Page 23 of Awakening Storm

She nodded and followed him down some damp stairs and into another large, open area. She studied the room. “This one is only partially man-made,” she noted aloud. “On the other side it looks like a natural cave.”

“Very good.” He smiled. “This is located near the waterfall, where another hole in the earth allows water to flow into a subterranean pool. I use a microhydro power to generate power.”

“Hydro? So you use water to make electricity?”

He leaned his massive shoulder against the wall. “Exactly. And I also pump the water to the kitchen and bath.”

“It looks like you have the perfect setup here.”

“If you have to live on an island in the middle of the ocean, you can’t get much better than this.” He flashed her another smile.

“I think you’re right about that.”

They turned together, and he waited for her lead the way back to the living area, or so she presumed. As they went, she noticed the echo of their footsteps off the walls this time. She retraced her steps to the staircase and ascended to the living floor.

As she returned to where they had started, she made a mental note of everything. There were probably a lot of things that would surprise her in the world and what she’d encountered today would surely rank among them. And as kind as Aidan seemed, she may only have one chance to get out of here and make her way home.

“So . . .” She turned to him. “Now what?”

He shrugged. “You should stay here tonight. Tomorrow I’ll get your things so you can contact your people to pick you up.”

She nodded. She hated giving up on the wholeIf You Darething, but given the circumstances, she didn’t see an alternative any longer. As unbelievable as this whole day had seemed, she could feel deep in her gut that Aidan wasn’t lying to her about Theodora and her kidnappings. She was dangerous and obviously running the show.

Rhianna swallowed, hard. She had come here to figure out why her great grandfather had disappeared. Now she had a pretty good idea.

* * *

“Where will I sleep?” she asked. “I’d like to freshen up.”

Aidan twisted to peer at her. “You can have my room,” he said over his shoulder. Since he never had guests, he’d had no need for a guest room. His was the only bedroom. He could easily sleep on the couch.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to put you out.” She licked her lips nervously.

He looked at her and felt completely out of his element, even though he was in his own home.

A series of tapes, movies, and videos skated through his head as he searched for the right response. Well, shewasputting him out. But he hadn’t had much practice in dealing with people. Sure, he spoke to his brothers, four times a year he traveled to the mainland, and he had a few ham radio and computer friends. The satellite communication system he’d bought had been worth every penny. He occasionally chatted with an old angel named Seth, as well, and every once in a great while he fought a demon or two, but that was the extent of his experience with communication.

“I’m tough. I can handle the sofa,” he said with a wink. It was beyond true. Back in the beginning when he’d first come to the island, he’d slept on the ground and used whatever he could find on the island to make himself as comfortable as possible. “Don’t worry about me.”

Her brow furrowed, and she nodded slowly.

He could handle just about anything. But the thought of a female in his bed . . . ? That was a different matter.