“Okay,” she said to the empty room, “I’ll admit it. I have feelings for a warlock. There, I said it.” She rolled her eyes at herself as she thought about how silly she must look laying on her back, talking into the empty room about her feelings for a warlock. A freaking warlock.

“You forgot to mention the King part.”

Lilly jumped at the sound of Cypher’s voice, causing her to roll off the couch into an unlady-like sprawl on the floor. She glared up at him as he stood over her.

Cypher walked over and reached for her hand. She reluctantly placed it in his and he pulled her up from the floor, directly against his body. She let out a gasp but didn’t have much time for more than that before his lips were against hers. Lilly wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. She separated her lips at his urging and he licked his tongue across hers and she groaned passionately.

Cypher picked Lilly up into his arms, never breaking the kiss, and sat her down on his lap as he sat on the couch. He raised one hand, gathering her hair in it and used it as an anchor to guide her head as he kissed her.

Lilly was beginning to get lightheaded and pulled back to take some deep breaths. She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against his.

“You’re – the – enemy.” She panted as she spoke.

Cypher released her hair and stroked his hand down the length of it.

“Shh, little one. No, not your enemy, never your enemy.” He kissed her forehead tenderly and waited for her to open her eyes and look at him.

When she finally did he saw the fear and confusion in them.

“I won’t hurt you Lilly,” he told her firmly.

“What about the rest of the world?” she asked him.

Cypher let out a deep sigh. He started to turn his face from hers, but Lilly was having none of it. She placed both her hands on either side of his face and held his gaze.

“Cypher, you are a good man. I can feel it. For whatever reason you think that the only way to help your people is to help Mona. I’m telling you right now that evil never wins.”

Cypher reached up and tenderly stroked her cheek. “I've been alive along enough to know the ebb and flow of things, Lilly. Desperation changes what once would have been easy decisions. Circumstances change.”

Lilly didn't look away. “She will betray you.”

“But you won’t,” he whispered softly.

She took his hand and kissed the center of his palm.

“I don’t understand what's between us, Cypher. I’m drawn to you. I feel something for you and I don’t want to see you hurt.”

Cypher thought, brooding. First of all, he didn’t want to lose Lilly. In the two days he’d known her she had stolen his cold, dark heart. If she asked him to walk through fire naked as the day he wasborn, he would have done it with a smile. No, he didn’t want to lose her. That meant handling things with Mona. He was going to have to tread carefully to beat the witch at her own game.

“What would you have of me, little one?” he asked her.

“Don’t help her. Whatever she has planned, it’s only for her own gain. I have a feeling it has something to do with the wolves and if it does, then it has something to do with Jacque.”

“Does this pack have a healer?” Cypher asked carefully, knowing that Lilly’s answer would tilt the scales.

“Yes,” Lilly told him. “Jacque’s best friend is a gypsy healer.”

Cypher closed his eyes and growled. Mona wanted this pack destroyed so she could have the healer. He knew of their importance to witches. She may not have spelled her plan out to him, but Cypher was old and his memory was long. If Lilly’s daughter was in the pack Mona wanted to destroy, then he would have to move mountains to make sure that didn’t happen.

“Talk to me, Cypher.” Lilly ran a finger lightly across his lips. “Show me what I’m worth to you.”

“A gypsy healer’s blood is very powerful,” he began in a tired voice. “They are pure – pure of heart and mind and there is power in that purity, power that a witch could never possess because witches lack that purity. Mona wants the healer’s blood. She wants to destroy the pack and take the healer.”

Lilly jumped from his lap and he let her, knowing she needed to get it off her chest.

“You were going to help her with this?” Lilly’s eyes widened.

“I led her to believe I would open the veil to the underworld, Lilly. I never intended to help her destroy anything.”

“How am I supposed to believe you? How am I supposed to trust you?” she asked him incredulously.

“You have to make a choice.” He held his hand out to her, waiting to see if she would take it. “Make a choice to see what this is between us. Either way I will not let any harm come to your daughter or her friends.”

Lilly looked into his eyes and then at his outstretched hand. She seemed to make a decision. And when she placed her smaller hand in his, she let him pull her back onto his lap. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her tenderly, then he smiled at the dazed look in her eyes.

“Wipe that smirk off your face, warlock King,” she growled playfully.

“My apologies. I didn’t realize my kisses were so potent.”

Lilly snorted. “Maybe they’re actually boring and making me sleepy.”

Cypher grabbed her chin gently but firmly and held her still as he kissed her again. When he was done he pulled back and looked at the passion dancing in her golden eyes.