Bitten by Cupid(59)

Still bent double, Julianne began to rise off the bed. He watched in disbelief as she slowly moved toward the Ilina’s outstretched hand.

She was calling her. Taking her.

“No.” Zeeland lunged for Julianne, but his hands went right through her. “Juli! She’s pulling you to her. Stop her! If she takes you into the Crystal Realm, you’ll die.”

He swung to the Ilina, fury and desperation rippling through his muscles. “You can’t have her. She’s mine.”

Melisande’s lip curled. “You can’t stop me, Therian.”

Zeeland’s fingers curled into his palms. Maybe he could and maybe he couldn’t. But he sure as hell wasn’t going to stand here and do nothing.

Running on pure instinct, he launched himself at Melisande, diving into the heart of her essence and blasting her with his will and his hatred, anything to break her hold on Julianne.

Melisande turned his fury back on him tenfold, lighting every nerve ending in his body, setting them on fire until he was in so much pain he had to fight just to remain standing, to remain conscious. He felt as if his flesh were being scorched from his bones, as if his blood had turned to acid.

But through his own pain, he could sense the Ilina’s, and he held on with everything he had.

Little by little, he felt her hold on Julianne weaken. He knew the moment it was gone.

His spirit sang with relief…until he tried to free himself, and couldn’t. With bone-deep dismay, he realized he was trapped fast. He’d held on so tightly, he’d become one with his enemy.

The cool wind blew across his face, the scent of pine trees heavy in the air—air that shimmered and sparkled like refracted crystals.

The Crystal Realm. She was pulling him out of the bedroom, out of his world, and into that place he would never survive.

“Zeeland!” Julianne cried behind him.

He felt her rushing up beside him.

“No, Juli. Go!”

But she ignored him. And he felt the sweet, intense rightness of her body beginning to merge with his once more.

The terrible pain began to ease.

“She’ll kill you.” Julianne’s strong voice sounded in his head and his ears as if she spoke both within him as much as without. “We’ll fight her together.”

“Juli, no. My hatred hurts her. I won’t…hurt you, too.”

“Your hatred can’t touch me, Zeeland. It’s not for me.”

As she merged with him fully, strength poured into him, warm and pure. With his heart, he held tight to Julianne. With his mind, he flayed the Ilina, pushing her away.

They broke free with a hard shove of pine-scented power. Zeeland fell back against the bed, Julianne floating a foot away, naked at his side.

The Ilina collapsed as if half-conscious, to float inches above the floor, her glow a pulsing yellow.

His gaze flew to Julianne as he righted himself. “Are you okay?”

“Yes.”

The door burst open and Kougar strode inside, kicking the door closed behind him. The Feral’s cold gaze moved from the Ilina to Julianne and back again. If he was surprised to find two ghost-like women floating in the room, his expression didn’t show it.

“Melisande,” Kougar said coldly.

Zeeland’s gaze jerked toward him in surprise.

“Kougar,” Melisande replied as coldly, struggling to her feet. “This is none of your concern.”

Holy shit. They knew one another.

Kougar’s gaze returned to Julianne. Zeeland’s jealousy began to rise as the Feral stared at the naked woman, but the Feral’s pale eyes held no carnal interest.

“Hold the moonstone in your palm and make yourself whole,” Kougar told her matter-of-factly.

Julianne’s head cocked with surprise and she reached for the now mistlike stone. Her hand clamped around it. Seconds later, she began to regain form as she floated down to settle on the floor.

Zeeland snagged Julianne around the waist and hauled her against his left side, his body singing with relief that he could touch her again. That he could physically protect her.

“I must have the moonstone,” Melisande cried angrily. “Queen Ariana suffers without it.”

With his foot, Zeeland scooped Julianne’s dress off the floor and slid it over her head.

“Ariana is a bitch and a parasite,” Kougar snarled. “She deserves to suffer.”

“You don’t understand.”

“I understand better than you think.” The Feral turned to Julianne. “Don’t ever remove the stone. The longer you wear it, the less chance you’ll accidentally turn to mist. If you do feel yourself starting to turn, hold the stone as you did just now until you’re back in control.”

Julianne stared at him. “How do you know…?”