Sweet Ruin

TWENTY-NINE

“Rune?” Jo called when she woke in his bed alone. She tested her body, moving her arms and legs.

She was totally healed! Time to return to New Orleans.

Yet Rune didn’t answer. She rose, gazing down at her many bandages. He’d cared for her. So where was he?

She checked the other rooms he’d shown her. No sign of him. She dimly remembered speaking to him when she’d been in such pain, but not much of what they’d said.

Until he returned, she was trapped in his home again. Which meant Thad remained unprotected, under the control of an evil bitch. Jo shivered to recall Nïx snapping her bones like dried twigs.

The Valkyrie wanted her to spy on some guy named Orion and report back. Nïx had said he would impact her life in so many ways. That might be true, but Jo had no idea who he was.

Struggling to make sense of that fight, she headed to the bathing chamber. As she unwrapped layers of bandages, more details filtered into her consciousness. Rune had used her as bait for Nïx! But he’d also saved her in the end. Why else would the Valkyrie have stopped mid-murder?

He’d yelled as Nïx tortured her—as if he were desperate to save Jo. As if he gave a damn about her.

Naked, she gazed down at her body. Black runes covered her. He’d painstakingly crafted shapes from his own blood.

That delicious wine.

She trailed her fingertips over each one, loving his marks on her flesh. She would’ve healed on her own in a few days, but he hadn’t known that. She recalled his panic, and the dread rumbling in his voice.

The dark fey was starting to feel more for her!

After their night together, Jo’s own feelings might have deepened into something more than infatuation. Her dreams of his past had affected her as well. Seeing him so vulnerable and young, yet so cocky, had touched her. The love he’d felt for his mother had softened her.

She’d been swamped with disappointment when he’d traced her to the Quarter and told her to run home to her roost.

Huh. That had merely been part of his ruse.

In the spacious shower area, she pressed some tiles, and warm water cascaded from the ceiling. She was reluctant to erase his symbols, but she needed to clear the cobwebs from her head.

She stepped under the water, staring at the drain. The blood washing from her skin colored the water like ink, and quickened her appetite. When Rune returned, would he give her a top-off? She nearly moaned at the prospect.

Could she trust him enough to reveal Nïx’s deal? Maybe he and Jo could work together on their mutual Valkyrie problem.

After her shower, Jo padded in a robe to his closet to steal an undershirt. His clothes were rough-and-tumble, many ripped and frayed. She loved his devil-may-care look.

Lady-killer with a big swinging dick? Oh yeah.

But she didn’t need to be mooning over a player like him. Nothing mattered more than saving Thad from Nïx. As she dressed, Jo replayed the madwoman’s every word. Some things stuck out more than others.

The ground should be your best friend. . . . Why would you ever become tangible in a fight? . . . Your mind is your greatest weapon. Use it to strike; use it to defend. . . .

Had Nïx given Jo pointers to help with her spy mission? Jo was leery about believing the Valkyrie, yet she got the sense Nïx had been telling the truth. Great. Now all Jo had to do was figure out how to use her mind to strike.

The Valkyrie had also mentioned a woman. Had Nïx been talking about the one in Jo’s waking nightmare, the one who’d emitted power to shore up the sky?

Though Jo wasn’t a trusting person (understatement), maybe she should reveal to Rune everything she’d learned and remembered. Damn it, where was he?

Another memory hit her. Just before she’d passed out, he’d told her he was off to . . . service a nymph harem!

Her eyes went wide. “Manwhore!” He was in bed with another female at this very moment. Or females, plural. Apparently, Rune wasn’t starting to feel more for her.

That gigantic dickwad.

What was it with him and nymphs? She clenched her fists, and the lights flickered. The furniture vibrated.

She gasped. That hadn’t happened since all those years ago at the morgue. She’d all but forgotten it.

Had she just moved the furniture with her mind? One way to find out. She returned to his museum, filled with his precious relics. His priceless ones. What better place to test an unpredictable power!

She eyed a small vase across the room. She inhaled, exhaled, then pictured lifting it. . . .

The vase wobbled!

Holy shit, she was telekinetic! More clearly she saw that vision of the crumbling world and the dark-eyed woman—she’d been using her hand to control her telekinesis.

Jo aimed her palm at the vase and tried to raise it. The thing shattered. Uh-oh. Hope he didn’t like that one. She turned to another antique, a delicate-looking box atop a marble pedestal.

Pressing down telekinetically would have to be easier than lifting. She concentrated on flattening the box and waved her palm down. The box—and the pedestal—were crushed.

Awesome!

But she wasn’t managing a focused beam like that woman’s. Jo needed more practice. Rune’s collection was making a great shooting gallery.

She turned to a medium-size bust of some man who’d probably written books Jo couldn’t read. Asshole.

BOOM! She laughed as chunks of marble landed all across the room. Okay, not focused, but Hulk-smash was more Jo’s style anyway.

Then came the real test. Would she be able to wield her telekinesis while ghosting?

She dematerialized. Floating like a speck of nothing, she gazed from one treasure to the next. Which one to practice on? He’d said these were war prizes, but she’d bet some were gifts from women he’d screwed.

When Jo pictured him in bed with beautiful nymphs—gazing down at them with those seductive eyes—a wave of power blasted from her mind.

The sound of destruction rang in her ears. Crashing, ripping, shattering. Once the dust settled, she blinked in disbelief. She’d trashed everything in the room.

Hulk. Smash.

He was overly proud of his home, would be furious when he saw the damage. Lady Shady gazed around with a discerning eye.

I’ll smash it all to bits. Payback for hurting her heart.

She turned to the next room to practice some more. She’d been a killer before. With these new talents, she would be an undefeatable one.

She frowned. Nïx had made it sound as if Thaddie was like Jo. If so, how could he cope with changes like these?

With the Valkyrie’s help?

Jo had been forced to let MizB raise Thad; she’d be damned if Nïx took over from here on out.

Change of plans, Nïx. Jo would definitely be getting access to Thad, but not in the way the Valkyrie had envisioned. Jo wasn’t going to spy on anyone; instead she’d do what she did best.

Before Rune got another chance at Nïx . . .

I’m going to kill her.