found. Robert
wouldn’t tell him where to find her. He had a feeling she was
pregnant. It made sense. She had disappeared without a trace eight
months before.
No plane ticket, no record of her anywhere.
Robert had made it so James couldn’t track his phone records or
anything else. There was no way to trace his calls, and he’d tried
to get into their mailbox, but Liz had cast her hidey-hole magic on
the box.
He finally found a way to make it past the
wards that protected her house. All thanks to his brother’s
mistake. Robert had created talismans for Liz to travel to and from
The Silver Council headquarters in Seattle. They had moved all the
way out to Edenton, Washington two years before.
Not many mages could translocate, and Robert
was the only one James knew who could travel clear across the
country, or world for that matter.
James looked down at his trembling hands. He
was growing weak, and needed his fix. Liz’s power would fuel him
for weeks, maybe months if he could only get close enough. She had
done an excellent job of being anywhere he wasn’t.
That was going to change. If his suspicions
about Liz’s parents were right, she might be the key to bridging
the gap between dark mage and true mage. Her rare brand of magic
was rumored to strengthen the connection to his own source of magic
and still allow him to feed off other mages.
Jarvis dropped into the seat beside him. “I
just received news that Robert’s gone for the day. He rescheduled
his meeting with Draecyn to next week.”
James sat up straighter. “Is that so? Do you
know where he went?”
“Of course not. I’m sure he used his own
method of travel to go where he pleased. I do have confirmation
that Liz is still there. Tremaine was heading to her house.
“Is that so?” James sat back in his seat.
“Do me a favor. Keep an eye on them. When he’s gone, let me know. I
have to pay her a visit.”
“With the talisman?”
“Of course. It would be fitting if I show up
at her house the same way Robert left.” He pushed back to dig
around his desk for the charm.
“Good luck, you’ll need it.” Jarvis ducked
out the door before James could reply to the parting shot.
* * * *
Robert went back to the Jacuzzi where Emily
had been most of the day. “You sure about this water birth?” He
asked mildly.
Emily groaned, but nodded her head. “I am.
It’s safe.”
He sat down beside the tub and took her
hand. “You’re a healer. Why aren’t you making this easier?”
She snorted. “If I could, I would. The
contractions are hell.”
“What can I do?” he asked. “You’re the
expert here, not me.”
“Talk to me. What have you been up to?”
He snorted. “Look, Em, you don’t want to
hear about it.”
“You’re going to ask her again, aren’t you?”
It wasn’t an accusation like it had been every other time in the
past. No, this time it was honest curiosity in her voice.
“You going to try to talk me out of it?” He
asked.
“No. She makes you happy, and you deserve to
be happy.” A tear slid down her face as she doubled over,
screaming.
“Emily,” he murmured.
Her fingers tightened on his until his
knuckles popped.
“Sorry,” she groaned as she eased up.
His gaze drifted back to her. “I’m fine, Em.
Don’t worry about my fingers.”
She smiled weakly, laying her head on the
side of the tub. He shifted to look her in the face.
Emily said, “Look, I know it’s too late for
Liz and me to be friends. I’ve pushed her away for so long, I don’t
think I can ever fix the damage I’ve done. That doesn’t mean you
shouldn’t be happy. Her too.”
“She doesn’t hate you.” He brushed her damp
hair out of her face. “She never has.”
“She should. I listened to James. I blamed
her for so many things that weren’t her fault.”
“I bet she’d surprise you if you tried to
talk to her.”
This time Emily doubled over, her face
barely out of the water. “He’s coming. Oh God, he’s
wouldn’t tell him where to find her. He had a feeling she was
pregnant. It made sense. She had disappeared without a trace eight
months before.
No plane ticket, no record of her anywhere.
Robert had made it so James couldn’t track his phone records or
anything else. There was no way to trace his calls, and he’d tried
to get into their mailbox, but Liz had cast her hidey-hole magic on
the box.
He finally found a way to make it past the
wards that protected her house. All thanks to his brother’s
mistake. Robert had created talismans for Liz to travel to and from
The Silver Council headquarters in Seattle. They had moved all the
way out to Edenton, Washington two years before.
Not many mages could translocate, and Robert
was the only one James knew who could travel clear across the
country, or world for that matter.
James looked down at his trembling hands. He
was growing weak, and needed his fix. Liz’s power would fuel him
for weeks, maybe months if he could only get close enough. She had
done an excellent job of being anywhere he wasn’t.
That was going to change. If his suspicions
about Liz’s parents were right, she might be the key to bridging
the gap between dark mage and true mage. Her rare brand of magic
was rumored to strengthen the connection to his own source of magic
and still allow him to feed off other mages.
Jarvis dropped into the seat beside him. “I
just received news that Robert’s gone for the day. He rescheduled
his meeting with Draecyn to next week.”
James sat up straighter. “Is that so? Do you
know where he went?”
“Of course not. I’m sure he used his own
method of travel to go where he pleased. I do have confirmation
that Liz is still there. Tremaine was heading to her house.
“Is that so?” James sat back in his seat.
“Do me a favor. Keep an eye on them. When he’s gone, let me know. I
have to pay her a visit.”
“With the talisman?”
“Of course. It would be fitting if I show up
at her house the same way Robert left.” He pushed back to dig
around his desk for the charm.
“Good luck, you’ll need it.” Jarvis ducked
out the door before James could reply to the parting shot.
* * * *
Robert went back to the Jacuzzi where Emily
had been most of the day. “You sure about this water birth?” He
asked mildly.
Emily groaned, but nodded her head. “I am.
It’s safe.”
He sat down beside the tub and took her
hand. “You’re a healer. Why aren’t you making this easier?”
She snorted. “If I could, I would. The
contractions are hell.”
“What can I do?” he asked. “You’re the
expert here, not me.”
“Talk to me. What have you been up to?”
He snorted. “Look, Em, you don’t want to
hear about it.”
“You’re going to ask her again, aren’t you?”
It wasn’t an accusation like it had been every other time in the
past. No, this time it was honest curiosity in her voice.
“You going to try to talk me out of it?” He
asked.
“No. She makes you happy, and you deserve to
be happy.” A tear slid down her face as she doubled over,
screaming.
“Emily,” he murmured.
Her fingers tightened on his until his
knuckles popped.
“Sorry,” she groaned as she eased up.
His gaze drifted back to her. “I’m fine, Em.
Don’t worry about my fingers.”
She smiled weakly, laying her head on the
side of the tub. He shifted to look her in the face.
Emily said, “Look, I know it’s too late for
Liz and me to be friends. I’ve pushed her away for so long, I don’t
think I can ever fix the damage I’ve done. That doesn’t mean you
shouldn’t be happy. Her too.”
“She doesn’t hate you.” He brushed her damp
hair out of her face. “She never has.”
“She should. I listened to James. I blamed
her for so many things that weren’t her fault.”
“I bet she’d surprise you if you tried to
talk to her.”
This time Emily doubled over, her face
barely out of the water. “He’s coming. Oh God, he’s
Similar Books
