“Oh,” she said in a tiny voice.
He laughed roughly. “Yeah, oh. You make me say and do things I normally wouldn’t.”
She was quiet a moment. “And when I teleported?”
His eyes narrowed as he recalled the monumental fear he’d felt when she’d vanished right in front of him. “It was a foolish thing for you to do. You might have been killed. You could have transported anywhere, into anything. Aerolus had no right to ask you to do that.”
She stared at him, her hand stroking his shoulder as if soothing a wild animal. Oddly enough, her touch calmed him.
“You were worried,” she said quietly, making him feel weak for being afraid.
“No, I—”
“It’s okay, Marcus,” she said with a small smile. “I was just as terrified when Arim showed up. I thought he was a wraith and I just…reacted.”
He frowned, recalling how reckless he’d been accepting Arim’s presence.
“I should have protected you better.”
“Better?” Her baby-blue eyes stared in astonishment. “You took a beating to your back, and even healed, he left scarring bruises on you that haven’t faded.”
“They will,” he said, surprised at her accusing tone. “It’s only been a day, Tessa.”
She blinked. “Funny, it feels like a lot longer.”
He knew the feeling. Since she’d been here in his home, Marcus felt as if he and Tessa had known each other forever. And instead of feeling cloying, she felt like a breath of freedom, a wash of vitality that made him feel things he shouldn’t.
He still refused to admit it to himself, but he knew, deep down, what she was to him. A better man would have grabbed her already. But some part of him wasn’t yet ready for what bonding with Tessa would entail. He needed to return home, hell, he wanted to return. But to be king when he could barely protect a woman who was coming to mean so much to him?
“Marcus?” She stroked his hair, and he wanted to close his eyes and never move from this spot again. “Are you okay? You look a little funny.”
“I’m fine, now,” he said on a sigh, content to let her massage his scalp and run her fingers through his hair.
“My, isn’t this cosy.”
‘Sin Garu floated above them, a wry smile teasing his perfectly sculpted, blood-red lips.
Chapter Nine
Marcus instinctively shielded Tessa as he shot a blast of water from his fingertips and pushed a tremendous amount of psychic force at the sorcerer, neither of which did anything to the smiling evil floating above them. Instead, the attack passed through him, his image as transparent as the bay window glass over which he loomed.
“It’s not real,” Tessa whispered, staring at ‘Sin Garu in what looked like fascinated disgust. “Just an image of him.”
Marcus withdrew his waters and quickly recited another protection spell around Tessa, adrenaline surging though his system like a drug. How the hell had ‘Sin Garu penetrated the house’s shields?
“Good morrow, water bringer. And to your friend, how wonderful to finally meet her, face to face as it were.” The sorcerer turned his attention to Tessa, staring at her from powerful yet venomous dark blue eyes. “She’s truly unique. Beautiful,” he murmured and glanced at Marcus. “Too much for a commoner like you.”
“Commoner, my ass,” Tessa said angrily, surprising Marcus with her temper. “He’s a royal prince, what the hell are you?”
Marcus widened his stance in front of her, warmed by her defence, but conscious ‘Sin Garu was dangerous in any state he appeared. “What is it you want, sorcerer?” he asked calmly, prepared to withstand an attack at any moment.
“I just wanted to exchange greetings, Marcus. I keep missing Darius. I thought it most remiss on my part not to have greeted you sooner, so here I am. And I so wanted to meet you, Tessa.” He grinned, his smile showing sharp, white teeth. “Such passion. That fiery red hair, that creamy white skin. Such luscious breasts.” ‘Sin Garu’s nostrils flared and his eyes gleamed as he stared at her groin. “I’ll bet she tastes—”
“What do you want, sorcerer?” Marcus repeated softly, the icy threat clear in his tone.
“Your brother would have ripped my head off by now,” ‘Sin Garu chided. “You’re not as much fun. But I’ll bet she is.”
Marcus simply stared, aware of Tessa pressed against his back. She was tense, but thankfully, left the verbal sparring to him.
“Fine.” ‘Sin Garu sighed. “I sense I’m not welcome here. I’ll leave.” He eyed Tessa with hunger. “But before I go, I just wanted to say I’m glad you avoided a prison sentence. We have much to talk about, you and I.”
Marcus stared at the sorcerer, and suddenly wondered at the spell he’d overheard Aerolus practicing the other day. He murmured it under his breath and watched as a thin trickle of blood ran from the sorcerer’s nose.
With a confused frown, ‘Sin Garu wiped at his nose and stared, his blue gaze churning with both anger and pain.
“You’ll pay for that, Marcus.” He sneered, his threat muted by the gurgle of blood that suddenly flowed over his thin lips. ‘Sin Garu began flashing in and out, his projection choppy.
He shimmered and spoke one last time. “River Prince? The Djinn bedamned. You both belong to me, and no one else. When next we meet, your last broken breath will be at my feet, begging for mercy. And you, Tessa, you’ll be mine for as long as you can survive it.”
His threat hanging in the air like a dark cloud, he vanished.
Marcus stared at the ceiling, nonplused that the spell he’d used had worked, and that ‘Sin Garu had been there at all. He turned and glanced at Tessa.
“No, he was there. I saw him, plain as day.” She studied the ceiling, then focused on Marcus. “Explain to me what just happened here.” She swallowed loudly and he noted her hands trembling until she saw him staring and clenched her fists.
Damn, but she had strength. Trust Tessa Sheridan to handle wraiths, Storm Lords, and an impromptu visit from the leader of an evil army bent on death and destruction. A small smile curled his lips and seeing it, his Amazon exploded in temper.
As she ranted and raved about his stupid sense of humour, the right and wrong time to be brave, and denounced every other aspect of the male species in general, Marcus couldn’t help wondering how he, of all his brothers, had been gifted with such a woman.
This visit with ‘Sin Garu made him see that avoidance wasn’t the answer. Ready or not, Marcus would have to face his responsibilities, first here in this plane and then at home. Evil didn’t set schedules, and women, he thought as he studied the passionate female in a tirade before him, were just as dangerous to a man’s sense of order.
The more he watched her, the faster his heart beat. His internal temperature rose, and had he been capable of such, he would like to have channelled his churning energy through his living waters into steam. As it was, he transferred much of his pent-up energy to the lake beyond his house. Past Tessa’s form pacing in front of the bay window he could make out a crowd gathered around a raging water fountain that had no reason for being, but served as a place to release his pressing adrenaline rush.
“Are you even listening to me?” Tessa snarled and stepped forward, poking him in the chest.