Mandy had no fear.
“Fine.”
Mandy nodded and turned on her heel, heading toward the two women. As she passed by Dalton, she winked.
That was interesting.
This whole day had been interesting so far. And Dalton got the idea they hadn’t even started yet.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Angelique walked behind Mandy, still shaken by what she’d witnessed in the library.
Michael had some serious skills. She had underestimated him, and the amount of power he held. She’d felt the heat emanating from him, the force he’d projected at Mandy when she’d irritated him.
And even then, she guessed he had barely let any of it loose.
She had a lot to learn about these Realm of Light people.
Speaking of warmth, she felt Ryder’s presence behind her, knew he was watching her, but couldn’t bring herself to turn around, to speak to him.
What would she say?
Yeah. That would be pointless. Best to forget it and move on. There were more important things to worry about.
Like this whole Queen of Darkness thing. And Isabelle.
Michael led the way through the foyer and toward the left down a rich, darkly paneled hallway gently lit by wall sconces. This place was like a maze. Turn left, go straight for a while, turn right, more going straight.
She was going to be utterly lost without a map or a GPS to guide her around the castle. They finally reached a stairwell, and Michael directed them down several flights.
Now the decor was all old castle, nothing modern as they traversed ancient gray stone steps with no handrails, only the rocky wall on their right to hang on to.
“Be careful. It’s dark down here,” Michael said.
A little late for that warning, since they’d long ago been plunged into pitch blackness.
She felt Ryder’s hand on her hip as he moved beside her and hooked his fingers in her belt loops. He didn’t say anything to her, nor did she to him as they made their way down the twisting stairs. At this point she was grateful for the hand. She couldn’t see anything.
“I’ve got my shades on that help me see in the dark,” he finally said. “I figured you could use a hand.”
“Thanks.”
It felt good to have his body beside her. She hated that he had this effect on her, hated the way her body responded to his touch. Why couldn’t she be immune?
“We’re reaching the bottom now.” He whispered against her cheek, his breath warm and ruffling her hair.
She was melting, and despising her lack of resolve even more.
So when had she gone weak where men were concerned? She’d worked shoulder to shoulder with them for years and they never affected her.
She already knew the answer: It wasn’t men in general-it was Ryder. Why did the one man who had the power to stir her with a simple touch also have the power to eviscerate her with his words?
“Where the hell are we going?” Isabelle asked from behind her. “The freakin’ dungeon?”
Angelique was beginning to wonder that herself. It was cold, dark, and dank down here, but at least they’d reached the bottom of the stairs now.
“Yes, it’s a long way,” Michael said. “Sorry.”
There was more light down here, and at least she could see. They stood in front of a thick metal door wider than normal. A flat pad was mounted on a stand to the right of the door. It looked a lot like a computer monitor, but it was surrounded by blinking red lights. Michael laid his right palm on the pad, and it scanned his hand.
Several loud and heavy clicks later, the door swung to the inside. Light blinded Angelique as they stepped from ancient stone into a sterile-looking lablike atmosphere, all modern and high-tech.
“So it’s a dungeon and Fort Knox,” Isabelle mumbled over her shoulder.
“Seems that way.”
“Trust me. Security is essential,” Michael said, standing by the door and motioning them inside. “This is one of the Realm of Light operations centers. We create weaponry, do research, and generally do what we can to assist the field personnel, the hunters.”
It was extremely bright in the room from overhead fluorescent lighting. The place was like one huge cave-the size of a football field. And within it, people. A lot of them.
Desks were interspersed around the room, along with large tables where God only knows what was going on, but it was obviously tech oriented. There was weaponry of all kinds spread across tables and stored in locked cabinets, as well as ammunition, and beakers of bubbling liquid that put a chemistry lab to shame. A section in the back was filled ten feet high with books, almost like a minilibrary, and computers within a U-shaped desk area with
