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She was so not fine.
“Who’s
Eden?” The words slipped from her mouth and even she was shocked that she’d vocalized them.
Jagger’s face went blank and she looked away, embarrassed.
“It’s all right. You don’t owe me anything.” Skye tried to move from his embrace but was held firm. She felt tears begin to prick the backs of her eyelids and she struggled to hold them back.
What the hell was wrong with her? So he had a past. It’s not like she’d never been with anyone before.
His fingers cupped her chin and he forced her face upward.
“Open your eyes and look at me,” Jagger whispered.
Even though Skye wanted nothing more than to fade away and melt into the earth at her feet, she found herself looking deep into the green eyes above her. They were full of pain. And regret?
“Eden was a woman I was … involved with.” He paused and inhaled deeply. She could tell he was struggling with his thoughts, trying to articulate what was in his heart.
“Jagger, really. It’s none of my business.”
She began to wiggle, trying to get away, because the truth was, she didn’t want to hear about Eden.
“She was a member of my unit in Iraq, a young woman who was under my protection.” His voice had changed, deepened, and Skye winced at the emptiness that colored his words.
“I should have stayed away from her, but I was weak and she paid with her life.” He looked down at her then and her breath caught in the back of her throat, nearly choking her.
“Seems to me anyone going to war knows what the risks are,” Skye whispered.
“I failed to protect her,” he continued, as if he’d not heard her words. His eyes were stormy, the green similar to the dark moss that clung to the jungle rocks. “I should never have touched you.”
Skye reached for him then and swept her lips against his in a kiss that was achingly sweet. “I touched you, remember?” she murmured against his mouth. “And really, I don’t need a jaguar watching my ass, I’m more than capable of looking after myself.”
A loud crackle echoed through the air. It sounded like muffled thunder. Jagger reacted instantly and shoved her to the ground just as a huge limestone boulder behind them exploded into thousands of fragments.
“Jesus fuck,” he shouted, rolling to the side and taking her with him. “Go!” he shouted, pushing her away, the mist already crawling up his body. “Now. Shift, and get the hell out of here. I’ll find you.”
Another energy blast, one heavy with dark magick, shook the earth floor violently, downing several large mahogany trees.
“Now,” Jagger shouted once more, his voice ending in a snarl when the animal inside of him took over, erupting with a fury as black fur began to ripple over his flesh.
Skye was up in an instant, the raptor clamoring for a way out.
She rushed forward, following the jaguar, and heard her eagle cry out as her body began to change.
The wind tore at her hair as she jumped high into the air. Her clothes fell to the earth and she welcomed the power flooding her cells as the great golden eagle was set loose.
Her wings caught the wind and she flew high into the sky, arcing into a circle before skimming the canopy below.
With a savage call, Skye turned and prepared for battle.
Chapter 17
Her eyes quickly homed in on three shadowy forms along the banks of the small stream, several hundred feet from where she’d just been. They were in a triangular format, moving forward slowly with predatory ease. The one in the front, the leader, must have been the bastard that had shot the energy blasts.
They were charmed, their bodies somewhat transparent. To the jaguars below, the invisibility charm would most likely camouflage the enemy totally, making them extremely difficult to hunt.
As an eagle knight, however, Skye’s enhanced vision was a definite advantage. Not only could she see in layers, her eyes had two centers of focus, meaning she could see both in front and to the side.
