The vampire stepped forward and offered his hand. “I am Liam.”
She looked at him for a minute, then placed her hand in his engulfing grip. “I’m Shayla.”
He grinned as he shook her hand. “It’s very nice to meet you, Shayla.”
Shayla returned his smile, then bit her bottom lip. She was utterly confused and therefore had no idea what protocol was appropriate. She had a million questions, but no idea if she was free to voice them. A long moment passed with no one saying anything, unleashing a nervous energy inside her she could barely restrain.
Finally, she couldn’t keep herself from breaking the silence. “Uh, so…”
“Come, Shayla. Let’s talk.” Her trainer held out his hand in invitation and directed her back the way they’d come just an hour before.
She glanced between them for a minute and smiled wryly as Liam nodded encouragingly. She eyeballed the big guy, feeling a little wary herself now. “Yeah. Okay.”
The three of them entered the reception area, passed through security, and threaded their way through several corporate-looking hallways until they returned to the posh apartment where she’d readied herself earlier.
Simon offered her a seat in the living area and she settled into an armchair and crossed her jeans-clad legs. A glass of orange juice and two of her favorite kind of chocolate-chip cookies sat on the side table. She managed a smile at Master Simon for his thoughtfulness and took a long sip of the cool sweetness.
The men chose seats around her. Master Simon and Liam traded looks, then Simon said, “The king would like to see you again.”
Shayla nearly choked on a bite of cookie. The words were so far outside her expectations she merely blinked at them. Hope flared in her gut, but she tamped it down. Hard. No one saw him a second time. She tucked her long loose hair behind her ears.
Finally, she managed, “What? Why?”
Liam smiled and sat forward, but clamped his mouth shut when Simon glared at him. Her trainer’s protectiveness warmed her heart. She’d always liked him, even when he was a pain in the ass. But he’d given her every confidence she’d be able to handle this night. She trusted him.
“He regrets what happened and would like to see you again,” Simon replied.
Shayla pulled her eyes from Master Simon’s guarded expression to Liam’s eager face. The weight of what wasn’t being said hung in the air between them.
The question was: did the why matter? If she put her hurt at Kael’s earlier rejection aside, the answer should be no. Nothing had really changed. She’d committed to doing this,. Wanted to, even. And now she had the opportunity again.
This would truly be her last chance…for so many things.
“I see,” she said as her brain analyzed what was really going on. She chanced another bite of the cookie, her thoughts reeling.
Liam’s smile flagged a little as he watched her. His mood shift puzzled her. He seemed so invested in her decision.
She narrowed her gaze at him. “May I make a request? Uh, two, actually?”
“You may make them,” Master Simon replied, “but I cannot guarantee to honor them.”
Shayla had expected his response, but from the vampire’s demeanor, she guessed she had a bit of negotiating power. She didn’t understand why, but she planned to use it. “May I have an hour to prepare? I could use some time to…get my head screwed on straight again.”
“That’s an excellent idea, Shayla. Of course. And your second request?”
There was no way Simon was going to say yes to this one, but asking it couldn’t hurt. “Well, um, may I have permission to, uh…ask the king a few questions?”
“No, Shayla—”
“Yes, definitely,” Liam interrupted. He winked at her.
Master Simon gaped at Liam’s outburst and Shayla pressed her lips into a line to keep from laughing. She liked Liam, liked the feeling he was somehow her ally in…whatever this was.
Simon shook his head. “Yes, then, apparently. Does that mean you are willing?”
“Yes, Master Simon.” Anticipation shot down her spine. She couldn’t believe this was happening. Maybe she still had a shot, after all.
“Then, take your hour and be prepared for me at—” he looked down at his watch “—three-thirty? We will treat everything from then exactly the same.”
Chapter 6
Kael stood on the hidden balcony carved into the basalt cliff face and soaked in the view of the crashing waves along the Antrim Coast. In the far distance, the volcanic formation known as the Giant’s Causeway was just visible under the moonlight.
How many centuries had he admired the beauty of this harsh, unforgiving seascape? How many nights had he come here hoping the rhythmic motion of the sea would imbue him with the peace and tranquility that war and loss had leached from him so many lifetimes ago?
Footsteps approached from the stone corridor behind him. Kael braced against the thick ledge, expecting the worst. Deserving it.
“My lord?”
Tension drained from Kael’s shoulders. Liam’s voice told him the news was good. He breathed in the cleansing sea air and turned to his brother. “Thank you, old friend. She is well?”
Liam grinned. “She’s great.”
Kael’s gaze cut to Liam’s. “You spoke with her?” Liam nodded. “And what did you speak of?”
“Just introductions, really. Oh, and she wants to be able to ask you some questions.”
Kael hitched an eyebrow. “Does she now? About what, exactly?”
The warrior scratched his chin. “Didn’t say.”
“And you didn’t think to ask?” Kael’s layered robes caught the wind and danced around his legs.
He shook his head and shrugged. “Figured it didn’t really matter.”
Kael nodded and ran a hand through the unbraided side of his hair. “Fair point.” His mind raced as he tried to imagine what was going through her mind. What she might want to know.
He stepped toward the entryway and Liam moved to the side, allowing the king first passage. Liam secured the stone-faced door, constructed in such a way it was indistinguishable from the rest of the rock wall on the outside.
Anticipation lanced through him. “So, did she, uh, say anything about me, or, uh…” Kael pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Did she say anything about you?” He chuckled. “No, but I could pass her a note in study hall if you like.”
Kael’s fist connected with Liam’s bicep before he’d really thought to do it. Damn, that little release of tension felt good.
Liam grabbed his arm and spit out an old Gaelic curse. His glare was indulgent, bordering on a smug smile. “Feel better, my lord?”
Kael clapped him on the back. “Much. Let’s return to the chamber, shall we?”
Liam smirked. “She’ll be up in about an hour.”
Kael halted. “An hour?”
“She asked for some time.”
Kael ignored the humor coloring his old friend’s expression. “I guess I can’t blame her.” They resumed walking down the twisting passageway single file until it intersected with a main corridor. Liam secured a second door—this one modern, reinforced steel, before they continued on.