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in the bedroom. Never again would he complain it was too bright.
Kane tilted Snooke s head to the side.  If I find out who did this, I ll
kill him.
 Does he need me? Phoenyx stuck his head into the bedroom.
 No, just some bruising, Kane replied.
* * * *
Panahasi slowly walked down to the depths of the detention cells.
He looked into each room he passed. The sounds of the damned
110 Lynn Hagen
echoed throughout the chambers. Screaming and shrills a constant. He
would never grow accustomed to the sounds of the damned.
Offenders were brought here to be judged by the keeper. If they
were found innocent, they were set free. If guilty, they spent the rest
of their lives reliving the horrors they had committed on the offended.
He continued his walk as he looked in each and every cell. So far
all were accounted for. The keeper would know if anyone was set
free, but for Panahasi s peace of mind, he wanted to see with his own
eyes.
He stopped at one particular cell and peered in. The sight before
him evoked memories of a battle long ago. A battle he d nearly lost.
He breathed a sigh of relief to see Crypt was still locked away,
reliving every horror he had committed. To most inhabitants locked
away in the detention cells, it was a torture beyond compare. But
Panahasi had a feeling Crypt was glorifying in it.
 He is still locked away. The keeper, a tall man of unknown age,
stepped up to Panahasi s side. He looked to his right, marveling at the
man s beauty. But it was an illusion. Only Panahasi had seen his true
form.
It was something he didn t care to see again.
 I want a guard put at his door. I don t trust Marino. He may not
know about Crypt, but I do not want to take any chances.
 I agree. The keeper elegantly turned and walked away. Within a
second, a centaur, standing as tall as eight feet, was guarding Crypt s
door.
Satisfied, Panahasi thought of home and then disappeared.
* * * *
 I m fine, damn it. Snooke knocked Kane s hand away. He knew
it was the fear of almost dying and the embarrassment of crying in
front of everyone, so Kane ignored his mate s outburst.
Snooke 111
He had tried to console Snooke, but his mate seemed unreachable.
For two days now Snooke snapped and growled at anyone who came
near him. Dillon had taken Chris up on his offer to stay at his home
while Snooke worked through this. Kane had never felt so helpless in
his entire life. His mate was hurting, and there wasn t a damn thing he
could do about it.
Kane sat in the chair, rubbing his fingers across his chin as he
stared at Snooke balled up on the couch. He knew that if he
approached his mate, Snooke would only push him away.
His pulled his cell phone out when it began to ring, watching
Snooke stare blankly at the television which wasn t even on.
 Yeah?
 How s he doing? Panahasi asked. Kane hated that all the
warriors had come to check on Snooke and his mate had snapped at
them all. He guessed the leader wanted to avoid that situation by
calling instead.
 Same.
 Let me know if he needs anything.
 I will. Kane hung up his phone. He watched his mate carefully
as Snooke rose from the couch and walked over, climbing onto
Kane s lap. He held his arms wide until Snooke adjusted himself and
then wrapped his arms around his little demon.
 I m sorry, Snooke murmured.
 You have no reason to be. You went through something
traumatic and had to work it out in your head. Kane ran his hands
over Snooke s back as he thanked the heavens above that Snooke was
finally coming back to him.
 I don t feel safe anymore.
 Do you want to live with Chris for a while? Kane hated asking.
It would mean he would spend most of his time at Chris s house, but
if it made Snooke feel safer, he would do it.
 I don t feel safe anywhere.
112 Lynn Hagen
 I know, shorty. Kane exhaled deeply, wondering how he was
going to make his mate feel safe once again in their home.
Panahasi had said that the keeper was close to a new spell, one
that would keep out anyone not of warrior descent. The warriors
themselves could bring people through, but no one who wasn t living
there in the building could come in.
He jerked when he heard a noise coming from the kitchen. No one
was there but the two of them. Snooke began to shake in his arms as
Kane stood and placed his mate in the chair. He walked quietly and
with measured steps as he neared the kitchen.
He glanced back to see Snooke balled up and staring in horror.
Kane placed a finger over his mouth, and Snooke nodded.
As he rounded the corner, he raised his hands in the air, ready to
freeze whatever threat there may be. He stopped dead in his tracks,
staring in a horrific wonder at the sight in front of him.
Snooke 113
Chapter Ten
Panahasi thought of Kane s apartment and then appeared in the
living room. The first thing he noticed was Snooke balled up on the
chair, his gaze terrified as he stared at the kitchen. He hurried across
the room and entered the kitchen, coming to a halt.
 Well, fuck, the keeper really does have a sense of humor,
Panahasi said as he walked further in.
 What the hell is it? Kane asked as his eyes darted from Panahasi
to the trapped creature.
 It looks to me like the person that kept breaking in has been
snared in the keeper s spell. I knew he would come up with a good
one, but damn. Panahasi crossed the kitchen, staring at a pair of arms
and legs suspended in midair.  Seems our burglar is trapped between
your home and wherever he was using the shadows.
 I still want to know how he managed to get in the first time,
Kane said as he walked around the limbs.  This is fucking gross.
 I think it s Marino that has helped this person. He s starting to
learn the crystal, getting closer to unlocking it. Only with the use of
the crystal can you go to the forbidden places. This is some wicked
shit. Panahasi laughed.  Wicked indeed.
Kane quirked a brow at him.  Is it that entertaining?
 Hell yeah it is.
 What is that? Snooke gasped from behind them.
* * * *
114 Lynn Hagen
Snooke wasn t sure what he was looking at. How could a pair of
arms and legs be suspended in the kitchen?
 I think it s the man who tried to take you, the leader said as he
turned toward Snooke. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]