Sparkle glanced at the cat and nodded. The cat stared at the door and it swung slowly open. Without a backward look, Cinn almost ran from the dungeon. Dacian was tempted to follow her out but decided at the last moment to stay. He’d take the chance that they didn’t intend to separate his head from his shoulders. According to Jim, Taurin worked at the castle, so they’d know where he was. Dacian watched the door swing shut and heard the click of the lock.

“Not too smart, cuddle-bunny.” The cat’s gaze returned to Sparkle.

Cuddle-bunny? Dacian almost laughed, but he controlled the urge. It was a matter of survival. You didn’t laugh when you wanted to convince the enemy you were a bigger badass than they were.

“You went to all that trouble to get her here, and now you’re letting her walk away. And she’ll talk.”

“No one will listen.” Sparkle hopped off of the table and walked over to stand in front of Dacian.

The sway of those hips qualified as a lethal weapon. And like a weapon, she used it deliberately. He sort of liked how Cinn moved better. Just as sexy, but not calculated. He let a frisson of anticipation warm him. He’d like to taste Cinn, in all ways. Then he banished the thought. Sex didn’t have a place in his business here.

“But she’s leaving.” The cat couldn’t get past that fact. “I would’ve made her stay.” He twitched his tail, and the gleam in his cat eyes suggested he would’ve enjoyed the whole making-her-stay process.

Sparkle sighed. “She’s not leaving. I had her little greenhouse locked down tight right before I met her at Wicked Fantasy. Cinn won’t go anywhere without her precious plants.”

The cat joined her. “Hmmph. Might work. I like the direct approach better. Threaten her with a slow agonizing death if she doesn’t stay. No, I’ve got something even worse. Lock her in a room with Holgarth. She wouldn’t last a day.”

Sparkle’s laughter was soft and sexy. “I’m doing something almost as delightfully cruel. At the same time I locked down Cinn’s plants, I ordered Asima to stay with her at all times.” Her eyes gleamed. “They’ll both hate it. A double scoop of mean from Sparkle Stardust. It doesn’t get much better.”

The cat coughed. “Umm, sweetie, you asked me to remind you if you were wading into shallow water again.”

Sparkle frowned. “Oh, of course. I’m not supposed to enjoy the misery of others.” She sighed. “I’ll try not to have too much fun watching them poke holes in each other.”

She reached up to brush a strand of hair away from Dacian’s face. He showed fang as a warning.