Page 142 of Seduce Me in Shadow

Rhea struts toward the door on four-inch stilettos, as if she was born in them, then leaves the room with her head held high—taking the book with her.

It doesn’t reappear on my lap.

My stomach sinks. I’ve lost magickind’s greatest weapon and put it in the hands of a madman who will likely use it to kill me and all the Doomsday Brethren, including Caden. My reckless need to tell the story and my voracious curiosity to help the amazing world of magic has been my downfall. Why didn’t I listen?

It’s my last thought before darkness overtakes me.

Caden

After free-falling through black weightless space, I slam to the ground in a cold field. Fresh snow has fallen, and it seeps under my clothes. Every exhalation mists the chilly air. The crisp smells remind me of the north country. I have no idea how far I’ve traveled, but I reach inside and search for Sydney. My senses tell me I’m close.

Her earlier panic has given way to muffled unease. I pray she’s used her cleverness to somehow sidestep imminent danger and buy me time. If anyone can, it’s her.

Sydney’s presence guides me closer, closer with each step through the dark. I’m thankful for the moonlight reflecting off the snow for lighting my way.

Beyond spindly trees, a huge estate rises in the distance. More Italian Renaissance than Middle Ages, the beautiful limestone structure glows. She’s in there, my Sydney. I feel it, just like I know if I trek too close to the perimeter, I’ll set off magical traps.

I must tread carefully. I’m a trained Marine, capable of finding and disabling security. But Mathias’s protections will be vastly different than anything I encountered in the Middle East. Still, nothing is impenetrable. Thinking with my magical senses will be critical.

Magic buzzes through my system, races through my veins. My legs are wobbly after the teleportation, and my energy level won’t last. But I have to stick it out. Failure isn’t an option.

I skirt the perimeter of the building, looking for traps and holes in the security. I encounter a wall, presumably for humanssince it does nothing more than put off a “keep out” vibe. It includes a mild electrical surge—enough to deter a normal human.

Too bad for Mathias I’m not “normal” anymore.

Closing my eyes, I let my senses crawl around the ten-foot wall. Simple.

While I don’t know the limits of my magic, there’s nothing I won’t do if it helps me reach Sydney. For all I know, I’m bloody Superman. When I was a tot, my mum made it sound as if I would be. I’ve already performed some magic, like lifting Sydney’s password off her computer and sending a wall of glass flying into the Anarki. How hard could leaping a wall be?

I jump—and quickly discover that when I tap into my magic, clearing ten-foot walls is no problem. It’s bloody easy, in fact. One step closer to Sydney.

The instant I land, there’s a shift in the air. I see something unexpected. No, someone.

Shock.

He strides toward me as if rising up out of the mist. Even at night, he wears those blasted sunglasses. “Stay quiet. I’ll sneak you past the alarms and take you to Sydney.”

“Why should I trust you? You had Anka under your roof and in your bed—probably for days—and you told no one. Nor did you return her to my brother.”

“She was mine before your brother stole her from me,” he growls. “I owe Lucan nothing. She was abducted and hurt on his watch. It won’t happen on mine.”

I mull Shock’s words. In all likelihood, that’s how he sees the matter. But that doesn’t annoy me any less or make me trust him any more.

“I don’t give a shit about your tender sensibilities,” Shock mocks. “If you want to save Sydney, I’ll take you. If not, piss off.”

I glare at the leather-clad wizard. “You intend to help me, just like that?”

Shock looks past me. “You come alone?”

The truth merely gives Shock the green light to overpower me. But Shock will only read my mind if I lie.

I nod. “This is my fight.”

He raises a skeptical brow above those dark sunglasses. “So Bram, Lucan, and the others are leaving you to rescue Sydney and the book by yourself?”

“They don’t know either is missing. She’s my responsibility. The book isn’t my first priority.”

“But you’re not leaving without it.” It isn’t a question.

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