Page 10 of Rekindled Prophecy

After one more sip of wine for courage, she set the glass down, tucked her dagger back in its holster, and stood to leave. If she could not take him out now, and he was not going to reveal any helpful information, there was no point in sticking around. The creature may be handsome. He may make her still-human heart beat a little too fast – okay, more than a little too fast. All that added up to the fact that she needed to get away from him so she could clear her head. Jasper had been right. When faced with Kael, either kill him or run.

Why, oh why did he have to be the one to show up here? And why did he have that self- satisfied smug look on his face?

“Now, Greylyn, there’s no reason we can’t sit and enjoy some good wine and conversation. You don’t want to disappoint your friend, do you? She has such high hopes for us. As soon as you called to say you were on your way, she didn’t hesitate to kick me out ofyourroom. The sweet old girl talked you up like you were a goddess …” He winked. “… well, she was right about that.” Pausing to pour another glass of wine for himself, Kael turned back to her. “Of course, Maureen asked plenty of nosy questions about my availability. She was thrilled to hear that I am currently unattached but looking out for that special someone.” He chuckled softly.

Greylyn gaped at him.What the hell?

“Really, we should at least give her something to hope for and make it look good. Come on, love … for Maureen. It’ll be fun.” His velvety voice made the offer tempting, but warning sirens were already screeching loudly in her head.

Run, Greylyn. Run.

A sigh of exasperation escaped her. Her inner smartass recovered from the fuzzy state of mind that afflicted her since stepping into the gazebo. “It’s always fun and games with you, isn’t it? Until I smack that smarmy grin off your face anyway.”

His golden eyes twinkled mischievously, and his eyebrows arched slightly. “Love, you can do whatever you wish with me. But yes, I do enjoy our little games.” He reclined against the wooden bench and crossed his feet at the ankles, all the while his gaze roved over her body. “Why not sit back and enjoy the storm rolling in? We don’t even have to speak to each other. Just bask in the storm’s energy.”

Greylyn had not noticed how quickly the earlier storm clouds had moved in and how dramatically the wind had picked up. Kael had that effect on her. In his presence, she solely tuned into him and not to her surroundings. A fact that had been her downfall in earlier confrontations with him, more than once. She reprimanded herself to stay focused, while digging her nails harder into the palm of her left hand, piercing the tender flesh.

Rain pounded the metallic roof of the gazebo, like pennies from Heaven. A flash of bright light illuminated the tenebrous sky. Resounding thunder followed, shaking everything around them.

For a moment, Greylyn saw the lightning mirrored in his eyes. She shook her head to rid herself of the image.

Great! Now she was imagining things.

He warned, “It’s too late to go running for cover. Let’s just sit here and wait out the rain. Surely, there’s something we can discuss … in a civilized manner.”

Greylyn felt a pair of cornflower blue eyes peering at the two of them from the manor’s covered veranda. Maureen was watching. No killing Kael with an audience around.

After years of being subjected to his torment, she would have to endure the insufferable man for at least one more go-around. But that did not mean she had to loiter in a gazebo with him, pretending to be friendly. It was dangerous, in more ways than one. The gold flecks in his eyes beckoned her closer, not just to him but to the edge of her own sanity.

She drew in a long, refreshing breath to ease the ache in her lungs. Breathing out, a sliver of calm returned. “Rain doesn’t frighten me, Kael. And neither do you. This little confab is over.” Pivoting, she stepped out into the torrential storm.

Instantly soaked, she steeled herself to keep marching right back towards the house, away from him. She felt his eyes boring into her back. It was as if he reached across the distance to trail a finger lightly down her spine, leaving a delicious tingling sensation that raised goosebumps over her entire body.

Just as Greylyn cleared the grove, another, more powerful, surge of electricity pierced the air. She whipped around just in time for a lightning bolt to strike the ground a few yards away. The ground shook as the resulting thunder boomed and echoed through the valley. A flash of fire quickly quenched by the rain. The ground blackened in a loose oval pattern.

The charged air amplified her senses. Her heartbeat against her ribcage in frantic time to the raging rain. Adrenaline coursed through her body in waves. The smell of the singed grass tickled her nose. Every rain drop hitting the earth resounded loudly in her ears. Water washed over her head, down her body as if she stood directly under a waterfall. Everything seemed brighter, more vivid. Every detail of her surroundings accentuated.

Was it from the lightning strike or from the energy radiating from the being in the gazebo?

Greylyn could not be sure. It mirrored the energy surging between them. Her eyes locked with Kael’s.

Rain pelted her body, and the wind whipped her hair around in all directions. But to her, everything stopped. All sound. All motion. Greylyn no longer felt a thing except his burning stare. It was achingly painful. Every molecule of her being hypnotized by his eyes. For that moment there was only Kael, everything else faded to black.

Another loud crack of thunder severed the invisible tie that bound her to him. Wrenching her gaze away, Greylyn turned back towards the main house. Her heart screamed to run, but her mind forced her feet to steadily retreat to a place of safety.

***

Kael sat back down on the bench, poured himself another glass of wine, and watched her go with a faint smile. He had watched her walk away many times. This would not be the last. But this time, he meant to have some real fun. This time was for keeps.

Chapter 4

The Reign of Terror

Back in her suite in the Carriage House, Greylyn shook with pent up fury…at herself for allowing the dark guardian to affect her. Again. She fought to recall all the horrors Kael had caused over the centuries. Doing so was her only hope to salvage the rage and redirect it towards the true enemy. She needed to keep the current situation in perspective and to prevent her feet from betraying her and running back out to the gazebo.

What the hell was wrong with her? Her heart hammered in her chest like theMy Generationdrum solo by Keith Moon from The Who. Back in 1967, the drummer had placed ten cherry bombs in the drum kit for added effect. Yep, that was what her heart felt like right now.

Come on, Grey. Think of the worst possible evil Kael has ever accomplished.