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The sun was just begi
“You are entertaining men in your house? Should I be jealous?”
I opened my eyes, blinking in the sunlight shining onto the couch. Someone stood in front of the window, and all I could see was the silhouette of someone tall. “Huh?” I squinted and shaded my eyes. “Ryan?”
The figure laughed, and I went cold. Not Ryan. He stepped forward and now I could see the heavy fall of white-blond hair, the angelic features, the exquisite beauty. He was dressed in shirt and breeches, much like the first time I encountered him, except that this time the breeches were black leather and the shirt was a shimmering green that seemed to catch the light and toss it back into the air. Trepidation stabbed through me as I sat up. “Rhyzkahl. This is another dream, right?”
He smiled brilliantly. “Can you not tell?” He stepped closer and then dropped fluidly to one knee, reaching and stroking the back of his fingers across my cheek, sending a hot thrill of sensation through me. “Do I feel like a dream?”
My breath shuddered in my chest. “You … you felt real the last time, but that was only a dream.”
His eyes flashed in amusement. “Was it? Perhaps that was real and everything after has been a dream.” He leaned into me, breathing against my neck. “The line blurs, does it not?”
I pulled back. “Don’t fuck with me like that,” I said. “I didn’t summon you, so this must be a dream. You’re not really here.”
“Does it matter if I am here or not?” His voice was soft and silky. “You still can find pleasure from my touch.”
“Pleasure isn’t everything.”
He sat back slowly, regarding me. “An existence without pleasure would be difficult to bear.”
I found myself smiling. “True enough. Perhaps I should have said that sexual pleasure isn’t everything.”
He inclined his head in acknowledgment of my point. “There are infinite pleasures in this existence.” He stroked a finger along my jawline. “I would share many such experiences with you, if you would allow me.”
I took a careful breath. “If I call you to me.”
“Yes. There is little that can be done in this dream state.”
But I knew now what such a call entailed. I struggled to change the subject quickly, before he could press me further. “Actually, there is something you might be able to help me with.”
One perfect eyebrow arched silkily. “Go on.”
I felt suddenly giddy. “I was going to do a summoning tonight—of a low-level demon. But since that didn’t work out, maybe you could share a measure of your knowledge with me?”
He laughed. “I have much knowledge, my darling Kara. What could you possibly desire to know?”
“I saw some runes today on a body, and I was wondering if you could tell me what they are.” I watched him carefully.
He sat gracefully on the floor, with one knee up and an arm draped across it. “I am intrigued, dear one. Tell me more.”
I leaned forward. “They were on the body of a young woman. She’d been tortured and murdered, and I could see arcane traces that had been left behind.”
Rhyzkahl tsked softly, shaking his head. “Such a pity.”
I looked at him sharply, oddly jarred by the tone of his response. His expression showed the proper sympathy, but his voice had been utterly devoid of it. “Yes. It is,” I said after several heartbeats. “She suffered an agonizing death, and I’m trying to find out who did it. So would you please look at these runes for me?”
His blue eyes glittered. “Of course, dear one. Run and get them for me.”
I leaped to my feet and ran for my notebook before I even realized I was moving. I seized my notebook off the table, though the thought occurred to me that I might not be able to read if this was really a dream. And would I be able to remember what he told me? This was getting complicated.
I returned to him and quickly flipped the notebook open to the pages with my drawings, then handed it to him. He stood, looking down at the notebook, ru
After what seemed like an eternity, I cautiously cleared my throat. “Lord Rhyzkahl, can you tell me what they are?”
“I can,” he said, voice suddenly dark and dangerous, all trace of laughter gone. I drew back from him, unaware at first that I had done so.
“They are sigils of control, of binding,” he continued.
“So, um, her killer used the runes to control her?”
He bared his teeth and I could feel his forming anger. “No. These are for control of another.” He flicked his hand and the rune shattered, fragments of light spi
My throat felt as dry as the Sahara. “Who?” I dared to ask.
He snarled, a wave of fury flowing from him that sent me backing to the wall. His aura swelled, choking me with its potency—an anger even more deep and horrifying than when he’d come through my portal. I slid down the wall, curling in on myself, mewling in terror as the consuming aura of rage and anger smothered me.
I could hear a distant pounding, but the menace and vehemence rolled over me, choking me. Hands grabbed at me and I struck blindly at them.
“Kara!”
I struggled to breathe through the suffocating mire of my fear. More hands clawed at me, pulling me deeper.
“Kara!”
I screamed, flailing against the grip on me. Then pain exploded in the side of my face, and in the span between one heartbeat and the next, the fury was gone.
I gasped for breath, blinking in the light. Someone was shaking me, shouting my name. I felt another stinging blow on my face, and I threw my arms up to defend myself.
“Goddammit, Kara, wake up!”
I lowered my arms cautiously. Special Agent Kristoff stood over me, his hands gripping my upper shoulders, a baffled and worried expression on his face. “Jesus Christ, Kara! Are you all right?”
I gulped and sat up, looking furtively around the room, even though I knew that he would not still be there. I let out a ragged breath. “Holy crap.”
“Are you all right?” he asked, still holding my shoulders, face etched with concern. “I pulled up to the house and I could hear you screaming from outside. I had to break down your front door. I thought you were being eviscerated or something!”
I dragged a trembling hand across my face. “No. I mean, yes, I’m all right. It was just … just a nightmare.”
He slowly released me and straightened. “That must have been one hell of a nightmare.”
I shuddered. “Yeah, I guess you could say that.” Not really a nightmare. I just had an unshielded taste of a furious Rhyzkahl. My throat felt dry. I’d just had an intense reminder of what he was and what he was capable of.
I looked up at Ryan, suddenly wary. “What are you doing here? Are you serving a search warrant?”
An expression of utter confusion crossed his face. “A what? A search warrant? What are you talking about?”
I crossed my arms over my chest, begi