Page 88 of Twilight Longings

“Eleni.”

“What has she done now?”

“She took her anger at me out on half a dozen men.”

Kadie frowned, then pressed her hand to her heart as she comprehended his meaning. “She killed them.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yeah. Cheyenne will be crawling with hunters soon. I want you to stay away from there until things quiet down again.”

Nodding, Kadie sank down on the sofa beside him. There were stores in Morgan Creek, but mostly small boutique and souvenir shops. For major purchases and clothing, they usually visited the bigger towns where there was more variety. “Any chance she’ll leave Wyoming?”

“There’s always a chance. Dammit, it’s my fault those men are dead!”

“You didn’t kill them.”

“No? Their blood is on my hands. They would be alive now if I’d done what I should have.”

Kadie grimaced. Eleni was a monster. She was ruining their lives. “I’d be glad to see the end of her,” Kadie remarked. “No doubt about that. But …”

“But what?”

She shrugged one shoulder. “If not for Eleni, you wouldn’t be here now.”

“If not for her, I wouldn’t have the blood of six innocent men on my hands.” He didn’t miss the irony of that thought. He had killed a lot of men in his time—some on the field of battle, some to satisfy his infernal thirst, a few just for the hell of it. He had never felt guilty about any of them until Kadie came into his life and awakened a conscience that had been asleep for centuries.

“Rylan, what are you thinking?” she asked.

He took a deep breath and let it out in a long, slow sigh. “Sooner or later, I may have to destroy her,” he muttered.If I can.

The next few days passed without incident. Saintcrow made a quick visit to the house in Casper. There was a House For Rent sign in the front yard and nothing inside to show that Eleni had ever been there. Despite his threat and her hard-won promise, he hadn’t expected her to give up so easily.

When three weeks went by with no sign of Eleni, Kadie suggested they go talk to Izabela.

“I don’t know,” Saintcrow muttered. “I’d hate to be human if Eleni comes back.”

“Maybe, if you were human, she wouldn’t want you.”

Saintcrow stared at her. Maybe Kadie was right. But was it worth the chance she was wrong? As a human, he would be helpless against his sire.

In the end, to please Kadie, he agreed to talk with Izabela. Kadie naturally insisted on going along.

So it was on a Sunday morning that Saintcrow found himself on Izabela’s front porch, once again answering her ubiquitous question.

“We don’t mean you or anyone else in your home any harm,” he said flatly.

Izabela grinned as she unlocked the door and invited them in, giving Saintcrow the impression that she asked that same damn question every damn time just to annoy him.

“Please, have a seat,” the witch said, gesturing at the pillow-cluttered sofa.

Kadie sat close to Rylan, her hand resting on his thigh. She knew she had been in this house before, but never in this room, which was crowded with furniture, knick-knacks, and bookcases crammed full of books, ivory figurines, and a variety of other odds and ends. Dark-green carpet covered the floor. A one-legged crow sat on a perch, watching her through black beady eyes. She scooted closer to Rylan.

Saintcrow glanced around, wondering where the gray cat was, when a tiny black kitten skittered out from under the sofa and leaped into Izabela’s lap. “What happened to the old cat?”

“Alas, my gray lady passed away a few days ago,” Izabela replied, stroking the kitten’s head. “Midnight has come to take her place. Now, what can I do for you?”

“Kadie thinks the Methuselah Stone made her human again when it broke the curse. She’s wondering if it would have the same effect on me.”

Izabela stared at him. “Youwantto be human again? Seriously?”

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