Page 41 of Legacy of Chaos

Okay, weird. Why hadn’t he summoned her to his office?

Her stomach fluttered a little as she walked to the exit. They hadn’t exactly parted on good terms last night. Not that she cared. She just didn’t like having to face him after her dramatic exit.

When she stepped out of the lab, he was standing at the end of the hall in front of the wall of windows, his gaze fixed on Sydney Harbor several stories below. He swung smoothly around to her, his broad shoulders filling out a tailored black button-down shirt, the sleeves rolled up to reveal his tan, thickly muscled forearms.

Her gaze climbed upward, and she drew in a quick breath at the intensity in his dark eyes. His chiseled jaw, bruised and swollen just last night, now looked as hard and perfect as ever. His entire face had healed…even the deep cut on his dark brow.

“I need a favor,” he said. Nohello. Nohi. No,sorry about being such a dick.

She ground to a halt a few feet away. “You’re kidding, right? Why would I ever do you a favor?”

He let out an impatient huff as if she was being oh-so-tedious. “Maybe I should have been, I don’t know…moreappreciative. Last night, I mean. But right now, I need your help.”

His lame attempt at an apology amused her. He was so, so bad at it. Someone wasn’t used to making amends, was he? Well, it was fun to watch him squirm, and she wasn’t going to make anything easy for him.

“Sorry, I’m busy.” She spun around, but he was suddenly in front of her, his big body blocking the corridor.

How had he moved so fast? Seminus demons were way more agile than she’d thought. It made her wonder what else she didn’t know about his species.

“It’s an emergency,” he said. “And only a Cyberis demon can handle it.”

Well, that was interesting, but hell if she would admit it. So, she merely gave a nonchalant shrug. “And what is this emergency?”

“I’ll tell you on the way there.” He turned toward the elevator and gestured for her to follow. “Come on. We’re already taking longer than I’d like.”

She wanted to tell him to take a hike, but her curiosity overpowered her better judgment. It was the story of her life, and the reason she got herself into trouble a lot. She stepped into the elevator and rode in uncomfortable silence to his office.

“Now what?” she asked as they exited the lift.

He quickly strode across the floor, clearly expecting her to keep pace. “We’re taking the Harrowgate.”

“Where?”

He waved her into the gate and followed her inside. “To Aberdeen.” His fingers deftly flicked across the maps, and then he entered a private code. “Probably should have grabbed jackets.”

“My species is tolerant to most temperature extremes.”

“Excellent.” The gate opened onto a dark airport tarmac, and they stepped out into stinging rain and shrieking wind. He took her hand. “Hurry!” he yelled against the roar of the weather as he led her across a helicopter pad to one of two waiting choppers.

Her feet splashed through puddles, but at least she’d chosen comfy flats today instead of heels. Still, it would take forever to dry them out.

As they approached the aircraft, an attendant opened the lead helicopter’s side door and helped them out of the storm and into luxury.

Soaked and dripping, they took seats at a table sitting opposite each other. The attendant handed them warm towels, which Cyan took gratefully.

“Are you going to tell me what we’re doing?” She patted her face dry as she peered out the window. The driving rain made it difficult to see much except blurry lights from vehicles and a nearby building.

“We’re flying out to an oil rig in the North Sea.” He ran the towel over his hair, leaving it messy…and strangely charming. She’d never seen him look anything less than perfectly composed.

Aside from the beating last night, of course.

She started wiping her arms. “You own an oil rig?”

“I took control ofSea Stormfrom a gas company after it drilled into Sheoul.”

She froze, the towel at her elbow. “It drilled into Hell?” Gooseflesh prickled across her skin, and her mouth went parched at the very idea. She’d kill for a Perrier right now. “How is that even possible?”

His expression became as stormy as the weather. “We think they either discovered an unknown, inactive hellmouthor breached a weak spot in the membrane that separates the demon and human realms.”

---