Read Online Starfire by Kate Douglas - Free Book Online Page B

Romero—called Romeo by the staff of young women who worked for Daws—was young, handsome as sin, and good with both animals and their people. He’d been more than happy to take charge of the clinic.
    With his more mundane worries covered, Daws headed to the main room—and Selyn. She sat in front of the big screen TV with BumperWillow sprawled on the couch beside her. The dog—and, most likely, her symbiotic guest—slept, but Selyn was totally engrossed in a program on the Discovery Channel. Tiny red frogs enlarged to fit a fifty-inch flat screen crawled across thick foliage in some far off jungle. Equally engrossed, Dawson leaned against the doorjamb and crossed his arms over his chest, watching Selyn.
    She leaned forward, sitting on the edge of his old leather sofa, elbows planted on her knees, long fingers cupping her face. Her hair fell in ebony waves over her shoulders, down her slim back, to curl softly against the leather cushions.
    The loose neck of her cotton scrubs shirt had shifted to one side, baring her left shoulder and the fine line of her collarbone. With the late afternoon sunlight slanting through the window, her skin took on an almost reddish hue against the faded fabric.
    Her concentration on the program was absolute, and he wondered what she thought. All of this was so new to her. It must feel both terrifying and exciting, to be faced with an entirely new world, all new experiences … new people.
    She was so lovely she made him ache. So achingly innocent she terrified him. He felt drawn to her on too many levels—wanting to protect her, to teach her, to take her and make her his.
    And that is something I cannot do.
    She was his to protect. No more. She was an immortal, a woman who had known—for more lifetimes than he would ever live—nothing but slavery. A woman who, while accepting the friendship of those who were helping her, still burned for revenge.
    He’d watched her watch Alton, had felt her rage when they spoke of Artigos and their desire to save him. She blamed the chancellor for her mother’s death and her own horrible life.
    With damned good reason, Daws thought, though if Alton’s father were truly demon-possessed, the man himself might be as much a victim as Selyn. Not guilty at all. What a mess.
    Selyn tilted her head, almost as if she’d sensed his presence. She turned away from the big screen and watched him with an unsettling stare. He wished he knew what she was thinking, what she thought of him.
    Blinking slowly, she asked, “Will that room be strong enough to hold the chancellor? I would hate to think he could break free after the risk Alton and Ginny are taking to get him out of Lemuria.”
    At least Daws knew he was on safe ground here. “He can’t get out. That was my veterinary clinic when I first opened my business. Since I kept restricted drugs here for treating the animals, I had the windows reinforced and barred, and a good lock put on the door. There’s a bathroom in there, and he’ll have access to an intercom when he’s ready to contact us, but it’s definitely secure.” He gestured at the television. “He’s even got a TV in there, though it’s not as big as this one.”
    “He can compel you to do as he says. All Lemurians have that ability. What if he forces you to unlock the door and set him free?”
    Dawson shook his head. They’d discussed that issue already. “It won’t matter,” he said, “because you’re here. He can’t force another Lemurian. You’re my ace in the hole, Selyn. You’ll be the one in charge of the key to the room, not me.”
    Selyn nodded. Then she stood up and walked to the window. Dawson had always loved the view from here. The dark red, wind-shaped stone of Cathedral Rock soared majestically against the blue desert sky. Juniper, Mediterranean cypress, and a couple of scraggly ponderosa pine trees framed the formation. A row of silvery century plants marked the edge of the drive to his home. Cacti dotted the