Wrinkling her nose, she skirted around Kelly.
“It’s the Festival of Summer Solstice. We heard it was held in this town this year and decided to visit.”
“Then what?” Sam demanded.
“After backpacking across Central America, Bob and I came here. We joined up with friends from school, got a hotel and went to the restaurant for dinner. That was last night.”
The girl looked bewildered. “Wasn’t it?”
Sam smiled. “Go meet your friends. It’s fine now.”
As the girl rushed away, he gave Kelly a meaningful look. “The annual festival of the sun was four weeks ago.”
Her mouth went dry. “They’ve been here that long. Gods, how many weeks have these Arcanes planned this?”
“Maybe months, even years.”
“My agency never got any missing persons reports.” Kelly pointed to the girl scurrying away from them. “I’m sure she has parents who are worried about her.”
“Unless the parents are here. It’s a big village, and it’s an important festival to Mages.”
“Elementals,” she corrected. “Your people cull power from the four elements of earth, sun, sky and water. Mine can’t. Mine don’t celebrate the summer solstice.”
Sam’s gaze hardened. “And mine do, which made it easier for these rogues to lure them into a trap. Goddamn Arcanes. Damn them to hell.”
His words sliced her, jabbing deep. Seeing her face, he softened his expression. “I’m sorry, Kel. Spoke before I thought. Not all your people are like that.”
“For a moment, you sounded as if they were. And I’m one. What your people consider the enemy.”
His voice went husky. He stroked a finger down her cheek. “Not you.”
Kelly closed her eyes, relishing the tender touch. Remembering what they once shared. Time had crushed all her young hopes, replacing them with cold reality.
Her eyes snapped open. “Not me, Sam? Even though I belong to the group targeting your kind?”
Bleakness shadowed his face. “Sometimes I wish we could go back in time, when it was you and me, not Arcane and Elemental. Life was easier, Kelly.”
“But it isn’t now. We’re on opposite sides. When everything is said and done, I’m still Kelly Denning, Arcane.”
A hollow ache settled in her chest. “Always the enemy in the eyes of your people.”
His palm cupped her cheek. With a gentle thumb, he stroked over her skin, arousing feelings she tried so hard to bury. “Screw the labels. Arcane. Elemental. You’re Kelly Denning. A courageous and stubborn woman. When I pulled you from the room, thinking you were dead, part of me wanted to die, as well. I wasn’t thinking of what group you belong to, Kel. All I could think of was you.”
Kelly’s heart skipped a beat. “I’ve missed you, Sam,” she said, her voice catching.
This man had saved her life, had risked defying his lieutenant to save innocents. He was a true hero.
If only he could be hers once more. Once he had been. Could they ever go back again? Or would they always have their loyal alliances to their own people come first?
Stroking her cheek, Shay felt like drowning in her eyes. So sweet, pretty and seemingly fragile, yet inside Kelly was a core of solid steel.
Gods, he missed her with every single breath he drew into his lungs. For so long, he’d tried to forget her and erase her from his heart.
Didn’t work.
Now he told himself to concentrate on the mission.
Stepping away from her, Shay sent streams of white energy into the streets. Good, pure magick shot through the village, touching everyone inside.
He lowered his hands. “I sent an exposure shield through the town to protect the villagers. It’s not as powerful as I’d like, but it should suffice. With a small bonus.”
“Which is?” she challenged.
Shay rubbed the back of his neck. “Any Arcane will have an extremely visible aura to Elementals.”
Kelly turned over her palms, as if trying to discern her own natural aura. “Smacks of profiling to me.”
“I know,” he said gently. “But it’s the only way we can identify the Arcanes. We know what the potential enemy is, but not which ones.”
“Sam, you painted a bull’s-eye on my back. What if an Elemental decides on target practice?”
“They won’t, as long as you’re with me.”
“So as long as I’m with you, an Elemental, I’m okay. Because they’ll assume you’re restraining me. Like keeping a vicious dog on a leash.” Kelly bit her lip. “No matter what I do, or even how many of your people I save, I’ll never be free, will I? Your kind will always despise me. Use me, but hate me.”
Shay went still. Her stricken expression twisted his heart. She spoke the truth.
His gaze swept the streets, filled with the soft gold glow of Elemental auras. His people. The righteous ones, who thought themselves better than Arcanes. The thought disgusted him.
“You’re right. They will never value you for who you are, Kel. I can’t promise things will change. But I will promise to do everything in my power to convince my people of how wrong they are. Until then, I need you to stick close to me.”
Something in his chest eased. He released a deep breath.
And what about later, when he had to turn her over to the authorities? Could he make the pigheaded council listen to reason?
Somehow, he must. Because not only Kelly’s life depended on it, but that of her entire people.
They went to a small restaurant, where Kelly ordered tea. Outside, he called Dakota, relieved to finally contact his lieutenant.
Shay quickly explained what had happened.
His lieutenant’s voice crackled over the phone. “Plans have changed. Get your ass on the next flight from Tegus with Kelly until we figure out what the hell is going on.”
“No way, LT. Too dangerous on these roads at night. We’ll leave tomorrow.” Shay told him about the village filled with Elemental Mages.
“And you’re a target. Stay out of sight. Need a safe house?” Dakota asked.
Shay closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against the lamppost. He remembered one place no one would ever look for them. “Got it. Need a car, though. Have one waiting for me at the Atlanta airport.”
“We’re finishing up here, cutting this training op short.” Dakota hesitated. “Take good care of her, Shay. Kelly is our only link to this, and if something happens to her, we’re screwed. No one else can see the Death Mask.”
He hung up and then made a reservation on his cell. Then he returned to Kelly and tossed some lemps on the table. “Dakota officially ordered me to take good care of you.”
“Forget me. We have to find those kids, and they’re back in the States.”
“We’ll find them. We’ll get a room for tonight and head out tomorrow. I booked us on the afternoon flight from Tegus to Miami and then Miami to Atlanta.”
As she started to protest he put a finger against her lips. “It’s getting late and I’m not risking driving in the dark and running into another Arcane itching to kill you.”
A morass of politics muddied everything. Soon as they returned to the States, Shay knew the council would be riding his ass to hand Kelly over to its custody.
Sam clearly had no intentions of leaving her alone. Placing a proprietary hand on the small of her back, he
