Page 68 of Her Dreadful Will
“We can fix that tonight,” he said. “Moonlight dance.”
She pulled her shirt back on and rose stiffly from the couch. “I thought there wasn’t another dance scheduled for a while.”
“Not with the group,” he said. “But you and I could try it ourselves. This loan of my energy is just a temporary measure. A dose of moonlight will refill your natural radiance and help you feel normal again.”
There was something thin and strained about his tone. Soleil fixed him with a stare. “Have you done this before? The energy siphoning thing?”
He winced. “No.”
“Damn it, Achan! What if I never feel right again?”
“You will. I’m almost sure of it. Besides, as you said before, you saved a woman’s life! That’s worth a little discomfort, right?”
Soleil narrowed her eyes at him and tried to stand tall, but her knees wobbled. She sank into the other wingback chair, hauling in breaths as deep as she could manage. “Saving her would have been much easier if I’d had Zillah’s tooth. I could have had a direct line to her will, instead of detouring through Florence’s mind.”
“I was going to take Zillah’s tooth,” admitted Achan. “But after seeing how volatile she was when she came to my clinic, I decided not to. I took her grandmother’s instead. I needed someone reliable.”
“So you could spy on me.”
“Yes.” He looked her straight in the eyes and said it without flinching. “From a distance, and only so I could reach you quickly if you needed me. Are you angry?”
“I should be.” She sifted through her emotions and found that she really wasn’t angry. Surprised, yes. Cautious. A little flattered. But not angry. “You meant well, I think. But I get the feeling that you’re still not telling me something.”
He clapped both hands on the arms of her chair and leaned in, his mouth a bare inch from hers. “Do I have to tell you everything?” He smiled, canting his head to the side, his green eyes sparkling. “It’s not like you’re my girlfriend.”
Soleil couldn’t look away from his mouth. She loved the way his upper lip arched slightly higher over his right canine. And the soft swell of his lower lip was unfairly enticing; she wanted so badly to tug on that lip with her teeth.
Florence cleared her throat. “Children.”
Never taking his eyes from Soleil’s, Achan said, “You’re right, Florence. We have things to do. People to punish.” He pushed himself away from Soleil, leaving emptiness where he had been. She hated how much she missed him justexistingin her space.
He ordered Carebear to release Zillah, and the Doberman resumed his post beside Soleil, licking his chops with a slow roll of his tongue, his eyes fixed reproachfully on Achan.
Soleil rubbed behind the spiky black ears. “You offended him, acting like his master.”
“Unavoidable.” Achan shoved Zillah onto the couch and arranged his fingers along her temple and cheekbone. She spluttered, blinked, and gaped at the three of them. Awareness sparked in her eyes—awareness, and terror. She cringed away from Achan, probably remembering how he’d thrown her against the wall with a mere gesture.
He only hurt those who deserved it, he said. Zillah certainly deserved punishment for trying to take a life; but surely Achan wouldn’t kill her, would he? What did he plan to do?
Maybe Soleil could intervene—mind-flex the woman so she wouldn’t be a problem again.
Soleil fumbled within herself, seeking her affinity. It was still there, but it felt different—like taking a sip of skim milk when you expected whole milk. She got a grip on her power and stretched out with it, grazing the edge of Zillah’s volisphere.
“Soleil!” snapped Achan. “No magic. You’re not strong enough.”
“Don’t tell me what to do,” she hissed at him.
He whirled from Zillah and strode back to Soleil, his eyes aflame. For a lightning-sharp second she thought he might kiss her—but instead he sank to his knees on the thick carpet and gently scooped her damaged fingers into his. “Please, Soleil. Don’t.”
“Stop looking at me like that,” she whispered.
“Please. No magic.”
“All right, I won’t. But what are you going to do to Zillah?”
He smiled, angelic and bright. “I’m going to pull out her teeth.”
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