Page 359 of Flirting with Darkness

“Are you so certain?” Dalcour answers darkly, rubbing his gloved hands together. “I have it on good authority there are more important things other than your worthless stone.”

My eyes narrow as I sense movement on the other side of the room. Lux’s brother and a woman I saw with him last night, step out from the shadows. Remaining away from the slivers of light, the two hold a large duffle. For a minute I worry for Rae’s safety, but I know too well Elysian would never put a member of his family in danger.

“But then again,” Dalcour continues with an ominous shrill. “There yet remains another stone.”

No.It can’t be.

My heart nearly sinks when I see Lux’s brother and the woman pull out Moirai’s stone from the bag.

Stepping toward me, Dalcour’s crimson eyes glow as he casts a cagey grin. “It’s like I said, Ferryman. More important things.”

25

RAE

My nerves are a wreck. We’ve skated around the lake more times than I can count, and each time I look toward my uncle’s office building. I haven’t seen anyone go in that direction. A part of me says that’s a good thing. With Kharon maintaining his invisibility no one should be able to see him.

I can only hope he’s found his obol and is making plans now to retrieve his sister.

As annoying as my brother is, I can’t imagine anything happening to him. He’s my twin and I love him with all that I am. Even now, as I watch him and Stephen skate hand-in-hand like lovebirds, my heart flutters knowing he is happy. While Stephen is a man of few words, he seems to be time enough for Ross. Insisting my brother take classes in hospitality management, he’s been instrumental in gearing Ross up for one day asking my uncle to take a bigger part in the operations of the Bed and Breakfast.

Truly, Ross is my uncle’s best bet. Winter only dreams of opening up her own school for supernatural children. Who knows whether Melchior will return to his Indiana Jones-like antics, looking for rare supernatural finds? As for me, if I could ever get my plans to open a bakery off the ground, I’d gladly help with the breakfast side of things along with my brother. We’re probably my uncle’s only hope in caring for his legacy.

But as happy as I am watching Winter, Lux, Stephen, and Ross, I once again feel like the odd one out. I kept up with Ross and Stephen as much as I could, but with me glancing at Uncle El’s office, my pace slowed, and they went ahead.

“I’ll be right there,” Stephen shouts to his brother Sam, who calls to him from near the wooded lot. Sam runs the lumbermill nearby and my uncle contracts out Christmas pine work to him. Although they’re all part of the human faction of nobles in the Regency, Sam prefers to stay away from supernaturals altogether. It’s no wonder he stands on the other side of the fence refusing to come close. By the bewildered look on his face, he’s rather wary of Lux and a few of the other wolves.

I wish he knew he had nothing to fear. Lux actually seems rather chipper and fun. Which is exactly what my cousin needs. Oddly enough, I’m sure the same stare he’s giving Winter and Lux is the same one I’ll get from my family when they find out I’m in love with the Ferryman of the Netherworld. All I can hope is for them to one day see Kharon for who he truly is. Not the monster they think him to be.

“Hey you!” Ross surprises me, rushing to my side. “Why are you all misty-eyed all of a sudden?" Taking my hand, Ross leads us back to the side bench. After he helps me to my seat, he huffs and plops down beside me. “Okay Pippin,” he smiles, tapping the bridge of my nose. “Tell Merry all about it.”

As I start removing my skates, I can’t help laughing. Memories of me, Ross, and Win playing dress up with Aunt Vivian’s clothes score through my mind. Uncle El called us that after our aunt went all Gollum on us when we dropped her ring down the vent. Of course, he named Winter, Arwen, but Ross and I affectionately became Merry and Pippin from that day forward. All these years later, I guess it stuck.

Running a hand through my hair, I exhale hard. I haven’t a clue where to begin. Folding one leg over the other, I palm my face. My nerves are a mess! All I can do is crack a faint smile while leaning my chin to my wrist.

“Wow!” Ross gasps. “This mystery man, I assume it is a man—” he stops. I nod, blinking twice for yes. “Well whoeverhe isclearly has you at a loss for words. I need to find and thank him at once. I mean my little chatterbox of a sister is actually quiet.”

“Little?” I sit up, crossing my arms and feigning a frown. “You may be tallest, but I was born more than a whole ten minutes before you and your stubborn ass made an appearance.”

Leaning his forehead to mine, he smiles. “You know me. I love to make an entrance. But tell me this, whoever he is, was he kind? Did he treat you like the queen that you are?” Ross lifts a cautious brow, awaiting my answer.

“Better.” The word rushes out like a gust of wind, hitting Ross smack in the face.

“Well damn, Curly Sue! Somebody got their world officially rocked to near heaven!”

Tossing my head back, I laugh. The same giddy feeling from before takes over. “Oh it was heaven. And it was hell. But then, Ross, then—it was bliss!”

My brother’s hazel eyes nearly pop out of his sockets. The faint freckles of his caramel-coated skin form a perfect figure eight around his nose as his mouth drops open. “Okay, I need details! Who is this man? And I need those details now.” Ross squeezes my knee, and I sit up, ready to spill it all.

“Well, it looks like the lovebirds are leaving us,” Stephen says, coming up to us from behind. Ross and I look up, surprised to see Winter and Lux heading toward the cabin near the lumberyard. “Didn’t you hear them say they were leaving? Lux said he had a surprise for her. Sam came to tell me they cleared the cabin for them. He’s still so scared of supernaturals. I don’t know why. I told him Lux was cool.”

For the first time since I’ve seen Ross and Stephen together, Ross pays his beau no mind. Instead, he keeps his pointed gaze aimed at me.

“Oh okay,” Stephen continues as his gaze shifts between us. “Did I just walk up on some twin thing?”

Blushing, I bite my lip and look away from my brother. I’m not sure I’m ready to divulge all the details.

“I’m waiting, missy.” Ross says, giving me his no-nonsense stare.

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