repulsed him? No! No way!
That kiss had been a riot, a volcanic eruption. Forget
fireworks, she had experienced a nuclear explosion, and now she was left
sizzling. Lorcan had lit a fuse that he really needed to ignite.
“Tani!” Morana’s voice cut through the chill of the night. “I’ve
been looking for you everywhere. What are you doing out here?”
“N-nothing.” Tani could hear the tremor in her own voice,
her legs still unsteady beneath her. She tried to mask her emotions. “Just
getting some air.”
Morana’s catlike eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Lorcan was
looking for you.”
“He found me,” Tani replied as evenly as she could. “He just
left.”
“Oh!” Morana’s expression turned to one of surprise. Tani
straightened her stance. “Morana, I’d like to go now if that’s okay? It’s been
a long day.”
“Sure,” said Morana. “But are you all right? Did something
happen?”
“I’m fine.” A blatant lie. “I’m very tired. I think the
excitement of the last few days is catching up with me. I just need to sleep.”
To sleep. But not to dream. Tani returned to Morana’s, knowing that the minute
she closed her eyes, his face, his arms, his lips would be all she could see.
All she could feel. His imprint so strong it was tangible even now, seeping
right through to the core of her being. He had branded her with his kiss and
now its fire was burning out of control.
* * * * *
“So. Has the Taijitu materialized yet?” Lorcan Rodach’s
voice growled across the room at his hostess. They were in Morana’s library,
Lorcan having arrived at the townhouse moments earlier after missing Tanith at
the club. His excuse to the tired servant who opened the door in the early hours
was that he was returning an item of jewelry Morana had accidentally left
behind. His profuse apologies had led the servant to show him into the library
where Morana, still awake, sat perusing a book by the fire. And if she appeared
rather flustered and disheveled, he made no comment, his mind luckily for her
more focused on the other female who occupied this building.
It was now early morning, and the light from the purple Ophiuchi
dawn cast shadows that filtered lazily through the gauzy curtains that Morana
had flung open with a flourish when Lorcan was announced.
Morana gazed at Lorcan speculatively. He was voracious in
his need to know. Eager. So eager it made her laugh. She knew what game he was
playing. She had always known what kind of man Lorcan Rodach was. As she
considered Tanith Laska, upstairs sleeping and innocently unaware of how many
predators were circling for a kill, she almost felt sorry for her. Almost.
But Morana didn’t do sorry. She wouldn’t feel bad about
playing both sides of the equation. Eunomi—Discordants, who cared, as long as
it gave her power? The wealth was good too. But it was the power she
really craved.
“Be patient, Lorcan. You have only recently met. These
things take time to unravel. Have you kissed her yet?”
“Of course.” His reply was indignant that she should think
otherwise. “In your garden, earlier today. That should have triggered the
marking.”
No visible signs of strong emotion. Lorcan really was cold.
Selfish. Well, that was to be expected. But he had his uses. As the son of
Phenex’s mistress, he was an occasional ally. She watched his back and he
watched hers. She didn’t need to like him.
“How do you find her?” asked Morana, curious as to his
reaction on meeting the female who was his destiny.
“What do you mean?” Lorcan’s brows snapped together in
confusion at the question.
“I mean, do you like her, do you find her attractive?”
“She’s desirable. There will be plenty of interest. Ultimately
she will go to Choronzon and he will claim her essence either by persuading her
to the cause or by force.”
No regret. No pity. Utterly selfish. Lorcan did not appear
to care that Choronzon, leader of the Discordants, would suck the girl
That kiss had been a riot, a volcanic eruption. Forget
fireworks, she had experienced a nuclear explosion, and now she was left
sizzling. Lorcan had lit a fuse that he really needed to ignite.
“Tani!” Morana’s voice cut through the chill of the night. “I’ve
been looking for you everywhere. What are you doing out here?”
“N-nothing.” Tani could hear the tremor in her own voice,
her legs still unsteady beneath her. She tried to mask her emotions. “Just
getting some air.”
Morana’s catlike eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Lorcan was
looking for you.”
“He found me,” Tani replied as evenly as she could. “He just
left.”
“Oh!” Morana’s expression turned to one of surprise. Tani
straightened her stance. “Morana, I’d like to go now if that’s okay? It’s been
a long day.”
“Sure,” said Morana. “But are you all right? Did something
happen?”
“I’m fine.” A blatant lie. “I’m very tired. I think the
excitement of the last few days is catching up with me. I just need to sleep.”
To sleep. But not to dream. Tani returned to Morana’s, knowing that the minute
she closed her eyes, his face, his arms, his lips would be all she could see.
All she could feel. His imprint so strong it was tangible even now, seeping
right through to the core of her being. He had branded her with his kiss and
now its fire was burning out of control.
* * * * *
“So. Has the Taijitu materialized yet?” Lorcan Rodach’s
voice growled across the room at his hostess. They were in Morana’s library,
Lorcan having arrived at the townhouse moments earlier after missing Tanith at
the club. His excuse to the tired servant who opened the door in the early hours
was that he was returning an item of jewelry Morana had accidentally left
behind. His profuse apologies had led the servant to show him into the library
where Morana, still awake, sat perusing a book by the fire. And if she appeared
rather flustered and disheveled, he made no comment, his mind luckily for her
more focused on the other female who occupied this building.
It was now early morning, and the light from the purple Ophiuchi
dawn cast shadows that filtered lazily through the gauzy curtains that Morana
had flung open with a flourish when Lorcan was announced.
Morana gazed at Lorcan speculatively. He was voracious in
his need to know. Eager. So eager it made her laugh. She knew what game he was
playing. She had always known what kind of man Lorcan Rodach was. As she
considered Tanith Laska, upstairs sleeping and innocently unaware of how many
predators were circling for a kill, she almost felt sorry for her. Almost.
But Morana didn’t do sorry. She wouldn’t feel bad about
playing both sides of the equation. Eunomi—Discordants, who cared, as long as
it gave her power? The wealth was good too. But it was the power she
really craved.
“Be patient, Lorcan. You have only recently met. These
things take time to unravel. Have you kissed her yet?”
“Of course.” His reply was indignant that she should think
otherwise. “In your garden, earlier today. That should have triggered the
marking.”
No visible signs of strong emotion. Lorcan really was cold.
Selfish. Well, that was to be expected. But he had his uses. As the son of
Phenex’s mistress, he was an occasional ally. She watched his back and he
watched hers. She didn’t need to like him.
“How do you find her?” asked Morana, curious as to his
reaction on meeting the female who was his destiny.
“What do you mean?” Lorcan’s brows snapped together in
confusion at the question.
“I mean, do you like her, do you find her attractive?”
“She’s desirable. There will be plenty of interest. Ultimately
she will go to Choronzon and he will claim her essence either by persuading her
to the cause or by force.”
No regret. No pity. Utterly selfish. Lorcan did not appear
to care that Choronzon, leader of the Discordants, would suck the girl
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