Cinn couldn’t discuss any of it while she was frantic about the people caught in the store collapse. She had to know if anyone had died or been seriously hurt. “I’ll explain later.”

Sparkle nodded, but she didn’t look happy about having to wait for all the juicy details.

Cinn followed Sparkle into her suite. Ganymede sprawled on the couch, watching a movie. The only thing different from the last time Cinn had visited was this time he had an open cookie box by his side.

“Can I change the channel for a minute, Ganymede?” Something about the store would have to be on the news.

The cat looked as though she’d tried to steal his cookies. “Can’t do. I’m taping this. Don’t want to mess with the old DVR.”

Self-involved, piggy fur-ball. Cinn glared at him. He ignored her.

“See you did lots of shopping, babe. Glad you bought a bunch of clothes. Thought I’d help you while I was just hanging, so I called up some charity. They came by and took all your old stuff away. Now you won’t be tempted by those fancy shoes and sexy outfits.” He paused, waiting for a show of gratitude.

Sparkle dropped all the bags on the floor.

Cinn waited for her eyes to darken and her hair to do the supernatural wind thing. Sparkle was a little more prosaic than Airmid, though. She jerked a mirror from the wall and heaved it at him.

Cinn wasn’t about to get caught up in this seven-years-of-bad-luck event, so she ducked out of the room and hurried to…Where? She didn’t want to go to her room. She didn’t want to be alone. Airmid had been waiting to catch her alone.

Almost dark, and only one person she wanted to be with. Without thinking things to death, she ran all the way down the winding stairs to the floor where Dacian slept. She pounded on his door. Please, please, be awake.

And when he finally opened his door, she flung herself into his arms. He caught her and held her close. At last she felt safe.

He pulled her inside and closed the door. Only now did she notice that all he wore was a towel around his waist. “Sorry. I got you at the wrong time.”

His smile was a sensual slide of invitation. “No, you got me at exactly the right time.”

Chapter Nine

He’d lied. Dacian knew this was definitely not the best time for Cinn to show up. She was in danger. On many different levels.

He’d risen about fifteen minutes ago and immediately jumped into the shower so he could be ready as soon as the sun set to find Cinn and guard her through the night.