Free Dark Deceiver by Pamela Palmer

and hope neither she nor the Sitheen had any way to prove him wrong? If only he had the power of a true Esri, he might be able to control her and keep her from giving him away.
    â€œThis is Kade Smith,” Charlie said. “I haven’t decided whether to start calling him Kareem or Hulk.” Charlie made a sound deep in his throat. “You two are staring at each other as though you know one another. Did I miss something?”
    The Marceil gasped, her wide-eyed expression turning stricken. “Forgive me. I’ve never seen a man so tall.”
    She didn’t recognize him.
    Autumn’s arm eased through his, making him jerk. “Tarrys isn’t dangerous, Kade. She’s very humanlike. Much more so than the Esri.”
    With a start, he realized he was staring with the Punisher’s glower. Sweet Esria, he was going to give himself away. He tore his gaze from the small slave, struggling for control as his heart thudded beneath his ribs.
    â€œI’m…sorry.” He licked his lips, willing his pulse to calm down as he struggled for a likely, human explanation. His gaze eased back to the slave. “I’ve never met someone who wasn’t…human,” he lied.
    â€œI should have warned you,” Jack said. “But Tarrys is such a sweet little thing, we already consider her one of us. Look at it this way, Kade. If you can handle everything we’re throwing at you tonight, you can probably handle anything.”
    Myrtle rose. “Tarrys, dear, will you help me get the refreshments?”
    As Jack followed the two women into the kitchen, Harrison and Charlie each grabbed a pair of dining chairs and set them in front of the sofa to form a loose circle.
    â€œAre you doing okay?” Autumn asked beside him.
    Her voice pulled him back from the cliff, easing the tension that was eating him alive.
    â€œYes. Do I seem a little…” What was the word? “…edgy?”
    Her musical laughter wrapped around him, pleasing his ears even as it settled his leaping mind.
    â€œ Edgy doesn’t begin to describe it. But you’re not going ballistic and you haven’t run away in fear, so I’d say you’re doing a lot better than most people would under the circumstances.”
    â€œGood.” Apparently his reaction was within the range of normal for a human. Never in his long life had he felt so uncertain of himself. The role of Punisher he knew all too well. The role of nice human, not at all. And he could not afford mistakes.
    â€œHow many of them are Sitheen?” he asked Autumn. The more he knew about his enemy, the better. He wanted no more surprises.
    â€œAll but Tarrys.”
    â€œAnd you.”
    He heard her sigh, heard the unhappiness in the sound. “Yes. And me.”
    â€œHow did you get involved in this?” He wished she weren’t. It was too dangerous, especially for one without any of the gifts of the Sitheen.
    â€œI went to college with Larsen. When they started realizing Baleris wasn’t your run-of-the-mill bad guy, Larsen called me to see what I could dig up in the way of folklore and superstitions that might help them. I’m the one who figured out holly might work against enchantment.” She pulled back her sleeve to show him her bracelet. The bracelet she didn’t realize she’d already lost to him once today. “Right now I’m trying to help them find the other Esri stones.”
    On the drive here, Autumn had told him what the humans had learned about the seven stones. They had the draggon stone, and knew its purpose well enough. But they knew little about the others.
    â€œHave you had any success?”
    She wrinkled her nose, making her freckles dance in the lamplight. “No. I keep hoping something will turn up, but so far nothing has.”
    He saw the unhappiness in her eyes and was sorry for it. Sorry for her. He knew what it felt like to be on the