Shadow's Pleasure: The Shadow Warder Series, Book Two (A Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Romance Series) (2 page)

The room was silent. Sorcha sensed she’d gained ground. Garran hadn’t said it was a bad idea for Sorcha to go in search of the Shadows, just that Kate couldn’t go with her. Progress.

Wondering what argument to bring up next, she heard someone say, “I’ll take her. I can keep her safe.”

Looking up, Sorcha locked eyes with the owner of the deep voice. It was the Warder. Not Hannah’s. The other one. He studied her with eyes of opalescent hazel. They shimmered in warm shades of green and amber, set in golden skin. His hair was longish, shaggy around his face, thick, and dark blond. Add in sharp cheekbones, lush lips and a warrior’s build, and you had one hell of a sexy man.

Warder. Not a man
.

Either way, Sorcha wasn’t sure she wanted to go anywhere with this guy. Males who looked like him were usually trouble.

On the other hand, he’d risked everything to help his friend save the woman he loved. Loyalty like that said a lot. Carefully, Sorcha extended her empathic senses toward the Warder. Nothing. She tried harder, reaching for him. Still nothing. Odd. Even focusing just on the Warder, she felt the others’ emotions pushing through. But not his. His emotions were tightly contained, not bothering her at all. Unable to stop herself, Sorcha smiled, believing for the first time this was going to work.

Kiernan sat back when the Shadow smiled at him. Fuck, she was gorgeous. He was going to have to watch himself with her. Long, thick red hair, milky skin, green eyes, full lips. That ugly hippie shirt hid a lot, but he was pretty sure she was all curves under her dumpy clothes.

At first, he’d thought she was a little mouse. Creeping into the room, head down, staying silent as the others spoke. He’d wondered why she was there at all. Apparently she was some kind of tracker. Good, since a tracker was exactly what they needed. For some reason, the others didn’t want her out in the human world. He’d been shocked as hell when she’d spoken up. She was quiet, but her voice had been firm, her eyes direct. He got the feeling she wasn’t prepared to give in. She’d need a backbone if he took her to Charlotte with him.

“It sounds like you left a mess behind when you helped Hannah escape,” said the bulky, rough-looking Shadow at the other end of the table. Kiernan wasn’t sure of his name. Garran? “How can you guarantee Sorcha’s safety when you don’t know what you’ll be walking into?”

“I can’t guarantee anything,” Kiernan said evenly. “Conner can’t go back. But I should be clean. There’s only one person who knows I was involved in helping Hannah get out. And since she helped Hannah herself, I think she’ll keep her mouth shut.”

“Still, going back at all is extremely risky.” This from Iris at the other end of the table. The older Shadow leaned forward, hands folded in front of her. “Bringing Sorcha with you elevates the risk. She hasn’t been out in the human world for years. Her shield is too weak.”

“I am not weak,” the redhead said. Kiernan could tell she was trying not to raise her voice. Despite her even tone, her eyes sparked with aggravation.

Sorcha. An old Scots name. With that hair, he would have guessed Scottish or Irish.

“Sorcha,” Iris said, in the same overly patient tone she’d used earlier.

Sorcha gave a sharp shake of her head, cutting Iris off. She turned her green eyes to Kiernan. “Iris is right,” she said. “Going back is dangerous, even if you think you’re clean. You got out. We’ve offered you safe harbor here. Why would you be willing to take the risk?”

Kiernan was surprised. He’d thought she wanted to go. But Sorcha was smart to question his motives. He didn’t know the captive Shadows. His single point of loyalty in this room was Conner, and he’d already helped his friend save Hannah. Kiernan’s job should be done.

On top of that, Shadows and Warders were forbidden contact. Just sitting here surrounded by Shadows broke fifteen hundred years of separation. If the Warders found out where Kiernan had been for the past twenty-four hours, he’d be in a world of hurt. If they caught the redheaded Shadow with him, so would she.

“Look,” he said, leaning toward Sorcha, meeting her green eyes with a steady gaze. “You don’t know me. And I don’t know your missing females. But I’ve never turned my back on an innocent. Not when my job is to save them. Especially not when one of my own is working with demons to rape and torture them. I don’t care about walking away from the Warders. But I’m not leaving those girls with the Director. Michael is insane.”

“What’s your plan?” Sorcha asked, her tone a challenge.

Kiernan grinned at her. He was pleased to see a flush bloom in her cheeks. Nothing could happen between them. They’d be walking into enough danger without adding the complications of sex. Still, he’d never been able to resist flirting with a woman, pretty or not. And this one was even more beautiful when she blushed.

“I thought we’d work that out together,” he said, his grin widening further as the pink of her cheeks deepened. A throat was cleared at the other end of the table. The older Shadow, he thought. Garran. Just as Kiernan turned to address the interruption, the door to the room slammed open. A male Shadow stepped through. Tall and spindly, he should have appeared weak. Instead, he radiated energy. Whoever the male was, he was powerful. And he looked pissed.

Ignoring the rest of the room, the stranger narrowed his dark eyes on Iris. He set one bony hand down on Sorcha’s shoulder without looking at her and barked, “What is the meaning of this? Why has Sorcha been included in this meeting?”

At the mention of her name, the hand on her shoulder tightened. Sorcha twisted, trying to dislodge the fingers digging into her flesh. She winced, her eyes dulled. He was hurting her. Was Kiernan the only one who saw it? Sorcha shifted to the side. The intruder’s grip tensed. Why didn’t anyone stop him? Kiernan pushed his chair back, prepared to intercede, when Sorcha raised her gaze to his. The luminous green was muddy with pain, but she shook her head in an almost imperceptible negative. Against his will, Kiernan sat back, giving her a chance to deal with the situation on her own.

With a jolt, Sorcha came to her feet. The sudden movement jarred the man behind her, forcing him to step back, highlighting the harsh grip he’d had on her shoulder. Kiernan was gratified to see the two Elder Shadows raise their eyebrows at the sight of his rough treatment. Good to know they didn’t condone it, they just hadn’t noticed.

Now that all eyes were on his contact with Sorcha, the older Shadow dropped his hand. Sorcha took advantage of the space to shift away, placing herself behind Kate’s seat. Kate glared at the newcomer with undisguised hatred. Interesting. Kate was a live wire, but she’d stepped in for Hannah and had fought with them the day before. She might be a little wild, but she was a powerful fighter and brave as hell. If she disliked this man, he was likely a threat.

“Steven,” Sorcha said in the same annoyingly calm tone Iris had used on her a few minutes before. “We’re discussing Caerwyn, Lissa, and Sara. The Warders have a solid lead on their location. We’re going to bring them home.”

“Out of the question. You cannot leave this Sanctuary. You’re too weak.” Steven dismissed her and turned to Iris again. “Sorcha’s not stable. Her power can’t be focused. She’ll be a danger to the girls and to herself. I was against her cutting back on her training with me, but she insisted. If I’d known she’d get an idea like this…” Steven trailed off, shaking his head as if in remorse, clearly trying to give the impression that Sorcha wasn’t able to make her own decisions.

Was he right? Would she be a liability? Kiernan met Sorcha’s eyes again. The pain had cleared, leaving them bright with annoyance. Her shoulders straightened as she faced Steven.

“As you’re well aware,” she said. “I’m fine. My shield needs to be maintained, but I can do that outside the Sanctuary. I have the training to deal with anything we might encounter, and no other Shadow in North America has the ability to find Caerwyn through the spell craft that’s blocking her location. We can’t afford for me to be locked away here.”

“You’re not locked away, Sorcha,” Iris protested, looking disturbed at Sorcha’s description of her circumstances.

“What do you call it when you refuse to allow me to leave?” Sorcha countered.

“It’s for your safety,” Steven said, reaching for her arm.

Sorcha stepped back, evading him. Garran cleared his throat a second time. The brusque sound was enough to freeze Steven in place. His arm floated back to his side. Sorcha took another sliding step away.

Garran leaned forward, pinning Sorcha with his eyes. “Think carefully, girl.”

“Garran,” Steven interrupted.

He was treated to a raised palm. Steven’s bony face mottled with anger when Garran didn’t spare him a glance.

“The past few years have been difficult,” Garran continued. “There’s no shame if you need more time to regroup.”

Sorcha drew a breath as if to speak, then seemed to think better of it. Wisely, she waited for Garran to continue.

“If you leave here with this Warder and go after our missing females, be certain you can do what you intend. If you fail, you don’t just endanger yourself. You risk sabotaging our only chance of bringing them home. Are you willing to take that on your shoulders?”

Standing across the table, Sorcha held Garran’s eyes. Without hesitation, she said, “I understand this will be dangerous. I wouldn’t volunteer if I didn’t think I could succeed. I’ll need to take precautions, but I know I can maintain my shield in the city. It’s much stronger than it used to be. And Caerwyn has been my friend since we were children. I love her like a sister. I used to watch Sara and Lissa when they were babies. There’s no way I’d risk them if I wasn’t sure I could bring them home. I promise you.”

Garran gave a sharp nod, then shared a long look with Iris. After a silent moment, she answered with a sigh. As one, they both looked at Steven, whose back straightened to painful stiffness. His dark eyes radiated fury.

“You can’t seriously be willing to listen to Sorcha’s opinion over mine,” he began, flinging a dismissive hand in Sorcha’s direction. “She’s only recently regained any control over her empathy, and it’s tenuous at best. After ten years in the Sanctuary, she can still barely stand to be touched. I can feel her tolerance for the emotions in this room wearing thin, and she’s been here less than an hour. Her weakness aside, you can’t mean to send her out into the human world with a Warder. He’s as dangerous as the Vorati demons.”

“Enough,” Garran boomed into Steven’s diatribe. “Steven, shut it. You may be one of our strongest empaths and Sorcha’s mentor, but you have no official place in this meeting. Sorcha is an adult. She is capable of assessing her own strengths. If she believes she can do this, I’m willing to take a chance on her.”

Steven drew an affronted breath. Ignoring him, Iris picked up where Garran had left off. “As far as the Warder is concerned—”

Before she could go on, Kiernan interrupted. “My name is Kiernan.” He restrained the smirk that wanted to break free. Iris didn’t look like she had much of a sense of humor. As if she’d heard his thought, she aimed a regal nod in his direction.

“As far as Kiernan is concerned,” she went on, “he hasn’t proven to be dangerous to any Shadow. At great personal risk, he helped Conner save his bonded mate and followed them into exile. Now he’s willing to put himself in danger once again to rescue our females from one of his own. In truth, if I thought we could do this ourselves, I’d leave him behind. But the girls are being held by a Warder. In the center of a Warder-dominated city. We have few Shadows in Charlotte, and fewer contacts. He has a way in. He can get Sorcha closer than we can. We would be foolish not to take the help he’s offering.”

Iris tilted her head to the side, examining Steven more closely, as if seeing something new in a man Kiernan suspected she’d known for more than a few decades.

“I don’t like what I’ve seen this morning regarding your attitude toward Sorcha. Perhaps this is exactly what she needs. You’re her mentor, Steven. Your place is to guide and support. Not to doubt and punish. Regardless of the outcome of her trip to Charlotte, she’ll be removed from your oversight when she returns.”

“If she returns,” Garran said.

“Yes, if she returns,” Iris agreed. “She knows the risks.”

In answer, Steven whirled and stormed out of the room. As the door slammed behind him, Kiernan heard the echo of his voice saying “Talk some sense into her” before he was cut off. With Steven gone, Sorcha relaxed and returned to her seat.

The rest of the meeting passed quickly. Kiernan and Sorcha planned to leave the following day. Later that afternoon, they’d discuss strategy, then meet with Iris and Garran one last time before their departure.

As the others rose to leave, Kiernan turned to Conner. “I want to talk to Sorcha for a minute. Are you going to be around in a while?”

“Sure,” Conner said, sliding his arm across Hannah’s shoulders. She leaned into him, her long red-gold hair spilling over Conner’s arm. “I think we’ll go for a walk, then head back to our rooms for some rest after lunch. Hannah needs a nap.”

“I’m pregnant, not sick,” Hannah said, poking Conner in the leg. Conner grinned at her and kissed the top of her head.