“I miss you,” Neona whispered to the other healer.
Calliope had died six years ago when the new cycle had started. Her death had devastated her three daughters. The oldest daughter, Farah, fathered by a Persian long before Frederic’s arrival, now lay buried next to Calliope. Farah had died two weeks ago in the battle that had claimed five of the women of Beyul-La. Only Winifred and Freya remained from Calliope’s line.
Neona paused in front of Farah’s grave, bowing to pay her respects before moving on to the mound where her sister was buried.
“Minerva.” She sat next to the mound. “I had the dream again last night.” It seemed like the memory should have faded with time, but she could still see the injured boy so clearly in her mind. He’d remained unconscious the entire time she’d treated him. He’d taken some harsh blows to the head, some gashes to his shoulders, and a nasty burn down his back. “Why do I keep dreaming about him? And that terrible day?”
No answer.
Neona sighed. “It must be a reminder of what happens when one of us shirks our sacred duty to follow a man.”
She gazed up at the stars. As much as she wanted Zoltan to be different, she couldn’t allow herself to trust him. If she continued to see him, she would be putting the secrets of Beyul-La at risk. She could end up destroying everything if she wasn’t careful.
“I know I mustn’t go to him.” But what if Zoltan was waiting for her?
She imagined him pacing in front of Frederic’s cabin. Would he become angry, like he had last night? Would he feel betrayed when she didn’t come?
The thought made her heart ache. She didn’t want to cause him pain. By nature, she was a healer. She took pain away; she didn’t cause it. But because she was one of the guardians of this valley and its secrets, she’d also been trained to be fierce in battle. She knew how to be ruthless when her own life was hanging in the balance.
Now it was her heart that was at stake, so she had to be ruthless where Zoltan was concerned. And she had to be honest with herself. She was hopelessly attracted to the man. It would be far too easy to fall in love with him.
“Why am I so drawn to him? I hardly know anything about him. Where does he come from? Why is he so curious about me?” She mentally ticked off what she did know about him. Handsome, brave, quick, strong, intelligent, honorable, charming, sweet.
She winced. How could she not fall for such a man? He’d tried to save her life when he’d thought she was in danger from Zhan. Noble and protective, she added those to her list. Then she smiled, remembering how offended he’d been when she’d told him men were unnecessary. There was a vulnerability to him in spite of his strength. He seemed to need love as much as she did.
“Did I tell you that he kissed me again?” Neona whispered, then closed her eyes, letting the memory of last night’s kiss flood over her. He’d been so sweet, so tender, and incredibly exciting because beneath it all she had sensed a fiery passion ready to burst into flames and consume her. He’d pulled her tight against him, and she’d felt his swollen manhood, large and straining against the confines of his pants.
If she went to him tonight, she might end up in bed with him. Skin touching. Arms embracing. Legs entwined. The images racing through her mind made her heart pound, made her yearn to give in to desire.
But it was too dangerous. She knew deep inside that bedding Zoltan would change her irreparably. He would take her heart along with her body.
She couldn’t let that happen. For both their sakes. How could she live with herself if she encouraged his affections and he was killed because of it? Each time he invaded their territory, his life was in danger.
“I mustn’t go to him.” She pulled her knees up and hugged them. It was the right decision. The wise decision. So why did she feel like screaming in frustration?
A twig snapped behind her, and she instantly pulled the knife from the sheath strapped to her calf, then turned to look.
It was Zhan, emerging from the forest.
“Oh, it’s you.” She slipped the knife back into its sheath. “I was wondering where you’d gone off to.”
The snow leopard drew closer, moving from the shadows into the moonlight.
She sat up, noticing the arrow gripped in Zhan’s mouth. It looked like the arrow that had pinned Zoltan’s note to the tree branch.
Her eyes narrowed on the folded piece of paper stuck on the arrowhead. “Did you just come from Zoltan?”
Zhan dropped the arrow at her feet, and she huffed in indignation. “You rascal. Whose side are you on?”
Zhan sat, curling his tail around his front paws as he gazed intently at her.
She nudged the arrow away with her leather slipper. “I don’t want this. And I can’t believe you went to see him.”
Zhan continued to stare at her.
Her gaze drifted to the note. Blast that man. He knew her curiosity would get the better of her.
“Fine. I’ll read it.” She pulled the note off. “But that doesn’t mean I’ll go see him. My mind is already made up. He can beg all night, and it won’t affect me in the least.”
Zhan blinked at her slowly.
“Traitor,” she muttered and opened the note.
Neona,
I have taken over this valley and the cabin. This territory is now mine.
“What?” She read the first two sentences again to make sure she hadn’t imagined it. “He can’t take over our territory!”
No women are allowed here. If you attempt to invade my territory, I will attack. I advise you to stay away.
Zoltan
Neona scoffed. The gall of the man! “He advises me to stay away? From my own land!”
She jumped to her feet, wadding the note up in her fist. “How dare he! I’ll show—” She stopped with a sudden thought, then gave Zhan an incredulous look. “He’s doing this on purpose, isn’t he? He knows this will make me come to him.”
She jammed his note into the drawstring pouch that dangled from the sash tied around her waist. “The fool. He thinks to manipulate me? This ridiculous game will get him killed! If any of the other women catch him in the neighboring valley, they will execute him on the spot.”
Leaving the arrow behind, she stalked toward the ridge where the rope ladder lay in waiting. And to think that just moments ago, she’d been listing his finer points. Ha! She would add stubborn, manipulative, and sneaky to the list.
“I will not fall for this outrageous ploy of his. I will force him to leave, even if I have to tie him up and haul him like unwanted baggage to the nearest village.”
She dropped the rope ladder over the ridge.
Zhan scampered down the rock wall, then ran toward the cabin.
As she started down the ladder, her heart pounded so loudly that it thundered in her ears. It was only anger, she told herself. She was not excited about seeing him again. The tightness in her chest was annoyance, not yearning.
When the cabin came into view, she stopped, her heart lurching at the sight of smoke curling from the chimney. He had made himself at home. As if he belonged here. With her.
Tears blurred her vision, and she quickly blinked them away. She mustn’t let him know how badly he tempted her. If he knew, he would never leave. And he had to leave before he was captured and killed.
Did you bring the food? the young snow leopard asked as it darted into the cabin.
Yes. Zoltan set the plastic container on the floor.
Smells good. The cat started eating. Mmmm.
Is she coming? Zoltan asked as he peered through the open door. The cat made a noise he interpreted as affirmative.
After pacing about an empty cabin for thirty minutes, Zoltan had finally acknowledged that Neona wasn’t coming. Luckily, he’d heard her pet lurking nearby, so he’d made a deal with it. Deliver a note to Neona, and he would supply the cat with a delicious meal. When Zhan had scampered off with the arrow and note, Zoltan had teleported home and raided the kitchen pantry for several cans of tuna. He’d tossed the tuna into a plastic container and teleported back.
Anger battled with apprehension as he waited for Neona. Part of him was afraid of losing her. Another part was furious that she’d refused to see him. Was he that damned easy to reject?
He spotted her in the moonlight, moving quickly along the stream, determination in every stride.
He stepped just outside the door and glanced at his watch. “You’re forty-seven minutes late.”
She halted a distance away from him, eyeing him with a wary look. “I have no way of telling time.”
Of course. He should have realized that. “I’ll bring you a watch tomorrow.”
She scoffed. “I don’t intend to see you tomorrow. I wasn’t going to see you tonight. I only came because of that stupid note—”
“I’ll bring you a watch tomorrow,” he repeated. “Is there anything else you would like? Some books, perhaps?”
A pained look flitted across her face before she shuttered her expression, but it was long enough to verify that he’d made a good guess at something she secretly yearned for.
She shook her head. “I cannot accept presents from you. How would I explain it to the other women?”
“Don’t explain it. Hide them under your bed. You’re good at keeping secrets, aren’t you?”
Her eyes narrowed. “So are you. I have no idea where you come from.” She walked toward him. “You’re not Chinese or Tibet—”
“Don’t come any closer.” He held up a hand to stop her. “This is my cabin now, and women are not allowed.”
“That is ridiculous! Men are not allowed, and that includes you. Do you really think you can steal our cabin by simply saying it is yours?”
“Isn’t that what you’ve done? Can you prove this land is yours? Just because your people have lived here for a long time doesn’t make it yours. Do you have a deed?”
Her eyes widened with a look of alarm. He made a mental note to check the legal ownership of this land. If the women didn’t own it, he would make sure they did. It would be a good way to earn their trust.
She lifted her chin. “I did not come here to argue with you. I want you to leave. Immediately.”
He leaned against the doorjamb and crossed his arms. “No.”
She made a sound of frustration. “If any of the other women see you, they will not hesitate to kill you. You must leave tonight and never come back.”
“Are you trying to protect me?” He straightened. “Is that why you’re rejecting me?”
“I’m rejecting you because you’re insufferable!” She leaned down to whip the knife from the sheath strapped to her leg, then pointed it at him. “Leave now.”
“Make me.”
She glowered at him. “Fine.” She threw the knife, and it spun through the air before lodging with a thunk in the door frame beside him. “Take that as a warning. Next time I aim for your chest.”
He glanced at the knife. She’d missed his shoulder by less than a foot. After a few seconds of alarm, he’d realized her trajectory was off, so he’d stood his ground.
He gave her a wry look. “Now you see why I can’t allow women here. One small disagreement, and you become violent. Obviously women can’t be trusted.”
She huffed. “It is men who cannot be trusted.”
“You let Frederic live here for eleven years. I try to stay one measly night and you throw a knife at me?”
“I’m trying to save your life, you fool!”
“Now you’re calling me names.” Zoltan heaved a sigh. “Poor Frederic. Did he suffer abuse like this?”
She gritted her teeth. “Men cannot be trusted. We thought Frederic was different, but even he betrayed us in the end.”
“He didn’t betray you.”
“He did! He broke Calliope’s heart when he left.”
“He never betrayed you. He told everyone he had no memory of where he had been or who had given birth to his son.”
Neona’s eyes widened. “How do you know about his son?”
“That’s the reason he left, isn’t it? He didn’t want his son forced to live here as a prisoner to your damned secrets.”
“We-we’re not prisoners,” she whispered, then shook herself visibly. “How do you know all this? Do you know Frederic?”
“I saw it on the Internet.”
She frowned. “What is that?”
“Information. What I really found interesting was that Frederic returned in 1933. About eighty years ago. And yet you claim he taught you English.”
Neona stiffened, her face turning white.
“How do you do it? Is it a special plant that grows only in your valley? Is it in your food? Your water?”
“Stop!” She ran toward him and placed her hand over his mouth. “Don’t say the words. Please.” Tears glistened in her eyes.
He took her hand in his. “Neona.”
A tear slipped down her face. “Don’t say the secret out loud. If you do, I’ll be honor bound to . . .”
“To what?” He searched her eyes. “Do you really think you can kill me?”
She pulled her hand from his and yanked the knife from the door frame. “Don’t push me. You already know too much.” She pointed the knife at his chest. “Leave. Now. Please.”
Damn if she didn’t have the tip right over his heart. He tensed, ready to grab her with vampire speed. “No.”
She pressed enough to cut a hole in his jacket but not enough to draw blood. “Leave.”
“No.”
Another tear fell down her cheek. “I don’t want you here.”