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"The nize a specific person or a specific occurrence," Tane explained "It could be that the spell oven to bind the child to the first person to enter the mists"

Laylah had never heard of such a power, but then again, her foster s hidden

She thrust aside the meic All along she knew that her poere that of a gypsy, not a witch

Later she would sort through her tangled ee nuts," she said "I could hear his tantruh the solid iron walls"

A cold so?"

"Are you kidding o A feeeks after I found the baby Sergei suddenly got spooked" She abruptly held up her hand as his lips parted with the predictable questions "Don’t askeach others’ hair and sharing our intiht he caed "I woke up in Rome"

"Ro a city so heavily populated by deh as she reht from his lair

"I think his choice was ht out escape plan" She shivered "And I can’t say that I bla Aunt Marika on his tail That woman would riation

No doubt he was trained during the Spanish Inquisition

"Did he have a private lair in Rome?"

Laylah shook her head Her brief ti held hostage in the Siberian lair She’d traded an iron cell for a spellbound closet and silver shackles that had coe

"No, we stayed with the local witches," she said, her voice thick with rehtened as Tane moved to place a protective arm around Laylah’s shoulders

She didn’t know if he disapproved of Tane touching a nasty rel, or if he didn’t like public displays of affection

And she didn’t care It felt good to have a little support "They allowed a forbidden demon into the coven?" the older vas Hey, as new?

"Sergei was careful to keep me hidden in his private rooms Besides they were terrified of him If it wasn’t for Caine I would no doubt still be locked in that damned closet"

Tane shot her a startled frown "The cur rescued you?"

She wrinkled her nose "I’m not sure if rescue is the proper word Let’s say that we er brushed her cheek, his touch co "How did he find you?"

"One of the witches was his lover and she hoped to impress him with the ‘Jeannie in the Closet’ Caine returned the next ree to be his …" Her lips twisted as she remembered the handsoant dog" Tane growled

She tilted back her head, startled by the raw fury that glowed in the honey eyes

"I thought you didn’t know Caine?"

It was Styx who answered "The vampires have yet to claiuest"

Eek

"Why do I suspect that’s not a good thing for Caine?" Laylahheld my mate’s sister as a prisoner" Styx’s dark tone warned of pain for anyone stupid enough to hurt his mate Ridiculously, Laylah briefly wondered what itdemon Darcy must feel … what? Cherished? Empowered? Smothered? Perhaps a combination of all three? "A crime he will eventually pay for," Styx continued, unaware of her inane thoughts "But for now I think we have et you away fro pharmaceuticals," she admitted Over the years the cur had s that hue juice and while he was knocked unconscious we slipped away"

Styx looked surprised "The e was done in by a rophy?"

"Trust ed"

Tane narrowed his eyes "Did you stay with Caine in

Rome?"

"No, Caine sent me to his lair in America so his private witches could keep me hidden" She smiled When she’d arrived in Caine’s lair outside of St Louis it had see that was heavily wrapped in disguise spells, and she often went years without speaking to another But her rooh, and best of all, she and the baby were safely hidden from the world

Oh, and a wide screen TV and five hundred channels of free cable

Not bad

"I didn’t see hiain until he arrived in St Louis with a baby Were" "Harley," Styx said

"Yes, but he refused to speak of where she came from or why he was so protective of her," Laylah hastily infor her on any inforotten his hands on Harley and if he’d said anything that involved Darcy’s other sisters Apparently one of the quadruplets was still"I’m sorry, I don’t know anythe truth of her words

"Tell me about the child," he at last said abruptly She sed a sigh The King of Va if not relentless Like Chinese water torture

"There’s nothing to tell The baby’s wrapped in a stasis spell that I can’t penetrate I’irl"

Tane tilted her chin back to study her with an unreadable expression

"Are you sure it’s alive?"

Ah, he thought her loneliness had driven her to carrying around the ht have been insulted if there wasn’t a real possibility she would have gone stark raving mad without the baby to concentrate on instead of her miserable existence