Though they whispered to her, Regin responded loudly, "Sabine? Who the hell is she? Still looks like a tartling to me."
When Sabine slowly turned toward Regin, Rydstrom hastened back to her, dropping the drinks at a random table-
"I am not a tartling. I am the Queen of Illusions," Sabine answered with silky menace, her palms at the ready.
Ah, f**k.
"Sister to Omort?" Regin shot to her feet, knocking over her chair. As lightning streaked the sky outside, the Valkyrie snatched two short swords from holsters across her back. "How'd you like those no-handed fire demons that Nixie and I sent back to you? Did you get her note?"
At the mention of Omort, beings in the crowd began comprehending exactly who Rydstrom had brought to
this bar. He heard mutters and whispers about the sor­ceress, and people began filing toward the door.
As the Lykae twins reached the exit, one of them called to Rydstrom, "Damn, demon, that filly's no' yet been broken."
The other added, "Talk about goin' out and gettin' some strange."
Rydstrom stepped between Sabine and Regin. "Valky-rie, she's with me. Nïx wouldn't want you to fight with Sabine." Because Sabine would destroy Regin.
Regin frowned in confusion. "She must be the sorceress Nïx specifically told me not to off tonight." The Valkyrie shrugged, expertly holstering her swords behind her back. Her ire had left her as readily as it had arrived, and her attention drifted from Sabine and Ryd­strom. "Hey! Where's everybody going? Rocky Horror Picture Show's playing downtown!" Regin brushed past them toward the exit, her friends following.
In minutes every being in the entire tavern-includ­ing the barkeep-had cleared out.
Sabine regarded the empty area with an unreadable expression.
He wrapped his arms around her, curling his fingers under her chin. "Baby, I'm sorry. It'll take time."
"Are you kidding? I was very flattered." When he gave her a doubting expression, she said, "Rydstrom, don't for­get that I was raised to equate fear with respect. All those people just showed me an enormous amount of respect."
He still must have looked unconvinced because she added, "Demon, I didn't come here expecting to make friends. Now, is this still a date?"
"Of course."
"And we're still in a Lore bar?"
"That we are."
She crossed to the bar and hopped over. "So what will you have?" she asked with a grin. "Drinks are on the house."
They sat in companionable silence on the way home, both lost in their own thoughts.
Rydstrom had told her that demons loved nice cars, were fascinated by them, and now she could see the appeal. The scent of new leather surrounded her, the seats were toasty warm, and the lights on the dash illu­minated his handsome face.
And there was a marked confidence about the way he drove. He was good at this, and he knew it. Gods, there was something about a male who drove well that was so sexually attractive, though she'd only really seen it with horses and carriages before.
At every red light, he took his hand off the stick shift and rested his palm on her knee, as though he couldn't stand not touching her for even a few moments.
The anticipation of knowing that they were going back to their house to make love all night took her mind from any worries she might have harbored. And she felt his strength, palpable and reassuring. He'd vowed to protect her, had wanted to.
After they made love, she was going to tell him about the poison....
"You looked beautiful tonight," he said, his voice rumbling.
"You didn't look too bad yourself."
"I made the podium?"
"Demon, you'd get my gold. I was proud to be on your arm. For as long as it lasted." With the place all to themselves, Rydstrom had taught her to play pool. "And I had fun."
He grinned over at her. "Even though we didn't leave
any bodies behind?"
"Maybe you're wearing off on me," she said absently, gazing at his curling lips and intense green eyes. That feeling came over her again, so sharply that realization struck her like a stray punch.
I think I'm in love with the demon.
43
Later that night, Rydstrom sat in his den, staring into a glass of demon brew. He'd left Sabine sleep­ing soundly, after taking her more times than he could count.
She'd said she had something she wanted to talk to him about later, but she'd drifted off. He'd noticed her face had been pale, and he feared he'd exhausted her.
Sometimes when she was digging her nails into the backs of his thighs as he took her from behind, he forgot that she didn't have the strength of a demoness.
It was as if he were trying to bond her to him through bouts of sex-because his other efforts appeared to be failing. Though she'd seemed genuinely happy to be with him, like tonight at the bar, he'd sensed an under­lying urgency in her. And he had only two days left before her sister would return for her.
Rydstrom needed Nix's advice, but she'd been impos­sible to locate over the last few days. He had the sword, and it was time to strategize and to act. Yet he felt like
he could do nothing until he'd solidified things with Sabine-until he'd wed her and truly made her his queen. Which meant he had to come clean with her first....
Filled with doubts, he sat pounding demon brew as his brother often had-to Rydstrom's past censure.
As if any of that mattered now. He'd been so damn hard on Cadeon. And for what?
The side door opened then. Speak of the demon.
Shortly after, Cadeon strolled into the room. "You still look like shite warmed over. But better than that last time at least."
Though it had always been uncomfortable between the two brothers, now everything could be different. The past wasn't what they'd believed, and Cadeon had redeemed himself.
When Cadeon dropped onto the couch across from him, Rydstrom held up the bottle in offer.
"A dram, but not more."
Once Rydstrom splashed the dark brew into a glass, he accepted the drink, inhaled, then took a sip. "You alarmed the piss out of me the other day."
/ alarmed myself. "I've tried to contact you since then."
"I've been MIA," Cadeon said simply. "But I've been left to my own recognizance tonight, so I thought I'd stop by." He studied Rydstrom's face. "I think this is where I'm s'posed to ask if you want to talk about it."
Rydstrom gave a bitter laugh. "Maybe after another bottle."
"When did you start pounding demon brew?" Cadeon asked.