lot to her.
But that just made it al the more special. Such things didn’t come natural y for him. He had to make an
effort to think of them.
As she walked past his desk and went to the bed, he glanced askance at her, but made no comment. He
was stil playing her music while he looked at more pictures of sunlight.
Her poor demon. Soon she would be gone from here, back home. And he would be …
She choked back a sob at the thought of them torturing him. “Good night, Guardian.”
“Good night,” he said without looking at her.
She slid beneath the covers and tucked her arm underneath the pil ow so that she could watch him. As
promised, he didn’t disturb her at al . He was too consumed by his smal window that showed him a world
he couldn’t visit.
Blinking, she wanted to stay awake for a little while longer, but she’d been through too much for that. Al
too soon, she was adrift in her other realm.
Seth knew the moment Lydia was asleep. Her breathing leveled out and her body went completely limp.
Only then did he dare look at her. One hand dangled over the side of the bed while her black hair spread
out over her and the pil ow. But the cutest part was her toe that peeped out from beneath his furs.
I hope Solin knows what he has in you.
Obviously, he did. Why else would he have fought so desperately to save her?
A part of him wished that Solin would fail. If he didn’t return with the key, Seth could keep her.
But for how long? Sooner or later, Noir or Azura would find her here and when they did …
He couldn’t even think about what they’d do to her for being here, and to him for concealing her presence
from them.
No, Lydia would have to go home. And his life would go on as it ever had. He winced as he accidental y
brushed his tongue over his damaged bottom lip.
Nothing ever changed. He’d had his one shot at freedom and look what had happened.
Stil …
Heartsick, he got up and went to the bed so that he could stare down at her angelic features. Before he
could stop himself, he leaned over and placed his cheek against hers. The softness of her flesh made him
hard and aching for something he knew he could never have. He inhaled her exquisite scent, treasuring it
above al .
“My name is Seth,” he whispered in her ear, knowing she couldn’t hear him. Even so, he wanted her to
know.
He’d kil to hear her say it.
Just once.
Breathing her in, he placed a kiss to her cheek, then pul ed back.
He final y understood why Solin was wil ing to die for her. It now made total sense now. Beauty and spirit
like hers should be cherished and protected. And he hoped that nothing ever tarnished their loyalty to each
other. That would be the greatest tragedy of al .
I won’t spoil her for you, Solin. No one deserved to know that pain.
Seth returned to his desk and turned the music off. He didn’t want to see or hear anything else he couldn’t
have. There was no need in torturing himself when he had so many others wil ing to do it for him.
* * *
Solin looked around at the faces of the men and women who’d once been his bitterest enemies. Now they
were joined together to fight a common enemy, again.
They’d done it one time before, when his brother Arik had been under attack. But that was years ago and
now the consequences were even higher.
His clutched his hand around his iPhone, grateful Lydia had written to him. But there was no way he would
leave her there.
Not with that animal.
However, getting into Azmodea was proving extremely tricky. They had an emergency cal in to the
Hel chaser overlord, Thorn. If anyone could sneak them in under Noir’s nose, it was the entity who shared
that realm with him.
While Thorn wasn’t the most reliable or kindest of creatures, he did hate Noir as much as they did.
Solin had no doubt that Thorn would help and back them.
Hang on, baby. The cavalry’s coming.
And his first order of business was to pin the Guardian’s testicles to Noir’s
But that just made it al the more special. Such things didn’t come natural y for him. He had to make an
effort to think of them.
As she walked past his desk and went to the bed, he glanced askance at her, but made no comment. He
was stil playing her music while he looked at more pictures of sunlight.
Her poor demon. Soon she would be gone from here, back home. And he would be …
She choked back a sob at the thought of them torturing him. “Good night, Guardian.”
“Good night,” he said without looking at her.
She slid beneath the covers and tucked her arm underneath the pil ow so that she could watch him. As
promised, he didn’t disturb her at al . He was too consumed by his smal window that showed him a world
he couldn’t visit.
Blinking, she wanted to stay awake for a little while longer, but she’d been through too much for that. Al
too soon, she was adrift in her other realm.
Seth knew the moment Lydia was asleep. Her breathing leveled out and her body went completely limp.
Only then did he dare look at her. One hand dangled over the side of the bed while her black hair spread
out over her and the pil ow. But the cutest part was her toe that peeped out from beneath his furs.
I hope Solin knows what he has in you.
Obviously, he did. Why else would he have fought so desperately to save her?
A part of him wished that Solin would fail. If he didn’t return with the key, Seth could keep her.
But for how long? Sooner or later, Noir or Azura would find her here and when they did …
He couldn’t even think about what they’d do to her for being here, and to him for concealing her presence
from them.
No, Lydia would have to go home. And his life would go on as it ever had. He winced as he accidental y
brushed his tongue over his damaged bottom lip.
Nothing ever changed. He’d had his one shot at freedom and look what had happened.
Stil …
Heartsick, he got up and went to the bed so that he could stare down at her angelic features. Before he
could stop himself, he leaned over and placed his cheek against hers. The softness of her flesh made him
hard and aching for something he knew he could never have. He inhaled her exquisite scent, treasuring it
above al .
“My name is Seth,” he whispered in her ear, knowing she couldn’t hear him. Even so, he wanted her to
know.
He’d kil to hear her say it.
Just once.
Breathing her in, he placed a kiss to her cheek, then pul ed back.
He final y understood why Solin was wil ing to die for her. It now made total sense now. Beauty and spirit
like hers should be cherished and protected. And he hoped that nothing ever tarnished their loyalty to each
other. That would be the greatest tragedy of al .
I won’t spoil her for you, Solin. No one deserved to know that pain.
Seth returned to his desk and turned the music off. He didn’t want to see or hear anything else he couldn’t
have. There was no need in torturing himself when he had so many others wil ing to do it for him.
* * *
Solin looked around at the faces of the men and women who’d once been his bitterest enemies. Now they
were joined together to fight a common enemy, again.
They’d done it one time before, when his brother Arik had been under attack. But that was years ago and
now the consequences were even higher.
His clutched his hand around his iPhone, grateful Lydia had written to him. But there was no way he would
leave her there.
Not with that animal.
However, getting into Azmodea was proving extremely tricky. They had an emergency cal in to the
Hel chaser overlord, Thorn. If anyone could sneak them in under Noir’s nose, it was the entity who shared
that realm with him.
While Thorn wasn’t the most reliable or kindest of creatures, he did hate Noir as much as they did.
Solin had no doubt that Thorn would help and back them.
Hang on, baby. The cavalry’s coming.
And his first order of business was to pin the Guardian’s testicles to Noir’s
Similar Books
