Page 30 of Kiss of Smoke

Chloe’s eyes glinted, and her voice rose. “This isn’t funny!” Her gaze darted from me to Lachlan, who stood nude in a patch of moonlight. She looked between us for a moment, then settled on Lachlan, as if she’d judged him the bigger threat.

Not entirely accurate, lass.

I kept my palms out. “You’re right, and I’m not making fun of you. I jest when I’m nervous, and you’re scaring the wits out of me standing up there.”

“The castle is old,” Lachlan said in a steady voice. “The stone could crumble, Chloe.”

My stomach clenched. She wore flats—some kind of silly slip-on shoe with hardly any tread. For a second, I considered calling up my power. I could force her off the wall with a mere word. But I’d have to drop my glamour to do it, and seeing that might send her over the edge.

Literally.

She stared at Lachlan, her eyes round and stark. Even with the distance and darkness between us, I could see the pulse fluttering in her neck like a bird trapped under her skin.

“He’s not going to hurt you,” I told her, daring another step forward. She was gorgeous with her pale hair loose around her shoulders and her creamy skin gilded by moonlight. But there was a wild look in her blue eyes. I’d seen that look before—in the eyes of men on the losing side of a battle. In the desperate gazes of people backed into a corner. That look was dangerous. It was deadly.

I took another step.

She swung toward me, the sword’s blade catching the moonlight. “Stay away!”

I froze. Lachlan muttered without looking away from her. “I told you not tae move.”

“I won’t,” I said, my attention on Chloe. “I’m standin’ still, sweetheart. See? It’s safe to come down.”

“No, it’s not.” Her gaze skidded between Lachlan and me. “I saw… I don’t know what I saw.” Her forehead wrinkled, and she lowered her voice to a mumble she probably didn’t intend for us to hear. “Something is wrong with me.”

My heart squeezed. She was obviously still feeling the aftereffects of me charming her on the flight. Now that she’d seen Lachlan between forms, she probably thought she was losing her grip on reality.

The wind picked up, tossing her hair. She tightened her grip on the sword, which began to tremble as she struggled to keep it aloft.

Forcing calm I didn’t feel into my voice, I said, “Chloe lass, look at me.” When she did, I held out a hand. “You have nothing to fear from either of us. You’ve worked for us for three months. Have you ever seen us be cruel or unkind?”

Her brows drew together. “No.”

“If you listen closely, you’ll hear the truth in my words. We won’t hurt you. I vow it. But I need you to come down off that wall.”

Silence reigned for a moment. Eventually, she swallowed. “You vow it?”

“Aye. You have my word.”

There was another long stretch of quiet. “You’ll let me leave?”

Lachlan tensed.

Deep in my mind, my beast reared its head. My chest grew hot, and a growl gathered in my throat. She wanted to leave us? The beast scented the air, testing the veracity of her words. They swirled through my lungs, smelling of earth after a hard rain.

Truth. Her declaration was sincere. If Lachlan and I let her off the roof, she’d return to New York.

Unthinkable.

The heat in my chest built. My beast stirred, straining against the metaphysical bonds that held it in check. I kept my gaze on Chloe, but I felt Lachlan’s regard like a weight on the side of my face.

“You’ll let me leave?” Chloe asked again. Her arms shook. She was nearing the end of her strength.

“Yes,” Lachlan said.

Truth.

I faced him as an inferno formed in my chest.

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