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He thought of the meal they’d shared at his home. But he knew the cost of battling. Food was good. So was tapping a vein.
“I’ll explain more at supper. I’ll be taking Holly with me and offering what healing I can. It’s very good to see you again. You were always a favorite of mine.”
He felt an odd flush on his neck as he watched her go. She’d offered him a profound compliment.
Stone approached. “She’s an incredible woman.”
“Yes, she is.”
“So, looks like you’re invited to dinner.”
He heard the hard note in Stone’s voice. Was he remembering? Didn’t matter. Rez had already made his apologies.
Stone changed the subject. “What do you make of this?” He waved a hand to encompass the battlefield.
“I think there’s a chance they were after me.”
Stone’s scowl returned. “Why do you say that?”
There was only one response that mattered. “Holly’s a blood rose.”
Stone muttered a string of invectives. Choice words. Fit for the moment.
“Exactly.”
~ ~ ~
Holly stood in the shower of her mountaintop home. She’d asked Vojalie to bring her here first and yes, teleporting rocked. She couldn’t have made use of the time-path again, not right away. So, she was grateful for the lift.
She was also extremely thankful to be away from Boylbury and the dead Invictus in the street. To a lesser degree, it also eased her to be away from Rez and her growing responsibilities toward her new blood rose abilities. Even now, her heart felt laden again.
But she wouldn’t think about that.
Nothing felt as good, after a prolonged time-path, as hot water beating on the back of her neck and across the tense muscles of her shoulders.
So much had happened in so short a time, she could barely process any of it.
She’d healed a man she’d been craving, then she’d sought him out because of pure sexual need and let him take her against an oak tree. And, she’d fed him.
But it was the experience later in the kitchen that came to mind, of meeting his mother and of hearing Marion speak of the future.
What was going on?
Her head still swam with time-path lethargy. Or maybe she’d entered a new phase in which time was becoming more and more relative.
The night wasn’t over, either.
By the time she left the shower, she was a little more relaxed, yet more confused than ever.
Knowing that Rosamunde, Stone and Rez were waiting for her, she dressed quickly in jeans and a violet silk blouse. Adjacent to the bathroom was a deep, built-in closet, which housed her treasure of over a hundred pairs of shoes.
Her heart beat rapidly as she entered her secret palace. She’d designed her closet with her shoes in mind and adored each pair.
She had something specific in mind. She chose black loafers, Italian, impeccably made, and which could not be purchased anywhere else. The black market was a true guilty pleasure.
As she slid her feet within, she thought the cushioning alone was worth the money. But it was the style she loved with the sweetest pair of tassels juxtaposed with studs across the heels. She wondered if Rez would like them, or if he was like most men and never noticed footwear. Probably the latter.
Her long, tangled locks required some work. She combed out her hair all the way to the ends until it was in a semblance of order. She donned a wide silver, hammered bracelet and amethyst studs. She’d never met a queen before, though technically Rosamunde had resigned her crown when she bonded with Mastyr Stone.
