Kissed by Eternity Read Online Free PDF Page B

not."
    "I wish you'd take these things more seriously," Inigo muttered.
    "What I take seriously is a lack of food. I'm hungry."
    With a sigh, Inigo jogged back to collect the forgotten food. Haakon remained, his hand hovering near his belt where I knew he kept at least one blade, maybe more.
    "You sure you're okay?"
    "Fine."
    "This could be Alister coming after you."
    I shook my head, wincing a little at the residual headache. "I don't think so. Pretty sure this guy was at the end of whatever control Alister had over him. Random thing, probably."
    "More likely he was following the orders Alister gave him when he first imbued his soul."
    I shrugged. "I guess."
    Inigo returned with the burgers, and we all climbed into the car and dug in with gusto. While we ate, I told them about my chat with Trevor and my suspicions about Alister's location, as well as my determination to follow him to the Otherworld.
    "But the Queen is the only one who can open a portal," Inigo said. Haakon sat in the backseat and munched on his fries, ignoring the byplay between us. Smart man.
    "That's true," I admitted. "At least it used to be. Maybe there's another way."
    "What are you talking about?"
    I sighed. "You've been gone awhile."
    His expression hardened. "That wasn't my fault."
    "True, but it was partially your choice. A lot of things happened while you were away."
    I saw the dread in his eyes. Was he afraid I'd cheated on him or something? Shit.
    "My powers, okay? They've grown."
    I think he was relieved, but it was hard to tell. "Tell me."
    "Apparently, in addition to Darkness, Fire and Air, I can now channel Earth and Water."
    "What does that mean exactly?"
    "I get to do groovy things like shoot icicles out of my palms."
    "You're kidding."
    "She's not," Haakon spoke from the backseat. Inigo turned to stare at him, but Haakon munched contentedly on his burger, not offering any more information. Inigo looked like he was about to start smoking from the ears. Not a good thing for a dragon. Next he'd be breathing fire, and my beloved Mustang would be a hulk of smoking metal.
    "Back when you were still in, uh, recovery in that egg thing, Jack and I were running around Paris after Alister."
    "You went to Paris with Jack?"
    I eyed him. "Are you jealous?"
    He thought it over, then gave me a long, slow, sexy smile. "Not even a little. But I promise you, you and me are going to Paris one day."
    I grinned. "Anyway, we ended up chasing Darroch into the Otherworld. I'd just started channeling Earth, so things were a little fritzy, but the next thing I knew, I was controlling a damn fairy."
    Inigo's eyes widened. "How?"
    "No idea. When I used my powers around the Marid, he was able to control them and me. I figured Morgana and her minions would be the same, but apparently not. When I use Earth power, I can control the fae. At least a little bit."
    "And how is that going to help us?"
    "Well," I said, tapping my thumb on the dashboard. "I'm hoping it will help me open a portal. But I'm going to need a witch."
    "Call Kabita."
    "I need somebody stronger. Somebody with a very particular set of abilities."
    Haakon glanced up then, his face expressionless. Our eyes met in the rearview mirror. Some sort of vibe passed between us, I just wasn't sure what.
    "I take it you know the right person," Inigo said dryly.
    "I do."
    "Well, then." He strapped on his seatbelt and turned the key. "What are we waiting for?"
    # # #
    Emory Chastain's shop was in a cute little vintage storefront wedged between an antique store whose owners had a fondness for teacups and an empty building with Coming Soon plastered across the plate glass window. The shop had been left to her by her aunt, along with the old crumbling Victorian she lived in, which was why Emory had moved to Portland in the first place. She was a friend of Eddie's, and she'd helped us with our little problem aboard the steampunk cruise. Although she'd been hesitant when I called, she'd agreed to try and open a portal to