“Explain away.” He grabbed his boxer shorts from the floor and slipped his legs into them, tugged them up, and let the elastic snap against his waist.
Elissa didn’t dress.
She twisted her hands in front of her stomach, her gaze on the floor, and then frowned and looked up into his eyes. “You came to the town to find another witch.”
He nodded. “You said you were covering for her. Verity, wasn’t it?”
Tears rose into her eyes again and she scrubbed them away with the heel of her hand and nodded. “Verity... was my older sister.”
“Something tells me you lied.” He hated that but the hurt swimming in her eyes said that she had a good reason, and now he knew why she had looked ready to cry that day in her home. “She’s dead?”
Elissa swallowed hard and nodded again.
“Did my grandfather kill her?”
A shake this time.
She moved to the bed on legs that shook so much he was surprised she reached it without collapsing and sat down, her hands between her knees. He had never seen her looking so lost and he wanted to go to her. It was hard to hold himself back but he had to. Until he knew this hadn’t all been a twisted game to her, he needed to maintain his distance. It wouldn’t stop the pain that ebbed and flowed through him, growing weaker and stronger by turns, but it would stop her from completely destroying his soul if he discovered that he was right about her and she had used him.
“When a witch takes demon seed into her body, it taints her powers... the connection to her coven is also tainted and she weakens dramatically. Witches draw on their coven to boost their natural abilities. The more there are in a coven, the stronger each witch becomes. If a witch...” She drew her legs up onto the bed and wrapped her arms around them, looking small and uncertain as she eyed him. Didn’t she want to tell him? He moved a step closer, aching to reassure her that he wanted to know about her so he could understand everything. “Verity had a fling with a demon. She took precautions but it didn’t stop her connection from becoming tainted. The coven exercised their right to deal with her.”
“They killed her?” It sounded barbaric to Payne and now he could see why Elissa was so afraid. She didn’t want to suffer the same horrific fate as her sister.#p#分页标题#e#
“She knew they were coming... had found her. She asked me to take care of something for her and I swore that I would. I tried so hard to keep it hidden because I knew how precious it had been to Verity.”
“My grandfather took it from you though.” What had she sworn to conceal? Whatever it was, it was important to Elissa. He could see it in her eyes and now he understood why she had fought so hard to come with him to this place. She had to fulfil her promise to her dead sister and protect this item.
“And I want it back.” She glanced into his eyes and then off to his right, at the unlit fire. “I didn’t use you, Payne... and I do want you... I’m crazily attracted to you even when I know how dangerous that is.”
“Maybe you just want me because I’m dangerous.” It was a sound theory but Elissa’s frown told him that it wasn’t the case.
“I think it has more to do with your ridiculously good looks and that body.” She waved a hand down the length of him and actually smiled.
Payne’s heart missed a beat. He was glad she had found her smile again and that the sombreness in her eyes had lifted. The sight of it eased the ache in his chest and he couldn’t hold on to his anger. It slipped from his grasp and he looked her over, seeing the hint of vulnerability that still edged her eyes. She looked small as she sat alone, waiting for him to react or perhaps retaliate. He sighed and decided to be the better man and let it go. He already had enough reasons to feel angry. He didn’t need to add Elissa to the list, not when she was the one good thing in his dark world.
“I said you just wanted to get into my pants.” He grinned, gunning for charming again, and crossed the room to her. She patted the bed beside her, a peace offering that he gladly accepted. He sat down and took hold of her left arm, gently inspecting her wrist. The bone felt whole again, no sign of a break. “I’m sorry about that.”
She shrugged. “I should have explained myself better... I didn’t mean to make you feel that way.”
Elissa leaned her head against his shoulder and he slipped his fingers between hers, holding her hand. He stared down at them. Where the hell did he go from here? Elissa tied him in knots and had him on the edge all the time, looking for hidden meanings in everything she said. Did he want her to be out to use him or only in this to hurt him in some way? Why couldn’t he trust her?