She turned, thinking to take her own advice and speak, but thewords died at the sight of Sylph’s bare back. Her golden curls brushed acrossher tanned shoulders. Lean muscles flowed under her skin, drawing Thana’s eyeto a smattering of freckles in the small of her back. Thana’s mouth went dry,and she couldn’t think of anything but what it would be like to run her handsover that skin, to trace those freckles with her lips.
Sylph glanced over her shoulder as if she’d felt Thana’s gaze orheard some small noise of appreciation. She turned, clutching a shirt thatbarely shielded her naked breasts. Thana waited for a smirk or some otherexpression that would piss her off, but Sylph only took a step, the shirt dippinga bit lower.
Thana mirrored her step. When Sylph took another, Thana reachedfor her, determined to embrace her before that shirt could hit the floor.
They touched, and a boom sounded from outside, drowning outThana’s pounding heart.
* * *
Sylph almost kept reaching for Thana, thinking the fire betweenthem had ignited in a thunderous boom, but Thana broke eye contact and movedtoward the door.
Sylph’s breath left in a rush, and she slipped her shirt over herhead as goose bumps broke out along her arms. The desire in her belly hadprobably kept them away until now.
“What was that?” Thana asked, her ear to the door.
Sylph wanted to say, “Who cares. Come back to me.” She had neverhad a romantic partner and wasn’t quite sure what lovemaking entailed, but shewanted so badly to find out. When their eyes had met, when Sylph had realizedher state of undress and how it had spawned such desire in Thana’s eyes, shehadn’t thought once about the difference in their stations.
Curious.
And wonderful.
Worthier of exploration than any feeling she’d ever known.
Someone yelled in the corridor. Thana opened the heavy door, andmuffled voices became clearer.
“Is there someone out there, or did the east wing collapse?”
“The grooms are looking.”
“I’m going with them.”
“Timmony, get back here!” That sounded like the countess.
A draft of air rushed through the old house, making the doorsshudder.
“I’ll find out what’s going on,” Thana said.
“Wait,” Sylph called.
Thana turned. Her gaze filled Sylph with desire again, but Thanawas out the door before she could say or do anything.
Sylph tskedand had to bottle her feelings as she hurriedly donned a vest over her shirt soshe wouldn’t appear in public less than half-dressed. She thanked the spiritsshe hadn’t removed the trousers that went with her riding dress. She tightenedthe laces as she left the room, her heart pounding with fear for Thana’s safetyinstead of in anticipation of her embrace.
After her irritation at being interrupted faded, she wondered ifthe boom could be because of her presence instead of a collapse or some enemyof the countess. No matter what, Thana would want to help. Sylph’s father wouldcall helping strangers and asking nothing in return the height of foolishness.
But he’d been wrong about so many things.
Thana needed someone to watch her back. Sylph dashed into theroom again and grabbed the pyramid satchel.
Downstairs, someone screamed.
Sylph’s heart flew into her throat, and she hesitated as she leftthe room again, trying to swallow her fear. She took a few careful steps downthe narrow staircase even though every instinct told her to run and hide. Thananeeded her. She had to be brave. Amid the fear, she felt something else. Shethought it might be the awakening of her courage, but no, it was the pyramidpull, the undeniable drive to reach out and connect to a power she barelyunderstood.
“No,” she whispered, her feet sliding until she sat on the coldsteps. “Stop.” She clenched her fists but couldn’t stop the call. Somewhereoutside, a pyramid sang to her.
And the spirits only knew what it might do.
She fumbled with the satchel, seeking to distract herself asThana had before. Her fingers skimmed over the crystal inside, and she grabbedon to a familiar pyramid.
Light suffused the dim stairway. The whole bag was alight,blazing with color, and the pull from outside lessened. Breathing hard, Sylphstruggled to her feet, one hand on the wall and one in the bag. She stumbleddown, hearing raised voices and another boom.
“Thana,” she called, all she could get out past the tightness inher chest. Her mind kept trying to reach further. “Thana!”
A figure appeared at the bottom of the stairs, and Sylph nearlycried out in relief until she focused on the countess’s face.
“What did you do?” Countess Carisse cried. Before Sylph couldwithdraw, the countess reached for the satchel, the source of Sylph’s hard-woncontrol.
Chapter Eleven
Thana stepped outside and peered into the darkness. Sheheard someone calling from the forest nearby where the light of a torch bobbedthrough the shadows. Off to her right, near where the ruined part of the housestood, another torch pushed away the gloom.
A pop came from the trees, a reverberating sound that caused atinny echo in her ears. An explosive pyramid? There was one of Carisse’squestions answered. That sound they’d heard hadn’t been the ruined wingcollapsing. Someone was attacking them.
From the woods? But that torch she’d glimpsed in the trees seemedto have gone out.
Thana felt at her side where her pyramid satchel should have beenif she’d remembered to grab it. Swearing, she turned for the door, but a figureblocked her way, and as she stepped toward it, it screamed and slammed the doorin her face.
“Shit,” Thana whispered. She raised a hand to bang on the doorbut feared drawing too much attention. She slapped her palm against the wood,hoping the sound carried inside. “Let me in, spirits curse you,” she said in aloud whisper. “I’m a guest, not the enemy.”
No one answered, and she cursed herself again for forgetting thedamn bag. She’d never get better at using pyramids if she was always forgettingthem.
She turned back to the darkness. The moon spotted the yard withshadows, but she didn’t see anyone. She backed up against the manor wall,hoping to stay out of sight. Down the yard, the other torch she’d seen creepedtoward the forest. Thana clamped her teeth on a warning cry as the torchslipped inside the trees. A scream followed, a
