Page 122 of Kiss of Light

Tala ended the call and handed the phone back to the bemused jogger. He’d almost run into a tree when she’d stepped out of nowhere in her high heels and tiny dress.

“Thanks for letting me borrow this,” she said. “Where are we, exactly? I’ve lost my bearings.”

“We’re up near the North Woods. Um, it may not be safe to wander through there at night, ma’am.”

“Thank you, I’ll bear that in mind.”

“Um, would you like me to take you somewhere? We could maybe get a drink and I’ll call you a cab?”

She had to admire his chutzpah. The guy was barely out of his teens with the remnants of childhood acne still on his face.

“No, thank you. I can manage.”

“Oh. Well, um, it was nice meeting you, ma’am. Goodnight.”

Disappointed, he replaced his earbuds and sprinted off. She sank onto a park bench and removed her sandals.

She’d never come through the Palissandra Gate before, for obvious reasons. But it waswaymore convenient than the Nush’aldaam one.ThatGate was located in a Norwegian forest. This one opened up straight into Central Park.

If it had worked out with Lemar, they could have split their time between his palace and her Brooklyn apartment.

She caught her lip between her teeth, the sharp tang of loss making her wince. She’d always known they weren’t meant to be together, hadn’t she? Vassago had just confirmed her fears.

Lemar needed… no,deserveda partner better than some hastily created demon who wasn’t even sure what love felt like.

She gathered up her heels and started walking barefoot towards the nearest park exit. She lacked the energy to shimmer. She just wanted to sink into the back seat of a yellow cab and wallow in misery while it drove her home.

She’d throw herself into work. That would distract her. Denny had told her a couple of new contracts had come up, easy money for someone of her skill. She’d take a night or two to lick her wounds and eat a few gallons of ice cream, maybe some of D’s amazing cheeseburgers, then she’d pull herself together and…

She was lifted bodily off her feet. Strong arms closed around her and carried her off the path into the trees. They were moving so fast, the momentum pressed her tight against a hard chest.

Lemar.

“Stop it! She squirmed against him and kicked out. He slammed her against a tree, pinning her there with his body.

“You left me,” he ground out.

“I had to. I’m not right for you.”

The bark scraped the skin on her back. She pushed against him but he didn’t budge.

“You decided to go without discussing it with me?”

“Your father said…”

“My father has admitted he was wrong.”

“He’s not wrong. Don’t you see? Maybe it’s not an issue now but in a hundred years, a thousand, you’ll resent me for not being able to… to be a proper mate.”

“How dare you assume what’s best for me,” he snarled.

“I don’t want you to hate me. I couldn’t bear it.”

Unexpectedly her vision blurred. She blinked, unsure what was happening at first. Then she realised. She turned her head away but it was too late. Lemar had seen them.

“Tears, shaitun? I thought your kind didn’t cry.”

“I’m not crying.” Now her voice was wobbly. What the fuck was wrong with her? “Let me go, Lemar. Go back to Palissandra.”

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