“Tyler,” Emily whispered. “I –”“I’m not playing, my Lady,” Tyler rumbled. Emily’s hand dropped the towel. Her naked fingers touched his damp cheek.“I’m not –,” she rasped.Tyler shook his head, a tiny smile on his lips. “I’m not asking for anything,” he breathed, his hold tightening as her knees gave way even more. “Don’t trust me, my Lady. Don’t believe in me. Be on your guard. Every moment of every day,” he murmured.As she held his gaze, the strength returned to her limbs.She straightened and flushed.She pushed away from him. Tyler let her create space, his fingers sliding over her arms but holding her hand fast, his other still grasping the document she had brought to him.As he watched her compose herself, he handed her the paper.She took it with her free hand.“What am I looking at?” she asked hoarsely, then cleared her throat. “What’s this?” Her eyes shifted from the document to Tyler.He pulled her cl

When they finally left Tyler, it had gone past noon. Bursting with energy, he began to work out as he waited for his people to complete the tasks he had assigned in the early hours of that day.At four p.m., Bridge returned with a file, all paper. And Tyler spent the rest of the day going through it, making more notes and sending Bridge out three more times before nightfall.Day two, Tyler left the hospital, in disguise. Bridge took his place on the bed, his body transformed by potion to resemble Tyler’s. The stone did not prevent that level of magic, just as it could not prevent a physical attack.Had the transformation been by spell work, though, it would have failed.==========Tyler went to an old house outside the city. No one used it. It had gathered dust and other signs of abandonment.It was the first house Tyler had bought with his illegal funds from his unsanctioned mining activities. A place he had used off and on during his unive

Tyler entered Raymond’s room without knocking. He had not seen his former boss and then former colleague since he had created the item he had placed on the younger man. Five days had passed, and it was almost 1 a.m. on day number six.Just as Ashley had done, Tyler had paused outside to prepare his mind for what he would see. He already knew the younger man had woken and was being taken care of. He was yet to start physiotherapy, but was talking and had already moved to semi-solid foods.His recovery was going well – and no one at the hospital could explain it.Tyler walked in with his head down, still hesitant to face someone who had been harmed in his ‘wake’ as Emily termed it.His mind shifted to the last person who had been harmed because of him. The same person whose image he had held onto while taking Vincent’s assault weeks, almost five weeks earlier. Kaitlin.The burn on his back from his late intervention to protect the girl from his past

Now, it was late morning. Lord Henry Kramer had recently exited Tyler’s room, after interrupting his whispering session with Lady Emily Jergens, and Bridge had just confirmed that he had completed his task of arranging the secret exit for him and his plus one from the hospital, directly to Karisa.Tyler steadied his mind as he engaged his persona of Master of Miran house.Everything is set. Raymond is on. He will be safe in Karisa. Tally can look out for him, and Charles will be there. They will help him in ways I cannot.As for me, I get to be free, at least for a little while. I’ll get the information I need, about my mother, my… about him… and about this power within. It’s suffocating me. I feel like I’m constantly on fire. Like I’m being split in two, just like that fucking clock! Was that some kind of sign?It doesn’t matter. I’ll get my answers in Karisa. Then… I’ll return. To finish what I’ve started,

“You leaving ‘im there?” Harrison said again, his voice clearer though distant. Lincoln had just put his phone on speaker, formally inviting Harry to the conversation.“Why would I do that?” Tyler retorted steadily, his brow furrowing at Harrison’s question.“Well, if he ain’t some assistant, what would you be draggin’ ‘im ‘round for?”Tyler paused.He tilted his head to the side as he watched his ‘friend’ watch him. Raymond was as pale as he had been since they moved out of the hospital, but his lips were now pressed tightly together, and his gaze had become wary.“What do you think, Harry?” Tyler replied cordially.“I think you should toss him off the jet right now.”Tyler laughed. Lincoln joined him.“He’s kidding,” Lincoln rumbled.“I know, I know, but… Harry, is there a problem? Did you find something on him I should know about?” Tyler asked jovially, skillfully cutting Lincoln out of the conversation.“Nothi