She nodded as she noted the long length of his sleeve. The man had really long arms.
"The Rytis is essentially invisible waves that move around us all the time. Through everything on the planet. They echo and flow and sometimes they buckle. In essence, they do this." He compacted the sleeve between his hands so that his left and right hand were next to each other. "Now to travel from hand to hand, it takes a few seconds Dark Hunter Series (04) - Night Embrace - Sherrilyn Kenyon Page 315 of 460
instead of several hours."
"Wow," she breathed as she understood. "So you can travel in any time direction? You can even go back in time?"
He nodded.
"And how do you do that? How do you catch this Rytis?"
He shrugged his jacket back on. "Baby, in this world, I'm the all-powerful Oz and there's not much I can't do."
Oh, this guy was getting irritating. "Stop calling me baby."
He inclined his head to her and moved to a tree. Two seconds later, a sleek dark gray motorcycle appeared out of nowhere.
"Okay, how did you do that?"
"In short, I'm a sorcerer. I can bend every law of physics known to mankind and a few not yet discovered."
She was impressed. "That's some serious talent."
Again that dark, deep laugh. "Baby, if you weren't with Talon, I would show you where my true talents lie."
She just bet he would too. He handed her a helmet.
"You're calling me baby strictly to irritate me, aren't you?"
"My father always said I was born to be the barnacle up his nether regions. I guess I Dark Hunter Series (04) - Night Embrace - Sherrilyn Kenyon Page 316 of 460
can't help it."
"Do me a favor. Try.'"
Flashing his dimples, he removed his sunglasses, put them in the inside pocket of his motorcycle jacket, and placed a helmet on his head.
"So tell me," she said. "If you can do all this magic stuff, why are we riding a bike into town? Couldn't you just time-jump us over to the square?"
He fastened his chin strap as he answered her. "I could. But as Acheron so often says, just because you can do something, it doesn't mean you should. Personally, I don't want to be some guy's lab experiment, so I try not to pop in and out of populated areas if I can help it."
That made sense to her. "Since you can time-travel, do you ever think about changing the past?"
"Yes."
"Have you ever done it?"
He shook his head and a dark earnestness came over his face. "There are some powers in this world that are best left alone. Altering someone's destiny is definitely one of them. Believe me, the Fates have a nasty way of putting a hurt on anyone dumb enough to mess with their domain."
His ominous words rang in her ears. He sounded as if he had once made that mistake, and she wanted to ask if he had, but something inside told her to let it be. Sunshine put her helmet on, then climbed on the back of the motorcycle and did her best to keep some distance between them. Vane was a handsome man, but something about him made her extremely nervous, and it wasn't the fact he was a werewolf or time-walker.
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There was something about him she didn't trust. At her request, he took her to the small art gallery where she kept her cart of artwork locked up and helped her wheel it to Jackson Square. By the time they got there, it was a little after ten, and there was a huge crowd already gathered.
"I don't get it," Vane said as he wheeled her cart toward Selena's card stand. "Why are you setting up shop if you just want to meet a client?"
"Cameron said he wanted to see everything I sell. If I have to drag it all out for him, I might as well sell it to other people too."
She showed him where to set it up. Vane did, but he didn't look too pleased about it.
Selena did a double take as she caught sight of them. "Someone new, Sunny?"
"No, he's just a--"
"Guard dog," he said, extending his hand out to her. "You're Selena Laurens, right?
Amanda's older sister?"
Selena nodded as she shook his hand. "You know Amanda?"
"I know Kyrian."
"Is it just me or does everyone know Kyrian?" Sunshine asked. Selena laughed, then turned back to Vane who was opening up Sunshine's card table where she usually placed her cheaper pottery pieces. "It's daylight so I know you're not a DH. Are you a Squire?"
He stiffened. "Don't insult me. I fetch for no one."
"He's not real friendly," Sunshine explained as she set up her stand. "I think he has Dark Hunter Series (04) - Night Embrace - Sherrilyn Kenyon Page 318 of 460
rabies or something." Vane gave her a half amused, half perturbed smile. "You know, Sunshine, I like your spirit." Sunshine started to respond, but she felt someone watching her.
Scared and anxious, she looked around the crowd until she saw a bright, smiling face that was as familiar to her as her own. Sunshine beamed. Even though she wasn't very tall, the elderly woman stood out in the crowd and it wasn't just the insanely bright red shirt she wore. The older woman had an essence and presence that was as powerful and strong as Talon's or Vane's.
Her steel-gray hair was worn up in braids that were wrapped around her head. Her face was lined by a lifetime of happiness and smiles, and her dark brown eyes were bright and kind. The kind of eyes that drew people to the extremely wise woman.
"Grammy!" Sunshine said, as the older woman drew near. "What are you doing here? I thought you swore to never step foot in New Orleans again during Mardi Gras."
Her grandmother squeezed her tight, then pulled back to look at her. It'd been almost a year since they had last seen each other. Oh, it was great to see her grandmother again!
Her grandmother ran her hand up and down her arm as if reassuring herself that Sunshine was healthy. "Well, that was my intention, but your mother called and told me that you were having all kinds of questions about being a Celt. So I thought I'd just pop in and surprise you."
"You certainly did. But I'm glad you're here."
Her grandmother arched a censuring brow as she caught sight of Vane. "And you are?"
"Vane Kattalakis."
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She looked back at Sunshine. "Where's this Talon your mother told me about?"
"He'll be here later, Grammy."
She nodded, then pulled a small medallion out from under her shirt and placed it around Sunshine's neck. "What's this?"
Her grandmother adjusted it so that it would be obvious to anyone who glanced at her.
"Keep that close to your heart, little one. If that man comes after you again, you let him know who protects you."
"What man?" she asked, hoping her grandmother didn't know about her kidnapping.
She did.
"I know what happened, Sunny. You know I do." Drat. Her grandmother had some eerie psychic talents.
"I don't think your necklace will scare him, Grammy."
"You'd be surprised. And if it doesn't, then he deserves what he gets." Her grandmother patted her on the shoulder and turned to Selena. "Have you been practicing those exercises I showed you, Ms. Laurens?"
"Yes, ma'am. I can feel my powers growing every day."
"Good. Now I better get back to Starla's. If that rank bastard comes near my baby--"
"Grandma!" Sunshine gasped. She'd never in her life heard her grandmother use such a word.
"Well, he is. Messing with my granddaughter. I'll boil his warts in oil and feed his head to the wolves."
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Vane choked on that one. "You know, wolves don't really like to eat heads. Meat, yes, but heads are really hard on the jaws. Not to mention, the cranium gets caught between your teeth."
Her grandmother gave him a withering stare. "Are you being smart with me, boy?"
"Yes."
"Young ma
n," her grandmother said in a haughty tone, "didn't your mother teach you any manners?"
"My mother only taught me one thing and, I promise you, it wasn't manners." Her grandmother nodded. "I can see that. But you still have a very important lesson to learn in life."
"And that is?"
"One day you're going to have to let someone other than your brother and sister get close to you."
His face turned to stone and the look in his eyes was feral and fierce. "What do you know about my siblings?"
"More than you would care for. You have a hard road ahead of you, Vane Kattalakis. I wish I could ease it for you, but it's yours alone to travel. Just remember, you're a lot stronger than you think you are."
"Believe me, lady, my strength is the one thing I never doubt."
Her grandmother smiled at that. "It's amazing the lies we tell other people, isn't it?"
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Her grandmother turned her back on him. "Selena, Sunshine. You two take care. And Sunshine, when tonight comes, follow your heart. Do as it commands, and it won't fail you."
"Okay, Grandma, I will."
Her grandmother kissed her cheek, then headed off toward St. Anne. After she was out of sight, Sunshine turned back to see Vane looking agitated. "I'm sorry. She does that a lot to people. She tends to just say whatever pops into her head."
Vane didn't speak. Instead, he folded his arms over his chest and leaned back against the black iron fence that surrounded the square. Sunshine finished setting up her stand, then checked her watch.
It was still a little while before Cameron was due, so she pulled out her sketchbook and started doodling. Before she realized it, she'd drawn a picture of the man who had kidnapped her. Vane looked at the sketch. "Damn good likeness."
Sunshine went cold. "You know this guy?"
"Well, yeah. Of course I do. So does Talon. Selena probably knows him too."
"Selena," Sunshine said, heading to her friend. "Do you know who this is?"
"Sure, it's Acheron."
"Who's Acheron?" she asked. Everyone kept mentioning his name around her, but she had no idea who or what he was.
"For lack of a better explanation," Vane said, "Talon's boss."
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"Why would Talon's boss kidnap me? Do you think it's to keep me away from Talon?"
Vane laughed at that. "Not his style. If Ash wanted to keep you away from Talon, he'd just show up at your door and scare the crap out of you. Besides, he was the one leading the rescue party to you."
Well, that was nice to know. But why did he look just like the guy who'd kidnapped her?
Her frown deepened. "He was there when Talon got me away from Camulus?"
"Yeah and I was too. Don't you remember?"
She shook her head. All she could remember was Talon. "How well do you know Talon and Acheron?" she asked Vane.
He shrugged. "I just met Talon, but I've crossed paths with Acheron a time or two over the centuries."
"Are you immortal too?"
He shook his head no. "My kind just lives a lot longer than humans."
"How long?"
"About a thousand years, give or take a century or two."
Wow. That was quite a while. Sunshine couldn't imagine what it would be like to have that long to plan her future. But something inside told her that it might be as big a curse as a blessing to live that long, especially if you had to live it alone.
Sunshine watched Vane as he scanned the crowd around them. Those hazel-green eyes seemed to take in everything. "Why are you so open to talk about this while Talon Dark Hunter Series (04) - Night Embrace - Sherrilyn Kenyon Page 323 of 460
refuses to tell me anything?"
He shrugged. "I didn't swear an oath of secrecy, and I figure you've seen enough spooky shit the last few days that knowing about me is the least of your problems.
Besides, I dare you to tell anyone I'm really a wolf pretending to be human."
He paused and grinned devilishly at her. "I double dog dare you," he said slowly. "That, my friend, will get you locked inside a rubber room."
She had no doubt about that at all. And it explained why he felt so free to talk about his
"differences."
"Are you really a wolf?"
He nodded.
"Then how can you be human?"
"We're a different breed than your people. My race was created about nine thousand years ago when my great grandfather decided to save the lives of his sons by magically splicing their DNA with a few choice animals. Thus we were born. One son made two half-blooded creatures. One that held a human heart and one that held an animal heart.
I'm directly descended from the animal."
"So you have the heart of a wolf?"
Again, he nodded. "And the morals and the self-preservation instincts of one too."
"Do you ever wish you were human?"
"No, never. Why would I?"
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And yet she sensed he was hiding something. There was a lot more to his feelings than he was willing to admit and it was obvious he didn't want her to delve into it. So she changed the subject. "Does it hurt when you change forms? Is it like the movies where you get all hairy and bones crunch?"
He snorted at that. "No. That's strictly a Hollywood dramatization. Since we're born of magic, for the most part we wield it painlessly. I feel about as much pain transforming as you did when we bopped from Talon's cabin to my bike. All you get is a little electrical frizz going through you. It's actually kind of pleasurable if you do it right."
"It must be neat to be able to do all that." She tilted her head, squinted her eyes, and looked at him.
"What are you doing?"
"Trying to imagine what you would look like as a wolf."
"Pray you never find out."
She stepped back from him. "You know, I think you guys really get off on scaring people."
"Sometimes we do."
Not willing to investigate that any further, Sunshine continued to wait. Unfortunately, Cameron didn't show. Vane tried to get her to go back to Talon's but she refused.
"Maybe he's just late. Maybe he had a meeting or something. I can't just leave."
Vane gave a low, very wolf-sounding growl at that and took up a seat behind her stand, leaning back against the black iron fence while she sat on her stool, hawking her wares Dark Hunter Series (04) - Night Embrace - Sherrilyn Kenyon Page 325 of 460
and sketching. The afternoon dragged on, but nothing happened.
Cameron still hadn't shown up. Selena left at four for a brief break. Vane was now sitting on the curb behind her. His long legs were stretched out on the street, and he had them crossed at the ankles. He was leaning back on his arms. The position pulled his cotton T-shirt tight over his impeccable body.
"You do this every day?" he asked. "Pretty much."
"Man, this is boring as hell. What do you do to keep from going insane?"
"I usually sketch or paint, and before I know it, the day has passed and it's time to go home."
"Well, I don't get it."
People who weren't artists never did. "Hi, Sunshine, you got anything new?"
Sunshine turned to see Bride McTierney approaching her on the opposite side of the cart. A tall, plus-sized type of voluptuous, Bride had the face of one of Botticelli's angels.
Her hair was so dark an auburn that it appeared black unless Bride was outside. Then it was a deep luminescent red. Bride usually wore it up in a clip with tendrils of it falling around her face. A real sweetheart, Bride was one of her regular clients. She'd even taken some of Sunshine's paintings and used them in her boutique.
"No," Sunshine said, "sorry. I haven't been painting the fantasy or Jackson Square stuff lately. I've mostly been working on commissioned pieces."
"Rats,
I just moved into a new apartment and was hoping you'd have something to make the drab walls tolerable."
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Sunshine frowned. Bride had loved her place on Iberville. "Why did you move?"
"Taylor doesn't like coming all the way into the city at night so I thought it would be easier if I lived closer to where he works."
"But you work in the quarter."
"I know. It's one of the sacrifices we all have to make for love." She offered Sunshine a smile, but Sunshine could tell it was only a facade. That was exactly what Sunshine was afraid of. Why was it always the woman who had to sacrifice for love? Just once, couldn't a guy do it instead? Bride sighed. "Give me a call if you paint anything new that I'd like, okay?"
"I will. By the way, you're looking really good. Have you lost weight?"
Bride beamed. "I'm down to a size sixteen. But I have to tell you that I am starving all the time."
"Yeah, but you're a knockout."
"Thanks. Taylor signed me up for an aerobics class at his club that meets four times a week and that helped to get a lot of the weight off."
"You don't sound like you enjoy it very much."
Pain darkened Bride's eyes as she averted her gaze. "I just hate having to put on sweats and then walk into a room filled with size-two women in leotards--like they really need those classes. It makes me want to head to Krispy Kreme even more than the diet does."
Sunshine laughed. "Tell me about it. I personally don't think they should make anything Dark Hunter Series (04) - Night Embrace - Sherrilyn Kenyon Page 327 of 460
except gunny sacks for anyone under a size ten."
Bride smiled again. "Speaking of dress sizes and skinny women, I guess I better head back to the shop. You take care, okay?"
"You too."
Bride wandered off in the direction of her store.
"Who was that?" Vane was now standing up, staring after Bride with a hungry glint in his eyes. How did he do that? The man, or rather wolf, moved with an eerie silence.
"Her name is Bride McTierney. She owns a boutique over on Iberville."
"She's
very nice."
Sunshine was amazed he thought so. Most guys were intimidated or just plain turned off by Bride's height and Rubenesque build. Vane looked as if he had just seen a supermodel in the flesh. Now this could be good
He blinked and returned to sitting on the curb. "You know, I could introduce the two of you."
He looked up at her, then glanced away. Still, she had glimpsed the regret in his green eyes.