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Absolutely. Sweet Goddess, the swill Margetta served. It tasted like she rolled the beans in the mud before grinding them.”
    He crossed to the coffee maker and poured her a cup. “You’ll like this, then. I have a colony of trolls in the mountains who do nothing but grow coffee beans. The Guardsmen take turns making sure the Invictus don’t bother them. We’re all addicted.”
    He handed her the mug, which she took in both hands. Taking her first sip, she moaned softly.
    The sound was unfortunate. He still remembered all the noises she could make when he had her in bed, from the softest coo to the throatiest groan. Of course, the utterances had nothing to do with tasting coffee and everything to do with his need to sit down again and try to ignore her or at least her damn womanly scent.
    Goddess help him.
    “I’m taking you back to Swanicott at full-dark.”
    Her brows rose. “You think that’s wise?”
    He drew a deep breath, trying to find some way to keep his lust for her from taking over. “I think it’s for the best.”
    She sat down on the bar stool and shook her head. “Is it because of our lovely conversation earlier this morning?”
    “Thought you’d bring that up.” He didn’t look at her as he reached for his own mug and took his time refilling. He then returned to his stool.
    He needed her to leave, but she’d asked the right question: was it wise for her to go? He had nothing to offer her, no reason to prompt her to stay. “I told Zane about the fortress and the encampments.”
    “What did he say?”
    “Other than expressing his horror with a few well-chosen words, not much. I think we’re both in shock. He’ll be here in an hour or so. Stone as well. And I’ve had my communications center get in touch with the rest of the mastyrs, letting them know what’s going on.”
    She nodded, staring at the counter. “Thanks again for being at the gorge, for hunting for me. I know I couldn’t have gotten out of there by myself.”
    He frowned. “I’m still not sure why she didn’t make it harder for you to get away.”
    She met his gaze square on. “I’ve been thinking the same thing. If she’d really wanted to keep me there, she would have posted guards or something. Or had a patrol on the roof. Or even chained me to the wall. Although …”
    “What?”
    “I don’t know, Ian. Her confidence troubles me. I know I mentioned this last night, but her superior attitude has me worried more than anything else she’s done over the past year. Even though she was defeated out at Angler’s Cliff, she doesn’t seem concerned at all.”
    He turned the mug in his hands, then tapped his thumb ring against the ceramic. “Your inability to see all the tents in the encampment because of the spell has me worried. I mean, what you’ve described sounds massive all by itself.”
    Regan set her cup down and slid off her stool. She walked to the eastern window with a vista leading to the Leberion Plain.
    The shutters had already come up, the sun having set on the other side of the house. From the eastern view, she would be able to see the forest on both sides of the gorge.
    “I have to go back,” she said.
    “And you should. You should be with your people.” His gaze fell to the shape of her ass, the snug jeans helping him to visualize her naked. He mentally placed a hand on her left cheek. He loved Regan’s figure.
    She turned, looking at him over her shoulder, and shook her head. “Not to Swanicott. I mean the fortress. I want to fly over there at full-dark and see what the mist tells me. You have to remember, I only saw the mist when I was trying to escape. It wasn’t visible from the tower and I need to study it, at least for a few minutes.”
    “You didn’t see the mist when you first arrived?”
    “I was unconscious. I woke up in the tower in a lot of pain.”
    Ian repressed a shudder. He hated the idea that she’d suffered. “Well, there’s no way I’m letting you get anywhere near