“Maybe tomorrow, we can—”

  Dalir pressed a finger to her lips. He’d have to give a false answer to whatever she said. He didn’t want a lie to be a part of their last night together. “I don’t care about tomorrow.” He stroked his fingers down her cheek. For the first time in his life, the unfolding future didn’t hold the greatest significance. “Right now. In this moment. I only care about you.”

  Chapter 15

  Ari rested her hand on Dalir’s chest. The muscles underneath her palm were tense.

  Over the past days, she’d experienced a variety of his emotions. She’d witnessed many expressions cross his face. Fierce anger, unrelenting stubbornness, happiness, passion. But never anything like this. The look in his eyes made her want to cry for him and erase the pain. “I care about you, too.”

  “I know.”

  What was he keeping from her? Whatever was going on with him, they needed to talk about it. “Dalir, what’s wrong?”

  He silenced her worries with the glide of his tongue over hers.

  The sensual onslaught left her breathless and quivering with need.

  Palming the side of Ari’s hip, Dalir gently rolled her on top of him. He flicked open the buttons to her shirt, exposing her breasts. He held her waist as she slowly inched higher up.

  Dalir fit his lips over one of her nipples. Sucking. Licking. He turned to the other breast and did the same.

  His warm, wet mouth in contrast with the cool air made her shiver. Tugs grew stronger in her core. Ari trembled as she held onto his shoulders.

  The hammock swayed side-to-side.

  Dalir swept kisses up to her throat. He brushed his lips over the shell of her ear. “Careful or you’ll tip us out.”

  The erotic challenge gave her a thrill. “No, I won’t.” She kissed him hard and his tongue plunged deep. He tasted of the Moscato wine and the pears they’d share for dessert.

  His erection pulsed insistently between her legs.

  She rocked gently against him, focusing her movements. Each and every firm press focused on her clit.

  He groaned as he latched onto her butt and thrust his hips upward.

  The shallow movements, frustrating but spot on, rapidly built need. Heat coiled low in her middle.

  Dalir kissed her throat. “Come for me. Let go.”

  He held her as she was consumed by an orgasm that spread over her like a wild fire.

  His hardness pressing against her and the tautness of his jawline reminded Ari that he needed relief.

  They helped each other untie the strings to both of their sweat pants and pushed the soft, yielding cloth past their hips.

  She held onto his shoulders.

  Dalir lined up the tip of his shaft with her opening. Gaze holding hers, he glided into Ari with nerve-racking slowness.

  As he rolled his hips up, she pushed down. Her body quivered as she matched his slow, careful movements designed not to tip them over. Their future seemed just as precarious.

  Dalir clasped Ari by the nape and kissed her. “No matter what happens, time can never take what we have. A part of us will always exist like this…together.”

  He guided her hips to meet him at a faster pace.

  The hammock bounced.

  Pleasure radiated.

  Her climax intensified as he found his release.

  * * * *

  “Ari.”

  The woman’s voice floated in. Ari fought the pull but like an assistant nudge, it prompted her awake. Was it Celine or Lauren? Ari’s vision adjusted to the weak, gray light of pre-dawn.

  Silence hovered.

  She’d imagined it. The voice must have just been in her dreams.

  Dalir shifted in his sleep. His palm drifted down her back. As he cupped her hip, she intertwined her legs with his, sliding into the right spot at his side. Intoxicated by warmth and contentment, she wanted nothing more than to stay right there.

  Sex in a hammock. A first for her. She’d always laughed at the notion of intense sex having the power to make the earth move. Her cheeks flushed. If it wasn’t possible, they’d come pretty close to making it happen. Twice. Ari resisted tracing his jawline. Making love had also erased the sadness. She honestly didn’t regret one minute of what happened. She’d experienced more wonderful with him in a few days than her entire lifetime. It seemed as if Dalir believed he deserved to exist alone without good in his life. He’d just have to get used to her caring about him. She wasn’t going anywhere. She laid her hand on his chest. Shifting her position, she eased up.

  The hammock rocked.

  Dalir tensed but didn’t open his eyes. “Are you all right?” His husky tone held an unusual weariness.

  They’d talk over breakfast. She’d let him sleep. “Yes. I just need water.”

  “Okay. I’ll get it.” His voice faded. “Give me a minute…” His breathing deepened as his arm slackened.

  A strong breeze, hot and cold and filled with a being, a consciousness, blew over the porch.

  Chill bumps multiplied. Ari shivered. A thought, hers but not hers, whispered through her mind.

  “He will rest now. Come with me.”

  She wasn’t imagining it. The woman in her vision at the lake. Instinctually, Ari comprehended it was her presence. She had to find out more about Kell and how to keep him away from Dalir. Ari tamped down the urge to rush as she slipped out from under Dalir’s arm and out of the hammock. It bobbed and swayed with the loss of her weight.

  Dalir murmured unintelligibly. The hand that had rested on her hip moved to his stomach.

  The breeze nudged her inside and to the bedroom. Instinct guided her on what to do next. Ari got dressed in her own jeans, shirt and tennis shoes.

  A light glowed in the closet near the floor.

  Ari’s hand shook as she took the dagger out of Dalir’s boot and slipped it into her back pocket. She snuck out the front door. He could show up any moment. She hated leaving him like this. An ache settled in her chest. He’d worry, but when they’d searched for the warehouse, he’d told her to trust her instincts. Every fiber of her being said she had to go.

  Out front, a faint blue light floated in front of the tree line. It darted into the woods and zipped down a path.

  She chased after it. She was out of breath by the time it paused in a small clearing.

  The light formed into the auburn haired woman from her vision. Her blue tunic fluttered as she glided forward. The yellow jewel at her throat sparked with an inner glow.

  “Who are you?”

  “My name is Taliana.”

  “You were Dalir’s fiancée.” Ari’s heart stuttered in her chest. Taliana would want to help Dalir not hurt him. Right? “What do you want?”

  “To save Dalir.”

  “How?” Ari approached her. “What do you need to do?”

  “Not me. You. It’s time.”

  “For what?”

  “To accept who you are.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Yes. You do.” Taliana’s deep blue gaze held hers.

  In an instant, it was as if Ari viewed all of her fears. Felt every rejection. She squeezed her eyes shut, but failed to block out the memories. Emotional pain rocked her back. A sob escaped. “Why are you showing me this?”

  “To remind you how far you’ve come.” Taliana reached out to her. “And all that you have.”

  Ari swallowed against a lump in her throat as she took Taliana’s hand. Radiance, like a soothing balm erased the sad memories. Happy moments with her grandmother. Laughing with Lauren and Celine. Ari’s love for Dalir replaced them.

  Taliana released her. “You can’t be afraid anymore. Your gift isn’t a weakness. It’s your strength. You must embrace it.” Her expression saddened. “If you don’t, you’ll cause more pain for you, for Dalir, for others.”

  Ari’s recollection of Dalir lying on the altar swept in. “I’ll embrace it. I mean I do embrace it. Please.” Tears stung in her eyes. “He means the world to me. I’ll do anything. I love him.”

  Taliana’s gaze narrowed as if weighing Ari’s confession. “There is a way, but it won’t be easy.”

  The trees rustled behind Ari. Her breath caught. It was only the wind, not Dalir. “I’ll do it.”

  “Are you sure?” A hint of empathy shadowed Taliana’s expression. “Once fate is set into motion, you won’t be able to stop it.”

  If Dalir had found her there, he wouldn’t have let her go through with what Taliana was suggesting. He’d try to protect to her, but now he needed her help. If her curse could transform into a gift to rescue him from harm, she’d accept every part of it. Good and bad. Ari squared her shoulders. “Yes. What’s the plan?”

  “You have all that you need. When the time comes, what you don’t have will be revealed to you.” Taliana faded and shrunk into a ball of blue light. “Trust that you’ll know what to do.”

  The sphere morphed into a tunnel similar to the one Dalir had shown her when he’d explained his power. A portal into time.

  The tunnel widened. A force beckoned.

  Ari leaped.

  Radiant. Peaceful. Not at all like her phase with Dalir. A strong push landed her in a grassy plain near a small herd of grazing bison. Wildflowers swayed in the cool breeze. The expanding yellow rays of the rising sun peeked through jagged mountains, cutting across the sky.

  She definitely wasn’t in Florida anymore. Ari trekked across the plain toward trees. Her tennis shoes, perfect for jogging, proved inadequate for the uneven terrain.

  The sun rose higher, burning off the morning haze.

  As she trudged forward, her lungs burned from exertion. Sweat caused her shirt to stick to her heated skin. She crossed into a wooded area, thick with bushes and trees. The shade provided some comfort, but her mouth was dry. Taliana had instructed her to trust that she had all she needed to do this. “All right. I’m trusting.” Ari wiped her brow. “But could water rise a little higher on that needs list?”

  She hiked on. By now, Dalir was awake. Instead of breakfast, he’d find her gone. Tightness tugged in her chest. He had to forgive her, especially once he understood what was at stake. His life. Their future as a couple. Her legs started to feel like Jell-O. She flopped down under a tree. Celine, but especially Lauren, wouldn’t believe she was actually hiking in Nowhereville. Something she’d sworn never to do.

  Leaves rustled nearby.

  Ari jumped up.

  A squirrel scampered up a tree.

  It was harmless, but what else was out here? Snakes? Bears? Mountain lions? Ari dusted off her butt. The dagger. Crap. She’d lost it. Ari dropped to her knees. It wasn’t there.

  “Well, what do we have here?” The man’s voice came in from behind.

  Ari’s breath caught. She moved to turn around and felt the barrel of a gun pressed to her neck. “I’m unarmed.” She lifted her hands.

  The man hauled her to her feet. “Let’s make sure you’re not carrying any surprises. Keep your hands where I can see them.” He roughly squeezed and patted her down.

  Ari’s knees shook.

  He spun her around. The dark-haired guy dressed in camouflage tactical gear kept his automatic rifle trained on Ari. He raked her over with a hard gaze as he spoke into the mic of his headset. “This is Hawk One. I found an intruder.”

  A moment later footsteps shuffled through the woods. Another man burst through the foliage carrying a weapon. Even though camouflage markings covered his face, she recognized him. The police officer who’d dragged her to the warehouse had called him Henshaw.

  “You just keep crashing the party.” Henshaw invaded her space.

  Ari flinched away. He followed. Sweat and funk from too many days in the sun without a bath assaulted her.

  The guy behind pushed her forward. “You know her.”

  “She caused problems at the warehouse in Florida.”

  “Is she a federal agent? Why else did she track us here?”

  Henshaw towered over her. “Who brought you here?”

  He’d witness Dalir swooping her up and Kell phasing after them. The other guy hadn’t. Chances were everyone besides Henshaw didn’t know the full story about who Kell was. Or didn’t care.

  She breathed against the tight sensation in her chest. “I came alone.”

  “Liar.” Henshaw jabbed the barrel of his weapon under her chin. “Tell me.”

  Nausea rose. Nothing she could say in her defense would change his mind. “I have nothing to say to you. Only your boss.”

  “He’s busy.”

  “Too busy to find out about his brother?”

  Henshaw nostrils flared. “What do need to tell him. Be specific.”

  “Like I said. I’m only talking to your boss. Tell him it’s about Dalir.”

  Henshaw’s jaw hardened and his eyes went cold. His gaze held even more cruelty than when she’d met him at the warehouse. “If you’re playing me, I’ll kill you. Slowly.”

  Ari resisted shirking away, but her heart pounded against her ribcage so hard it almost hurt. What was she thinking coming out here alone? Where was Taliana? She had no clue what she was supposed to do now. “Just take me to Kell.”

  Chapter 16

  Rays of sun seeped through Dalir’s eyelids. He rolled to a sitting position in the hammock. It took a moment for his head to clear. He’d overslept. Shit. That never happened. His internal clock always woke him before dawn. Not even Ari getting up had awakened him. He should have left hours ago. Dalir stood. He found his sweat pants and put them on. Instead of leaving her with good memories from last night, now she’d face a difficult goodbye. Who was he kidding? Ari wasn’t the only one who’d suffer. He’d rather fight a battalion of retributionists on his own than stand in front of her now.

  Heaviness weighed his steps from the porch into the kitchen. The coffeepot sat empty. The counters were bare. Ari had mentioned making breakfast last night. Maybe she’d changed her mind. He glanced in the living room. Everything remained undisturbed. “Ari.” Silence greeted him. As he tore down the hall, he prayed to find her in bed or lounging in the tub. She wasn’t. The lake. Prickles spread over him. He quick phased right into the water. It lapped around his waist. “Ari!” His bellow echoed through the trees.

  Flying fish leaped across the placid surface, reflecting the mountains and a beautiful blue sky.

  Adrenaline fueled Dalir’s phase around the perimeter of the cottage, and then to the main house. He tracked water over the tiles as he rushed from the living room to the kitchen to the hall. “Ari! Are you here?”

  Lauren peeked out of the sunroom, holding a hammer.

  He grasped her by the shoulders. “Have you seen Ari.”

  “No. I thought she was with you?”

  Mace clomped down the stairs. His boots thudded on the tiles. “Dalir, what’s up?”

  “Ari’s gone.”

  Lauren stiffened. “What do you mean by gone? Did the two of you have an argument?”

  Dalir released her. “No. Of course not.”

  Mace and Lauren gave him puzzled looks. Mace came forward. “Maybe she went for a walk. She couldn’t have gone far.”

  Lauren stripped off her tool belt. She tossed it and the hammer in the sunroom. “Mace is right. She could have gone into the woods and gotten lost. We’ll search for her.”

  Dalir grasped her elbow. Until he sorted this out, he couldn’t have her and Celine wandering the woods. “The house is easier to spot from the mountains. She may come here. Check the backyard and the garden, but stay close.”

  She nodded then ran off.

  “Mace. Is Thane around?”

  “Yeah. We’re meeting at the range.”

  “Tell him what’s happened. Then, I want you to do a wide perimeter sweep around the house.”

  “Copy that.” Mace phased.

  Dalir’s hands shook as he raked back his hair. Any minute, Ari would walk in. She’d brush off his concern, and say something to make him laugh about it. The emptiness of the house mocked him. He phased through the woods around the cottage.

  Thane’s energy zipped past as he joined the search.

  Dalir soared down. It was time to face the truth. Leaves crunched under his feet. Tree limbs scraped his arms.

  Thane materialized. “I didn’t find her.”

  Dalir’s chest squeezed so tightly it felt as if his ribcage would crack. “That’s because she’s not in The Drift.”

  “What are you talking about? She can’t leave on her own.” Thane’s gaze met his. “Do you think Kell swept in and took her.”

  Kell couldn’t have. He would have sensed him. “No, but her powers may have led to her finding a way out. Yesterday, when I left Ari to meet you at the house, she had a vision. She saw Kell standing in front of a cave.”

  “She saw where he’s hiding? You should have told me about Ari’s vision instead of freezing me the fuck out.”

  “Ari saw me dead. She believes she’s supposed to stop him. If death is my fate. I’ll accept it but I’m taking Kell with me. I wasn’t going to risk her life or anyone else’s.”

  Thane’s expression turned grim. “Your plan of going on a suicide mission isn’t happening. We’re going with you.”

  Dalir forced his heart to slow down. He had to stay calm and think straight. He also needed all available help to find her. “We leave now.”

  * * * *

  Dalir phased into the woods on the side of the mountain, swords drawn. Sweat beaded along his spine under the tactical clothing he’d worn in deference to the team. They’d talked him into wearing the armored gear and a communications device, but no way in hell was he giving up his swords.

  Thane, Reid, Colby, West, and Mace landed backs to each other in a circular formation. They immediately took a knee, their MP5’s at the ready.

  Thirty minutes to wait for the team to gear up and wait for West to gather intel was too damn long. What if West was wrong and this wasn’t the right area? They needed to find out. Dalir ramped up his phase energy.