couldn’t accept this. It had to be a mistake.
Her hand shook only a little as she placed it in his. The blackness hit him again, but this time he was ready. He didn’t fight it, merely welcomed it like a rushing stream, letting it flow over him, past him, taking the blindness with it. Slowly, his vision cleared and sharpened, and he found himself looking at Aislin’s pale face, her high cheekbones and blue eyes. So fragile. So temporary. Unbidden sadness coiled around him once more, tightening like a noose.
“Do you see anything now?” she asked, looking utterly confused. “I don’t feel anything except . . .”
“What?”
“You’re squeezing my hand very hard.”
He opened his fingers and looked down at hers, red with the heat and tension of his grip. But instead of letting her pull away, his fingers closed over hers again. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“It doesn’t hurt,” she murmured. “But you’ve worried me. I don’t know why this didn’t work.”
“I do,” he said in a hollow voice. “I know exactly what it means.” He forced himself to let go of her hand as a bitter taste rose in his mouth. “It means you’re going to die.”
CHAPTER SIX
A s soon as she closed the door behind Moros, all the strength she’d held on to in the last few moments evaporated, and her legs gave out. She hit the floor hard enough to knock the wind out of herself. A sudden stab of sorrow pierced her straight through, leaving her clutching her stomach and hunching over in pain.
She’d expected to feel something like this after Moros touched her, but not for this reason. She’d thought she would be dizzy and reeling beneath the weight of her future. Instead, she’d discovered she didn’t have one.
She wouldn’t have believed it, but Moros’s reaction had left no room for doubt. For some reason, he’d looked as stricken as she’d felt. He’d gone from smug to smoldering as soon as he’d pulled her close. She’d been almost sure he was about to kiss her, and she was embarrassed and surprised at how badly she’d wanted him to. But as soon as he touched her, all of that desire had fallen away, replaced by shock.
She hadn’t wanted the pity of the Lord of the Kere. She’d wanted the moment before, when his red-flecked pupils had dilated with need, when his breath had been hot on her cheek, when she’d felt the unmistakable arousal of his body. For a few seconds, she’d pretended that they were two normal people about to become lovers, a secret fantasy she’d had to suppress too many times to count. She’d felt alive, every nerve thrumming and ready.
Maybe that was how impending death felt. Like an overdose of life. Like everything hazy had suddenly come into sharp focus.
“Focus,” she muttered. “That’s what you need to do.” Moros had told her that he didn’t know how much time she had left, but it couldn’t be long. Somehow, she would be stripped of her Charon’s Scope, and then she’d be mortal. She couldn’t bring herself to think of what would happen after that, but she could only hope the Keeper of Heaven would welcome her in. It hadn’t been how she expected their first meeting to go.
She clumsily got to her feet, walked to her home office, and slid her finger across the screen on her desk, bringing up dossiers on every one of the board members, as well as several Ferrys who held powerful positions within the company. She was guessing the board was going to vote her out, and their next meeting was about twelve hours from now. Plenty of time to make calls and gather allies. She’d start with Rosaleen. Though her aunt’s support had wavered, it seemed possible to win her back. She’d been Aislin’s biggest advocate as she maneuvered to oust Rylan as Charon, and she was the only board member Aislin felt could take her place once she was gone. She also needed to call Cavan. His political acumen would come in handy, and the support of the Lucinae would make all the
Her hand shook only a little as she placed it in his. The blackness hit him again, but this time he was ready. He didn’t fight it, merely welcomed it like a rushing stream, letting it flow over him, past him, taking the blindness with it. Slowly, his vision cleared and sharpened, and he found himself looking at Aislin’s pale face, her high cheekbones and blue eyes. So fragile. So temporary. Unbidden sadness coiled around him once more, tightening like a noose.
“Do you see anything now?” she asked, looking utterly confused. “I don’t feel anything except . . .”
“What?”
“You’re squeezing my hand very hard.”
He opened his fingers and looked down at hers, red with the heat and tension of his grip. But instead of letting her pull away, his fingers closed over hers again. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“It doesn’t hurt,” she murmured. “But you’ve worried me. I don’t know why this didn’t work.”
“I do,” he said in a hollow voice. “I know exactly what it means.” He forced himself to let go of her hand as a bitter taste rose in his mouth. “It means you’re going to die.”
CHAPTER SIX
A s soon as she closed the door behind Moros, all the strength she’d held on to in the last few moments evaporated, and her legs gave out. She hit the floor hard enough to knock the wind out of herself. A sudden stab of sorrow pierced her straight through, leaving her clutching her stomach and hunching over in pain.
She’d expected to feel something like this after Moros touched her, but not for this reason. She’d thought she would be dizzy and reeling beneath the weight of her future. Instead, she’d discovered she didn’t have one.
She wouldn’t have believed it, but Moros’s reaction had left no room for doubt. For some reason, he’d looked as stricken as she’d felt. He’d gone from smug to smoldering as soon as he’d pulled her close. She’d been almost sure he was about to kiss her, and she was embarrassed and surprised at how badly she’d wanted him to. But as soon as he touched her, all of that desire had fallen away, replaced by shock.
She hadn’t wanted the pity of the Lord of the Kere. She’d wanted the moment before, when his red-flecked pupils had dilated with need, when his breath had been hot on her cheek, when she’d felt the unmistakable arousal of his body. For a few seconds, she’d pretended that they were two normal people about to become lovers, a secret fantasy she’d had to suppress too many times to count. She’d felt alive, every nerve thrumming and ready.
Maybe that was how impending death felt. Like an overdose of life. Like everything hazy had suddenly come into sharp focus.
“Focus,” she muttered. “That’s what you need to do.” Moros had told her that he didn’t know how much time she had left, but it couldn’t be long. Somehow, she would be stripped of her Charon’s Scope, and then she’d be mortal. She couldn’t bring herself to think of what would happen after that, but she could only hope the Keeper of Heaven would welcome her in. It hadn’t been how she expected their first meeting to go.
She clumsily got to her feet, walked to her home office, and slid her finger across the screen on her desk, bringing up dossiers on every one of the board members, as well as several Ferrys who held powerful positions within the company. She was guessing the board was going to vote her out, and their next meeting was about twelve hours from now. Plenty of time to make calls and gather allies. She’d start with Rosaleen. Though her aunt’s support had wavered, it seemed possible to win her back. She’d been Aislin’s biggest advocate as she maneuvered to oust Rylan as Charon, and she was the only board member Aislin felt could take her place once she was gone. She also needed to call Cavan. His political acumen would come in handy, and the support of the Lucinae would make all the
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