Tiege had always been arrogant, mocking and downright annoying. But he’d never been psychotic. She could only assume he was under more stress than she first suspected.
Holding her gun in one hand, she came to an abrupt halt as they reached the pinnacle. The flat surface had clearly been used for centuries as a ceremonial spot for the House of Furia. The stone was deeply etched with a large circle that was filled with hieroglyphs that glowed silver beneath the vast sky splattered with stars.
Even from a distance she could feel the magic pulsing beneath her feet.
“Do you know how long the ceremony will last?” she demanded as Tiege headed directly toward the center of the circle.
He shrugged. “It depends on the spirit I’m trying to contact. Some come at my first call and others fight against my summons.” He sent her a taunting smile. “Since I’m trying to contact a female I’m assuming she’ll make it as difficult as possible.”
She narrowed her gaze. As impossible as it seemed, he looked even more stunningly sexy in the moonlight. The wildness of the desert surrounding them emphasized the stark beauty of his face and the smoldering copper of his eyes.
A creature made of mist and magic.
A dangerous longing sliced through her heart.
“You’re lucky you’re an Incubus,” she forced herself to mutter. “Otherwise a woman would have killed you a long time ago.”
“That’s why I have guards.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a silken handkerchief. Sloane assumed that the pendant discovered by the Master of House Ebarron was hidden inside it. With a last glance to ensure they were alone, Tiege sent her a questioning glance. “Ready?”
She gave a sharp nod. “Yes.”
He nodded toward the etchings on the rock. “Don’t step inside the circle no matter what happens.”
Sloane frowned. It hadn’t occurred to her that the ceremony could be a threat to Tiege.
“Will you be in danger?”
“Doubtful, but bringing a spirit into our world is always risky,” he admitted. “If the spirit tries to escape my control then things could get dodgy.” He waved a slender hand toward the darkness surrounding them. “While I’m interacting with the spirit I won’t be able to concentrate on anything else. Which means you have to make sure nothing manages to creep up on me.”
She frowned. She didn’t need his warning.
“I know how to do my job,” she muttered.
His lips twisted, his gaze making a slow, thorough survey of her stiff body. “And don’t be sticking your dagger in my back.”
She turned to head back down the pathway. “Don’t tempt me.”
~
Tiege waited for Sloane to disappear in the darkness before sucking in a deep, cleansing breath.
Not that it helped.
The air was still saturated with the tantalizing scent of honeysuckle and warm, delectable woman. Worse, his lips still tingled with the pleasure of stroking over her satin-soft skin.
Dammit, he was an Incubus. He used sex as a weapon, a tool and a source of power.
Never before had he been at the mercy of his own sensual need. But a few hours in bed with Sloane and suddenly he craved her like a drug. Even when he’d known that they’d had sex more than was safe, he’d continued to make love to her. Christ, how many times had he climaxed deep in her body?
Too many, a voice whispered in the back of his mind.
He’d come perilously close to making her his mate.
It was almost as if his body had taken control and was determined to bind this female to him in the most primitive way possible.
The knowledge made him frustrated, and short-tempered, and, as Sloane said, downright pissy.
At the same time there was a potent euphoria that bubbled through him like the finest champagne. The strange sensation urged him to concede his inevitable fate.
Sloane was going to be his.
One way or another.
Giving a sharp shake of his head, Tiege forced away the distracting tangle of emotions.
Later he would deal with the female who was destined to change his life forever. For now he had to concentrate on the ceremony he was about to perform.
Lowering himself to his knees in the center of the circle, Tiege pulled the silk handkerchief away from the sky blue semiprecious stone that hung on a silver chain. The jewel was cut into a smooth teardrop that glowed in the moonlight.
Careful to avoid the silver chain that would sear his skin, he placed the gem on top of the elaborate hieroglyphs that’d been carved into the stone. Then, leaning back on his heels, he concentrated on the necklace.
He could sense the magic that pulsed deep inside the gem. It tasted of spice and power and sweet feminine energy.
The sort of magic that hadn’t been in this world for a very, very long time.
Absorbing the energy, he released his own magic. It wasn’t the dark, creepy sensation that most assumed when they discovered he could talk with the dead. Instead it was warm and soothing and so ancient it made his bones ache.