Page 10 of Tall, Dark & Horny

His smile was slow and wicked. “Then you haven’t traveled far enough yet.”

Something electric sizzled in the air between us. And at that moment, I had the sense that I hadn’t stumbled into this place by accident at all.

His gaze held mine as the air between us shifted—as though something unseen had stirred in response to his words. The chandelier above us shimmered, its glow pulsing ever so slightly, as though the building itself had drawn a breath.

“What was that?” I whispered.

Adan didn’t look away. “The Abyss has its own kind of awareness. It senses things most places never will.”

“That shouldn’t be possible.” A shiver chased down my spine, but it wasn’t fear. Or not completely. More of a dizzy, weightless feeling that came right before your world tilted off its axis.

“You’ll find that the inconceivable is the norm here.”

5

ADAN

Her whisper echoed in my mind.

That shouldn’t be possible.

Her choice of words was interesting.Shouldn’t be.As though some part of her—buried so deep in her consciousness that she wasn’t even aware of it—already sensed the truth.

My demon stirred with a low hum of satisfaction, as if he’d been waiting for the smallest confirmation that she wasn’t fully human. An excuse to claim her immediately instead of waiting. One I ignored because it didn’t matter that I sensed something shimmering under her skin that didn’t belong in a human. Not when Calliope didn’t even seem aware there was likely some supernatural blood flowing through her veins.

And she wasn’t running. Not yet.

There was a flare of curiosity in her pretty green eyes.

The chandelier overhead still pulsed faintly, the afterglow of The Abyss responding to her presence. I let her take it in.

Once I gave her a more thorough explanation, there was no going back for either of us.

Calliope blinked slowly, as though she was trying to reconcile what she’d seen with what she knew. She tugged on a lock of strawberry-blond hair, her brows drawing together in thought.

Her eyes were cloudy when her gaze met mine again, and I knew it was time to explain.

“You’re not imagining things.”

Her head tilted to the side, and she twisted her hands together.

“You’ve stepped into a world most people don’t even know exists.” I leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on the table. “One we go to great lengths to keep hidden.”

Her lips parted, but no words came. An understandable response from someone who had never encountered anything outside the human realm before.

“There is a supernatural world, Calliope. And you’re in the very heart of it. The Abyss is more than just a building. Its stone is steeped in magic.”

Her fingers tightened around her fork, but she didn’t take another bite of the chocolate tart. I could see the questions forming in her expression. Too many for her to even know which one to start with. So I gave her the truth she didn’t yet know how to ask for.

“There’s an entire world hidden alongside what you know. One built on power, ancient bloodlines, and rules older than your maps. It’s carefully kept from human sight. Veiled in illusion and guarded by magic. Most people go their whole lives without ever glimpsing it.”

Her breath caught, and that same shiver from earlier danced across her skin. “I don’t understand. You’re making it sound like you’re not human.”

“Because I’m not.”

She dropped her fork onto the plate with a clatter, and her hand went to her throat as she gasped.

I never expected to be in the position of explaining the supernatural world to my fated mate, and I was in the unusual position of second-guessing myself. Her shock was palpable, a heavy weight in the air surrounding us, but I needed to push forward because there was no going back.

---