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He glared at her.
“Oh, oh!” Neeka exclaimed. “I see you walking the shore of a peaceful stream. Water flows smoothly over golden rocks. Fish breech the surface, eager to glimpse you. Flowers bloom as you pass. Branches stretch in your direction.”
The harpy jolted as if she’d been punched in the solar plexus.
“But...” Neeka’s head tilted. Her expression pinched. “A glow is seeping from your pores. It’s slight at first but is steadily intensifying. Oh. Oh, wow. It’s bright. Too bright. Painfully bright.” She sucked in a breath. “The light extinguishes as quickly as it sparked, and a shimmer of stars falls to the ground. I’m searching, but I can’t find you anymore. You’re gone, and there’s no trace that you ever existed.”
“So nothing I’ve done stops it from happening.” The harpy’s shoulders slumped. Her gaze darted to Rathbone. “Don’t ask me any questions. I don’t want to talk about it.”
Neeka, who had no idea what the other female said, opened her eyes and straightened, gearing up to rapid-fire queries; he knew it, because he’d learned her. He trailed a knuckle along her nape, distracting her. Goose bumps rose over her flesh.
He wouldn’t lean down and lick her there.
He wouldn’t.
Daisy’s morose countenance turned defiant. “Whatever,” she said, standing. “Quick reminder. I’m a guest in your home, so you gotta protect me and deal with any baddies who show up. Agreed? Good. I’ll be busy building a machine you’re not gonna ask me anything about.” She marched closer to the throne.
“Hey, Red.” Neeka popped to her feet and jumped on him, winding her legs around his waist. “You wanna talk about Lore’s accusations against me?”
Instant, frothing desire consumed him. By sheer will alone, he kept a portion of his gazes on Daisy as he gripped Neeka’s backside, saying, “There’s no need. If you plan to steal me away, give it your best shot.”
“You don’t think I can succeed?” she asked, grazing the tip of her nose against his.
He savored the sweetness of the action. Her slight weight and soft curves. Her tantalizing fragrance. Her everything. “I think I would rather discuss the shadow monsters.” A much safer topic. Because if ever a femalecouldsucceed in such an endeavor, it was this one.
Could a male be blessed with two fated mates? The very idea left him sputtering internally. Impossible!
“The monsters show up within minutes after Lore revives,” Neeka said, cautious. “They eat harpies, Astra and even you, sparing only Erebus.”
Hmm. A new type of phantom, perhaps? “I will research once we finish here.”
“Silence,” Daisy barked. “Let me concentrate.”
He flashed his oracle in front of the harpy to better supervise the situation. Daisy stared at the throne, her dark eyes lightening, a glow rising from her flesh, growing brighter and brighter until spreading to the throne and the floor, wrapping around them from left to right, front to back. Everything but Rathbone and Neeka. The second the golden illumination covered every inch of gold and marble, the light exploded.
As soon as his eyes adjusted, he realized he stood upon a dirt floor, the marble gone. A small round orb waited where the throne had perched.
The harpy succeeded? Rathbone gave Neeka a swift peck before sitting her on her feet and—no, he stole another and another peck before finally flashing over to swipe up the little round ball. Any remaining tension drained as he studied the perfect translucent circle, a miniature throne room visible inside it, Lore’s remains intact.
“So?” Daisy tossed her arms up. “Where’s my room?”
Needing a moment to figure it out, Rathbone transported his companions to a sitting room upstairs.
“Hey! I know this place. I’ve been here.” Neeka looked around, her eyes widening again. She gasped. “The wallpaper. How could I forget I’d seen it before?”
Pink, yellow, and blue flowers abounded. So what?
Her focus snapped to him, her pupils expanding in a show of desire. He went still. She had gotten hot for him? Because of wallpaper?
“You’ve been here?” he asked.
“Yes. In person and in...” Nervousness and anticipation molded her expression, making his chest ache. “A vision.”
How interesting. He glanced at the wallpaper, then Neeka. The wallpaper. Neeka. She squirmed, and growls erupted in his throat, setting off a chain reaction. Hardening. Heat.Need. Everything flared anew. What had she seen to cause such a primal reaction?
Lowering his chin, he took a step toward her.Will have her now and demand answers after.
“Go on.” Her cheeks flushed as she shooed him off, and he growled again. “Show Daisy where she’s staying.”
