Free Chasing the Storm by Aliyah Burke Page A

in check. “Positive. Come on.”
    “Where are we going?”
    “To see Tiarnán and Billy.”
    “Right, Wolvie and Gambit.”
    He paused and shook his head. “What?”
    “Well, Tiarnán is so serious, he is like Wolverine. And Billy is light-hearted and a flirt. Like Gambit. Or Iceman.”
    “We’re not mutants.”
    “Right. Powers, big mansion, evil fighting you. I can’t imagine why I keep making that comparison.”
    “Come on, woman.”
    He was glad she wasn’t freaking out about what had happened between them. Especially when he’d thought she would at least try to avoid him after. He hadn’t been sure how their sleeping together would have been taken. Quite the opposite.
    She walked beside him as he led them through the mansion. Her amazement was infectious. He found himself smiling along with her as she took in the decor and other things lying around. Things he’d not really paid any attention to—they were just part of the house. But Taylor was impressed. Not with the money spent on the items, but on the items themselves.
    “What is it about this stuff that you like so much?” he asked as she stood beside a Ming vase.
    “Really? Think about it. Back in a hard time, one most of us now wouldn’t survive in, they were creating such works of beauty. We have all this technology now and it’s a machine that does it. These were made by hand, painted by hand. I mean, how did they make the colours? The porcelain?” She shrugged. “It’s so interesting to me to see how now, with all our so-called advances, we don’t seem to create such beauty. Not without putting it in a computer and having a machine do it for us.”
    “Do you have an ancient art degree?”
    “God no. I didn’t go to college. My grandmother didn’t think it would be necessary for me to do so. I had money, well she did, and she figured I’d marry money. No sense in filling my head with nonsense learning from books.”
    “Feel free to use the library as much as you like. And I’m sure Lian would love to talk with you about some of the items here.”
    Her smile brightened his soul. “Thank you.”
    Swiping his finger along her cheek, he responded in kind. Then continued on the way to their destination. He pushed open the door and waved her in before him. They were the last to arrive.
    “Danger room,” she whispered.
    He tried not to laugh. It was what he’d thought she’d think of it as.
    “Finally, something beautiful to look at,” Billy said with a grin. “No offence, Tiarnán, but you just don’t do it for me.”
    Tiarnán blinked hazel eyes. “Crushed.” He turned an unemotional gaze towards the two of them.
    “Sit down, Taylor.” Cale put her in the seat beside him. The one Aminta normally occupied.
    “Can we see it?” Billy asked.
    “We need the pendant, Taylor.” Cale touched her arm.
    Instantly her calm vanished and she tensed. “Why?”
    “To see if we can get anything from it which may give us hints on where the others are. Or what they are.”
    Her reluctance saturated the room. Rubbing her skin with his thumb, he frowned over the speed of her pulse. “I didn’t think you’d let me take it without you so we figured it would be better this way. It won’t leave this room without you, Taylor. Just let us take a look at it.” He tried to cajole her but knew she wasn’t completely on board.
    “The necklace will stay here in the room,” she said, more to herself than anyone else.
    A zipping sound reached them as she skated the pendant along the filigree chain. He could see the other two relax with relief when she removed it from her neck and coiled it in his hand.
    As before, sparks exploded throughout the room when they both touched it. Taylor wouldn’t meet his gaze—she wouldn’t take hers off the item he held. Billy and Tiarnán murmured under their breath and watched the display.
    “Is that common?” Tiarnán asked.
    “Every time the both of us touch it, yes.”
    “Hand it over,” the eldest