Free Rage to Adore by Cara Lake

dry,
siphoning away her essence to gain control of The Balance.
    “And so you will give him control of your essence also. Your
rewards will be great. Has your Taijitu materialized?” Morana asked, her
eyes narrowing as he shifted uneasily.
    “No. Not yet.”
    Now that was a concern. The Taijitu mark, the yin-yang
symbol of duality would appear only when an Esseni potential met and kissed
their partner. It was a way of recognizing which Esseni belonged to each other.
It was rather strange that Lorcan’s was not yet showing after he had kissed the
girl. Morana concentrated her vision on Lorcan’s tall frame to get a reading. Hmmm.
    “Lorcan. The Esseni signature, the aura I sensed in you
seems weaker than before, not stronger. If you have kissed, the aura should be
stronger and the Taijitu mark should have appeared by now.”
    “Damn!” Lorcan’s fisted his hands in anger.
    “Lorcan,” Morana paused as a thought crossed her mind. “Were
you with her outside the club tonight?”
    “No, I told you I didn’t see her there. Why?”
    Morana’s eyes widened with an unwanted realization. This
would complicate things.
    “Ah,” she said, taking her time, torturing him a little with
her superior knowledge.
    “What?” Lorcan’s tone was sharp, suspicious.
    “You did realize that there was always a possibility that
both you and your brother carried the potential to house the essence.”
    “So?”
    “I’m pretty sure that your brother was at the club last
night and that Tanith found him. She told me she had seen you and then wanted
to leave.”
    “Fuck!” Lorcan punched a fist into the wall in rage. “This
could mess up everything! What do you think he told her?”
    Morana paused, her brain swiftly considering Tanith’s
actions that evening. “I don’t think she realized he wasn’t you. She distinctly
told me it was you she had met, not your brother.”
    “Do you think something happened between them?”
    Morana nodded. “It’s possible. She seemed preoccupied when
we returned.”
    “We need to check him out for the mark.”
    “I agree. It is imperative to find out which of you is the
true Esseni. As twins you have both carried the potential since birth, but
inevitably it will be stronger in only one of you and it is in that one that
the duality will manifest. If it is your brother, he will need to be controlled.”
    “You know my brother; he’s uncontrollable for anyone but
Phenex, and who knows what Phenex would do with this power.”
    “There is another option,” Morana mused, wondering what
Lorcan would say.
    “What’s that?”
    “It has happened before with Esseni twins. If one dies—the
essence will automatically transfer to the other.”
    “Then, if it is my brother—he must die.”
    Morana laughed. “You really hate him that much.”
    Lorcan spat. “He’s scum. Nothing but an animal. You know his
reputation.”
    “I wonder what made him that way,” murmured Morana
pointedly. “However, you can’t kill him or even be involved in his death.
Someone else has to kill him and without your knowledge or the essence will
transfer to another.”
    “And you know this how?”
    “I have extensive understanding of the Esseni lore, Lorcan,
which is why I agreed to help you with your enterprise, but don’t expect me to
tell you all my secrets.”
    “Fine.” Lorcan waved his hands dismissively. “What do you
suggest I do if he has the Taijitu?”
    “That’s easy.” Morana smiled. “You take it from him.”

Chapter Eight
    Theft
     
    Tani awoke, having spent a restless night. Her body ached
with the imprint of Lorcan’s touch. She could feel his hands everywhere, still
taste him on her lips, the wild heady flavor of dark spices intoxicating her
already confused brain. Why? Why? Why? She still had no answer to his leaving.
And not just leaving. He had thrust her away as if she disgusted him. The more
she thought about it, the expression on his face, his savage swearing, the more
she was