by Karen Lynch
“No thanks. I prefer to watch the show from a safe distance. Scared?”
I scoffed and turned toward the two girls who seemed too caught up in their conversation to notice my approach.
I was a dozen feet from the table when Jordan saw me and broke off mid-sentence. She looked down at her plate as I pulled out the chair beside Sara.
“You don’t mind if I join you, do you?” I asked then sat before Sara could say no. I deliberately moved my chair close to hers, and I was rewarded for my efforts when she turned her head to scowl at me. Her face was so close I felt her warm breath on my cheek.
“You…” She pulled back. “Let me guess, no one else will eat with you.”
I smiled in satisfaction. She might be angry with me, but she felt something else too. I remembered Vivian’s words about sweeping my girl off her feet. I might have to move slowly with Sara, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy myself.
“I seem to remember you being a lot nicer the last time we had dinner together.”
She huffed. “Like I had a choice. You guys wouldn’t let me out of your sight that night.”
I realized she was thinking about our last night in Maine. But I had another night in mind. It was the first time she’d let her guard down and seemed at ease with me.
“Actually, I was thinking about the night of the storm when the power went out.”
She looked away, but not before I saw color creep into her cheeks. So I wasn’t imagining it; there had been something between us that night.
“People change,” she said as she reached for her tray.
“I hear you’re having some difficulty in training,” I said before she could run away again. “I thought perhaps you might want to talk about it.”
“No thank you,” she replied shortly, but she made no move to leave.
Sensing I shouldn’t push her too hard, I turned my attention to her dinner companion instead. “Jordan, right? I hear you’re pretty lethal with a blade.”
She blushed and nodded mutely.
“She is,” Sara said. “You should have seen her last night, taking on those lamprey demons. If it wasn’t for her, we probably would have been demon chow.”
My Mori growled at the mention of the danger she’d been in less than a day ago, and my body tensed in response. Watching her toss and cry out as fever raged through her body was not an experience I ever wanted to repeat.
An elbow jabbed me sharply in the ribs. “Quit scowling before you scare off my new friend.”
It was impossible to stay upset with her looking so adorably stern. “I certainly wouldn’t want to do that. At least this one doesn’t shed,” I teased.
I hid my smile as I picked up my burger and took a huge bite. I couldn’t remember when food had tasted so good.
Sara turned to Jordan, who looked like she wasn’t sure what to make of the two of us.
“Just ignore him. He has to ruin at least one meal for me before he disappears on another one of his missions.”
“You didn’t hear?” I asked, enjoying myself immensely. “Maybe you would have if you hadn’t disappeared this afternoon.”
“Hear what?” Sara asked warily.
“I’m not going anywhere for the next month at least.”
Her brows drew together. “What? Sick of hunting already?”
“No, I just have another job at the moment.” I watched her face closely as I shared my news. “I’m your new trainer.”
Surprise crossed her face, followed by dismay. Her reaction didn’t bother me because I understood where it came from. She thought I’d abandoned her, and she was trying to push me away so she didn’t get hurt. But I’d worked too hard to break down her walls to let her retreat behind them again.
“I am not training with you,” she blurted, turning to search the room for Tristan, no doubt.
“It was Tristan’s idea,” I lied, guessing she’d accept it easier if it came from him. “He thinks it might help you to work with someone you know.”
She glowered at me. “Since when do you work with trainees, or follow orders for that matter? Don’t you have more orphans to rescue?”
“After you, I have a much greater respect for the people who usually handle those jobs. I agree with Tristan on this. We need to try a different approach with your training.”
“A few days ago, Tristan mentioned a guy in India who he thought might be able to help me,” she said hopefully.
“Janak?” I laughed, imagining Sara working with the quiet Indian man who relied heavily on Buddhist meditation and prayer in his teachings. “Janak’s a nice guy, but way too soft for this. One session with you and he’d be on the first plane back to India.”
She crossed her arms. “So, what is your brilliant plan, to harass me until I get so pissed off that I sic my demon on you?”
I polished off my burger before I responded. After my discussion with Callum earlier, I had a better idea of what would and wouldn’t work with Sara. She probably expected more of the same training, but I had something else in mind.
She shifted impatiently beside me, and I smiled behind my napkin. Laying it on my tray, I said, “If that’s what it takes, but I think something else will work better for you.”
Her eyes widened with barely concealed interest. “What?”
I stood and reached for my tray. “Get some sleep tonight because training starts tomorrow.”
A smile curved my lips as I walked away. I could have answered her, but it was much more entertaining to see her flustered expression.
Chris joined me outside the dining hall. “You’re looking pleased with yourself. And you don’t need a change of clothes, so I assume it went well. Did you tell her you were taking over her training?”
“Yes, and she wasn’t happy about it.”
“She’ll try to get out of it,” he said. “And you know Tristan is too soft-hearted when it comes to her. He’ll give in if she begs him.”
I chuckled. “That’s why I asked him to be unavailable tonight.”
He shook his head. “If she finds out you did that, she’ll set those beasts after you.”
“Let’s hope she doesn’t find out then.”
I started toward the south wing, and he fell into step beside me.
“You working tonight?” he asked.
“I’m meeting with Dax to talk about upgrading security.”
Westhorne had never been breached, but I wasn’t taking chances with Sara’s safety. Tristan hadn’t objected when I told him my plans, so I knew he had concerns too.
“You know what they say about all work and no play,” said a sultry voice from behind us.
Chris and I turned to face Celine, who looked as beautiful as always in a long, green dress that hugged her body. She tossed her black hair over her shoulder and gave me a warm smile.
“Nikolas, Chris, it’s so wonderful to see you again.”
“Hello, Celine.” I returned her smile. “Tristan said you were back for a few months.”
She laughed softly. “And what perfect timing. You’re always away when I come to visit. Maybe we can catch up while you’re here.”
I ignored Chris’s quiet snort. “I’m afraid I won’t have much free time. I’m going to be working with Tristan and Dax a lot.”
“But surely you can spare some time for an old friend,” she said suggestively.
It was the same game she and I played every time we saw each other. She tried to remind me that at one time we were more than friends, and I gently deflected her advances.
“I’m sure he’ll make time for you,” Chris told her with a note of amusement in his voice.
I had a strong urge to cuff my best friend in the head. If anyone knew how long I’d evaded Celine’s attempts to rekindle our brief affair, it was Chris. The look I gave him promised retribution.
“We’re on our way to the security center if you’d like to join us,” I said. I had no intention of getting involved with her, but we were longtime acquaintan
ces. “What have you been up to since we last saw you?”
If I knew only one thing about Celine, it was how much she loved being the center of attention. She regaled us with stories about her travels in Europe for the last year and her short-lived liaison with a member of the Belgian royal family.
“I’m surprised you gave all that up to come here,” Chris said.
“America has its appeal,” she answered with a meaningful smile.
We’d been standing outside the security center for twenty minutes. The door opened and Dax came out carrying a laptop. He glanced at Celine then looked at me.
“Nikolas, I wondered if you’d forgotten our meeting. We can reschedule if you’re busy.”
I shook my head. “I’d rather get started tonight if you still have time.”
“Okay.” He held up the laptop. “I was going to run this to Claire’s office, but I can do that later.”
I turned to Celine. “I hope you’ll excuse me. Duty calls.”
“Of course.” She laid a hand on my arm. “I look forward to seeing more of you during my visit.”
My Mori shifted uneasily, its feelings clear. It didn’t want any female but our mate touching us. I felt the same way, but courtesy kept me from pulling away. Celine had no idea I had bonded with Sara. If she knew, she wouldn’t be coming on to me.
Celine smiled at Chris and Dax before sauntering down the hallway. When she was out of sight, Dax whistled softly.
“You lucky bastard. You know, this stuff can wait until tomorrow if you’d like.”
“No, this is too important to put off.”
He gave me a look that said he thought I was nuts. “Okay, if that’s what you want.”
I opened the door to the security center. “Let’s get to work.”
Chapter 17
I entered the dining hall, looking forward to spending time with Sara today. I didn’t expect her to feel the same way, but I planned to change that before the day was over. I was going to start with training and see where it went from there.
I thought she might respond better to me as a trainer, so I was all business when I reached the table where she sat with Jordan and another girl.
“Ready to start training?”
Sara nodded without speaking.
“Come with me then.” I turned away and left the room to wait for her in the main hall. She came out a minute later, looking nervous but resigned.
When I started for the main entrance, she said, “We’re not using a training room?”
I looked back at her. “I thought we’d go outdoors. Would you rather stay inside?”
“No,” she replied quickly and hurried to catch up.
Outside, we walked around the building and I steered us toward the woods.
“Where are we going?”
“For a walk,” I replied without looking at her. Seamus had told me about how many times he and Niall had caught Sara heading for the small lake on the property. I suspected she missed the ocean and was looking for a body of water to make her feel less homesick. I couldn’t think of a better place to start her training.
She harrumphed softly. “I think I should tell you that when I go for walks, I usually end up brought back in chains.”
Her wry tone made it hard to keep a straight face. “I think we’ll be fine.”
We walked in silence for a while before I tried to get her talking. “Other than the problem with your training, how are you doing here?”
“It’s not home,” she answered sharply, but I could hear the hurt in her voice.
I looked at her, and she stared straight ahead.
“I know you miss Nate and your friends, but it’s not like you won’t see them again. And you aren’t alone here. You’ve made some new friends, and you have Tristan and Chris and me.”
“Until you go off on one of your missions again.”
“Are you trying to tell me that you missed me?” I couldn’t keep the smile from my face. She wouldn’t be angry if she didn’t care.
“No.”
“I have no plans to go anywhere for the next month so you are stuck with me for a while,” I said, hoping to reassure her.
“Lucky me,” she grumbled, and I laughed, glad that she seemed more at ease.
“Where did you go?”
“It was a job, clearing out some nests,” I answered soberly. “Nothing you want to hear about.”
“You were looking for the Master, weren’t you?”
“You don’t need to worry about him anymore,” I said.
My words only upset her more. She stopped short and put her hands on her hips.
How did I make her understand that she no longer had to fear the Master? We would find and eliminate him, and all she had to do was train and settle into her new life.
“I’m not a child, Nikolas, and I deserve to know what is going on. If you can’t be open with me, you can go find someone else to train.”
I let out a harsh breath and grabbed her wrist when she turned to go back the way we’d come. “I see you are still the same pain in the ass.”
“Takes one to know one.”
I couldn’t see her face, but I heard the smile in her voice.
“We found where we believe Eli was staying in Portland, and there were signs that the Master could be in Nevada. It’s not surprising since Vegas is the perfect place for vampires to blend in and hunt. We hit a nest in Henderson and that led us to two more nests near Vegas, but none of them gave us anything useful about the Master. Whoever he is, he is well hidden and his followers have no idea where he is.”
She looked at me expectantly. “So, what happens now?”
“Now we train while someone else looks for him. A Master is no small matter, and the Council has made it a priority to find him. They’ve already sent extra teams to the US dedicated to hunting him. It is only a matter of time before he is found.”
We continued our walk until she let out a small gasp and broke into a run. I followed at a normal pace and found her standing at the edge of the lake, glowing with happiness.
I knew how she felt seeing the lake for the first time. I discovered this place a few days after Tristan and I came to the valley, and I used to come here to swim and be alone. I’d even considered building a small house here, but I’d never gotten around to it. It pleased me to know she loved it here too.
“This is incredible,” she gushed. “I can’t believe people don’t come here all the time.”
I smiled. “Not everyone loves the woods as much as you do.”
“Then why did you bring me here?”
“Because I’m not like everyone else.” I sat on a rock and motioned for her to take the one next to me. “Let’s talk.”
She sat hesitantly. “I thought we were going to train.”
“We will, but first I want to talk about your training. Callum told me you don’t seem to want to use your Mori strength or speed.”
“You talked to him about me?” she asked defensively.
“Of course. I needed to understand the problem so we can fix it.”
Talking to Callum had been a good idea. He might not have been the right trainer for Sara, but he was observant. He’d told me she was sensitive about her Mori whenever he tried to talk to her about it, and he suspected she was afraid of the demon. In his defense, he had no idea about Sara’s history or her unique ancestry, which made him unqualified to help her get past her fear.
She gave me a skeptical look. “You think you know what my problem is?”
“I have several theories. The first is that you are so used to suppressing your Mori that you don’t know how to do anything else. Demons are afraid of Fae magic, which explains why your Mori doesn’t fight for control like mine would if I kept it locked away. You need to learn to loosen your control just as you would exercise any muscle. It takes practice.”
“That’s it then?”
“That is one theory.” My gaze locked with hers. “My other theory is that you are afra
id.”
She rubbed her hands on her jeans. “Why…would I be afraid?”
“I was there in the wine cellar, Sara, and I saw what happened when you let your demon out. I also saw the fear on your face when I asked you about it the next day. It terrified you how close the demon came to controlling you. But that would never have happened.” I hated bringing up that night in Portland, but she had to face her fears if she was going to conquer them.
She paled and turned her face away. “You’re wrong. It almost did.”
“No, it didn’t. Look at me.”
Her eyes met mine again, and I saw her distress.
“I would not have let it take you,” I said firmly.
“But if you hadn’t gotten there when you did, I –”
“You would have done it on your own. You’re a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for. The demon might have gained control for a short time, but you would not have let it stay that way.”
Hope sparked in her eyes. “How can you know that?”
“Because I know you. You are one of the most willful people I’ve ever met, and it would take a lot more than a demon to control you. That I know from experience.”
She gave me a small smile. “Are you going to train me to fight without my demon?”
“Today we are going to start with the basics. You will learn to open yourself to your Mori safely.”
She leaned away from me. “I can’t –”
“Yes, you can. This is something every one of us learns to do, and you will, too. You are a lot stronger than the rest of us were when we started.”
I took her hand in mine, hoping my touch would ease her fear. “Do you trust me?”
She nodded.
“And you know that I would never let anything harm you, right?”
“Yes,” she answered without hesitancy or doubt, and it pleased me to know she had such faith in me after all she’d been through.
I released her hand reluctantly. “Good. It might be easier if you tell me how it is that you are able to control your demon. How do you keep your Mori separate from your Fae power?”
Her brows drew together, and it was a moment before she answered. “It’s hard to explain. I can feel the demon in my head and sense its thoughts, or rather its emotions, if that makes sense.”