“No,” Grant said. “Kate’s an aspirant, which means she’s under our protection. She’s not going anywhere with you until we’ve established who and what you are.”
Nathaniel tried the door, but it had locked automatically.
Grant rounded the jeep. “Come this way.”
“I decline your invitation,” Nathaniel said.
“Why? What are you hiding?” Grant demanded.
“Hold on,” Kate said, horrified by the rising confrontation.
Pinter drew his gun.
Nathaniel stiffened. “No!” Nathaniel said, stretching a hand toward Pinter. “You must not attack me with intent. I am bound to defend myself by a higher law than my own will. And if we fight, you will not survive.”
“What?” Grant said. “What are you claiming?”
“Rest easy, boy,” Nathaniel said as Pinter’s hand trembled.
“Pinter, do not lower that weapon.”
Nathaniel looked at Grant then, the gold flecks in his eyes blazing. “Do not push him to make a mistake.”
Grant grabbed Nathaniel’s arm. “That’s—”
Nathaniel’s palm slammed into Grant’s chest, and Grant flew backward, landing hard on the ground. Nathaniel said, “Free will comes with consequences.”
“Nathaniel, don’t!” she said.
“You would take sides against me?” he demanded.
“I’m not taking sides.”
Grant regained his feet with effort and held out a hand to Pinter, who had his weapon trained on Nathaniel.
“Demons sometimes disguise themselves as men and other creatures,” Grant said. “They spout prophecies and try to trick us with claims that they’re God’s messengers or soldiers, so we don’t kill them. You’ll come with us, so we can discover your true nature.”
“Killing demons is not the responsibility of men. Resisting temptation is work enough for mankind.”
“And we should let the demons kill us whenever they want?”
“Kate,” Nathaniel said, resting his hand on the roof. “I don’t belong here. Open the door.”
“Kate, you should stay with us,” Grant said. “I’ll take you into the Etherlin where you’ll be safe.”
She felt like a wishbone about to be broken between them. The Etherlin represented all the world’s promise for her dazzling future, but Nathaniel might become the love of her life. She wanted both. She couldn’t allow them to be at odds with each other. She had to smooth things over.
She glanced at the gates and then walked around the car to Nathaniel. “You remember what you are?” she whispered.
“I have an idea, yes.”
“So you don’t need my help anymore?” she murmured.
“I never needed your help.”
She flinched.
“Let’s go, Kate.”
He still wanted her to go with him. That was something. “Hold on. This isn’t just about you,” she whispered fiercely. “I have a relationship with this community. This amazing community. You can’t ask me to jeopardize that. I need for you to come inside and to submit to a few tests so that they’ll be satisfied that you’re not dangerous.”
“I am dangerous, and I won’t submit to anything.” His tone was so hard and even. So final. As if what she needed didn’t matter to him at all. Her body became rigid, her emotions brittle as glass.
“You owe me an explanation,” she said.
“I’m leaving this place right now. You can accompany me or not.”
She glared at him. She was not going to be steamrolled. “We need to talk this out.”
He scowled and pulled her forward, his fingers digging into her pocket to retrieve the car keys.
She shoved him and backed away. “Don’t manhandle me.”
“You accuse me of such a thing? Perhaps you should stay here, Kate, until you decide with whom you belong.”
She frowned, her back stiffening. The thought of him leaving rattled her more than she wanted to admit, which only made her struggle harder not to cave.
He opened the back of jeep and took out her bags.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“You,” Nathaniel said, pointing at Grant. “You want her to stay, so be it. I leave her in your safekeeping. Let harm come to her, and you’ll answer for it.”
“Nathaniel,” she snapped. “I’m still here.”
“Obviously,” he agreed.
“I meant don’t talk about me as if I were property or some weak little female that the big strong men need to protect.”
“You do need protection sometimes. You’re foolish to claim otherwise,” he said. He clasped her hand and she felt his ring cool and hard in her palm. He closed her fingers around it, clenching her fist within his.
“Wear my ring until I return.”
“What, are we in high school? I’m not—”
He caught her face in his hands and kissed her, hard and tender at the same time. At first she resisted but then couldn’t.
Delicious, she thought as her body tightened in anticipation of what she wanted . . . more.
She kissed him back, until normal consciousness melted, and an image burned her mind. She lay in her dorm room asleep. Nathaniel stood over her, his chiseled features rain-soaked as he opened her hand. Water dripped onto the ring transforming the flecks of dried blood into pink droplets in her palm. His harsh breath quickened, and his thumb rubbed the moisture along her hand creases. “We’re bound by blood,” he whispered, shaking his head. “You shouldn’t have touched the ring. Should never even have spotted it.” She stirred, her lips parting. “Who are you?” he asked, staring down at her face, and then he leaned forward and brushed his lips over her mouth. When he straightened, he licked his lips. “Bound,” he whispered, taking the ring. Then, with a rush of air, he escaped through the open window.
The image blurred as Nathaniel stepped back.
“What the hell was that?” she gasped, trying to catch her breath.
“A good-bye kiss,” Nathaniel said, climbing into the driver’s seat. He shoved it all the way back to accommodate his height.
“I saw you in my dorm room. I was asleep . . . It wasn’t my memory . . .” she stammered. “Did you see that just now?”