wanted Adam to bleed out in front of me.”
“Right…but when Adam got in front of you in that study, I didn’t see him suddenly start attacking himself. That’s not what went down. He was there, fighting for you.” Luke seemed incredibly pleased with himself. “I swear, it’s like the world wants to bend to my will.”
Her eyes were so wide. “Adam?”
He was almost afraid to hope.
“What we had…” Luke continued as he seemed to consider things even more. “What we had at play were two events that occurred at the same time. We all just assumed Adam was free because the binding stone was broken…but what if…what if…Adam had freed himself before that stone so much as shattered? That would certainly change things.”
Sabrina pulled her hand from Adam’s. “No.” She stepped back and her shoulder bumped into Luke’s. “No,” she said again. “Time was catching up to him. I saw it. He was dying right before my eyes on that damn beach.”
“Was he?” Luke murmured. He scratched his chin. “Sometimes, what you see…it isn’t always what you get.”
“What?” Sabrina screamed.
Adam shook his head. Memories were bursting inside his mind, and the force of the past was about to drive him to his knees.
“I may have…played a bit with reality on that beach,” Luke confessed. “Perhaps I made things seem a bit more desperate than they were.”
Sabrina drew back her fist and punched him in the jaw.
“Deserved,” he muttered.
“Luke…” Sabrina drew back her fist again.
“I needed to see what you’d do for him…it’s not easy to get a muse’s power. I mean, look at all those who have tried! I knew the power wasn’t in your eyes. Or your voice. You’re no siren.” His hand rose and pressed over her h
eart. “It’s in here.”
“Get your hands off her,” Adam snarled.
Once more, Luke sighed. “Always the jealous lover, even after the amazing solid I did for you.” But his hand dropped. “You sacrificed for him, Sabrina. You gave him half your power. That’s the only way to take a muse’s power. A willing sacrifice. And that’s why Adam has got all of these lovely supernatural bonuses now. You did that for him. You gave him the ability to transform. To be super strong. To be super fast. You inspired him to be so much more than just a human. Did you make yourself weaker in the process? Sure. I mean, damn, it was too easy to toss you from the roof a few minutes ago…thought you could pack more fight than that…” But his words trailed off and he started to grin. He snapped his fingers as if he’d just realized another fact. “Sonofabitch…you wanted to provoke an emotional response from him, didn’t you, Sabrina? You didn’t need me to tell you to inspire the guy. You came here with your own plan. You thought something was up with him…that I’d tricked you…”
She wasn’t aiming her fist at Luke any longer. “You do have a habit of twisting the truth into a lie.” She turned her head and gave Adam a weak smile. “And I wasn’t going to let the man I love go without a fight.”
Luke clapped his hands together. “You pulled one over on me…that is impressive.”
“I try to be impressive,” Sabrina murmured.
The roller coaster of images had finally halted in Adam’s head. The last image had frozen…
Sabrina. Leaning over him on a beach. Tears glittered in her eyes as Luke asked if she’d give her power to Adam…
He can have it all…Give him everything he needs.
“What…am I?” Adam asked. His voice sounded rusty.
Luke waved toward him. “You’re an immortal…half man, half gargoyle…with a little bit of inspiration thrown in for fun. No one controls you. You control your own self and…” Luke added with a meaningful glance at Sabrina. “You’re immune to a certain muse’s powers.”
Adam’s gaze slid to Sabrina. “I missed you,” he rasped.
A sob slipped from her. But she didn’t rush to Adam. Instead, she spun—and hugged Luke. “Thank you.”
The Lord of the Dark seemed stunned. “You’re not supposed to thank me.” He patted her awkwardly on the back. “I…I turned your lover into one of my dark paranormal soldiers. All of the strengths he had before, but none of the weaknesses. I did this for me, not for you.”