Read Embrace the Mystery [03] Blood Rose Series for Free Online Page B

off, her un-impressed response struck a chord, that she wasn’t the least moved by his rank in the Nine Realms, or his power, or anything else. If he wanted to win her, he’d actually have to make an effort and that was new to him. Besides, he loved a challenge, maybe more than anything, and Batya had challenge written all over her.
    So, what would impress her?
    He looked away from her and crossed his arms over his chest. He didn’t need an answer to that question. Batya couldn’t be anything important in his life and finding a way to gain her respect and approval had no meaning for him. All he’d wanted before the attack was to take her to bed a few times and slake his lust.
    After that, he would have moved on to his next conquest, but here he was sitting at a table next to her, wearing a mardis-gras shirt and saying provocative things to her.
    When Lorelei returned with a fresh pot of coffee, mugs, and a heaping platter of chunks of cheese and fruit, he breathed a sigh of relief. She whisked away their plates of now-congealing eggs, then poured out more coffee
    “Sorry, but I burned the toast.”
    He repressed his laughter. “This will do nicely and thank you.”
    Curious all over again, he focused his identifying ability on her, even adding a slight vibration, but he got nothing in response. For a split-second Lorelei paused in pouring Batya’s coffee, as though she knew what he was doing, but continued without so much as a flick of her doe-eyes in his direction.
    He still had no clue what she was.
    Just as he bit into a slice of red apple, a strange, very realm, sensation crept over him, something he’d experienced only a few times in his life. Fate lingered at this table, hovering over the platter, the coffee, and three unlikely people. They were meant to be here tonight, like this, the three of them.
    Mentally, he uttered a string of curses, one after the other.
    This wasn’t good.
    * * * * * * * * *
    Before Batya had finished half her coffee, she received a phone call from the jack-of-all trades service she used that had done initial clean-up and now returned ready to install the plate glass window that had already been delivered. She excused herself and while keeping her enthrallment shield strong but manipulating one section, she let them in the back door, something Batya could do at will.
    They were three powerful shifters, working in demolition, clean-up, and repair work and seemed well-suited to the work.
    None were as tall as Quinlan who made a show of standing at the doorway between the hall and the dining room, arms folded over his chest in part probably to hide the sequins, and nodding to the men as they passed by. He eyed them closely, his lips compressed in a hard line.
    “Mastyr.” Each offered a half-bow as he moved by.
    When the last worker disappeared into her gallery, she glared at him. “Would you lighten up?”
    His upper lip curled as he turned back into the dining room.
    She rolled her eyes wondering just how soon she could get rid of him and get on with her life. Reality, however, seemed to indicate she’d be stuck with him for a while. For one thing, she couldn’t let her enthrallment shield down completely without inviting another attack and for another, if the ancient fae was really after her, then what was she going to do long-term? She couldn’t sustain her gallery or the free-clinic with a shield intact and she really wasn’t sure just how long she’d be able to support it. She felt fine now, but what about in another twenty-four hours or even a week?
    Besides, she didn’t feel like herself. Even Quinlan had picked up on her complexion. She felt overheated in a way that spoke of ‘virus’, but she’d always been so healthy.
    As the shifters went about their business, Batya took some time to assess the damage to several of her canvases. One of them, a more modern piece made up of an island of trees and a flame-like wind, would have to be tossed. At least three would