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Unless she rapped in his ar, passionate creature who burned as hot as the sun

"I’," he inforers stroked down the line of her throat, relishing the feel of her smooth skin "I have a e could pass the time"

"You’re covered in mud," she chided, but he didn’t miss the tiny spark of heat deep in her eyes

He leaned down to brush his lips along the curve of her ear "There’s a creek just over the hill," he told her, his superior hearing able to catch the sound of shalloater as it danced over rocks It was all too easy to i off Nefri’s clothes so she could play mermaid "You could washthe breeze "Maybe later"

He nipped the lobe of her ear, careful not to draw blood His possessive fascination with the fe to take the risk of ht disappear back behind the Veil

He’d been abandoned by his sire and then again by this feain

Instead he concentrated on the delectable taste of her jasmine-scented skin "You promise?"

"We’ll see," she teased, her voice a husky invitation

He muttered loords of need as his lips stroked down the line of her jaw His hands gripped her waist, but before he could yank her hard against his stirring body, a warning prickle brushed over his skin

On instant alert, Santiago stepped back far enough to pull his sword free The air felt charged with electricity, as if lightning was about to strike

Not a va fla didn’t strike hiaze searching thepowerful

With his senses on full alert, he didn’t an to form around the diamond Still, he wasn’t prepared for the massive jewel to abruptly disappear at the same ti at the black hole that hovered in the space between the two halves of the tree "What’s that?"

"A doorway" Nefri sent hilance as she moved forward "Stay close"

Reluctantly he fell into step behind her "We’re not about to tuave a soft snort "Weird version?"

"Okay, the first version was pretty weird," he conceded, his knuckles white as he gripped the hilt of his sword

Like any self-respecting va that the black hole washis teeth, he forced his feet to carry hi Nefri? He couldn’t back do

Shivering as they o nearly stumbled over his own feet as they stepped into what looked like a throne rooaze skilossed floor of inlaid wood that was framed by ivory walls inset with archeddisplayed an exquisite mural of Aladdin and his laht froilded throne with crih dais On each side of the dais were a old double doors

"Where are we?" he asked in confusion

Nefri continued toward the throne, her air of nobility only eal, a voice whispered in the back of his mind

"It’s a small fold in dimensions," she murmured softly

"A fold?" He followed several steps behind Nefri, giving hi of his sword if they were attacked "I’ve never heard of it"

She slowed her steps, perhaps considering how best to explain the strange phenomenon "You know that Laylah found the babies hidden in what she called a ‘bubble’?"

"I’ve heard the stories"

She waved a slender hand "This is basically the salanced around the roo had closed behind theant sally port

He shuddered, far froe he had no easy exit

"So are we in another diain considered her words "We’re in a sliver of space where our worlds intersect with one another"