Page 38 (1/2)

A fuzzy-feeling s, I tucked his hair behind one of his pointy ears as he hung oversunrise since the drapes at the French doors to the garden were open, and it made his eyes dark He was himself but different "I like you best this way," I said, seeing hi of soap from his shower before he’d coers and kissed the tips "The sun doesn’t wait for lovers or villains Up or not?"

I groaned, gaze on the elaborately painted ceiling of horses and the hunt The sun had risen on the East Coast alo, and we both wanted to know if the demons and vampire souls had been pulled back to the ever-after "Up," I said, and his smile widened at the pained sound inup at dawn, but I was starting to becohts were slow Horrors, as ain "I’ll see if the coffee is going," he said as he rolled to the edge of the bed, and I watched hiht outlined his skin, accenting his abs and thighs defined by his horseled eous body tamed by the years, more mature but no less attractive Yes, I wanted to be there, but as I looked at the shadowed opulent rooant lushness and attention to detail, I had a hard tier than a weekend On the few occasions I’d been here without Trent, I’d felt lost, as if I was curling in around sonize or have a need for ainst the headboard, I watched him hike his slacks up My God, theto miss you today," I whispered

Trent’s smile vanished briefly as he put his shirt on Head down over the buttons, he said, "Believeit with you Just because I have the right to speak before the dewar doesn’t mean they have to listen" He worked the last button and tossed the hair fro my heart stop with his smile "You want to try toat it and seeing that I’d gotten a call froent and I set it back down I’d been planning on spending the day with Jenks and probably Ivy at the church to find out e’d lost and what could be salvaged "Only if you’re really available," I said as I scrunched back down into the war to have time for a coffee, much less lunch"

The bed shifted as he sat next toto be across the river There lance It’s easy to stand by and do nothing, even when you know it’s wrong, harder when someone calls you out on it If we have a wave of suncides this , it will be easier" My smile froze, and he looked up, one sock in hand "That’s not what I rim, he put his ankle on a knee I’d seen him do it a hundred times before, but never to put his sock on "That doesn’t make me feel any better or this any easier"

I was silent,his back as he leaned over his foot "Trent," I said softly, re ers fuht me still "Ah, why do you ask?"

"I had a weird dream"

His s concern, which only fueled my own "Not unusual when you’re woken up early," he said, words a bit breathy as he dragged a shoe out froht"

"Really? What part?" I scooted farther back, against the headboard "When I tried to throttle Cincy’s head vaht at me when he sat back down beside me "When the mystics found you Rachel--"

"Oh God It’s bad, isn’t it?" I said

S, he cupped ht be sparkling just because you’re glad to see me"

Crap on toast, it was bad My hands clenched themselves, and I looked at them, twisted about themselves into a knot inme to hi not to cry I hadn’t called theht, and I was exactly where I’d started The elves hated Trent because of me, and with the mystics, I’d probably lost the de apart, and I couldn’t stop it!

"You’re not hearing anything, are you?" His words shifted my hair, and I shook my head What happened in a drea rip on me shifted, and I looked up to see his relief "Then you’re okay," he said,my heart almost break that he cared that much "Promise me you’ll tell me if you do"

"Pro asleep, and e of the bed behind hih, not with Trent holdingme he loved me without even a word "What ti shifted, his shoulders tensing "Nine forty-five"

It was only a few hours away "I’o "If it wasn’t forto you and you could have stopped this before it started"

Trent’s eyes widened "Is that what you think? Rachel, if not for you, then I’d probably have been the one to start it in the first place I like who I a it’s been since I did? Listen toover to find my eyes "You and I are an excuse for the dewar to try and wrestle control away This would’ve happened regardless"

"But not to this extent," I said, and he collapsed in on hi my hands between us as he chose his next words "You can’t be the Sa’han if you’re with me," I said miserably "They won’t let you"

"It’s just a title," he said, but even I could hear the lie

"One that gives you a voice, one that people follow"

His lips pressed into a resolute line "I’h this Besides, if the deh," he said, a hint of worry tugging at the corners of his eyes

"Maybe," I said miserably I will not cry I won’t!

"The deht ht beside the the Sa’han, then what is?"

The depth of his colooingthrough ether I can’t do it alone I don’t want to"

My eyes closed as I soaked in his warainstI took another breath, and that fast, my desires flipped to another direction I licked ot a good tenover htie I had over here "They won’t have any real information about Cincinnati for at least twenty"