In Twilight's Shadow - Softcover

CHAPTER ONE

     Maia tapped her fingers against the steering wheel as she waited for the garage door to open.  All she wanted to do was retreat inside and let her frustrations melt away.

     The day had been a bitch.

     It began when she'd overslept.  Instead of taking that as an omen and going back to sleep, she'd been foolishly grateful that she'd woken in time to grab a quick shower and stop for some coffee.

     Traffic had been awful, but it always was.  She'd had to brake hard to keep from rear-ending the idiot who'd cut her off, which made her cup topple out of the drink holder, drenching her linen trousers from knee to ankle.

     She'd punched in at eight on the nose...which meant she was tardy.  Tardy!  Like she was a flipping eighth grader.  She was never late, but did that matter to her new boss?

     Every other manager she'd worked for had allowed her a little leeway because she was a good employee.  Not this one. Maia took a deep breath and forced herself to relax--her knuckles had gone white from how tightly she squeezed the wheel.  Next, she worked at unclenching her jaw, but the headache was bad enough that it was going to linger even after she took aspirin.

     As soon as the door was up, she pulled her sedan into the garage, turned off the car, and headed inside.  At least it was Friday.  For two days, she could kick back and unwind.  No more traffic.  No more fires to put out.  No more jerks to deal with.

     The coolness of the air conditioning washed over her, making her home feel like a sanctuary.  In a minute or two, she'd change clothes, make herself a salad, and head out to her garden.

     Her peace was short-lived.

     Maia picked up the murmur of voices and opened her eyes.  It only took a second to realize the television was on.  She frowned.  The only person who might show up uninvited was her sister, but Ryne knew the hours she worked.  That meant--

     Her temper ignited.  After the day she'd had, the last thing she should have to put up with was a burglary.  That would just be the perfect ending--filling out police reports and dealing with the insurance company.  Damned if she was letting anyone make her life more miserable than it was already.  Balling her hands into fists, she headed for the living room to see if the bastard was still around.

     Halfway across the kitchen she stopped in her tracks.  It would be stupid to face down an intruder now that she didn't have her magic.  The smart thing to do was leave and use her cell phone to call 9-1-1, but that went against the grain.  She'd been trained to confront problems, not run from them.

     If there were thieves, they were probably long gone by now anyway.  What were the odds that a burglar had decided to take a break to watch Jeopardy?

     To hell with it. Looking around, she spotted the pepper mill and grabbed it.  It wasn't much of a weapon, but it was heavy enough to cause some damage.  Taking a deep breath, she went to challenge her unexpected guest.

     He wasn't a thief.

     The man sitting on her couch, feet propped up on her coffee table, was Gineal.  She'd lost almost everything when she'd given up her magic, but she still had the ability to sense what someone was.  "Excuse me," she drawled.

     With a casualness that told her he'd been aware of her presence, the man looked over his shoulder at her and she was able to identify him.  Creed Blackwood.

     Maia had never worked with him--she'd never even talked to him--but everyone knew who he was.

     Blackwood's reputation for being cold and lethal was well-known, but if they'd met last year, Maia would have been prepared to like him.  He'd been one of her sister's closest friends, but something had happened to change that.  Ryne had refused to say what, but she was loyal to a fault, and if she was on the outs with this man, he'd been the one to cause it.

     "What the hell are you doing in my house?" Maia demanded, irritated that he hadn't bothered to offer any excuses for his intrusion.

     "It's about time you got here," he complained, and she tightened her grip on the pepper mill.

     "If you don't like waiting, don't show up uninvited."

     Blackwood clicked off the TV, tossed the remote on the couch, and got to his feet.  For an instant, she thought he seemed unsteady, but as she tipped her head back to hold his gaze, she decided she'd been mistaken.

     He had a jacket on.  It was hot outside, unbearably humid, and her AC wasn't set that low.  His banged up tennis shoes should have been thrown out months ago and the faded blue jeans that hugged his muscular thighs were so worn, they were white in a few interesting places.  When she realized where she was staring, Maia hurriedly lifted her gaze.

     With her height, she rarely had to look up to meet a man's eyes, but he was taller by about half a foot.  She didn't like it.  She didn't like his looks either.  He was gorgeous--too gorgeous--and she didn't trust that, not after--

     Maia cut off that thought and studied the man before her, trying to find a flaw.  His face was sculpted perfection--high cheekbones, full lips, and a chin with a bit of a cleft in it.  His black hair was longer than hers--shoulder length and slightly wavy--and it made her itch to run her fingers through it.  Even the dark stubble on his chin added to his good looks.   He didn't say a word, merely stared at her.  Uncomfortable with the fevered intensity in his dark brown eyes, she asked, "What kind of idiot wears a leather jacket in August?"

     "Troubleshooters are usually more welcoming to their brothers-in-arms."

     "I'm not a troubleshooter."  Not anymore, and that made her heart clench.  He knew this--there wasn't a Gineal alive who was unaware that Maia Frasier had ceded her powers seven years ago.  "Why are you here?" she repeated.

     For a moment, Maia thought he was going to deliberately misunderstand her question, but instead he said, "I need a place to stay."

     She immediately became suspicious.  Troubleshooters followed protocols, and this was Ryne's territory.  "Why didn't you check in with my sister?"

     Blackwood shifted, planting his weight evenly on both feet.  "What makes you think I haven't?"

     "You're a visiting enforcer and the custom is that she offer lodging and assistance if you need it."  Maia stared hard at him, daring him to lie.  No one was more likely to follow the rules than Ryne.

     "I plan to tell her I'm here."

     "When?"

     "Eventually."

     His candor threw her off stride, but she regrouped quickly.  "The code says you announce your presence upon arrival, not on your way out of town.  Or are you afraid that you'll have to deal with Ryne's anger over what you did to hurt...