Just like that, he pulled us into the shadow realm, bringing us back out into the sunlight in an avenue of palm trees.

  “Where are we?” I asked, gaping at the space.

  I'd never seen palm trees so tall, and the mountain beyond them impossibly large against the skyline.

  “The botanical gardens.” Neo shrugged. “I thought you'd appreciate the fresh air.” He released me for the first time since we arrived in the southern hemisphere and I mourned the loss of the feel of his palm in mine. “We'll eat here then return to our search.”

  We lingered in the garden for longer than Neo had planned. He humoured my fascination with the huge lilies and the orchid house, staying silent and protective behind me without complaint. He never said a word to rush me, even though I knew he was anxious to leave this paradise to resume his search once more. He put his hunt on hold to show me this beautiful corner of the city, and I hated myself for the selfish indulgence when I remembered we were racing against time.

  When I said as much, he just shook his head.

  “All the time in the world is worthless if the fleeting moments of beauty it bestows aren't relished,” he replied.

  “But we don't have all the time in the world.”

  “We will,” he promised.

  For just a second, I let myself believe him.

  We searched for hours, until darkness fell and the crowds dried up completely and even Neo was forced to admit defeat. He didn’t say anything. He just teleported us to a bar called ‘The Rusty Locket’ so we could grab a late bite to eat.

  It was greasy, glorious soul food accompanied by gorgeous cocktails that looked almost too good to drink. I practically inhaled everything in my rush to enjoy it. Neo ate slower, studying everyone inside with suspicious glares until our plates were empty. When he was done, he waved over the curvy, tattooed hostess who’d chosen our drinks earlier and handed her a wad of cash without even asking for the bill.

  The moment she turned her back, he pulled us back into the shadow realm.

  Returning to the fortress felt like a defeat. But the next morning we went out again and started searching train stations once more.

  Nothing. Plenty of demons, but no mark. None of them even paid the slightest bit of attention to us.

  Another failed day later, and my patience was fraying. Neo had reluctantly taken me to the favelas in the hopes that Marcus's minions were using the chaos of the vibrant, lawless mini-cities as a way to hide in plain sight. Human drug cartels apparently controlled a lot of the space, but even they gave Neo a wide berth. Even criminals could sense he was the greater predator and kept out of his way as we hunted through the labyrinthine neighbourhoods.

  There was a unique kind of vibrancy to the favelas that Lulu would have loved. The street food smelled heavenly, the noise was incredible, and everywhere we went, there were people. And hills. Lots of stupid hills, covered in tiny, narrow staircases.

  I wasn't unfit, but at the same time, I'd never climbed so many steps in my life. Especially not in this heat and humidity. It must have shown, because the next time we saw a bench overlooking the city, Neo stopped and I collapsed into it.

  “Wait here,” Neo instructed, handing me a bottle of water from thin air. “I'll get us something from that restaurant over there. If there's any trouble, use our bond.”

  I nodded, too busy chugging the drink to say anything as he gave the street one last suspicious look, then strode away.

  I downed the full bottle, but I was still thirsty. The humidity had taken its toll on my hair as well, lending a frizz to my short locks that probably meant I looked like I'd been struck by lightning.

  It didn't matter to Neo. The glance he threw over his shoulder as he walked across the street still filled me with a fresh burst of power. I drew it straight to the surface, ready to shield if I had to. Neo's absence showed that he didn't believe any of Marcus's followers were nearby, or he'd never have let me out of his sight. Still, I wasn't going to let my guard down just yet.

  Just because we'd had no luck so far didn't mean that they weren't here. It just meant the Sect wasn't stupid.

  A chittering noise drew my attention to the trees above, followed by an ear-splitting screech. I twisted in my seat, searching for it.

  Big, expressive eyes stared back. High in the tree above me, the tiny monkey opened its mouth and emitted another of those piercing cries before scampering down to my level.

  The locals paid no notice, apparently used to the presence of the marmosets around them. That left just me, staring at the most incredible little face ever.

  “Hey, little guy,” I whispered, terrified of scaring him off. “You're a gorgeous little one, aren't you?”

  He cocked his head to one side, then leapt from his tree to land on the back of my bench. I stifled a squeak of surprise, but grinned anyway.

  “Aww, are you friendly?” He probably just wanted to see if I had any food. “You can keep me company if you like.”

  My new friend made another, sweet chattering noise, then took off down the street. He stopped in the entrance to an alleyway just up the hill and looked back as if to examine me.

  I glanced at the restaurant where Neo was, then back at the monkey.

  Only my primate friend wasn’t there anymore. His place had been taken by an Envy wearing a baseball cap who was restraining a short, blonde woman who looked awfully like…

  “Lulu!” I gasped, shoving myself to my feet.

  My twin struggled against her captor’s arms, but fell still as he raised a knife to her neck. I met his cold, flat eyes just as he jerked his head towards the alley.

  He wanted me to follow him. It was pretty clear he meant to kill Lulu if I resisted or made a scene. I glanced back at the restaurant again, but I couldn’t see Neo.

  They had my sister. Cold sweat trickled down my spine and I spun back around to find the Envy was still staring at me. Waiting for me to decide.

  “Shit.”

  I held my hands up in surrender and moved slowly towards him. Obviously I wasn’t moving fast enough, because Lulu’s attacker jerked his head a second time and dug the knife deeper into her neck. I upped my pace, my thighs burning in complaint as I scaled the hill.

  The closer I got, the more I began to doubt myself. Lulu’s posture was a little too… robotic. Her hair was a fraction too short and her normally bright makeup was more subdued.

  The humans weren’t reacting to an obvious attack in broad daylight.

  Something wasn’t right…

  My hesitation must have shown, or perhaps I’d simply come far enough, because a pair of arms appeared around my chest. The image of Lulu and her attacker disappeared before my eyes, and I had no time to react before I was yanked sideways into an alleyway.

  I reached for my mating bond before I really processed what was happening. My terror leaked out, and Neo's answering rage echoed back. A black bag descended over my head, and my focus was consumed by what was happening to my body.

  My arm was yanked behind my back, and something sharp pierced my neck. I let out a tiny shriek of rage, reaching for my power to protect myself.

  It answered. The shield started to form…

  But it was sluggish. My limbs were heavy and my power was the same. Moving seemed to take more effort, almost like I was underwater.

  They'd drugged me, I realised, even as my thoughts started to slow. I thrashed against my captor, trying to throw my head back with enough force to break his nose.

  But I never managed to make contact.

  “Neo!” I screamed, but even my mind was slowing. Darkness beckoned.

  Stay awake, I ordered myself. Terror slugged through my veins at the thought of being left unconscious, at the mercy of the Sect.

  Then there was a scream.

  Not mine.

  The hands touching me abruptly let go, leaving me to collapse on the concrete. Hard. My whole body felt heavy, but I managed to tug at the hood. Dislodging it enough to get it off my head and push onto my elbow to watch what was happening.

  Only to wish that I hadn't.

  Neo stood over me, blazing with rage. His wings stretched, and his hands were afire with the darkest pyrokinesis I'd ever seen. He held one of my attackers up with one hand, driving him back against the cinderblock wall hard enough to make it crack.

  Like this, he truly looked like a god. He was bleeding from a wound to his chest, but he showed no signs of it affecting him as he drew back and drove his fist into the belly of the asshole who'd grabbed me.

  “She. Is. Mine.” His growl was so dark it was almost hard to hear, and the man in front of me pissed himself. “If Marcus wants her, he has to go through me.”

  His black eyes gleamed with darkness. Perhaps my woozy state was to blame, but waves of shadow seemed to be pushing their way out of him. Neo was vengeance personified, and the cultist he was holding went wild with fear, hands scrabbling to his waistband.

  When he pulled out a gun, Neo didn't even flinch. He didn't move as the man emptied a full clip of ammunition into his abdomen.

  No, he just stood there and smiled. When the last shot ran out, that smirk only grew wider.

  With a cock of his head, every single piece of metal that had just been emptied into him shot back out and into the cultist.

  The man let out another near-soundless scream, his whole body sagging. His eyes fixed on a spot beyond Neo, glazing over until I thought he'd died.

  “Oh, you don't get to die yet,” Neo whispered.

  Before I could see what my mate was going to do, the last of my strength left me and I tumbled back down. My head landed with a sickening crack as it hit the pavement. Then my vision was consumed by the corpse I hadn't noticed before. My second attacker's burnt out, empty, charred eye sockets stared at me as my vision started to blur.

  “Neo,” I whispered as I lost my hold on reality all together.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  The first thing I noticed was the overwhelming urge to be sick. I retched, my mouth and throat burning as I gave up trying to hold back the nausea.

  Gentle hands stroked my hair back out of my face. Kept the bowl in my lap steady to catch the vomit. Stroked my spine with care. My bond purred with worry beneath my skin. But it wasn't Neo's bond.

  “Matteo,” I whispered, finally opening my eyes.

  “Shh, get the drugs out of your system.”

  “Is Neo…?”

  “We're fine,” he promised, stroking my hair as I choked on the urge to retch again. “You're safe. That's all that matters.”

  It took a while, but eventually the roiling in my stomach stopped. When I finally pulled back, Matteo was there to help me to the bathroom, and he waited patiently outside while I washed away the dirt and blood and vomit. It took half an hour of steaming hot water before I felt alive again, and I collapsed onto the bed wearing just a towel.

  “What happened?” My brain was foggy, my whole head felt like someone had taken a hammer to the inside of my skull.

  “You were almost taken.”

  Shit.

  My watery eyes met Matteo's, and he looked away, confirming my suspicions. “He let you care for me because he's angry, didn't he?”

  He nodded, a tiny smile crossing his lips. “Beyond angry. I convinced him you weren't in any state to deal with him and he took a nap.”

  I couldn't fight my grimace. This was exactly what Neo had been afraid of happening, and I'd wandered straight into the trap like an idiot. I groaned as the memories started to take form. The favelas, the monkey, and then Lulu… who disappeared. God, what happened to my sister?

  I didn't realise I'd spoken until Matteo explained, “One of the men who lured you had thiriokinesis, the ability to manipulate animals. The other had hallucikinesis…”

  Illusion manipulation. Just like Vendra.

  Lulu was never really there.

  I flopped back on the pillow with a groan of frustration. “How could I be so stupid?”

  “Not stupid,” my mate retorted. “Almost no one knows all of the gifts, so how could you prepare for them?”

  “I bet that's not what Neo said about it.” I could almost hear his ranting right now.

  “No,” he admitted, begrudgingly. “He had a few extra choice words, but he was healing bullet wounds at the time. Needless to say, he's decided you won't be leaving the fortress any time soon.”

  “It wasn't my fault I got attacked. They were clearly waiting for any opportunity.”

  “Exactly. He won't bring you near Rio again… and I can't say I disagree with him.”

  I looked up in surprise. I'd thought Matteo would be on my side; my calm, supportive mate wasn't the type to lock people away in icy castles. But there was a sincerity in his eyes that told me he wasn't kidding. Along with a tiredness that I didn't expect. There were black circles there that put my guard up, and his skin had paled since the last time I saw him. I'd been too busy vomiting my guts up before, but now that I looked, he didn't seem quite himself. Not wounded, but…

  Faded. Washed out.

  “You're running out of time,” I hissed, concern creasing my brows. “Why didn't you say anything?”

  He shook his head. “What would I say? We knew this would happen. Neo still has time to track them down. Right now, I'm just happy you're okay.” He shimmied closer until he was lying against the pillows with me, pulling me into him so I was hugging him.

  “You're not though.”

  He shook his head. “I'm fine. I knew this was a possibility. Even if Neo's power consumes my body, that's okay. I signed up for it, remember? I was supposed to die decades ago. I got a little extra time. How many people can say that? And it was worth it. Any second spent with you is worth it.”

  My heart fluttered, and I snuggled closer to him. Tears pricked at my eyes, and not from the pain in my head.

  His fingers gripped my chin before I could bury my face into his chest to hide them. When he wiped the first track away from my cheek, I broke.

  Why was it so easy to fall in love with Matteo?

  More tears fell, and he wiped every single one of them, then pulled my face up and kissed me so deeply that I felt it in my soul. There was a reverence in the way his lips moved on mine. A fierceness that made me feel so much that it hurt. Matteo kissed me like a man who knew he didn't have long and was savouring every second.

  Lazy tendrils of desire floated through me, and I wanted to groan. How could this man want me so much when I was still damp from my shower, with puffy eyes.

  But he did. And I wanted him too.

  He was right. This whole attack and the evidence of his diminishing strength had brought so much into perspective. We might only have so much time together, and I didn't want to live without knowing how it felt to make love to him.

  Matteo sensed my decision through the bond before I could even say it aloud.

  “You're sure?” he asked.

  “Absolutely. As long as you want me?”

  His answering kiss made my toes curl.

  The towel disappeared from my body in a rush. A second of self consciousness swamped me, as I remembered how many scars he was seeing for the first time. But he didn't give me more than a second to dwell on it. Desire lit me up with a jolt of power that shot straight down my spine.

  His hands eagerly caressed down the sides of my ribcage to my hips, disrupting any other thoughts I might have had. Matteo lifted me like I weighed nothing until I was straddling him, naked, while he remained fully clothed.

  I tore at his shirt with my hand, growling at how much more difficult undressing someone else was with only one arm. He grinned when I got impatient and just used pyrokinesis to burn away the fabric instead.

  I didn't care. I had warm, hard muscle beneath my hand and it felt oh so good. He had the faintest dusting of hair over his pecs, and a tiny trail of pale hair that disappeared down into his jeans. I petted him lazily, fingers flicking at his nipples until he gasped. His hands clenched and unclenched in response, and I smiled.

  I wanted to take my time with him, and I sensed he felt the same.

  Power flooded me as he watched through hooded eyes when I lowered my head to take his nipple into my mouth.

  I sucked, then ran my teeth over the sensitive bud. Learning from his responses. Finding out what made him hiss out a breath. What made him tremble. Every quiet reaction spurred me on, moving across his chest to give his other nipple the same treatment.

  “Nelly!” His shout was torn out of him. One of his hands tangled in my hair, then released, going back to my hips.

  “My turn,” he announced, pulling my body up until my hand met the headboard, leaving my breasts dangling just over his face.

  He reached up and took both in his hands, kneading and massaging until I was squirming on top of him. My pussy left an embarrassingly damp patch on the sculpted surface of his abs, but he didn’t seem to mind.

  His mouth reached up and engulfed my nipple, repaying his earlier torment with lazy, slow licks that drove me completely wild. He licked, then sucked before releasing the wet, pebbled flesh to blow a long, cool breath over the tip.

  I gasped, then moaned when he swapped sides, heading for the scarred side of my body.

  But he didn't just repeat his ministrations there. No.

  He kissed every single scar.

  “So fucking strong,” he whispered. “You're gorgeous.”

  Thanks to my gift, I knew he meant it.

  “I love you,” I whispered, shocking us both.

  I hadn't meant it to pop out like that, but he reacted by abandoning his exploration of my scars to drag my head down for a long, drawn out kiss.

  “I adore every part of you,” he replied when he pulled away, shifting his hands to cup my ass. “Let me show you exactly how much.”

  He pulled me forwards until my core was directly over his face, then pulled me down against his greedy mouth.

  It was a scandalous position, and the long, lazy lick he gave me short-circuited my brain. My hand clenched on the headboard as he swirled around my clit once, twice, then switched back to sweeping strokes of his tongue. He alternated between the two, his palms massaging the flesh of my ass as he played my body like a master musician.