Page 26 of God Touched

"But you put me across the hall from you," Imogen pointed out and instantly regretted it.

"And that bothers you?"

Yes.

"No. I am only curious as to why you did it."

Arawan glanced over his shoulder at her. "You are mortal. The closer you are to me when my court is about, the safer you are. I didn't want to worry about you."

Why worry about me at all?That was what she should have asked, but she had a brain-to-mouth communication problem again.

"Do you have sex? I mean, you're dead, aren't you?" she blurted out.

Arawan snorted, which could've meant anything. "I'm a godofthe dead. I'm not living like you, but I'm not dead like them either."

"Is that your way of saying no, you don't have sex?"

His smile was a sharp flash of white in the gloom. "Why do you ask?"

"I thought you would have a bunch of wives or a harem running about."

Arawan slowed his steps and turned slightly. "How do you know I don't?"

"A dude with a harem wouldn't be so pouty. You're grumpy all the time, so I concluded it was because you couldn't have sex."

"My ancient enemy is back and preparing to attack Annwn. I have good reasons to be grumpy that have nothing to do with sex," Arawan argued. He gave her an intense look that had parts of her going tingly. "And some that do."

He turned around and stalked further into the cave, leaving Imogen staring at him like a dumbass.

You had to ask, didn't you?

"I know where they came from," Arawan called, and she hurried to catch up to him. The cave opened up into a vast cavern. It smelled awful and thrummed with leftover magic.

"Do you think they were hiding in here?" she asked.

Arawan knelt to study the splashes of black goo on the sandy floor. The horde creatures had smeared it all to hell with their trampling, but Imogen had been around enough fucked up dark magic in the last month to know a sigil when she saw it.

"I think they were summoned here, and they weren't a part of the original horde of Morrigan's. It's like their maker's mark was different," Arawan replied, standing once more.

"Aneirin could have made them. My sister Charlotte believes he had the power."

Arawan nodded. "Hafgan did too. Like me, he could control all manner of wraiths and ghouls…" He looked around at the cave, eyes going wide. "Get out, Imogen.Now."

"What's—" she began. The ground trembled underneath her feet, and a clawed hand burst through the earth.

Arawan whirled around, his eyes burning a ruby red. "I saidnow!" he shouted, and she bolted back the way she came.

Imogen's heart was pounding, adrenaline and fear making her legs pump faster. The tunnel began to lighten behind her, and she looked over her shoulder.

"Fuck!" she screamed.

The cave was full of fire, coming up hot and fast. Imogen slid around a sharp bend, smacking against the slick wall. Sunlight blinked in front of her, and she ran for the opening and jumped.

Flames licked at her back, and power shoved her forward, sending her sliding across the frozen lake's surface. A fire roared out of the cave for ten seconds before it vanished.

"Arawan…" Imogen scrambled across the ice, her boots finally finding purchase on the bank. The cave's stone walls were still steaming, but she didn't care.

Was the fire his power, or was it a trap? He could still be in there in pain, burned to a crisp and stuck between some horrible life and death place. No, no, no…

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