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CHAPTER SIXTEEN

"This would have been a lot easier if you hadn’t takena tunnel out of the cave The wax kept dripping onto her hand "Ouch!"

"Lift it up a little higher"

Her shirt had been ripped beyond repair during the fight, so he’d given her his Baojia only wore a pair of pants while he dug through the sandstone rubble She had to admit, the vieas nice Well, what she could see of it, anyway

"You have super strength, right?" She watched as he hefted a boulder the size of a Saint Bernard out of the way "Shouldn’t this be going faster?"

He turned, frustration evident on his dark features He pointed to his chest "Water vampire" Then he spread out his arms "Desert!"

Natalie bit her lip and tried not to se"

He blinked, obviously not expecting her answer Then she saw hiht I’o fast We’ll be out of here soon"

"Can I help?"

"You can hold the light, Natalie"

"Don’t you have super night vision, oh elemental creature of the dark?"

He spun and walked toward her "I have excellent night vision when there is sorabbed the candle and set it on a rock nearby "Moon Stars" He grabbed her and pulled her to his chest "But there is no light down here None"

He bent down and kissed her, 8">eyHe grabbedhis lips hard with anger, then softening when she melted He did this to her In his arms, she felt like the center of the world She reached up to hold his shoulders, because her knees actually felt weak Finally, he pulled away "Now be quiet and hold the light" Then he shoved the candle back in her hand and went back to work

She swayed a little, leaning against a boulder to regain her balance "Okay"

Ho had this happened? She’d fallen Hard Natalie had thought she was going to die the night before No h the desert searching for Brigid and Beatrice with no thought of leaving alive She’d had the Taser, at least And then Baojia had come Furious She’d seen him cut off the head of her attacker with one stroke It was… otherworldly He was otherworldly And then he wasn’t He was aherself Desperate to feel alive Giving her…

Do you understand?

He hadn’t said it ords Watching the strong, silent ht never give her words But she could probably live with that, because she had a feeling he would give her everything else