her his feelings. When tears glimmered in her eyes, he thought he might have succeeded.
She closed her eyes briefly and turned away.
Abby heaved a huge sigh. "There was a time when I would have agreed with you that demons don't exist. But Darafer is real. I met him. I saw him blast a guy off a cliff with just a flick of his hand."
"He's the one who made Abby's mom sick," Gregori added. "He admitted that he invented plagues. He gets his jollies out of watching people suffer."
Abby shuddered. "He's scary as hell. He was behind the assassination attempt on my father."
Leah blinked. "Someone tried to kill your father?"
Abby nodded. "You never heard about it because my father had it hushed up. He thought the killer wanted fame, so he made sure he didn't get it." She made a face. "Darafer knew about it. He bragged that he was the one who had twisted the killer's mind."
Leah's eyes widened. "So he's really a . . . ?"
"Demon," Gregori said. "Yes."
Her face paled.
Dougal stepped toward her, and she moved back. "I'm okay."
"Are you?" he asked softly.
She shook her head. "I always knew evil existed. But I always saw it as something vague and shadowy, floating here and there without purpose, randomly causing people to commit terrible acts. I never thought of it inhabiting a powerful being with an agenda." She shuddered. "The world keeps getting stranger. And more dangerous."
"Aye, lass," he murmured. "But ye doona have to face it alone."
Her eyes met his again, and he winced at the pain glimmering in their golden brown depths.
"That's right," Laszlo piped in. "We're here for you."
She sighed. "Just when I think I have it figured out, and that I've adjusted to everything, something new gets thrown at me."
"Try not to let it bother you," Gregori said. "There's no reason you should ever have to meet Darafer."
Leah shuddered, then took a deep breath. "Let's get on with this then."
"Brave lass," Dougal whispered.
She winced. "Not so brave." She moved closer to the stretcher.
Was she ignoring him out of fear then? Dougal tightened the restraints while Abby placed sensors over the soldier's heart and major pulse points, then connected them to a monitor.
"Here we go." Abby injected the soldier.
In a few minutes, the soldier's eyelids flickered. His fingers twitched. Suddenly, his eyes popped open and his hands fisted, straining at the belts that tied him down.
He growled something in Chinese, glaring at them all. He twisted on the stretcher, pulling hard against the restraints.
Leah spoke softly to him. His eyes narrowed on her, rage causing them to glimmer.
She continued to talk, then gave him an encouraging smile and pat on the shoulder.
"Why should I believe you, bitch?" he growled. "You stinking whore!"
"You damned fool." Dougal seized him by the neck, his prosthetic hand clenching tight. "She's trying to save your ass. Talk to her like that again, and I'll kill you."
"Dougal?" Leah stared at him, her eyes wide.
"Dougal!" Abby shouted. "Let go! You're killing him."
His hand tightened, and the soldier's face turned a mottled red.
"Dougal!" Gregori shoved at his shoulder. "What are you doing? We need him alive!"
He ordered the prosthesis to release, and it did. The soldier gasped for air, and the others exhaled with relief.
"Oh, dear." Laszlo tugged at a button. "Why did you attack him like that?"
Dougal stepped back. Damn it to hell. What had he done?
"You spoke to him in Chinese," Leah whispered.
"That was Chinese?" Gregori looked stunned. "I thought it must be Gaelic. Why would a Scotsman know Chinese?"
Dougal squeezed his eyes shut. Dammit! He hadn't realized what he was doing. He'd heard the soldier abusing Leah, and the next thing he knew, he was choking the bastard. "I-it was an accident."
"You accidentally spoke Chinese?" Abby asked dryly.
He winced. "I dinna mean to." He motioned to the soldier. "Can ye give him the injection? He's being verra still and cooperative now."
Gregori snorted. "Yeah, because he almost died. Why did you attack him all of a sudden?"
"He was cursing me," Leah explained, then gave Dougal a pointed look. "You understood it."
With a groan, he dragged a hand over his hair. The secret was out.
"How interesting." Laszlo twirled a button. "When did you learn Chinese?"
"I doona discuss it." Dougal headed for the door. "If ye need me, I'll be in my office."
Chapter Fourteen
How on earth did he know Chinese? Leah tensed with frustration. Once again, she was finding it impossible to concentrate. All she could think about was Dougal. Why had he never