Page 75 of The Mating Fire

“Be gone.” He waved a hand.

Harper found herself standing outside her apartment on the patio near the pool. A warm ocean breeze caressed her face, drying the tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Jared,” she whispered. “Oh Jared, please don’t do this to me. To yourself.”

Chapter 21

He sent her back to her home, armed with her new powers and training. Harper could take care of herself.

Why then did he feel like such an ass, as if he’d tossed her into danger?

You love her. Try to deny it, chum. You can’t.

An hour after he’d sent Harper back to her apartment, Jared sat at his desk, struggling to reconcile himself with his actions.

She believed in him.

She loved him.

And he’d returned her to her home, without a thought of consideration for what had happened to her since that day at the volcano when she’d come into her powers.

She might possess tremendous magick and be able to defend herself with coldfire, but it was like pulling a baby shark out of the water, expecting it to survive on land.

Jared buried his head into his hands.

I have to find her. Apologize.

Conjuring leather pants, a black T-shirt and a leather jacket and biker boots, he flexed his fingers. Then he dematerialized to Harper’s apartment.

When the door opened after he rang the bell, a young man answered.

“I’m looking for Harper Ashley.” Jared had a bad feeling about this.

“Who?” The man shook his head. “I’ve been living here for two weeks. No idea who she is.”

The door closed in his face. Jared climbed down the outside steps and paced the sidewalk.

Where the hell could she have gone?

Think, think. If you were Harper and you got tossed out on your behind, knowing your former life was gone and everything you knew had changed, what would you do?

She’d been determined to prove him wrong, prove he was a good person and not a demon. He’d told her he planned to destroy Saquara himself and she’d be safe.

Even though it came at a great risk to himself, for the powerful demon could coax him into crossing over at last into serving the Dark Lord.

Jared groaned. Oh hell no.

She was going after the big guns -Saqura himself.

Chapter 22

This may be a bad idea.

Shivering, Harper looked around the desolate ruins of La Fuego Village about two miles from the slopes of Mt. Fiery. She’d managed to dematerialize here, using her newfound powers. Jared assured her a couple of days ago she could do it.

Unfortunately he failed to convey how weak this transport method would make her at first.

She could no more fight a demon than she could comb her hair.