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through the window he thought the gods and goddesses had, at last, forgiven him for what he had
done. Yet in the blink of an eye, he was told in no uncertain terms that he would have to
work to get back what he had lost.
"You'll have to earn her trust and her love all over again," Lord Kaleb warned.
"I always do with every reincarnation," Kaegan replied.
"Not like you will this time," the Ridgelord declared.
Hearing a soft sigh escape his lady's lips, Kaegan opened his eyes to look at her as she
slept. To him, she was the most beautiful woman in the world and always would be. Their
bodies fit like two spoons in a silverware drawer. They were meant to be together. They had
been created to be the complimenting half of the other.
As much as he hated this competition between him and Azzin, he realized it was a
turning point for him. Quite possibly it was a turning point for the demon, as well. Perhaps the
contest was a kind of punishment and object lesson for the Nightwind. Who knew what the
Ridgelords had in their omnipotent minds?
Kaegan suspected this would be the last reincarnation for Deborah McGregor. No human
life was infinite for there was measured time for the fragile soul incorporated within the frail
WINDS THROUGH TIME Charlotte Boyett-Compo 58
body. He was sure Deborah's race was run, the thread of her lifespan having reached its fraying
end.
This time, he thought, he had to make sure she accepted the gift of immortality so they
could continue on together. Life without her would be unbearable. She had to agree to having a
fledgling from his body Transferred to hers.
Even it meant he had to force the decision upon her.
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Chapter Nine
"Good morning." The voice on the other end of the phone sounded strained, not nearly as
cheerful as the greeting had no doubt been intended.
"Good morning, Chance," Wynter said and flicked her eyes to the man stretched out
beside her. Kaegan was watching her, a frown tight on his handsome face. "How are you?"
"I'm great," her caller replied. "Hope I didn't wake you up. I had some things I wanted to
go over with you."
"No," she said, glancing at the clock. It was well past nine and she was usually up by
seven. "Ah, what's up?"
"Well, we need to discuss the signing," he told her. "I've got some theater arts students
who are going to be doing that skit I mentioned from Love's Return. I've got all the catering
stuff down pat but I want to sit down with you and put together a press release. I've decided to
take out a full-page ad in the Des Moines Register.
"An entire page?" Wynter questioned, eyes wide.
"I thought we could border the ad with the cover art from your books. Don't you think
that would look sharp?"
"Yes, but ...."
"I'm having a special cake done with a rice paper cover of Love's Return and I intend to
have a special gift basket for the bigwigs with a copy of the book, a bottle of the plum wine
mentioned in the book, some chocolates."
Wynter was keenly aware of the forced gaiety in the bookstore owner's voice. It didn't
sound quite right to her. There was something missing.
"Are you okay, Chance?" she asked. "You sound a little stilted."
"Could be because you're lying in bed with that fucktard of a brother of mine, pardon my
French."
Wynter sucked in a shocked breath. "How did you know& ?"
"I knew you had a date with him last night and I just heard him cough a minute ago."
She knew Kaegan hadn't made a sound for she was watching him from the corner of her
eye but she let the lie pass.
"I think we do need to talk," she said.
"What about two o'clock today?"
"Tomorrow," Kaegan said softly. "Not today."
She turned her attention to him and nodded. "Tomorrow, Chance. I'll meet you at the
store."
"Why not today?" Chance protested.
Wynter flinched as Kaegan took the phone from her.
"Because I said not today. Today, she's mine."
"She was yours last night! It's my ...."
"Trasna ort féin," Kaegan suggested then leaned over Wynter to hang up the phone.
"Should I ask you to translate that?" she inquired.
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"Let's just say I didn't tell him to have a nice day," her lover replied. He returned to his
side of the bed, braced his hands behind his head and crossed his long legs, his lips stretched into
an evil grin.
"How did he know you were here?" she asked.
"Because he was loitering outside your window last night, eavesdropping, and got
reamed a new one by the boss for having done it," he answered.
"And he got past the security guard how exactly?"
He shrugged, wobbled one foot, and looked at her. "If Reapers can transmute from man
to wolf or bird, don't you think Nightwinds can do something similar?"
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