Warrior Rising. Pamela Palmer

them. Most traveled in conveyances such as the one they rode in now. Her hand caressed the soft leather seat. A place of surprising warmth and comfort.

      As Harrison stopped at an intersection, Ilaria glanced out her window to find the male in the vehicle next to them staring at her. As she met his curious gaze, he turned away.

      “Do you ever use glamour?” Harrison asked.

      She turned to meet his own curious gaze. “No.”

      “Most of your kind do.”

      “I’m the princess.”

      “What difference does that make? You’re used to people staring?”

      She glanced forward as the car started moving again. “In the old days, the only Esri who used glamour on the humans were those who meant them harm.”

      “And you didn’t.”

      “No.”

      Harrison was quiet for a couple of minutes as he drove. When he once more came to a stop at a light, he glanced at her. “At one time, I assumed the Esri always meant humans harm, but I guess I know better than that. Kade’s parents apparently lived in a village where Esri and humans lived together. Mostly mated pairs and families, from what we’ve gathered.”

      She glanced at him. “Those Esri who see humans as little more than animals either have had no contact with your kind except for the enchanted unfortunates brought into Esria as slaves, or they’ve never taken the time to speak to humans without enchanting them. That’s not to say the other Esri treated your people well. Most still took advantage of our ability to enchant your race. But not all. There were always Esri who took it upon themselves to befriend and protect the humans. Often they were mistaken for angels.”

      Harrison shot her a disbelieving look. “Angels?”

      Ilaria lifted an imperious brow. “We’re not all the monsters you believe us to be.”

      He didn’t answer, but his distrust hung thickly in the air.

      They fell into a disquieting silence until Harrison pressed a button and music of a kind similar to what she’d heard through the headphones filled the small interior of the car. She felt as if her senses were under attack by an exciting, heady assault—the amazing sights that surrounded her, the sound of the pulse-pounding music, the rumble of the engine beneath her. And the scent of warm, intriguing male. She found herself smiling as excitement and pleasure set up a quick tattoo in her pulse. She’d always loved the new and the different, which was why she’d often visited the human realm. If not for Rith, she might stay here awhile. Perhaps a long while. But she had no time to visit, no time to explore this strange world. Not with so much at stake.