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the mist.” He set his mug down and rose from his seat at the same time. “I just got you out of the fortress. It would be foolish as hell to be anywhere near that place.”
    “Temper, Ian.” She offered him a taunting smile. She could always set up his back.
    He gritted his teeth, grinding his molars. “No way you’re going back there.”
    “Really?” She pivoted in his direction. “Are you forbidding me?”
    “Hell, yeah, I am.” Once more aware that his vision had been healed, that not even indoor light hurt his eyes any longer, he crossed to her. “This is my realm, in case you’ve forgotten, and my word is law. You are not returning to the fortress, the mist, the gorge, nowhere. I want you in Swanicott.”
    She moved within a handful of inches from him. “If I can find a way to help all of you bring that woman down, then I’ll do whatever I need to do. I want to help, and for that I need to be close to the spelled mist. Besides, you’re not the one who was stuck in Margetta’s fortress, who had to endure her torture.”
    “And you’re not the one who sat in the dirt night after night, praying for some kind of opening in the shielding mist so I could find you.”
    An arrested expression entered her doe eyes. He always forgot how beautiful she was until he stood this close to her. Her skin was like cream, her cheekbones high, and the fae point of her chin softer than most. Her eyes were so warm his heart ached just looking at her. Her sweet jasmine-lime scent rose in a sudden wave, a powerful reminder his life had changed because Regan was a blood rose.
    “I wasn’t thinking of what you went through,” she said in a quiet voice. “Only what needs to be done.”
    “And what do you think that is?” he asked.
    Her brows rose. “To destroy her army, of course.”
    “So your intention is to swing by, take a look at the mist, hope to hell she or a hundred of her Invictus pairs aren’t hanging around looking for you, then head to Swanicott.”
    “Something like that. Once back at the Fae Guild, I’ll start working on a counter-spell. I just need to get a feel for her mist, how she constructed it. And it would help if I was there.”
    “It’s too dangerous right now. My guess is she’ll have part of her army out hunting for you tonight as it is.”
    She caught his arm. “Then take me out there yourself.”
    “You don’t know what you’re asking. Margetta will be on guard now. She’ll be waiting for you.”
    But her gaze fell to where her fingers now touched his skin. “You still work out.” Her voice had deepened and sounded hoarse.
    Desire rose all over again as he remembered how she liked to touch him and do other things. No one had ever pleased him as much as Regan. At the same time, her hand fell away and she shifted to look back out the window. She crossed her arms over her chest. “I shouldn’t have touched you. Sweet Goddess, I’m scared.”
    Nothing she’d said had surprised him more than these words. “You should be afraid of Margetta.”
    “No, that’s not it. I mean, yes I am afraid of the Ancient Fae.” She waved a hand between them. “It’s you and me. I’m afraid of getting sucked back in.” Her eyes widened as she turned back to him. “You hurt me, Ian. You’re still hurting me.”
    “And you’ve done the same to me.”
    “I didn’t cause the massacre.”
    “But you might as well have because you enthralled me, the way the powerful fae can do. Your eyes often turned silver when we were together, the way Vojalie’s do when she’s reading people, entrancing them, taking their minds unaware. You enthralled me, Regan, keeping me by your side when I should have been caring for my people. My sister died and my two nieces. Ben lost his brother. This will always be your fault. You did something to me back then and I’ll never forgive you for it.”
    He moved away from her, all his rage flowing once more in a heavy tornado through his head. He could recall what it