He chuckled darkly and dropped her. Her leg collided with the table on the way down and throbbed as she caught her balance. “I would never hand you over—I don’t even want the Niotians knowing about those blue eyes—but if you were murdered in your suite one night, and all indications were that the Niotians were to blame…”
Her death wouldn’t only hide her blue eyes, it would help him restart the war. Everything inside her sank. He watched her, a cruel grin spreading across his face. Her death was imminent, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
Jasper circled in front of her, breaking Cyrus’s focus.
“Jasper. I’m pleased you’re here. Give me a full report on Annabel. What has she been up to? Spare no detail.”
He stood with his back to her. His shoulders never tensed; he seemed almost at ease. “Her medical team recommended she get plenty of rest as she recovers. She’s followed their advice and has spent much of her time in her suite.”
Cyrus chuckled. “So that’s why she’s locked herself away, huh?” His gaze fell on her again. “I doubt that. We’re going to need to make some amendments to the plan.”
Here it comes.
Jasper remained between them. “What did you have in mind, sir?”
“Unfortunately, Fry didn’t hold up under further questioning—”
“You killed Doctor Fry?” she shouted, shocked. Even Cyrus understood they needed him.
He paused, his muscles visibly tensing. “Well, if you had developed anything beyond blue eyes, I wouldn’t have had to ensure he’d done everything he could.”
She clenched her jaw. Without Doctor Fry, a challenge from the Sacarros was inevitable, and without any hope of Tavian Seers, the reign of the Renauds would be over—
Unless she developed…
That’s why he was here. The last chance he had to stand up against the Sacarros rested in whether she’d become a Seer. She tensed her cheeks to avoid a smile. Her limbs felt like they were floating. He couldn’t kill her right now. He needed her to maintain his rule.
“The exiled Seer,” Cyrus continued. “The one Annabel has been so enamored with? She’s still alive?”
Jasper nodded. “We haven’t found her yet, but we’re close.”
“Good. I want her captured.”
Captured? Annabel winced. If he found another Seer, he wouldn’t need her, and her life would be in danger all over again.
“You want me to bring her here?” Jasper clarified with an even tone.
“Yes. If the Niotians extracted her, they must think she still has something to offer; we should take her for ourselves.”
“Sir, I’m not certain an exiled Niotian would be helpful to our cause.” Jasper glanced at her. “Annabel understands the importance of a Seer to our plan—”
“I’ve lost interest in what Annabel sees or doesn’t see, and every day she’s alive is another when someone might see her eyes. I’m hosting a dinner party this weekend. A lot is riding on it. Having that Seer here before the party will speak to the Renaud family abilities. It will show our reach.”
“You want her captured within the next five days?” Jasper asked, his voice still calm.
“Yes. You do this for me, you keep me informed on her developments,” Cyrus said, pointing to Annabel. “And you deliver the exiled Seer, you can have anything you want. You name it. It’s yours.”
Annabel braced herself on the table once again and tuned the conversation out. There was no way around it; either Jasper would do his job—which would end her life—or he wouldn’t capture Leonora and risk Cyrus’s wrath. Her life was in his hands, and Cyrus had offered Jasper anything if he sided with him.
Tears burned in her eyes. Even she knew Jasper couldn’t choose her. Moments ago, her hopes for happiness had been so vibrant, but her hopes had turned to ash in Cyrus’s wake—just like they always did.
Cyrus left soon after that, and she turned to the table to straighten the papers that had flown everywhere when Cyrus had shaken her. Jasper shut the doors and moved quietly to her side.
“Do you need anything?” he asked in his classic, unflappable tone.
She laughed bitterly. “Need anything? No.”
The rose sketches blurred through her tears. She could feel his gaze on her.
“Annabel, I—”
“I’m sure you’ll be very busy trying to catch Leonora.” She bunched the papers in her arms.
He blocked her path. “Oh, no.”
The words sounded angry. What right did he have to be angry with her?
“We need to talk about this,” Jasper insisted.
“About what?” She raised her voice. “About how Cyrus is going to kill me to restart the war the moment you bring Leonora here?”
“You know that will never happen.”
She glared at him. She fully expected it to happen. “No one can protect me from him. And let’s face it, you stand to gain anything you want by helping him.”
“Your brother can be impulsive, but he’s never done anything I can’t handle.” His voice was low and sincere as he stepped even closer. “And he definitely doesn’t understand what I want.”
It was like the last two years hadn’t happened. Her eyes fell shut. She wanted so badly to lean in, have his arms around her, feel protected. But no one could stop Cyrus. She stepped to the side to storm past him. “It doesn’t matter!”
Cyrus had issued an order. Even if he cared for her, his affections could never come first.
“I can’t compete with him. It may not be today or tomorrow, but eventually your duty to him will win out.”
He stepped in her way, nearly colliding with her. “Is that really what you think?”
Her gaze drifted up his shoulder to his jawline before she clamped her eyes shut. “Aren’t you listening? It doesn’t matter what I think.”
“It matters to me.”
The earnestness in his voice stung. A new wave of tears overflowed from her eyes. “What do you want from me?”
“The truth,” he stated, searching her.
She laughed, wiping away the tears. “This from the man who hides everything.”
He reached out and brushed away a strand of hair from her face.
Her eyes met his, fearing what would happen next, yet craving it at the same time.
“I’m not hiding now,” he said.
Everything she felt for him threatened to break through her defenses. She shut her eyes.
It’s too dangerous.
Better to stop it now before she truly couldn’t resist him.
His fingers grazed hers and traveled up to her waist.
Her breath hitched. She loved his touch.
She lifted her chin, and his lips met hers, gentle and sweet at first but growing in firmness and passion. Every thought in her head was flipped upside down. Everything was reduced to raw senses—the amazing scents of leather, cedar, and a hint of cinnamon, the way it felt to have his arms close around her, the taste of his lips. It took every ounce of her being to push him away.
She sucked in a ragged breath and backed away to a safe distance. “This is insane.”
He took a step closer. A smile played on his lips as he shrugged. “Maybe.”
“I’m a member of the ruling family. You’re a guard.”
He beamed, taking another step. “Clearly.”
Ugh, he’s gorgeous.
What were her reasons again?
“Cyrus—”
“Let me handle Cyrus.” He neared, spinning up her thoughts.
“This is a mistake.”
“If this is a mistake,” he whispered. “If you don’t want this, tell me to go.”
She couldn’t take her eyes off his lips. “Hmm?”
His eyes smoldered. “Tell me to go. I’ll leave, and this will never happen again.”
She opened her mouth, ready to do the right thing, the hard thing.
No words came out.
His hand slid along her side and rested on h
er hip. Firm. Confident.
This isn’t smart. He works for Cyrus.
Her fingers traced up his bicep. He drew her in.
It may not be today, but Cyrus will get his way.
She wrapped her arms around his neck.
I’ll get hurt.
He kissed her, silencing every thought.
Someone pounded at her door. She sprang from his arms, instantly ten feet away.
He clamped his eyes shut.
“What!” he roared.
A muffled voice replied, “We have a lead.”
Jasper strode to the door, rubbing his mouth—as if that could stop the tingling, as if that could squelch his desire. He’d waited, hoped, all but given up on this for years. Whoever was on the other side of that door better have a good reason.
He wrenched open the door, the hinges creaking in protest. Adrian.
“This had better be good,” Jasper growled, but Adrian’s black eyes remained focused—no nervous jitter. Perhaps it was important.
“You were right about that bartender. It took a day, but we tracked her to an interstate lodging facility.”
Obviously, Adrian didn’t travel much. “A motel?”
“Right, one of those. Anyway, she took a cab there and left in a car, but before she did, she talked with someone in one of the motel rooms. She didn’t stay long.”
“Did anyone get visual confirmation?”
Adrian shifted on his feet. “No, but I heeded your advice and researched Tobin.”
Jasper raised an eyebrow.
“If he is who we think he is…” Adrian’s eyes widened, and he shook his head. “He wouldn’t be stupid enough to meet in the open. I sent a team for surveillance, but I made it clear that they don’t move until you give the order.”
Jasper nodded. “How long ago was this?”
“An hour. I would have told you sooner, but I wasn’t aware you had teleported out of headquarters.”
When the alarm had alerted him that Cyrus was on the move to Annabel’s suite, Jasper hadn’t wasted any time. His body still yearned to slam the door and return to her, but Adrian had been right to notify him. “They may already be gone, but it’s a lead. Well done, Adrian. I’ll be back at headquarters in a minute.”
Adrian nodded.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” Jasper said. “The Niotian genetic engineer. There was an…unfortunate accident. He’s no longer with us. Where are we keeping Seer One’s genetic profile?”
Adrian’s gaze bounced around as he considered the question. “I’ll have to check.”
“Do it quickly. She’s the target.” Cyrus’s new mandate—take Leonora alive, and fast—changed things. He needed a new tool.
“A genetic profile would help track her much more easily in a crowd. I’ll find it.” Adrian rushed away.
Jasper pondered the news for a moment. Tracking would be the easy part. Taking her from Tobin Kalos? A man who never gave up, never stopped, never faltered on a mission? Jasper would have to kill him first.
He shut the door, turning to Annabel. Her silky, white hair cascaded down her back as she stared out the window to the gardens. He wished he could stay with her all night.
“I have to go,” he said, sincere disappointment evident in his voice.
She nodded but didn’t turn to face him. “Probably for the best.”
The words stabbed at his heart. “It’s about the Seer—Leonora. I wouldn’t leave you unless I had to.”
She turned. Her blue eyes were like ice. “I understand. You have a job to do.”
He paused, stunned by her apathy. No one had the power to hurt him like her. “After everything that’s happened, you still think I’d allow my job to get in the way of this—of us?”
Us. The word felt like fireworks inside him. He couldn’t lose it.
“I can’t—”
“Why?” His muscles coiled, wanting—needing—to fight for this. “Is this really because of my job? That shouldn’t matter.”
She snickered. “Cyrus needs a Seer; that’s the only thing keeping me alive right now. The second you do your job and deliver Leonora, he’ll kill me.”
He rubbed a hand over his face. “That won’t happen.”
He hadn’t been promoted through the ranks all the way to Head of the Guard without knowing how to handle Cyrus. He was always one step ahead, just like tonight when he’d gotten here before Cyrus had stormed in.
“You’re good at your job. You’ll capture her.” Her eyes drifted with a distant look. “And when you do, I’ll pay the price whether you meant it to affect me or not. I can’t do this, knowing that your actions will end my life. This,” —she gestured between them— “can’t happen again.”
He flexed his jaw. She made him sound like a mindless grunt. It didn’t matter that he’d always been there for her. When she’d wanted someone to investigate Leonora, he’d done it himself. When she’d almost gotten herself killed trying to assassinate Cyrus, he had been there to save her.
And there was no way he’d ever let Cyrus kill her.
“This doesn’t have anything to do with Cyrus or my job. You’re scared that you might actually feel something for someone.”
She laughed. “You think Cyrus was kidding about killing me to start a war?”
“I would never let him hurt you!”
She shoved an arm out toward the table. “You mean you’d never let him grab me like that? Or experiment on me?”
Each word cut through him like a knife. He’d nearly killed Cyrus when he’d grabbed her—and would have if it weren’t for the trouble of explaining how the head of the ruling family ended up dead in his sister’s suite.
There was so much more to consider than a simple desire for revenge. Couldn’t she see that? True revenge was in the long game, and delivering Leonora bought them time.
“I wouldn’t have let it escalate any further.”
She narrowed her eyes before turning away to stare out the window again. “As long as you’re following his orders, I can’t believe that.”
He clenched his fists. It didn’t matter that he could handle Cyrus. It didn’t matter that he had always done everything he could to help her. There was nothing he could do or say to make her trust him. All he was to her was Head of the Guard.
He turned to leave, but the memory of their kiss stopped him. Her touch, sweet and unsure—like he would have ever refused her.
Keep going. It’s over, and you have things to do.
He took one more step toward the door.
That’s it. Keep moving. Forget her.
Forget? He spun, unable to pretend this had never happened. He wouldn’t.
“A couple days ago, I sent guards to hunt down Leonora, but it didn’t go as planned. The guards ended up dead, and we lost her trail. We know she’s getting help and not from just anyone. One of them used to be Head of the Niotian Guard, and even though he left Nios not long after her, he is still a formidable opponent. There are at least two other people with them, and we’re pretty sure they’re still part of Niotian Society.”
Annabel stared at him. “Why are you telling me this?”
Jasper swallowed. His palms began to sweat. “Because I need you to know I wouldn’t be leaving unless I had to. I’m Head of the Guard, and I have a job to do, but I’d never do anything that could hurt you.”
Please. You have to believe me…
“This is different—you’re different. No offers from Cyrus or perks of my job can change that. You can trust me.”
The seconds ticked by, each leaving their mark on him, but she stayed silent, her gaze never leaving the floor. He could stay and plead with her, but it wouldn’t do any good, and he had an active lead to follow.
Even though he could have teleported, he left out the door. He’d need the long walk to calm down. He hadn’t just stumbled into his command role. It had taken every ounce of skill and too many calculated risks and judgment calls to count.
Annabel had been isolat
ed her whole life. She didn’t understand the danger that lurked just beyond the gates of her estate. He didn’t have the heart to tell her, but if the other families knew about her eyes, they’d close in and he wouldn’t be able to stop them all. Cyrus was dangerous, but there were greater risks. He had to trust his own judgment.
Walking away from her—from that kiss—crushed him, but he’d do what he’d always done: he’d protect her the best way he knew how. He clenched his fists, eager to throw all the pain from the night into his hunt for Tobin Kalos.
Chapter 14
Even though it was October, Nora was covered in sweat by the time they reached the library. No matter how many times she pulled at her clothing, it clung to her, inching up as she walked. Thankfully, a couple of librarians were the only people inside as they trudged through the door. Her hair hung in stringy, limp strands over her shoulders, and, like Charlotte’s dress, her capris and cardigan were beyond saving.
Henry got to work on the computer with an expression of relaxed concentration. Charlotte took the chair next to him, and Tobin stood over them, pulling at his gray t-shirt, his gaze never settling anywhere. He checked the doors, the windows, even the rows of books behind them.
“The car will be here in about a half an hour,” Henry announced over the sounds of his clicking keystrokes. “Charlotte, I’m in. Your turn.”
Tobin checked his watch and grinned at Henry, who gave a sheepish smile in return. Either Tobin was a hard man to please, or Henry wasn’t used to receiving praise—perhaps both.
Nora wandered to the nearest row of books, wishing she read more. A pang of emptiness throbbed. Had she liked reading? She traced the worn spine of a copy of Pride and Prejudice. Her fingertip slid along the smooth, clear packing tape holding it together, and a warmth spread in her chest for the story where the characters had to overcome their own weaknesses to find love and be happy. She pressed her lips together in a quiet smile. She liked to read; she was sure.
A large pair of hands fixed firmly along her back and waist. She nearly jumped into the shelf.
“We need to move,” Tobin said in a low voice, guiding her into an aisle. Henry wasn’t far behind, laden with bags. She swallowed, trying to force her heart back into her chest. If Tobin was spooked by something, it was bad. She scanned the back corners of the building for any escape routes.
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