to the bulging muscles in his arm as he held them in place with his mace. He was clearly straining now, calling upon his reserves to resist the vacuum trying to suck her down. How long could he fight it off? And how long would the Mageaan allow her to live and evade their trap? If they realized she had survived the assassination, they would soon be back to finish what the ocean and the demons hadn't been able to complete. Either way, she would die—
No. Ian's eyes flashed with outrage, as if he'd read her mind. Had he? Oh, man, that wouldn't be good! Today is not your day to die, Alice. For once I'm going to get it right and save your cute little ass.
She blinked, his reference to her rear end making her realize he'd been having a clear view of her "cute little ass" and all her other body parts from the first moment she'd encountered him, since she was stark naked. After a flash of embarrassment, she quickly decided that nakedness was not her biggest concern right now. Nothing like death, being hunted by demons, and being swept away by dangerous kisses to make a girl put nakedness further down on the "things to worry about" scale. Right now, it was about living.
Hey. Ian interrupted her thoughts. Did you hear me? I'm not going to let you die this time. I'm stubborn like that, and I never allow a woman to die four times on my watch. Three, yeah, sure, no big deal, but never four.
Well, I'm glad to know that four is your limit, you know, given the situation and all. But how could he promise that? She wanted to believe him. She wanted to have another chance to save Catherine and to live, but she wasn't blind to their situation. He was using his mace as an anchor because he couldn't fight the force of the pull by himself. The surface of the ocean was still so far away. And the truth was, she really wasn't predisposed to defeat death these days. It was pretty damn determined. How? There's no way to swim against this current.
Have faith, sweetheart. I didn't come alone. Then she felt him turn his focus outward as he reached out with his mind in a different direction. She felt the moment he connected with another male. This male's energy was dark and turbulent, almost violent, with flashes of evil so intense that she recoiled.
But Ian didn't pull back. Ry. How about another ride? I got the girl.
About damned time, Ry said. Is she okay?
Ian looked at her and raised his brows, telling her to answer the stranger. What was going on? She wasn't telepathic. How was she connecting with both of them? Suspicion rolled through her, a grim realization that she knew very little about Ian, other than the fact that he'd been present all three times she'd died, and that he evoked emotions and desires in her that she wasn't allowed to have, emotions that she'd felt only once before. That other time, the payment had been brutal, too brutal, and too horrific to endure again. And now Ian was dragging her right back to that place.
Ian. Ry's voice grew darker, almost angry, churning with emotions so intense she knew instantly that this man Ry was close to the edge of demon, creatures she was all too familiar with.
Tell me the angel is okay, he commanded. Now.
Alice went cold. They knew she was an angel? That was impossible.And so very dangerous. Frantically, she shook her head. I'm not an angel.
Ry's relief flooded her once she spoke, as if all he'd focused on was the fact she'd spoken, not her words. She felt him touch her mind, as if searching for reassurance that she was truly all right.
Unease rippled through her at his contact, and she pulled back from his mind as he spoke to Ian. Way to go, Fitz. I'll let you live today. Then a flash of black light flooded the water, and a loud crack echoed violently through the depths.
The effects of Ian's life-infusing kiss fading, Alice's lungs began to burn again as a machete streaked through the water directly toward them. She instinctively tried to duck out of the way, but Ian held her tight. The machete sailed past them down into the chasm, then suddenly screeched to a stop. It reversed direction and started to speed back up to the surface, as if Ry