Rogue Darkness by Dianne Duvall

She laughed.

At last, Sean slid his arm from around her and sat up. As she turned to face him, he rolled out of bed and sat in the reading chair now positioned close to it. “Yeah,” he called, looking at the door. “She’s awake.”

The door opened, and Cliff poked his head in. A wide smile lit his handsome features when he saw her. “Hey. How are you feeling?”

Sitting up, she shrugged. “Other than being a little weirded out over not remembering what happened, I feel fine.”

His lips turned up in a smile of commiseration. “I know how that is.” When the encroaching madness had spawned psychotic breaks, Cliff had often retained no memory of what he had done afterward. “Any dizziness or nausea?”

“None.”

“How many fingers am I holding up?”

She studied the hand he raised. “Three.”

“No double or blurred vision?”

“None.” Her stomach rumbled loudly enough to be heard in the next room.

Cliff grinned and opened the door wider as Emma appeared beside him. “Sounds like you could use some of the pizza we made last night.”

Nicole glanced at Sean. “I thought you said you ate it all.”

Cliff snorted. “Are you kidding? Sean hasn’t put a thing in his mouth since he brought you home. He was too worried about you.”

She grinned when the immortal in question shifted uncomfortably, a tinge of pink creeping into his cheeks. “Awww. That’s so sweet.”

“Oh brother,” he grumbled, and rose. “I’m going to shower and change.”

“No hunting tonight,” Cliff said as Sean approached. “Seth’s orders. I guess he figures you could use a break after last night.”

“I could.” His stomach growled as loudly as hers had.

Nicole laughed. “I’d better see how much of that pizza I can devour before you get out.”

Sending her a grin, he put on a burst of speed and swept past Cliff and Emma in a blink.

Cliff shook his head. “I’d better make some sandwiches, too.”





Chapter Eight





Sean didn’t eat all the pizza. He was too content, watching Nicole scarf down a warrior’s portion. She looked good. Almost good enough to make him forget how pale and bloody and—though he hated to think it—dead she’d looked, crumpled at the base of that tree.

The night Tessa had thrown a dagger at Nicole had scared him.

This time had shaken him so deeply that he didn’t want to let her out of his sight.

Fortunately, he didn’t have to. Not yet anyway. Cliff and Emma left after lunch, something about heading home to water their plants and feed the dog. Sean was so happy to have Nicole home again that he hadn’t really been paying attention.

After Sean told Nicole that Melanie said she should take it easy today, they parked their butts on the sofa and spent the afternoon playing video games while they razzed and teased each other. They were just about to start binge-watching The Mandalorian again when Cliff and Emma returned.

“Time to go,” Cliff announced with a smile.

“Go where?” he asked. “Did Seth call a meeting?” Sean had hoped to spend the evening relaxing with Nicole. She was stubborn enough to insist on resuming her role as Becca. So, for all he knew, she might leave again tomorrow.

“No. We’re going to our place.” Cliff curled an arm around Emma, who leaned into his side with a smile. “I thought I’d make burgers for dinner, and your grill sucks. Plus, our backyard rocks. You can relax by the fish pond, stretch out on the sofas and stargaze, or even dance under the moonlight.”

Emma smiled up at him. “I love dancing with you under the moonlight.”

The two shared an affectionate kiss.

Sean looked at Nicole.

Her eyes twinkled.

Both turned to Cliff with big grins. “You had us at burgers.”

An hour later, Sean slouched on one of the cushy chairs on Cliff and Emma’s back deck.

The relative newlyweds lived in an isolated country home with a large meadow in the back surrounded by multiple acres of forest. It was nice. Quiet. No neighbors around for miles. And the couple had worked hard in recent years to turn it into their dream home.

The sleek back deck Cliff had added was large enough for a sizable social gathering. But he didn’t stop there. Cliff had many friends in the Immortal Guardians’ world and made a habit of inviting them over. So after he finished the deck, Cliff added a limestone path that led to a large outdoor living space twenty yards away that he and Emma designed together.

It was awesome. Just looking at it eased Sean’s stress so much that he was seriously considering adding something similar to his home.

The same limestone Cliff had used in the path made up the floor of the circular living area. An enormous fireplace with attached stone benches dominated one side of the space. Since the air tonight carried a brisk breeze, a fire crackled merrily in the hearth. Two sofas, a couple of armchairs, and an ottoman large enough for him to sleep on provided additional seating for the other guests Cliff invited to tonight’s barbecue. All the furniture bore sleek, modern lines and thick, comfortable cushions. A pergola stretched above it, the retractable awning tucked away to reveal the bright stars above.

Beyond that rested a smaller limestone circle that supported a large table with half a dozen chairs and what looked to Sean like an entire outdoor kitchen: a grill, an oven, a refrigerator, a sink, and a couple of things that remained a mystery to him. Pretty solar-powered lights illuminated it all.