“Watch it,” Dagan snapped, his gaze flashing with ire as he glanced at the mage.
“Sorry, it’s not an exact science,” the mage shot back.
She squeezed Dagan’s hand again, silently warning him to back down. The mage might not be the friendliest guy on the planet, but he’d sacrificed his time and his safety to meet them here. The least they owed him was a modicum of respect.
“Almost done, I think.” The mage screwed his eyes shut, concentrating hard, and a glowing blue light wound down his arm and through his fingers, filling her abdomen with a cool, healing energy. She gasped at the liquid sensation of it, and her limbs automatically relaxed into the bed.
“Got it,” the mage said a moment later in a voice filled with triumph. There was another pinch of pain when he closed his fingers over the sides of the box, but a second later, he’d yanked it out.
“Thank you,” she breathed. Though it hadn’t hurt exactly to have the device inside her, it had still felt strange.
“Hold on.” His fingers went back to the hole in her stomach, digging inside her body and over to the side. His hand crept deeper and deeper, and just when she was about to gasp at another fresh wave of pain, he removed a second device, this one a small round chip.
The tracking device.
“All done,” the mage announced as he rose to his feet with both devices in one hand. He opened his free palm, and a small but intense flame began to burn there. When he deposited the box and chip into the flame, they sparked and disintegrated into ash.
“Awesome,” Dagan said, his eyes glued on the mage’s hand.
“All in a day’s work.” The mage let out a brief smile before glancing down at Lina and frowning. “Can you heal yourself?”
Oh yeah.
Still feeling slightly euphoric from whatever was in that blue light, Lina brought her hands to the gaping wound in her stomach. She activated her healing ability. A rush of cold, calm energy flowed through her, not unlike the mage’s own power, but it brought with it a growing sense of awareness rather than the dreamlike euphoria.
Dagan gazed at her with concern. “Better?”
“Much.” She nodded and gave him an encouraging smile before turning her gaze to the mage. “Thanks again.”
He nodded briefly then held both palms in the air and turned them over. Her blood disappeared from his hands as if he’d washed them under an invisible faucet. When she gazed down at her stomach, it was clean of blood, too.
“What do we owe you?” Dagan asked as he rose. “I don’t have much on me, but I can transfer funds into your account—”
“Don’t worry about it.” The mage turned and headed toward the door of the bedroom. “I owed your brother and his fiancé a favor. Now we’re even.”
Still feeling a bit weak from the surgery, Lina remained in bed while Dagan followed the mage outside the room.
“I really appreciate it…” she heard him say as he led the mage to the front door.
Wow. Given Belpheg’s advanced magical ability, part of her hadn’t believed they’d find anyone able to remove the device he’d implanted.
She scooted off the bed and crossed over to the dresser which had a small mirror above it. Lifting up the long T-shirt, she took a peek. Her abdomen was smooth and unmarred. All pain and discomfort was gone. There wasn’t even a spot of blood anywhere to be found.
As if it had never happened.
Joy worked its way through her body, electrifying her nerve endings. The front door slammed shut and she left the bedroom, stepping into the living area just as Dagan headed back toward her. She saw him and they both stopped, frozen in place.
No more bomb.
The sudden realization floated between them, filling the air with thickness. Desire rose up inside her, hot and sweet and out of control. She needed him. Now.
Dagan inhaled, his gaze ripe with question. Did he think she’d changed her mind? Time to show him how very wrong he was.
She raced toward him, leaping into his arms. He caught her, as she’d known he would. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her mouth landed on his, claiming him in a hot, fury kiss. Staggering, he hit the side of the couch.
He pulled away to murmur, “Bedroom.”
“Too far,” she gasped. “I want you. Now.”
He stumbled forward, and a moment later knelt to gently deposit her on the couch. His lips and tongue tangled with hers as his hands slid up her thighs, beneath her shirt, to her center. He found her wet and ready for him. No need for foreplay. They’d already had months of it.
Dagan pulled away to peer intently into her eyes. “Lina, are you sure?”
Without spending another moment on useless words, she yanked him to her and glued her mouth to his. No way was she going to let him get her all hot and bothered and then just walk away.