Bitten by Cupid(36)
Julianne felt her own lip curl back, fury washing away the fear that had ridden her for a month. An odd tingling sensation began to flow through her limbs.
She glared at the Ilina. “Retract your threat, or I’ll do nothing more to help you.”
An ugly smile formed on the spirit woman’s face. “You would threaten me?”
“The only reason I was willing to help you was to save my friends. If you’re going to hurt them anyway, I’ll do nothing more to help you. You can find that moonstone yourself.”
Melisande’s mouth compressed, her eyes beginning to narrow as the tingling in Julianne’s body grew worse. She felt as if her blood had become carbonated and was beginning to fizz in her veins like champagne.
Melisande made a sound of disgust.
Julianne lifted her hand…and stared.
Her fingers looked as mistlike and insubstantial as Melisande’s. She gasped, her eyes widening with horror. The last of her doubts about her heritage died as she stared at her traitorous flesh.
“Why is this happening?”
The cruelty and anger had drained from Melisande’s expression, replaced by a look of resignation. “Violent emotion apparently triggered the change in you. When you were young, I had hoped you had too little Ilina blood ever to turn to mist. I’d hoped you could live your life free of any knowledge of us. But I felt the power in you spark to life at your maturation. I feared it was only a matter of time. And I was right.”
“You’ve been watching me?”
“All your life. As I did your mother.”
“Why?”
“It is my job to eliminate all threats to the secret of the race.” She held out her hand. “You must come with me, little sister.”
Julianne stared at that small, mistlike hand. “You’ll kill me.”
“You will merely abide in the Crystal Realm for a time.”
“Where I’ll die. Don’t play me for a fool, Melisande. The Ilinas may have been out of sight for a thousand years, but we haven’t forgotten you. And everyone knows no corporeal being can live long in that place.”
Her gut cramped with fear. She’d become a true threat to them. “Tell me how to change back, Melisande.” Her words were half demand, half desperate plea. “Tell me how to keep this from happening again so I don’t give you away.”
Melisande’s jaw clenched and unclenched, a debate clearly raging in her eyes.
“Julianne?” Cambria’s voice called through the door. “The guys just pulled up. Zeeland’s here!”
Melisande flicked her hand. Pain pierced Julianne’s flesh as if she’d been hit with a dozen darts, sharp needles of misery that stole her breath and made her eyes water.
Was this it then? Her death?
But before the thought could turn to terror, the pain began to fade. Her hands returned to flesh and blood.
Melisande’s face turned hard. “Control your emotions, little sister. This is not over.”
A cool, pine-scented breeze blew through the room, and Melisande was gone.
Julianne sank onto the stool behind her, at once furious and terrified. As the last of the pain disappeared from her body, she wrapped shaking arms around her middle and stared at the place where Melisande had stood.
What am I going to do?
The knock sounded again. “Julianne?”
“I’ll be right there,” she managed, barely controlling the quaver in her voice. She clutched the dressing table, afraid she was going to be sick.
Zeeland. Why now? Why had he decided to return now? As much as it would hurt, she could only hope he still harbored the disgust he’d felt for her that last night, that he’d continue to ignore her as he’d done for ten years. Because if he didn’t, how was she ever going to keep him from seeing the turmoil inside her and demanding its source?
Outside, she heard the slam of car doors and the glad shouts of welcome.
Zee.
Her stomach a mass of nerves, Julianne pushed to her feet and moved stiffly to the closet to find a pair of heels to go with her dress. For ten years, she’d dreamed of this day. For ten years, she’d dreaded it.
But all her reasons for both—embarrassment, hurt, love—no longer weighed against the fear that now consumed her life.
It no longer mattered how Zeeland felt about her—whether he was glad to see her or tried to keep his distance. It was of little consequence now whether he still saw her as the child he’d possessed only brotherly feelings for, or as a woman he might someday desire.
Only one thing mattered.
Getting him out of here. Sending him back to Britain.
Keeping him, and all those she loved, alive.
Chapter Three
Zeeland had not changed at all.