A sharp whistle tore her out from her sultry thoughts. She whipped her head to the side just as Telal did and they knocked noses against each other. With a soft giggle she rubbed at the throbbing protrusion.

Atop a small cliff stood Kearnyn. Comprehension slowly came. Of course they wouldn't be back at the Tennessee rift, he probably had no clue she even went there. He'd ported them back to where he'd left from—where ever that was.

“Kearnyn,” Telal acknowledged. His arms were still wrapped around her like a second skin, still holding her bottom in his grip. He slowly opened his fingers then pulled his arms away, and finally took two steps back.

“It's been four hours.”

“Yes, that long,” Telal said, distracted.

His eyes watched her with a mixture of disbelief, desire, and confusion. Then he looked away and the bond between them broke. At Telal's look, Kearnyn hopped down from the cliff, kicking up a black ashy smoke cloud. He came towards them and Telal wasted no time touching both of their arms and porting them again.

Telal's office appeared and with only a glance at Telal she could see he looked as weary as she felt. Suddenly, she felt so tired, exhausted.

Her eyes grew heavy, her muscles lax, and she yawned broadly. “Come on, I'll take you to your room.”

She nodded and started walking with zombie-like steps to the door, but then he came up behind her and scooped her up in his arms. She let out a surprised sound and wrapped an arm around his neck, then when he didn't protest that, laid her heavy head on his shoulder. She sighed. It felt good.

He turned to Kearnyn. “When I get back, we have to talk. Wait here.” Then he was walking to the elevator and they were waiting in it as the machine slowly drifted down to her floor. She kept her heavy eyelids closed the whole time and let her body relax more and more by little increments. He smelled wonderful, sexy and male. He felt even better, strong and agile.

He'd kissed her, done more than that. There was something there. The fact that she hadn't made that up in her twisted mind brought a smile to her face. He opened the door and kicked it shut behind him. She opened her eyes at the cold, modern hotel-style room. Her few meager items were still on the dresser and floor. The sheets still ruffled and pulled down. It all looked the same, but it felt so much different now. He walked her to the bed, tightening his hold on her as he reached down to pull the covers back.

“Want your shoes off?” he asked in a gruff, quiet voice. She was so tired she could barely talk so she just nodded and toed them off. He set her in and pushed her legs under the covers, then pulled them up to her chest. She just looked up at him, trying to figure out what she should say about everything. He looked awful. Handsome, but awful. Lines etched across his forehead, his eyebrows were drawn down in consternation, and his lips down in a frown.

He started to pull away and she reached up, her fingertips gliding across his cheek and lips. “Don't be sad.” She didn't know how, but she'd do everything in her power to make things right, to help him. He jerked his head to the side in a 'no'.

No what? He couldn't not be sad or did he not want her to touch him? He stood and started to turn away but at the last moment, came back around and leaned down over her.

“Telal,” she said softly.

He half-laughed, who knew what about. “I like you better like this.” She pulled back in confusion.

“Like what?” He only shook his head again and pressed his lips against hers, softly, the touch barely there. Then he pulled away and went to the door. His eyes scanned the room one last time as if making sure it was clear of perpetrators. His eyes caught on something on the floor—probably her mess of clothes. He walked to the other side of the room and picked up and empty jar.

Lily's stomach hit the floor, her pulse raced. He brought the jar to his nose and sniffed, cringing.

“What is this?”

“For my pain.” His eyes lifted to hers.

“Should I make you some?”

Her heart melted. That he'd do that for her now almost made her want to cry.

She shook her head. “No, I don't hurt badly. Just some sore arms.” He nodded then set the jar on the dresser, then glanced down at the floor and picked up her other empty jar. He smelled that one too. “This one doesn't smell nearly as bad. Two different potions?”

Her heart pumped double time. She licked her suddenly dry lips. “Y-yes. Both for healing. One to heal faster, the other for pain.” Nodding, he set the empty jar next to the other one. At the door he turned back to her. “Good night, Lily.”

“Goodnight, Telal.” He left, closing the door quietly behind him. Only after she heard the elevator at the end of the hall ding, did she spring out of bed and race to the jars. She gripped them both, hugging them to her chest. That was so close, too close. Her mind raced, panicked. She'd lied to him. God that felt bad. Really bad. She wanted to go straight up to him now and confess. But she couldn't. They'd made so much progress, real progress. He'd talked to her for the first time tonight not in that snide, condescending way.

Fingers trembling she put away the pain jar and took the other over to her sack of goodies from Rosa's. The sweats came again, her fingers trembling. She'd been so tired before, reading to pass out and forget all about tonight, but now she'd seen the jar. No way could she get it out of her mind now. She mixed the herbs and liquid then poured it into the jar. She sniffed it delicately and grimaced. It did smell awful. Her stomach clenched with need and revulsion. Revulsion not at the drink but at herself.

Wrapping an arm around herself, she stared at the foggy liquid and when the first tear slid down her cheek she swiped it away quickly. With three big gulps, she drained the jar. It fell loosely from her fingertips, rolling a few circles across the fancy white carpet. Her head whirled, the room spinning around her for a moment. She felt dizzy as the warmth spread throughout her body and cells. It took longer than usual for the feeling to come. She'd missed her evening drink, that's all.

The word withdrawal came to mind, but she quickly shoved it out of her mind. Then the feeling came.

Joy, pure happiness, rapture.

Lily fell back on the carpet, laughing, her lips split in a big grin. Her body felt amazing, loose, and warm. Her mind was quiet and happy, no nasty thoughts intruding.

Smiling until her cheeks hurt, she climbed across the floor and up into bed where he'd pulled the sheets back. She tucked herself in and felt—amazing.

Kearnyn headed to Telal's office after a fitful night's sleep. This was definitely unusual for him because normally something really fucked up would have to happen to make him miss sleep. Even during war times, ages ago, when his shift was over he'd hunker down in his trench, pull up his furs with his sword clenched between his hands, and pass out like a baby to sounds of clashing metal and cries of pain. It was just how he was made. He slept heavy and deep like a hibernating bear.

But not last night. Last night he'd tossed and turned going so far as to turn completely around in his bed and try sleeping with his head at the foot of the extra-long frame. Didn't work. It's not like he'd had a whole lot on his mind. He hadn't. But something didn't feel right; he just didn't know what it was.

Of course, Telal looked like a mess last night. He'd never seen Telal look like that. There'd been only a few times he'd seen his boss even disheveled. The first had been when the news came that Tobius en Kulev had been killed and the other was last night. Everything about Telal had been off. His demeanor, his words, his look. He'd been passive, everything he said sounded like an afterthought. He'd looked...sad. Whatever happened in that rift had been bad, that much he knew.