Page 22 of The Mating Fire
She stood, staggered backward, blue flames shooting from her fingers and hitting him in the chest. Jared absorbed the power the way thirsty ground soaks in raindrops.
Harper fainted.
Sighing, cursing the wizards again, he picked her up into his arms as SaqraYazezroared and began to advance.
Jared dematerialized with Harper, but not before wondering what the hell he was going to do with her.
And most of all, how would she react when she gained consciousness and saw him in his cursed form?
She didn’t wantto open her eyes, but beneath her was softness, not the hard rock of the volcano embracing her as she’d fainted.
Harper winced as she struggled to wake up. Last thing she remembered was a demon form looming out of the flames, a being with great horns, a forked tail, and cloven feet. Yet that demon didn’t terrify her as much as the red shadowy figure whispering to her from the recesses of the volcano, a being with a voice as abrasive as claws on chalkboard.
Now she was lying on a bed, a bed softer than her own, with a white duvet and deliciously clean sheets. Harper forced herself to sit up as she rubbed her aching head. It all must have been a dream, and she was in her hotel room back on Java.
Slowly she looked around. This wasn’t her modest hotel room. This bedroom was a lavish, luxurious room with a writing desk overlooking a balcony with French windows open to display a splendid view of white-capped mountains. Another window had a cushioned seat, perfect for reading the rows and rows of books tucked into the built-in bookshelves.
There was even a white vanity edged with gilt, and an ornate mirror, the vanity holding several bottles upon it. A blue velvet cushion on a gilded chair sat before the vanity.
The furnishings were white and gold, but the gold accents didn’t overwhelm or look gawdy. This was a room meant to please, to soothe, to invite one to kick off their shoes and relax.
This bed was larger than the king-sized hotel bed. Harper moved over and finally slid her legs over the bed’s edge.
Her legs were clad in red satin pajamas. She touched the red satin long-sleeved pajama top.
No dream, this. Who brought her here? Undressed her and put her in nightwear to sleep?
Thumping wildly, her heart banged against her chest. She touched her mouth, remembering the blue flames shooting out of it after she’d put her hand into the blue fire at Ijen…
Staggering to her feet, she padded over to one of the windows. Glass opened to show a magnificent view of jagged mountains. Cool air touched her cheeks, helping to chase away the sluggishness.
Bracing her hands on the windowsill, she peered down. The bedroom was part of a stone structure built atop a mountain. Below her was several thousand feet of rock. She couldn’t even see the ground.
Surely there had to be an exit. Steps. An elevator.
You can’t get here only by flying.
Promising herself she’d find a way out, she decided to test out what happened last night. Harper leaned out of the window, thought of the blue fire and breathed out.
Blue flames shot out of her mouth.
This couldn’t be real. Her heart pounded as she clapped a hand over her mouth.
“I’ve heard of morning breath, but this is ridiculous,” she muttered.
“It isn’t morning breath. It’s your magick,” a deep voice announced.
Whirling around, she saw a man standing at the room’s far side, leaning against the door jamb. That deep masculine voice – so familiar it made her tingle with sexual awareness, while her pragmatic side screamed, she was imprisoned inside a fortress and needed to get the hell out.
The man advanced into the room. Her gaze took in his feet (barefoot, like her) and the pressed black silk trousers, shot up to the black silk shirt covering what seemed like a well-formed body, to his face.
A handsome face that studied her quietly.
Recoiling, she put her hands in front of her. “It’s you! That guy from the bar… what am I doing here?”
“I abducted you.” A raised dark brow. “Kidnapped. Stole you away.”
“Why?” She backed up, suddenly afraid of his tall, menacing form, though he was incredibly handsome. “What do you want with me?”
