Right in the center of the group was Forge, looking exactly the same as he did right now, except without his usual, forbidding scowl. Somehow, he looked—if not as happy as everyone around him—content. A half-smile curved his lips up, and his eyes looked lighter, brighter.
God, he’s handsome, I thought, my heart leaping at the quiet joy in his face.
“That was a good crew,” he commented softly over my shoulder, and I jumped a mile into the air. He slid a glass into my hand, brushing his fingers against mine as he did.
“Jeez, Forge, don’t sneak up on me like that.” I hoped he wasn’t doing that creepy sliding thing that Dobson did, but I sure hadn’t heard any footsteps. “Or should I say…the reclusive owner of the Cameron Distillery?”
“That’s me, guilty as charged.”
I mock-punched him in the shoulder, almost spilling whisky everywhere. “You could have told me,” I said, trying to figure out why he’d hide this from me. “Although it explains a lot. Like why you loaned Ambrose the money in the first place.”
“We were competitors here in Scotland, small-time, unlicensed distillers, but we were happy enough. As taxes and English oversight increased, it became problematic to produce enough to keep ourselves afloat. We decided to go to America and try our luck there. I had no intention of staying; I only went to see Ambrose get established. But…then things changed.”
“You mean you changed?” He did look almost…happy in the photograph, and I wondered why he had stayed in the States. Especially when this place was so wonderful.
“That, amongst other things. I liked America. I appreciated the freedom it offered, and watching a new country grow was…exciting. I stayed, until one night when I…” As his voice trailed off, I remembered his Maker’s name.
“Then you met Mara,” I prompted, willing my voice not to harden.
“You remembered her name.” He sounded genuinely surprised. Well, yes, since she’s my competition. Or who I’d begun to think of as my competition. Or whatever she was. Forge nodded, his black hair spilling over his forehead. “Yes, I met Mara Sheldon, and she changed me.”
“How does that even work?”
“We became lovers—unheard of at the time, a vampire and a human, but Mara was never one for conventions. Eventually, I decided immortality would give me time to accomplish everything I wanted to do. She changed me into a vampire. It’s a painful process, but Mara helped me through it. We remained together for years.” He paused. “Although I’m sure you’ve figured that out.”
I was too busy struggling with my jealousy to even respond.
“We were together when she crossed paths with Xavier, the Elder’s offspring. He tried to… Well, long story short, they fought, and Xavier killed her. Mara wasn’t a fighter. She didn’t stand a chance.”
Forge was staring through the room, absently swirling the whisky in his glass. “I hunted him down and killed him. Murdering an Elder’s offspring was an unforgivable offense, but I had evidence the Elder couldn’t afford to have exposed. He and I came to an agreement: I would stay in America and never set foot in Scotland again.”
“And yet here we are,” I said drily, sure now that this whole thing was a giant mistake. Maybe he was still in love with Mara. He sure sounded in love with her. What I wouldn’t give to hear that tender tone in his voice when he spoke of me.
“Only because he decided to kill Jackson, my only living witness, and call in my debt by dredging up the old crime and using it summon me before the Assembly.” He was watching me intently, clearly trying to make up his mind about something. “You’re my ace in the hole.” As if he’d come to a decision, Forge threw back his drink in one go. “Or, at least, you were.”
“I’m right here, Forge, and I’ve been practicing for weeks to get this right. Not only can I handle this, I have every intention of attending that meeting tonight.”
“That will be impossible, since I’ve decided you’ll be flying back to Philadelphia.”
“Oh no you don’t. We had a deal…”
“Your loan is forgiven.” His voice hardened. “Don’t worry—you don’t owe me a penny, Selena.” He nodded to someone over my shoulder, and I heard the door close quietly behind me. “The driver will take you take you back to the plane, and you’ll fly home tonight.”
I was trying to come up with something—anything—to convince him to let me go to that meeting. Damn it, this wasn’t about the money. This was about my abilities and what I could do with them.
“But before you go…I need you to wear this, Selena. Never take it off, and don’t show it to anyone.” In his palm was a beautiful gold pendant of a serpent swallowing his tail. “Turn around and let me put this on you.” I did, not understanding why he’d changed his mind so abruptly, and trying to buy some time to firm up my argument for staying. Somehow, I had the feeling that I wouldn’t be able to sway him.
Forge hooked the clasp behind my neck, his fingers skimming my nape before I let my hair back down. Instead of stepping away, he settled his hands on my bare shoulders, one of his thumbs absently drawing circles on my collarbone. God, his hands felt so good on me, and for an instant, my mind wandered back to the bedroom on the plane, complete with a king-sized bed.
I picked up the pendant for a closer look. “It’s an ouroboros, isn’t it?”
Forge nodded, a strange expression on his face as he took in the necklace, then my face. “It looks as if it were made for you.”
“Was it, Forge?” I asked, searching for why he was giving me the brush-off, and what could have possibly changed these past few hours. “Was this made for me?”
He ducked his head, whether in embarrassment or dismay, I didn’t know. When his gaze met mine again, his
