Roman ignored the blazing fury in Larissa’s eyes as he gripped her by the arm and led her from the hospital room. He couldn’t leave her with Janie in that state.

Conflicting emotions roared through him as the beast within wanted to tear at any creature that had tainted his mate with its evil. The words she’d spat at him had sluiced his gut like a demon’s claws. Yet, neither the pain nor the anger doused his urge to protect her. In fact, it made him yearn to care for her even more. She’d been tormented, affected against her will.

How could he get her to be Larissa once again?

She didn’t fight him as they walked down the hospital hallway. A part of her must have understood he was doing what was best for Janie – and maybe for Larissa as well.

He chose the stairwell rather than the elevator. At least, they could avoid as many people as possible, as he guessed this wasn’t going to go smoothly. Once they started to descend the floors, she yanked her arm away.

“You don’t have to manhandle me,” she spat.

“Fair enough.” He motioned with his arm to the stairs below. “After you.”

She cast him a spiteful look and powered past him, arms swinging at her sides as she pounded down the stairs. The foul magic had tainted her. He could still scent its distinct odor permeating through her, although it wasn’t as strong as it had been in Janie’s room.

He knew that was the main reason behind her biting words, yet the rejection from his mate still stung. He’d never imagined she’d blast such hateful words at him. A string of curses directed his way, yes. She swore worse than the proverbial sailor, especially when she was stressed. It was one of the quirks he’d discovered about his mate. He’d been looking forward to discovering more as they learned about each other.

That idea might have crashed, since she’d just cast him out of her life. His chest tightened. He clenched his fists and then released them, burying the ache to a place deep within. He shoved it down to keep the heated emotions from bursting forth before he lashed out in a blaze of rage.

Lashed out at what? He couldn’t unleash his anger on the demons that were at the core of her outburst. Not when he didn’t bloody well know where any of them were, nor if they even remained in the city. The scent had led nowhere. They’d vanished, as well as any sign that a demon remained in this realm, leading the gargoyles to pursue a threat that might not even exist. How much time had they spent last night chasing the scent of trails that might have been days old?

As Roman followed Larissa down the stairwell, negative energy wafted up and wrapped around him like a cloak. The demon’s strike that kept them apart was the deepest cut of all.

He had to get them both outside, away from the source of the demon’s magic. The air might help it dissipate.

Larissa must’ve progressed further with Janie than Roman had. The barrier had prevented him from doing much, yet, she’d found a way in. She had to be more powerful than she believed. Unfortunately, that strength backfired on her.

When she reached the main floor, she pushed through the steel door and burst into the lobby. He rushed to her side and linked his arm with hers. She groaned and flashed him a look of disgust, but didn’t pull away.

They garnered glances from those in the hospital, as they rushed toward the exit. He smiled as they passed, attempting to make it look like they were a couple in a hurry, rather than on the verge of an epic fight.

And then, a security guard looked them up and down.

“Good day,” Roman said with a smile and a nod, not breaking his stride.

The revolving door was ahead, and he forced himself into the same compartment as her, although it was tight.

“What’s wrong with you, Roman? Why are you creeping into my space?”

After they exited onto the sidewalk, he said, “Because you’re affected by dark magic. You probably never encountered something so destructive, and I don’t know how it’s going to affect you.”

She pulled her face into a scowl. “You think you know so much about everything. All this weird ass shit that I never had to deal with until I met you. Well, it’s over. I’m walking away from this.” She waved her hands at her side and thrust her chest forward aggressively. “All of it.”

Gods, he hated what the demons had done this to her—twisting her up inside. What snaking strands of hate slithered through her mind, lying to her? All he wanted to do was take her in his arms and shield her from the darkness, but it had already claimed a hold on her.

Still, he had to try. “Come here, Larissa.” He stepped toward her with arms open. “Let me help you.”

She recoiled. “What the fuck, Roman? You don’t get it, do you? I don’t want anything to do with you any longer. Stay the hell away from me.”

The frost in her tone sliced through him as if she’d picked up and ice pick and plunged it into his chest, dragging it in a zigzag pattern to cause the most pain. He had to think rationally and not let the darkness tear him apart, too. He had to be strong for them both.

“Get some air, Larissa. It might help.”

“Don’t tell me what to do. I’ve taken care of myself for a long time.”

She turned and strode across the pavement in front of the hospital. Roman watched her, ignoring the gnawing inside as she walked away. Where would she go? What could he do to help her?

An unsettling sensation rocked him. What if the demon tainting her made her dangerous? He couldn’t let her loose on the city.

He contacted his sentries. We have a problem.

After summarizing what had happened when Larissa had tried to revive Janie, Arto asked, What should we do?

I don’t know what this means for Janie. Larissa could try to get back to her. Or a demon. But I don’t like it. Come here and guard Janie.

Will do, Roman.

She needs to be watched closely, Roman added. Arto, the others will continue their watch from outside. You need to be inside the hospital. In her room, if you can manage it.

I’ll find a way, Arto replied.

Stay on guard. The demon’s darkness is in her. I saw what it did to Larissa. It can’t happen to anyone else. Roman rubbed the back of his neck. Maybe the incubus that we’d found with Janie cursed her.

Or, it’s a mark so he can return, Arto added.

Fuck. That was an unfortunate possibility. Arto was sharp, seeing different angles. I’d destroyed that demon, but you’re right, Arto, she could be marked. All of you must be on high alert.

After the gargoyles acknowledged Roman’s order, he said, Larissa might be dangerous–or in danger. I have to follow her to ensure she isn’t a threat.

Larissa stormed down to her car in the nearby lot. Who the fuck did Roman think he was anyway? Some hot shit with wings who could tell her what to do? Ha. Screw him and his stone-faced comrades. She was Janie’s best friend. She knew what was best for her.

Darkness slithered in her brain, whispering to her. She didn’t need him in her life. She’d been getting on fine without him. She was foolish to think about taking on some crazy ass lover who fixed himself like a stone magnet to a goddamn building and watched everyone below like some peeping Tom.

The way he’d stared at her the first night had unnerved her. She should have walked away then and avoided all these problems. He was no good for her.

Where should she go? Drive west? The only person she could talk to about all this supernatural shit going on in her fucked up life was her grandmother.

Larissa’s limbs were stiff, muscles tense. Her entire body tingled with an uneasy sensitivity. Never had she felt so on the edge, so fraught with rage and frustration and despair. It was like all her emotions jumbled inside a blender, and she hovered nearby helplessly, hoping someone didn’t press puree.

After climbing into her car, she paid the murderous fee to get out of the parking lot. Then she had to deal with the wrath of the city’s traffic. Shit, as if she wasn’t already on the brink, ready to explode at the slightest provocation.

As she veered through the congestion, she unleashed a torrent of curses at nearby motorists. Why did everybody have to be such an asshole once they controlled a steel cage? An urge to ram her car into the fuckers around her consumed her. She squeezed the steering wheel more tightly and laid on the horn. Finally, she headed onto Storrow Drive.

The tension was so thick in her brain, she couldn’t think. All she could do was rage. Where was Roman? She’d tear into him again and experience that sweet satisfaction of seeing him hurt. Although he’d tried to hide his pain under his stony veneer, she’d sensed it. What delicious satisfaction to witness his torment. He deserved it. He was the one who’d encouraged her to learn more about magic, making her more of a freak!

She shuddered at her newly discovered identity. A witch, for hell’s sake! She snorted. Maybe she should move to Salem and charge tourists an insane amount of money to tell them their fortune, or something. Yeah right—no fucking way was that shit going to happen. She’d rather die than be some flake spouting nonsense about astrology or the power of crystals.

She searched outside the window to see if Roman had followed her. That would be so like him. The creep.

The Charles River ran along her right. The sun sparkled down on the ripples. A few ducks swam without a care in the world. She stole a few more glances at the water. It was so calm, so peaceful–so different from how she felt.

Fissures broke through the desperate, heated emotions. A tender moment with him flashed in her mind. The gentle way he’d run his fingers over her skin last night when he’d come to her. The way she’d felt so safe and cared for when they were together, as if he’d sacrifice anything to protect her from harm.

A vision of Roman in Janie’s hospital room returned. He’d tried to help Janie recover, at Larissa’s request. He’d looked at her like he’d do anything for her.

He’d said they were meant to be together.

Being with him wasn’t all bad, was it? Even when the world had fallen into chaos around them, he’d offered hope. Some of her happiest moments had been with him.

She gripped the steering wheel tighter and panted. She needed air. The river. She had to get out of the confines of the car and head there. The car was too suffocating. It was .like a tomb filled with claustrophobic shadows that sucked away all the oxygen.

What the hell was going on?

She couldn’t stop on Storrow Drive. It was too dangerous. At the next exit, she veered and found a place to pull over. It wasn’t a legal spot, but she didn’t give a shit. She needed to breathe.

After she turned off the ignition, she pushed open the door. Then she ran toward the river. Water was calming. It would help.

She tried to control her breath before dealing with the traffic to cross over to the banks of the river. Once she reached it, she plopped down at the water’s edge. It flowed with such a steady rhythm, unaffected by the chaos that affected the city. The sunlight dancing in the ripples mesmerized her. The river would continue this slow, rhythmic movement for as long as it existed.

As she watched, the suffocating darkness began to dissipate. The cloak of despair lifted, rising like steam from a boiling kettle. She started to feel more like herself again.

After several more minutes, shards of light shined through, reminding her of who she was.

And what she’d just done.

Oh shit. The things she’d said.

She covered her mouth as she relived the horror of unloading on Roman, spewing all those vile things at him. Each comment had been worse than the previous. A blackness had filled her, poisoning her thoughts. It whispered lies into her mind, twisting her with its hate.

Roman had been right—it had been some sort of dark magic. No, no, no. It had violated her, twisting her feelings.

How could she do that to him? He was none of those things she had snarled at him or those rabid descriptions she had thought. He was a guardian, a protector. A silent, unrecognized hero who watched over the city selflessly, not asking for anything in return. She dropped her head in her hands. He was there to help her, help Janie, and help everyone! It didn’t matter if it meant strangers who would never even acknowledge his sacrifices. That was the kind of good soul he was.

Oh God, she was a horrible person. The worst woman he ever could have been cursed to believe was his mate. She’d been so cruel and hurtful, a malevolent creature that preyed on something good. And he deserved so much better.

Larissa rolled onto her back and stared at the clouds, not caring about the dirt or the grass that might stain her clothing or get into her hair. One cloud looked like it could have wings. That could be good or bad, she’d discovered, after facing gargoyles and demons. Both were creatures she hadn’t known existed–one exploited humans for their souls, the other fought to protect them. It amazed her what gargoyles could do while people were unaware of all that went on. But she could see them. She’d discovered Roman’s secret when she’d seen him in gargoyle form on a rooftop. What she would do to see him again right now and apologize for her unforgivable tirade.

Where was he? Had she scared him off for good?

She had to tell her grandmother about her utter failure with Janie. Not only that, but how she’d fucked things up with Roman. Ah shit, she’d censor her language first. She’d messed up their relationship.

He had been an ardent believer in her. She’d alienated her lover and her biggest ally.

She groaned. If a guy had said the things to her that she’d said, she’d never forgive him.

Would Roman ever forgive her? Or, had she destroyed everything they’d been building?