The memories had kept her intimate – and sometimes incessant – company in the months they’d been apart. She’d find herself staring off, lost in the ghost sensation of his kiss, or plagued with an almost feral desire that filled her mind with images so erotic she near scandalised herself.
She hadn’t just been awakened supernaturally in Estwood.
The feelings returned now in the slow, hot tide she’d tried so hard to keep at bay. It wasn’t helped by the fact she was sitting in a room that was proof of his goodness: the gifted items he kept from creatures who’d been grateful to have been saved by him, or pieces of his past so he could be reminded why he did what he did. And the reminder of everything he’d done for her after her transformation. How he hadn’t raged against her when he learned the truth, but hesawher,heardher. Was probably the only being that could understand her.
And now he was harbouring them in his townhouse and betraying the Wake.
Risking himself.
That thought cut through everything else and sent a little defensive part of her rearranging the blocks around her heart.
‘I’ve been thinking about a contingency plan,’ Kyan said, ‘to makesure the Wake don’t think I’m stalling on purpose, but it’s … unusual. We don’t have to do it if you’re not comfortable.’
‘Tell me.’
He paused, only for a searing moment. ‘I hunt you.’
Her stomach clutched with a complicated reaction. Confusion. Intrigue. Almost … excitement? ‘W-what?’
‘It would be fake. We’d stage a run-through somewhere I know the Wake have eyes or cameras, and you’d escape me. I could use it to buy us more time and claim your awareness of me made you harder to find again.’
She scanned all the honed, immortal bulk of him that, if they went with this plan, would get so much closer. But it meant she would also see another side to him in the process.
The tracker.
Thehunter.
‘I think it could work,’ she said, swallowing around a newly dry mouth, her pulse skipping slightly. ‘We’ll have to let the others know so they’re not worried, but I think it’s a good idea. If you think it’ll be convincing?’
He nodded, his chest caving with a released breath. ‘All right. But you – you’re okay with it? I don’t want you to be scared.’
Her lips curved up. ‘I’ll be fine. Besides, it’s you. And, I—’ She didn’t even know what to add. These new parameters of their closeness were still unclear. How close was she allowed to get? How much more was she allowed to say? ‘—I trust you.’
If it was possible, his eyes both softened and darkened.
‘There’s something else I want to try,’ he said.
Kyan reached below the table, bringing his face closer to hers, and Nicole nearly jumped when his knuckles brushed the outside of her thigh. Heat lanced up her leg, but he wrapped his hand around the edge of the seat and tugged her closer.
‘I want to see if you can Influence me. Some powerful Empyreals can Influence others, and it might be a tool you could use, in case …’
In case something goes wrong.
Her chest tightened.
Her mother could Influence other Empyreals. With her own unusual combination of Seer and Empyreal abilities, perhaps she could, too.
‘Can you?’ Nicole asked.
‘I’ve managed it. But I haven’t tested it like your mother would have. There are a few factors to it. The mental fortitude of the Empyreal you’re Influencing is important. How susceptible they are, and how much they want to do what you’re telling them. How much older another Empyreal is. But most often it doesn’t work on our kind at all, which is why your mother was such an exception.’
Her mother was an exception at everything. How lonely that must have been, for so long. And when she finally found a home, she was—
Nicole swallowed.
‘Can Callum do it?’
Kyan chuckled. ‘Callum can get anyone to do anything, but he keeps that skillverysecret. Sometimes I don’t know if it’s just natural charm, or Influence.’
