On her first day, Cassie had told her that no one but those who lived at Dreagan were allowed past the hedges. But for her friends, for Kyle, she was going to break a rule.
Lily pushed away from the brick and squared her shoulders. She took two steps and stopped. It took another few minutes before she managed three steps. Each one brought her closer and closer to the hedgerow, but it was killing her spirit to do it.
With only ten more steps to go, Lily forced herself to take another three, and another three. She had to stop then, as her heart was pounding. At any moment she expected someone to grab her and tell her to get off Dreagan.
She took a deep breath, and walked the last four steps to the hedgerow. The leaves brushed her hands, the limbs interlocking so tightly she could barely see through them. Now she would have to find an entry point.
“Hey!”
Lily whirled around, falling into the hedgerow.
Denae rushed to her and helped her gain her balance. Denae was laughing as she said, “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“It’s all right,” Lily said and shook out her skirt of imaginary debris. She felt more stupid than she had in a very long time.
“What were you looking at?” Denae asked.
Lily shrugged and glanced at the leaves. “Just looking at the shrub.”
“You were quite absorbed. I’ve been calling your name. Oh, my God,” she said with a gasp. “Lily, your face. What happened?”
“I fell,” she said automatically. She repeated her story from earlier, happy that Denae, like Elena and Jane, believed her.
“Are you up for shopping?”
Lily wanted to be anywhere but Dreagan. “Yes, please.”
“Good. I’m glad you’re here early. Let’s go,” Denae said and started walking.
Lily kept up with her long strides. Right up until the moment she went toward the parking lot, and Denae went left.
“This way,” Denae said with a smile.
Lily hurried after her, surprised when Denae disappeared around a hedgerow. Lily discovered that there were two hedgerows overlapping at that point so there was a path around them. It was designed so that only those who knew of the path would know how to get through the hedgerow.
As Lily emerged from the shrubbery, she gasped when she got her first full look at the manor. It was large, at least four stories, and spread wide with many windows, while the back portion of the manor disappeared into the mountain that rose up behind it. The dark gray stone didn’t make the manor seem imposing at all, but rather ancient and important.
Then it occurred to her that she was seeing a part of Dreagan she shouldn’t, a part that could help Dennis on his quest.
CHAPTER TEN
Rhys halted when he caught a glimpse of black hair. He knew without having to see her face that it was Lily. It never occurred to him that Lily shouldn’t be on the other side of the hedge. All that mattered was that he be near her.
Her head turned toward him, the wind pushing her hair out of her face. That’s when he saw the bruise on her left cheek. When had that happened? There was nothing on her cheek when he left her last night. He took a step to go after her when he was hauled back.
Rhys jerked his head around and glared into Warrick’s cobalt eyes. “Let go,” he demanded.
Warrick lifted a blond brow. “She’s leaving with Denae, or did you forget that?”
“I didna.” Actually, he’d forgotten everything, including the fact he couldn’t shift again, once he saw Lily. “Did you see her face?”
Warrick sighed and dropped his hand. “Were you no’ listening at all when Jane told us Lily’s explanation just a few minutes ago?”
In truth, Rhys hadn’t paid a bit of attention to anything anyone said. His thoughts alternated between wanting to find Ulrik and confront him or kill him—or both—and Lily.
The things he wanted to do to her body made him ache, made him burn with need. And that burn was quickly turning into a blaze. He craved her touch, pined for her smile.
Hungered for her kiss.
“That’s a no then,” Warrick said with a twist of his lips. “Why even bother coming to the meetings if you are no’ going to pay attention?”
“Because Con drags me to them.” Rhys turned his gaze back to Lily, watching her long skirt drag the ground as she follow Denae to the garage that held most of their cars. “How did she get the bruise?”
“She told them she tripped on her skirt and fell, hitting her face on the sidewalk outside her flat.”
Rhys wasn’t so sure he believed the explanation. He hadn’t been staring at her cheek when he was with her last night, but he was sure he would’ve noticed if she were hurt. Besides, if what Cassie told him was true, then it was a man who had done that to her. Was it the same one Rhys saw leaving her flat? Was that what was wrong with her?
Anger ripped through Rhys. He’d been so intent on his desire he hadn’t put two and two together. “That is a substantial bruise.”
“Some humans bruise easily.”