For the first time, he felt like smiling. He didn’t have a clue where he was or why two unarmed women were in the room with him, but if he could break the chains, the unarmed part would give him a huge advantage.

“Wait. You said I have supernatural powers from Airmid?” The woman facing away from him took a step backward. “That’s crazy. In fact, all this paranormal stuff you and the rest of your people have spouted tonight is crazy.”

He sensed a silent, “You’re crazy,” in there somewhere.

“Come on, Cinn, stop fooling yourself.”

The woman facing him had long red hair and strange amber eyes. Perched on a table decorated with enough restraints to hold down King Kong, she practically oozed sexual power. Nonhuman. Amazing that this Cinn woman couldn’t sense it.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I do a little experimenting with plants. So what? People blame lots of things that happen on the supernatural. Then scientists find a perfectly logical explanation.” Cinn sounded as though she was trying to convince herself. She took another careful step backward.

He controlled his urge to lick his lips. When she got close enough, he’d throw everything he had into one effort to escape his chains. Then he’d grab the little plant experimenter and heave her at the red-haired bitch. While they were trying to untangle themselves, he’d rip the door from its hinges and deal with what was on the other side. He had to get out of here fast so he could find Taurin.

“Let’s get things straight, sister.” The redhead sounded pissed. “You supply plants that feed on sexual energy to the Castle of Dark Dreams. A plant in your greenhouse just stuck its vine into your mind. That is not normal. And there isn’t any damn scientific explanation for what you do. So stop thinking there is. No amount of splicing and fertilizing could produce the babies you have out in that greenhouse. Wake up and smell the supernatural.”

The Castle of Dark Dreams? How the hell had that happened? Not a coincidence. He didn’t believe in them. But he wasn’t going to question fate. This was where he was supposed to be. Now all he had to do was get free, find Taurin, and haul his ass to somewhere safe, somewhere Stephan couldn’t reach him.

Not as easy as he made it sound. From the chains, he’d guess there were nonhumans—because humans alone couldn’t have done this—who didn’t want him to leave. He hoped they didn’t work for Stephan. No way did he want to be delivered to his maker wrapped up like some preholiday present.

Cinn took another step back. “Why are you doing this, Sparkle? As long as I deliver the plants you want, why does it matter how I feel about my work?”