Dusk (4 page)

“Thank you. I’ll hold you to that,” Hank said.

Solomon nodded, then looked up when Lucy appeared in the doorway.
She wore tight jeans with a soft sweater that hugged her curves and high black
boots. Her soft curls bounced irrepressibly around her shoulders. She was even more
beautiful than he’d remembered.

How could I have forgotten how lovely she is?
he wondered, taking her in. For
the first time in his long life, his senses broke past his control and spread
wide, seeking her energy. Her spirit fluttered like golden light against his
empathy before he ruthlessly suppressed his power, rolling his abilities down
into a tight ball of restraint. He couldn’t afford to be distracted.

“Sentry Dusk,” she said formally. She seemed uneasy, and he
worried that she was afraid of him. “Thank you for picking me up.”

He inclined his head. “Lucy. I told you to call me Solomon,” he
said softly, walking over to her. He held out his hand, waiting until she put
hers in it. The moment her palm touched his, energy shot through him again. It
took everything he had to keep from pulling her close and tucking her under his
arm, where she belonged.

I have never felt this before,
he suddenly realized, fear stabbing through him. He took a deep
breath, then another.
No. This is impossible. Even Constance didn’t feel
like this to me.

“Is everything all right?” she asked, slipping her hand away. She
looked… worried.

“Are you ready to go?” he asked her, ignoring her question. He
couldn’t think straight. He resisted the urge to clench his fists. That would
only frighten everyone. Instead, he backed up, giving her room to move into the
kitchen. She picked up a purse from the bench under the window. “I would not
want to keep my brother waiting. He can become cranky when he’s hungry.”

She smiled faintly and nodded, checking the buckle on her bag. “Yeah,
I understand that.” She cocked her head. “You
do
know how to drive that
thing, right? I’ve never ridden on a motorcycle before.”

He forced a smile, shoving his unease away. “Of course. You’ll be
safe with me.” He watched her eyes shy away from his.

“Okay then. Bye, Mom. Dad. Have fun tonight,” she said, dropping
her purse strap across her chest and one shoulder, messenger style.

“You too,” her mother said as she slung her arm around her husband’s
waist. “Tell Eva I said hello.”

“I will, Mom. She already told me to tell you and Dad to have a
good date night,” Lucy made a face. “Even though the thought of you and Dad
dating makes my stomach churn.”

Lucy’s father laughed. “Try not to think too hard about it.”

“Believe me, I’m trying,” Lucy said, grinning. She turned to
Solomon, and smiled wider, surprising him. “Well, here goes nothing.”

****

Lucy tucked her head further into Solomon’s warm back.
He feels
like a solid wall of muscle,
she mused, trying to keep from sliding on the
smooth seat. The last thing she wanted to do was fall off. She tightened her
hands around his waist even more. Her fingers ached from hanging on so tightly,
but she didn’t care. She did
not
like riding on the back of a
motorcycle, no matter how skilled he was at driving the thing.

“Are we close yet?” she yelled. Trees rushed past them in a blur
of green and gold. Lucy was afraid to focus too closely.
I might start
screaming if I have to stay on this machine for much longer.

He shrugged, jostling her, and she dug her fingers into his
leather jacket reflexively. “Don’t do that!” she yelled at him. “Oh God, I’m
going to die,” she muttered, wishing motorcycles had seatbelts.

As if he could sense her panic, Solomon slowed, then pulled over.
Lucy focused on breathing slowly, not wanting to hyperventilate. When he turned
off the engine, she slowly slid off the bike. “Why are we stopping?” She looked
around, but they were only halfway to Greyson’s Stronghold. She would know. She’d
borrowed her mom’s car to visit Eva many times over the summer.

“I wanted to speak to you before dinner,” Solomon said, looking
back the way they’d come. Puffs of dust lingered along the dirt road from their
passage. He got off the bike, too, crossing his arms over his chest as he
stared at the road. He looked forbidding and unapproachable.

“Okay,” Lucy said, confused. The late afternoon sunlight filtered
down through the trees, painting him with shadows. Even so, his eyes held a
light of their own, as if the strength of his personality couldn’t be
contained. She stared at him, taking in his full lips and the stubble that
hugged his chiseled jawline. She wanted to touch it. See if it was as soft as
it looked. His hair was mussed from the drive. When she let her eyes drift down
his torso, she realized his shoulders were drawn up slightly. “Is something
wrong?” she asked tentatively.

He turned his gaze on her.

Lucy stepped back. For just a moment, a flicker of pain had chased
across his expression. She had no idea what was going on in his head.

“I’m sorry,” he finally said, shoving his hand into his jeans
pocket. He pulled out a silver ring and held it out.

Lucy stared at it like it was a bug about to bite her. “Is that
what I think it is?”

He nodded. “It is a shield ring. I want you to have it.” His hand
didn’t move.

The silver ring sat in his palm looking like the most innocuous of
decorations. She liked jewelry. She loved rings. This? This wasn’t just a ring.
No, it’s much more complicated than that,
she mused, swallowing hard.

“Please.”

Lucy stepped back further. She knew better than to just accept it
with no explanation. “Oh no. That little bit of silver means you think the
Spiders are coming back.”

Solomon frowned and closed his fingers around the delicate metal. “No,
it doesn’t. But if they do, this will protect you.” He stepped closer.

“The ring Greyson gave Eva didn’t keep her safe.” Lucy’s heart was
in her throat. “Or me, as you well know.”

He reached down and lifted her right arm, sliding his fingers down
her forearm until he uncurled her fist. She shivered. He felt so warm. Safe.
She wanted to trust him, but everything that had happened in the past few
months made her wary.

“This ring is attuned to you,” he said. “It will keep you safe.”
He closed her fingers around it.

Lucy fought the urge to pull away and scrub at her skin. “It only
works for a little while,” she whispered, remembering the shield that Eva’s
ring created. When enough Spiders attacked, the shield failed. Lucy remembered
their silicate claws opening her flesh like it was yesterday.

Solomon grasped her hand with both of his. “That is true. But by
the time that happens, I will be there, Lucinda.”

Lucy stared at his hands. His fingers were strong and well formed.
Capable. They looked like ordinary hands, but she knew he wielded power she
didn’t understand. “Promise,” she croaked, then stopped and cleared her throat.
She tried again, her eyes meeting his. “Promise me you’ll come.” The silver
flecks in his light brown eyes were as brilliant as the silver ring in her
hand.

He nodded. “I give you my word.” His voice was low and serious and
sexy.

Lucy shuddered, then slowly drew her hand out of his and slid the
ring onto her right index finger. It fit perfectly. “Okay,” she murmured,
staring at his feet. She was afraid to look at his expression. His boots were
as dusty as hers. “I’ll hold you to that.”

“Trust me,” he murmured.

Gathering her courage, she glanced up. He wasn’t smiling. Lucy
licked her lips, wondering where she’d found the courage to question a Sentry.
Except,
it wasn’t really a question,
she told herself as she climbed back on the
motorcycle.
It was more like a plea for the truth.

Ten minutes later they were at Greyson’s stone house. The rest of
the ride hadn’t seemed very frightening, not after what Solomon had just done.

I never wanted his
ring
, Lucy thought
as they walked up the steps. She rubbed her arm, trying to quell her nerves.
The front door opened.

“Lucy! I see you made it here in one piece,” Eva exclaimed,
throwing her hands around her.

Lucy returned her hug. “Hey, Eva. What’s up?”

Eva laughed. “Not much.”

Lucy raised her eyebrows as she stared at her friend. Eva had
black streaks going up her arms. Her pink top was smudged, too. “You look like
you had a fight with a bag of charcoal.” She grinned. “And the charcoal won,
hands down.”

Eva shrugged sheepishly, waving her inside. “The lighter fluid
took care of any problems.”

Lucy snorted. “I can’t believe Greyson lets you play with his
grill.”

“Who am I to tell her what she can or cannot set on fire?” Greyson
Dark called from the kitchen area, across the room. He wore jeans and a
t-shirt.

I’m glad I didn’t wear a dress,
Lucy thought, relieved that she’d changed. She glanced around.
The central pillar was of the same grey stone as the rest of the house. The
floor stretched wide and held a fireplace, a sofa and table, and the kitchen
area. She knew, from previous visits, that they’d probably be eating on the
deck built against the house just outside the kitchen.

Solomon shut the door behind them and moved into the room. “It is
always wise to defer to one’s woman.”

Lucy gave him a look. He wasn’t joking, but it was a weird thing
for him to say.
Greyson agrees with me, judging from the expression on his
face,
she thought. Before she could respond, however, Eva seized her hand.

“Oh my God,” she said, holding up Lucy’s arm and staring at the
ring. “Is that what I think it is?”

Lucy pulled away. “It’s nothing. Don’t make a big deal out of it.”
She wanted to run out the front door and not come back. She jammed her hand in
her pocket, hiding the ring.

“Except it
is
a big deal,” Eva replied, eyes wide. She
turned to her husband, who’d moved closer to them. “Isn’t it, Greyson?”

Greyson looked at his brother. “I’d forgotten you had one.”

Solomon stepped around them and headed for the kitchen. “I made
one for each of us, if you recall, brother.” He leaned on the counter and
stared out the window over the sink.

Lucy eyed his closed-off stance.
I don’t need to be a mind
reader to tell he doesn’t want to talk about this, either,
she thought,
taking a deep breath. “I asked him for help,” she blurted out. “I’ve been
having nightmares. He said it would help.”

Eva pursed her lips. “Well, a shield will protect you if we have
an invasion, but it won’t help stop nightmares.” She glanced at her husband
before continuing. “Not that we expect any Spiders right now. We have sensors
out, watching for them.”

Lucy nodded, still looking at Solomon from the corner of her eye. “I
know. You told me.” She shrugged. “But I can’t help what my brain does when I
fall asleep. Maybe having the ring will convince my subconscious that there’s
nothing to worry about.”

Eva eyed her speculatively. Lucy met her look steadily, willing
her best friend to let it drop. She didn’t know why she suddenly felt such a
strong urge to protect Solomon, but she wasn’t about to ignore her instincts.
My
mother always told me to follow my heart, and right now it’s telling me that
Solomon needs the subject changed, pronto.

“Yeah, okay. I hear you.” Eva touched Lucy’s arm. “I didn’t know
you were still having nightmares, though. I’m so sorry I dragged you into all
this.”

Lucy shook her head. “It’s not your fault. It really isn’t,” she
insisted when her best friend began to shake her head in denial. “We’re all at
risk from those things. And I would do it all over again if I could help you,
Eva. You know that. You’re the sister I never had.”

Eva made a soft sound and pulled Lucy into another embrace. “Me
too, Lucy. Me too.”

Lucy hugged her back tightly. “Okay, then. Can we eat? I’m
starving? Heavy conversation makes me hungry. And this was supposed to be a
nice dinner, not a therapy session.”

Eva laughed and let her go, surreptitiously wiping her eyes. “Yeah,
yeah. The potatoes are already done.” She waved at her husband. “Greyson, will
you put them outside with the corn?”

He nodded and moved toward the oven. On the way there, he murmured
something to his brother. Solomon sighed, but since he didn’t deck Greyson,
Lucy figured whatever his brother had said to him couldn’t have been that bad.

“The steaks are probably ready to come off the grill,” Eva
continued, heading for the back door. “Let’s go sit down. The guys can pamper
us. We deserve it.”

“That works for me,” Lucy agreed, smiling. She glanced at Solomon
as she followed Eva outside to the deck. He’d turned around and was gathering
glasses for drinks. He looked… better, thank goodness. Not completely at ease,
but he wasn’t all poker-stiff anymore, to her relief.