Page 7 (1/2)

Zoltan groaned "I didn’t know you would be so relentless"

"I didn’t know you would be so lax when it comes to your own safety" Howard crossed his ar"

Zoltan wondered what it would take to send the were-bear into hibernation "Milan, tell the guides that the east wing and toill be off the tour while renovations are being done Construction will begin on Monday, so this will affect the next tour on Tuesday"

"Will do" Milan ht say so, the tourists will be very disappointed to miss the main attraction in the tower"

"Oh, that reminds me" Elsa turned to Zoltan "Alastair is worried that the wooden box we built around the h protection if a stone wall collapses He thinks we should move it to a safer location like the chapel Then it can reht, but be careful--"

"Wait a minute" Howard lifted a hand to stop him With a stunned look, he looked at his wife and then Zoltan "There’s a mummy?"

"Oh yes" Milan nodded as he made notes "A very old mummy Very popular with the tourists"

Howard ran a hand through his hair "This place is crazy"

Zoltan gave him a wry smile "Welco the were-bear behind, finally speechless

Chapter Five

The boy was near death, his body bleeding and bruised, an angry red burn seared across his back Neonain as much of his pain as she could endure In the distance, where the village and castle were located, s bodies e, she placed a hand on the boy’s burned back Fire sizzled up her ar for air, she looked around her dark one-room house She was home in Beyul-La Far, far away from that terrible ht filtered through an open , lending just enough light to make out the shape of two chairs and a s her clothes rested at the foot of her bed Another trunk sat at the foot of Minerva’s bed across the roorief swept over her, leaving her cold and numb

"Minerva," she whispered "Who will listen to ht? Whom can I trust with my secrets?"

Sleep had been difficult since the battle teeks ago When Neona would finally fall asleep, she drea up in the valley, running through the green pastures, laughing, playing in the stream But the dream would always take a sinister turn, and she would see Lord Liao’s sword plunging through her sister’s chest, see her sister falling to the ground Then Neona would wake up with tears strea so ht had been different Why, after all these years, would she dream about that boy? It had been a horrendous day, full of death and destruction, a day she’d tried hard to forget

"Why did I have that drea what her sister would say

Did so different happen to you today?

"Yes," Neona whispered "I met a man A man so special I couldn’t tell anyone But I would have told you"

Silence

Tears filled her eyes "Itto shield my heart So I would remember what happens if any of us chooses aher nerves, she wiped her cheeks It was a good thing Zoltan had disappeared She was too vulnerable right now, too easily swayed by a false sense of affection She would have to be strong The price of losing one’s heart to a man was always the same Death and destruction

Innocent or killer? The question reverberated in Zoltan’s , and he was in his office in Budapest, reading a report But the words on the page kept blurring before his eyes as his brain replayed last night’sover and over

TheThe kiss He would recall hoeet Neona had tasted, how strong yet delicate she had felt in his arhness and tenderness Her words had been bold, but her body had tre would slice through hisit to shreds Then he would recall how she’d attacked him at first He’d been unarmed, but she’d shown no roan, he tossed the report on his desk Innocent or killer? Which was she? Who were the women of Beyul-La? Was it a convent? But he’d never heard of nuns ent around ravishing and killingcult? Why did they have arrows similar to the one that had killed his father? Were they descendants of the ones who had e? It seeht have discovered a centuries-old cult of fe in a place called Beyul-La

Had Neona attacked him because he’d ventured too close to their home? The leopard had said men weren’t allowed there They would kill him if they found him there

He did a search on his co cah, and it meant "hidden valley in the Himalayas" The example cited was called Barun Valley, and the photo looked similar to the valley he’d seen Green and lush, surrounded by snow-peaked mountains The local people, the Sherpa, called such a place sacred Paradise on earth Fantasies were told of hidden valleys like Shangri-La, where the people never aged and lived forever in peace and har peaceful or har to protect her, and she’d clobbered him At least all the injuries he’d incurred had coain? God, he wanted to He’d enjoyed talking to her He’d really enjoyed kissing her But would she be glad to see him or try to kill him?

He’d never know if he stayed here in Budapest Unfortunately, he had a full schedule of ht, and then he had to return to his townhouse, where the ballroom was used twice a month for Coven Court

As Coven Master of Eastern Europe, he had to preside over the proceedings, pass judg his constituents Occasionally, soet out of hand and he’d have to borrow soo after the law and order And building a successful business He owned the old castle and surrounding area in Transylvania and a great deal of real estate in Budapest, Hungary, and Sofia, Roood Work kept hiet that he was alone He solved other people’s problems, protected theols On and on, for centuries

He leaned back, closing his eyes He was tired Tired of the sa on into eternity It was times like this when he sorely missed his old friend Istvan