On the yacht, he’d been doing his job and nothing more.
No, that was a lie. He’d done a hell of a lot more than just his job. Isabelle had unleashed something in him that had lain dormant and untouched for far too long. He wasn’t sure he could tuck it back in its cage again. Even now, he ached to go to her, to fold her into his arms and protect her.
He resisted, knowing what would happen if he did.
“Come on, Michael. Get the diamond and bring it here,” Mandy said. “You can control it within the Realm of Light compound. Nothing will happen and the demons can’t get to them here.”
“This is a Realm of Light compound?” Ryder asked.
“You new people haven’t been to one yet?” Michael asked.
Dalton had been to several, so he naturally assumed everyone knew where they were. But Ryder and Trace were newer members of the team and they’d been on the go since they’d been brought on board. No chance to bring them into one of the Realm’s locations.
“So what’s here besides the obvious?” Trace asked, getting to his feet.
Dalton waggled his brows. “Fun stuff. Wanna see?”
“Hell, yeah,” Ryder said. “I can’t believe we haven’t been given a tour of the secret stuff yet.”
“Sorry.” Michael’s lips twitched and he rubbed his fingers across his lips. “We’ve been busy.”
“Boys. Start talking high-tech toys and gadgets and they get all testosteroney,” Mandy said.
“That’s not even a word,” Trace said.
“It is now.” Mandy arched a brow, then turned to Angelique and Isabelle. “You coming?”
“Are we invited?” Angelique asked.
“Of course. This affects you, too. You need to know what’s here and how it all works.”
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Michael said, standing, too.
“Oh, lighten up, Mike.” Mandy turned to him. “Are you always this stuffy? Does every Keeper have to be all about the protocol? Ease up a bit. Angie and Isabelle have been through hell.” She threw a glance over her shoulder. “No pun intended, ladies.” She turned back to Michael. “They deserve to be in this every step of the way. No more secrets.”
Dalton wanted to laugh. He’d met Michael before; he had fought beside him more than once. Michael was all by-the-book and into his role as Keeper, and no one challenged him.
But Michael had never gone toe-to-toe with their wild child Mandy before. She always said what was on her mind and damn the consequences. She was their group’s adopted little sister, and had been since she’d been brought in to the hunters when she was barely a teen.
Though she was all woman now-all five ten of her, with her luscious body and raven hair that fell to her waist.
None of them had ever let a guy within a hundred yards of her, much to Mandy’s irritation. Not that there had ever been time for the kid to have a normal life, or a normal date.
Had she ever even had a date? He couldn’t recall.
And he really needed to stop thinking of her as a kid. She was twenty-three years old now, and a woman.
A sassy, bold, able-to-stand-on-her-own woman.
One who wasn’t afraid to talk back to a Keeper.
“Well?” She put her hands on her hips and faced off against Michael, who at nearly a foot taller than she was didn’t seem the least bit intimidated.
“Well, what?”
Michael looked irritated. He was always calm and in control, but right now he looked pissed.
“Well, are you going to let us into your secret inner sanctum, or am I going to have to get my laser and start blowing through the doors?”
Michael’s gaze narrowed. “Lou warned me about you.”
“And yet you let me in the door anyway. Your mistake. Come on, Mike. We’re waiting.”
“It’s Michael.”
“And I’m Mandy. We’ve already met. You don’t want to make me angry. . Mike.”
“And you don’t want to make me angry, Mandy. You might get your way with men like Dalton and the others from your Realm team who indulge you like a child because you grew up around them. Don’t make the mistake of thinking I’ll do the same thing.”
Tension filled the room, and something else that Dalton felt and recognized, but wasn’t certain was actually here.
Power. An otherworldly power that seemed to squeeze the air from the room.
It wasn’t evil, but it was definitely a warning.
Dalton’s gaze shifted to Michael, who still had his attention on Mandy.
Ah. This Keeper had some muscle. Typically no one else could sense a Keeper’s power. But Dalton felt it. Hell, everyone in the room could.
So did Mandy, because she didn’t even flinch, not even when the strands of her hair started blowing over her shoulder.
“Impressive,” she said. “Can we go now?”
But her voice had lowered an octave, no longer laced with as much bravado as before. Still, she got points for not flinching. Dalton wouldn’t want to piss off a Keeper.
Mandy had no fear.
“Fine.”
Mandy nodded and turned on her heel, heading toward the two women. As she passed by Dalton, she winked.
That was interesting.
This whole day had been interesting so far. And Dalton got the idea they hadn’t even started yet.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Angelique walked behind Mandy, still shaken by what she’d witnessed in the library.
Michael had some serious skills. She had underestimated him, and the amount of power he held. She’d felt the heat emanating from him, the force he’d projected at Mandy when she’d irritated him.
And even then, she guessed he had barely let any of it loose.
She had a lot to learn about these Realm of Light people.
Speaking of warmth, she felt Ryder’s presence behind her, knew he was watching her, but couldn’t bring herself to turn around, to speak to him.
What would she say? Hey, you hurt me. What do you have to say for yourself?
Yeah. That would be pointless. Best to forget it and move on. There were more important things to worry about.
Like this whole Queen of Darkness thing. And Isabelle.
Michael led the way through the foyer and toward the left down a rich, darkly paneled hallway gently lit by wall sconces. This place was like a maze. Turn left, go straight for a while, turn right, more going straight.
She was going to be utterly lost without a map or a GPS to guide her around the castle. They finally reached a stairwell, and Michael directed them down several flights.
Now the décor was all old castle, nothing modern as they traversed ancient gray stone steps with no handrails, only the rocky wall on their right to hang on to.
“Be careful. It’s dark down here,” Michael said.
A little late for that warning, since they’d long ago been plunged into pitch blackness.