the pond. She would have a better chance of knowing what to do than Lynsay did.
The fork in the road just ahead led to the big house. It couldn’t take her twenty minutes to walk there, even carrying a swan. Abigail had often complained to her that she didn’t sleep until the wee hours of the morning, so Lynsay wouldn’t be disturbing her. And Lynsay had walked these woods all her life: she felt perfectly safe doing it alone at night.
Her mind made up, Lynsay turned off the car and locked it, then returned to the swan. It seemed to be waiting for her.
“I can take you up to the big house,” she explained, knowing it was silly to expect it to understand. Maybe the sound of her voice would be soothing. “There used to be swans living on the pond there so Abigail will know how to help you.”
The swan ruffled its feathers, apparently waiting.
Lynsay crouched down in front of it and lifted it into her arms. For all its size, it wasn’t that heavy, and its feathers were wonderfully soft. The swan laid its wings on her arms, such a gesture of trust that Lynsay was amazed. When she stood up, it twined its neck around hers. Lynsay felt the warm soft feathers where her scarf had been and saw the swan lay its beak on her chest, right over her heart. It sighed then, as if it felt safe. She smiled as she started to walk, carrying her burden with care.
The swan was right to trust her. She would take care of it as best she could.
Hadrian felt the firestorm and in the instant before Rania appeared, his heart thundered with anticipation. He’d returned her bichuwa to her so she could defend herself, knowing the risk, but instead of taking the opportunity to pay her debt to Maeve, she’d saved him. She’d taken back the kiss of death and it had to be because she knew the firestorm was right. She was his destined mate, his partner and his complement.
They were going to be an amazing team.
She manifested on the other side of his kitchen counter, the firestorm lit to brighter radiance, and he grinned. “Rania,” he whispered, savoring the sight of her, and her eyes widened.
“How do you know my name?” she asked with suspicion.
Balthasar shook his head and went to get a beer. “I’ll never get used to that,” he muttered and Alasdair chuckled.
Hadrian didn’t worry about his fellow Pyr. He concentrated on Rania. “Your mother told me, in the realm of the dead.” He frowned as he wondered at his own words. “How did I get from there to here? Did you do it?”
“I took back the kiss of death. I hadn’t even known it was possible, but I guessed and it worked.”
“It sounded plausible,” Balthasar said but Rania and Hadrian ignored him. “Any gift can be retrieved, and it makes sense that a curse could be undone by the creator...”
“Shut up,” Alasdair muttered. “Let’s go outside.”
“In the middle of the night?”
Alasdair gave Balthasar a hard look. “Yes. I need some fresh air.” He jerked his head toward Hadrian and Rania and Balthasar sighed. He put back his unopened beer and the two Pyr left.
Hadrian thought it was about time.
Rania moved to stand beside him and he felt taut with need. Her eyes were shining and she smiled slightly as she reached up to run her fingertips over his cheek. Her touch made him simmer and shiver at the same time. “The mark is gone now.”
“Why did you do it?” he asked. “My death should have fulfilled your bargain.”
She frowned, her gaze clinging to his. “But it was wrong,” she said with quiet heat. “You were in the realm of the dead because Maeve killed you. She wanted to cheat me and keep me in her service. You were right: I think that was her plan all along.”
“So you brought me back to do the dirty work yourself?” Hadrian didn’t really think that but he had to ask.
Rania, to his relief, shook her head. “I like you being alive.”
“That’s all?”
She opened her mouth and closed it again. “I like how you all work together, how you support each other. I’ve always been alone.” Her hand stayed on his shoulder, the white sparks of the firestorm dancing between them. She moved her hand, playing with them, driving Hadrian crazy. “Alasdair offered to sacrifice himself instead,” she said, then raised her gaze to his. He saw