Marked by Passion (39 page)

The calloused hand reversed the leverage instantly, letting it go almost as quickly. Max spun around, bringing the knife-edge of his hand up to chop. He stopped an inch from his mentor's neck.

Sun Chi's peaceful face shined up at him. Its serenity irritated the hell out of him. How could he be so still when his throat had almost been crushed?

When the Book of Water had been stolen?

Max looked over his shoulder to see the bus winding down the mountain road back to civilization.

"Damn it." Angry and frustrated, he scowled at the old monk. "The Book of Water is riding away on that bus."

Sun Chi stared after the bus. Max waited, expecting a barrage of questions, starting with why he hadn't done anything to stop the thief. But his mentor just studied him quietly before turning and shuffling away. Motioning with his hand, he said, "Come."

What the hell? Max stalked after the smaller man, wanting to interrogate but knowing he'd get no answers until the monk was ready. As a teenager, when he'd just become a Guardian and was sent to study with Sun Chi, the man's stoicism had infuriated him. As the only child of rich bluebloods, he'd always had everything handed to him when he wanted. Since then, he'd learned patience.

For the most part.

Following Sun Chi into the archives room, Max closed the door behind him and watched as the monk kneeled before a shelf in the back. He hadn't realized how much he'd wanted to be wrong about the woman stealing the scroll until he heard Sun Chi's gasp and felt the corresponding sinking in his chest.

"Gone." Sun Chi looked up at him, his gaze bright. "The Book of Water. The journals of Wei Lin. And my own."

He steeled himself for recriminations. When nothing was forthcoming, he asked, "Why would she take the journals?"

"For names of present Guardians." Sun Chi gazed at him levelly. "With one scroll, she gains ability to find the other four. You understand?"

"Yes." And that was an unmitigated disaster. No single person could handle the powers of all the scrolls. The influence of only one was corrupting enough if you weren't strong. Possessing all five... He shook his head. "I thought the Book of Water was sent to its next Guardian."

"Sent. And refused." Sun Chi stood and walked the room in slow, measured steps, hands behind his back.

Max frowned. "The Guardian didn't accept his duty?"

"Some Guardians are thickheaded." He tapped Max's shoulder before returning to his contemplative stroll. He suddenly stopped and lifted his head, piercing Max with his all-knowing gaze. "You must stop her."

From the moment the bus drove away, he'd known this was coming, but a part of him still didn't want to accept it. All he wanted was to go back to his cell and forget he'd ever seen the duplicitous angel. "No."

His mentor nodded as if Max hadn't spoken. "You use family's diplomatic connections."

"I gave up all that seven years ago. I'm on a different path now."

"You choose wrong path. Your path is to follow woman." The monk waved toward the door. "Find who she is and follow. Get scroll and journals."

"No," he said again, shaking his head. "Seven years ago—"

"Seven years ago, you come to monastery to heal," Sun Chi interrupted. "But you stay in monastery to hide."

"I haven't been hiding," he said, but even as the words came out of his mouth he knew they were a lie.

"You hide. From past, from present, from future." His mentor's narrowed gaze dared him to contradict that statement. "You let yesterday kill tomorrow."

"My future—"

"Your future is back in your world." Sun Chi pointed at him. "You are not monk. You are Maximillian Pierpont, Guardian of the Book of Metal. Heir to your own dynasty. Your path"—he pointed into the distance—"leads out, into world. After that woman," he said, his voice low and insistent. "You find woman."

Max knew from experience that Sun Chi's will wouldn't be denied. To fight it was wasting energy. He gritted his teeth. God help that woman when he caught up to her. "What will I be up against?"

The monk had the grace not to gloat. "Book of Water is not claimed by Guardian, so powers free. Affect person who holds it."

Remembering how unprepared he'd been for the onslaught of his own powers, he said, "That could be to our advantage."

Sun Chi shook his head. "Powers weaker than yours. Unless woman studies scroll, learns scroll's secrets. You get scrolls first. You not let anyone find other Guardians."

In other words, silence her. Max had expected that. What he hadn't expected was the pang of regret he felt at the thought of stifling her innocent light.

He shouldn't care. He didn't know the woman. She'd stolen. She was guilty, despite her innocent demeanor.

Seven years ago, he'd let Marley's appearance sway him. But she'd swayed his best friend, too. In the end he'd been betrayed by both.

He rubbed his neck, his fingers sliding over the familiar ridges of the burn scar—a constant reminder of that night.

Sun Chi placed a hand on his shoulder. "To heal, you must go. This last step exorcises ghosts of your past."

More likely this was just going to attract another ghost—one with big doe eyes and lips made for sin.

But Max didn't comment. Instead he bowed his head and strode out of the room, not happy in the least to be reentering the life he'd left behind.

Copyright © 2009 by Kathia Zolfaghari

Excerpt from
Chosen by Desire
copyright © 2009 by Kathia Zolfaghari. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Typography by David Gatti

Cover illustration by Franco Accornio

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First Printing: February 2009

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