Page 29 of Wake the Dream

“Well, thanks a lot for the compliment,” he said dryly.

“I need to focus on finding my sister. I don’t have time to get messed up in...in...whatever this could be.”

He latched onto her last two words.Could be. It was a possibility of hope in a way he knew she hadn’t meant intentionally. Which meant she’d said it in an unconscious manner. Even better, because now he had an in.

Kieran shook his head hard enough to have an ache echoing in his temples and pushed away from the building. He didn’twantan in, so what the hell was he doing?

Making a big mistake, that vicious voice in his head repeated for the millionth time. His life had been a series of big mistakes and tiny triumphs.

The illogical part of him wanted to believe this would be the latter instead of the former.

His gut told him a different story entirely. Still, he sparked with hope. Ugh, why couldn’t his gift work now. Here. With her.

He ran his hands through his hair and mussed the strands until they stood on end, stomach churning in a way that had nothing to do with hunger or normal lust and everything to do with magic.

“All distractions aside,” he told her on an exhale, “I need you to go home while I talk to my source. She won’t be cooperative if she sees you. If you want me to have a fighting chance of finding your sister, then you need to trust me. I shouldn’t have to keep telling you.”

Illaria had her hands deep in her pockets, gaze far away in thought. She dropped her chin to her chest. “What if I promise to stay out of sight? Please.”

The rest of his energy channeled toward his fists, in desperate need of release. Kieran turned to the wall and let his hands fall against the brick. Not hard enough to break his knuckles. Just enough to get the last of his lust-turned-aggression out of his body.

“Why is this hard for you to understand? You keep stepping in my way, refusing to do what I say. You have no respect for me. You have no respect for the process, the law.”

“You’re right on one count. I don’t have any respect for the law. Which is why I insist on being present each step of the way. Police lie. Men lie.”

“I see what you think of me.” He brought his throbbing hand to his waist and the comforting weight of his police badge.

He jerked when Illaria touched his shoulder. “It isn’t you, Kieran. Okay?”

“Maybe you need to let go of control a little bit. I’m not saying your uptight nature is a bad thing, or your need to preside over every little detail. But for God’s sake, Illaria, you’re making my job ten times harder with your presence.” He gave a quick thought to the rapidly retreating hardness imprisoned inside his pants.

“Have you ever thought about what help I could be instead of hindrance?” she asked, stepping closer. “I have magic. I won’t be a liability to you.”

“Let’s agree to disagree.”

“What a cop-out...”

“Will you actually stay in the car this time if I let you come with me?” Jesus, was he really giving in to her whims?

Her fingers tightened on his arm. “You know?”

About her sneaking around to eavesdrop on his conversation with Daniel? “Sure. I could smell you.” He shook his head on a chuckle although his frown intensified. “I promise to give you the full report once I’m done with this interview. But I know for a fact she won’t tell me anything if you’re there. Especially not if you’re threatening to decapitate everyone.”

Illaria dropped her head in acknowledgment to his claims. “Fine. But please say I can come with you. I can’t go home and sit in that empty house surrounded by memories. Not if...”

She didn’t have to finish the sentence for Kieran to know how it ended. Not if something had truly happened to Yelena. Then the memories would be all Illaria had left.

“What kind of magic do you have?” he asked. “The kind to, say, enchant an object into a tiny listening device? I know you can control the air to some extent, and I’ve seen your wings.”

Her ears perked up and a new light entered her stormy gray eyes. “I’ve never tried it before. That’s more of a witch’s thing than something a Fae would do.”

“It’s okay if you can’t. I know something better.”

Leaving her outside and trusting—hoping—she would stay put, Kieran made his way back into the station for the mics they used on undercover investigations. He taped one to his own chest and, when he made his way back outside, got Illaria set up with the listening device.

He looped the earphones around her head. “With this, you’ll be able to hear every word I say. Unless, of course, my source has some kind of supernatural sense that allows her to pick up on the frequencies.” She shouldn’t, he mused, being a fire elemental. Although she could very well clock him for deceit. “Then you might have to come to my rescue. Are you willing to save the rear of a thirty-year-old detective you despise if I get into trouble on your behalf?”

Her laughter skittered along his spine in a most pleasant way. The tingle stopped at the nape of his neck and Kieran was surprised to see the small hairs on his arms stood on end.

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