Anya Bast: Witch Heart

His breath stirred her hair. "Are you all right? You seem pretty deep in thought."

She shook her head. "No, I'm not all right." Claire gave a little laugh. "I'm kind of out of options." She bowed her head. "I'm sorry."

He turned her to face him. "Sorry? About what?"

"I'd hoped we could stay together. But—" She drew a breath. "I think this should end, Adam. Right now. I should go to my room here in the Coven and we should—"

"Claire, shut up." He leaned and kissed her. His lips skated over hers, gentle and commanding, completely possessive. He kissed her for a good two minutes, his hand cupping the nape of her neck and his lips gently skating over hers, once in a while parting so he could flick his tongue against hers.

Even at a time like this he could make her knees go weak with just a kiss.

He rested forehead against hers. "I don't like those words coming from your sweet lips, and I never want to hear them again. We will stay together through whatever comes our way. We'll meet it head-on and side by side. Okay?"

She sighed and dropped her head to his chest. "Things just look so dark, Adam. Lie to me and tell me everything's going to be all right."

He kissed the crown of her head and rubbed her arm. "Everything's going to be all right. I'm not lying, Claire."

She sighed.

"You're tired, but this isn't over yet. We have a saying here on Earth. It ain't over till the fat lady sings."

She raised her head. "The fat lady? Who's she?"

Adam smiled. "It refers to the last woman to sing in an opera. Stereotypically all female opera singers are supposed to be fat."

"Opera. I always wanted to see one. My mother used to talk about both opera and ballet."

He hooked her hair around her ear. "Tell you what. If we both come through this in one piece, I'll sacrifice myself and take you to see both." He paused. "But only if you'll come to a Bears game with me."

She wrinkled her nose. "Bears?"

"Football."

"Oh, right." She smiled and kissed his lips. "Here's to future sacrifices, then."

"May they be horrific, frequent, and come soon." He dipped his head and kissed her again.

She sighed against his lips and let him push her backward toward the bed. She laughed. "Again?"

He smiled against her lips. "Why not?"

Indeed, why not? "Well, I guess if there's anything I'd like to spend my last days doing, it's you." She turned him around and gave him a hard push.

He fell back on the mattress and sprawled there, looking up at her in surprise. "Wow, that's so romantic."

She grinned and raised her eyebrows. Comeback all set on her tongue, she readied herself to pounce on him.

Someone knocked on the door.

Adam rose up on his elbows. "Who the hell could that be?"

"I'll get it." Claire wrapped the blanket more securely around her and went to answer it.

Thomas stood on the other side, a grim expression on his handsome face. "Claire, you have to get dressed and come downstairs to the library immediately."

She frowned at severe tone of his voice. "Why?"

"Rue is here."

Claire noticed Rue's lips thin into a line of disapproval when she entered the library hand in hand with Adam. His icy blue eyes hit full-on winter as he noted how Claire stood next to Adam once inside.

Rue was a good-looking male by any female's measure: tall, broad-shouldered, muscular build. His blond hair came to his shoulders, framing a face drawn in chiseled lines. His mouth was full and his eyes a light shade of blue.

He was handsome. He was a daaemon. And he was deadly.

Although he worked by a strict Ytrayi code of ethics and morality, he showed no remorse for those he perceived had wronged him. Thomas Monahan knew that firsthand. Ty had died tasting that lack of remorse.

Claire flashed back to the moment when Rue had discovered her relationship with Ty. Fear flicked through her with a sharp, metallic tongue.

"We're not in Eudae," Claire said to Rue, her tone as forceful as she'd ever dared use with him.

Thomas stood near his desk, along with Isabelle. Thomas's gaze snapped to her.

"Your rules don't apply here, Rue," she continued. "I refuse to allow you to even think about hurting Adam." She spoke in English. He was well-versed in the language and would understand.

Rue tilted his head to the side — like a bird of prey considering a mouse — and took a step toward them. The saliva dried on her tongue, but she stood her ground. She would die before she allowed Adam to come to harm.

"Are these words of protection for this aeamon male the first words you have for me after so long, Claire?" He spoke in Aemni. "Do I mean so little to you?"

"That's rude. Speak English, Rue," she snapped.

Rue actually looked chastened. He glanced at Thomas. "Forgive me."

"You're still alive," she stated unnecessarily. She was pleased about that. Her feelings where Rue was concerned were so mixed.

"I managed to escape the spell room and, even though the attack took us by surprise, we were able to fend off the force of Atrika." Now he spoke in English. "I was injured, but I'm recovered now." p>p>

"Have you come to take the elium back?" Her voice shook with the hope that he had a way to remove it.

Confusion crossed over his face. "No, Claire." He paused and seemed to consider her words. "Well, after a fashion. I came to take you back."

Adam stepped forward. "That's not happening."

Fury made the veins in Rue's neck pop out. He took a step toward Adam. "You don't dictate to me, boy."

Adam took two steps toward Rue. "Boy? That earns you triple the ass-whipping, daaemon. One time for trying to take Claire away. Another for putting her in danger in the first place. And still another for calling me boy."

Claire rolled her eyes and stepped forward. Daaemon or witch, it didn't matter, testosterone was the same. Right now there was an excess of maleness in the room. She put a hand on Adam's chest. "Adam, stand down." She flicked an annoyed glance at Rue. "Rue, you're not taking me anywhere."

Rue's jaw worked, but he didn't respond. Still, she knew Rue well enough to know that the issue wasn't closed.

She peered around Rue to Thomas. Both he and his wife looked fit to kill. No wonder. This was the man who'd imprisoned and tortured Thomas on Eudae.

Thomas cleared his throat. "He showed up this morning, in the foyer. Isabelle tried to kill him."

Rue unclenched his jaw enough to speak, but kept his gaze focused on Adam, behind her. "It took me a long time to open another doorway. I assumed this was where you'd be if you'd managed to keep away from the Atrika who followed you. I tried to get you as close to the Coven as I could when I pushed you through."

"What is the state of Yrystrayi?"

"Badly damaged. The Atrika attacked with great force, harder and with more finesse than they have in centuries." He paused. "Something has changed. They've grown in strength for some reason and their will has become stronger. They almost took the palace and they killed a great many of us. We have some of them in custody, but you know what it is to torture information out of an Atrika ."

Impossible.

"Why did you do it to me, Rue? Why did you force this weapon into me and push me through the doorway into a foreign world?"

Rue finally focused on her face. His expression softened a little. "It was the only way I knew to save the two things I held most dear."

Shock rippled through her. Had he just called her. .. dear?

Adam put his hand on her waist and pulled her against his side in a protective gesture.

Rue's gaze shifted to the fire witch who touched her so possessively. "She is like a daughter to me, aeamon. I practically raised her.";