Read Guardian for Free Online

the pun.”
    He laughed. I found myself admiring the way his short, black hair outlined a perfectly shaped head and highlighted his strong jaw and square chin. “Tana and I go back a long way. Let’s just say we share a history and she doesn’t like the way it was written.” His eyes sparkled, “Especially the ending.”
    The sound of footsteps and an alarmed call outside brought his head sharply around, his dynamic brown gaze narrowing. “Sounds like it’s time for me to go, ladies. I’ll be seeing you.”
    His hand came up and opened over his head. Sparks of light scattered around him as the faery dust filtered down and he started to waver and fade.
    “Not this time, dammit!” I yelled, and flung myself toward him. I hit him hard in the chest, eliciting a surprised, “Umph!” from him. And then, amazingly, one strong arm came around my waist and pulled me close so that I was encompassed by the same dust.
    We entered a layer between worlds that was much deeper than the layer I usually traveled. An observant person could see the ripple in the air when I traveled. But I knew from having seen faery dust used that it was beyond even the most perceptive eye. Or the use of magic to discern it.
    Still holding me tightly around the waist, Ian took two giant steps backward, until we stood behind the door. We were still in the room with Etta, watching her throw a truly entertaining tantrum, but we might as well have been a thousand miles away.
    The door burst open and I flinched as it headed right for my face. But it passed right through us as if we weren’t even there. I looked at Ian and grinned. He grinned back and dropped his arm from my waist, grabbing my hand. “Let’s go.”
    I looked at the queen’s guards, who now filled the room. They had Etta in restraints and were demanding to know where we’d gone. They didn’t seem to have heard Ian speak.
    “They can’t hear us? Crystal cool.”
    Ian dragged me through the guards at the door, very odd feeling that, and down the steps of the tree house to the ground far below. I started to turn toward the gate but he pulled me back. “This way.”
    I glared at him. “Have you lost your mind? Why would we go to the palace? Tana wants you deader than I do.”
    He stopped, turning toward me and yanking me up against his warm, hard body. “You want me dead?”
    I scowled at him, “Only occasionally.”
    He leaned down before I knew what he was doing and covered my lips with his. A whirlwind of sensation flowed through me from the touch of his skin against mine and I gasped under its onslaught, trying to pull away. But his arms were iron bands around my body and I wasn’t going anywhere.
    I decided I might as well enjoy it.
    I wrapped my arms around his neck and deepened the kiss, pulling the intoxicating musk of his breath into my body and rolling it around on my tongue like the finest ambrosia. His hands swept up my back and tangled in my hair. His body ground into me with urgent need. His lips left mine and he growled. “We’ll finish this later. I need to get to Tana.”
    He turned and strode toward the Palace. I stood there, slightly dazed by the intensity of the kiss, and then started after him. I wasn’t sure why he was so bent on getting to the woman who wanted to kill him but I figured he might need me to save him from the noose. And I still had a lot of damn questions to ask. So I took off after him.
    I glanced around as a door slammed shut behind me, followed by a strident voice lifted in anger. Etta was being led out of the tree dwelling where we’d been ensconced and toward the caves. She wasn’t happy about it. She was nearly shrieking with rage, but her captors were turning a deaf ear to her. Probably literally at that point. I was sure their auditory senses had shut down in self defense. But I figured they were more afraid of their queen than they were of one, tiny, pissed off guardian angel. I couldn’t say I blamed them. I’d have to remember