Light couldn’t hack the mage’s life and retired to the mundy world.”
“I heard that too, Jimmy. How’s that going for you, Light?” Ryder flicked a beady glance at Emma. “Oh wait, I see. You’re slumming, then.”
Fury seared Gabriel’s veins. A growl ripped low from his throat, and he took an involuntary step forward. The cricket scuttled toward his swizzle-stick witch, whose beady eyes brightened.
Emma touched Gabriel’s arm, a quiet caution. Fisting his hands, he reined himself back.
“Well, well.” Ryder’s gaze hopped between them. “Interesting reaction. Who is this?”
“And who is she to you?” the cricket chirped.
Gabriel snarled, “Mind your own business, Jiminy.”
“It’s Jimmy, ” the cricket rasped like rubbing sticks.
“Can’t you make your familiar shut up, Ryder?”
“I would, but I want to know as well. Who are you, sweetheart?” Ryder’s drawl dripped condescension…and since his nose was in the air, dripped a little condensation too.
“Emma. Emma Singer Sharpclaw. Who are you? ” The challenge in her tone was plain.
Gabriel enjoyed a momentary surge of pride. His Emma wasn’t cowed by anyone.
“Twelve inches of rock-hard male.” Ryder smirked.
“His name is Ryder Shootingstar,” Gabriel said. “He’s a Council lackey.”
“I got a promotion, prince. I’m an Enforcer now.”
And giving the profession a bad name. “You always did like making others follow rules you were too lazy to obey.”
Ryder’s slouch disappeared with an arrowed glare. “Watch your mouth, Light. Your sister is in my jail.” Slyly, he added, “I’d hate to lose the key.”
Ice crowded out Gabriel’s rage. He clenched his jaw on a retort, so hard he nearly cracked enamel.
Witches couldn’t be held in normal prisons, so each was restrained in a pocket universe, with the key to the jail’s doorway or wormhole or whatever the hell you wanted to call the only fucking way out in the hands of the jailer.
He fought to ease the grimace from his face. He couldn’t afford to piss off Ryder, not until the Enforcer opened Sophia’s bubble and his sister was safely released.
Damn, he’d hoped for a quick, painless resolution. But here was Ryder, fucking up his life again.
Affecting a control he didn’t feel, Gabriel drawled in return, “Lose the key? That’d be singularly careless of a Council Enforcer. Let’s be reasonable. What would it take to get Sophia released? A promise of public service? Money? ”
Ryder licked his lips at the word money, but his stupid crunchy-even-in-milk familiar had to chirp up.
“Don’t be an ass, Light.” The cricket leaned forward, all buggy attitude. “She was having relations with a wolf. That’s headsman territory.”
“Right.” Ryder’s own ass-itude snapped back. “She stays where she is until a trial can be held.”
Damn that cricket. Gabriel’s fists tightened, nails biting into his palms. He didn’t believe a witch’s worth was reflected in the shape of his familiar, except where Ryder was concerned. “Intermagical relations is a pretty serious accusation.” He hid his clenching fists behind his back and spoke in the most offhand tone he could muster. “Do you have proof?”
The swizzle-stick man made a scornful sound. “Come on. Everybody in town knows it. She married the animal in front of witnesses, for shit’s sake. She’s already pregnant with the brute’s litter.”
Emma’s face went red. “Noah Blackwood is no animal.”
This time he was the one to gently restrain her, touching her arm.
Ryder’s gaze followed his hand and narrowed.
Clasping his traitorous digits behind his back, Gabriel repeated in his most civil tone, “Do you have proof?”
“I have better,” Ryder smiled his shark’s grin. “I have an informant who will swear to it as fact.”
“One of Noah’s pack, I know. Who?”
“Well, I could tell you. But I don’t think you’re ready to hear it.”
“Stop playing games,
“I heard that too, Jimmy. How’s that going for you, Light?” Ryder flicked a beady glance at Emma. “Oh wait, I see. You’re slumming, then.”
Fury seared Gabriel’s veins. A growl ripped low from his throat, and he took an involuntary step forward. The cricket scuttled toward his swizzle-stick witch, whose beady eyes brightened.
Emma touched Gabriel’s arm, a quiet caution. Fisting his hands, he reined himself back.
“Well, well.” Ryder’s gaze hopped between them. “Interesting reaction. Who is this?”
“And who is she to you?” the cricket chirped.
Gabriel snarled, “Mind your own business, Jiminy.”
“It’s Jimmy, ” the cricket rasped like rubbing sticks.
“Can’t you make your familiar shut up, Ryder?”
“I would, but I want to know as well. Who are you, sweetheart?” Ryder’s drawl dripped condescension…and since his nose was in the air, dripped a little condensation too.
“Emma. Emma Singer Sharpclaw. Who are you? ” The challenge in her tone was plain.
Gabriel enjoyed a momentary surge of pride. His Emma wasn’t cowed by anyone.
“Twelve inches of rock-hard male.” Ryder smirked.
“His name is Ryder Shootingstar,” Gabriel said. “He’s a Council lackey.”
“I got a promotion, prince. I’m an Enforcer now.”
And giving the profession a bad name. “You always did like making others follow rules you were too lazy to obey.”
Ryder’s slouch disappeared with an arrowed glare. “Watch your mouth, Light. Your sister is in my jail.” Slyly, he added, “I’d hate to lose the key.”
Ice crowded out Gabriel’s rage. He clenched his jaw on a retort, so hard he nearly cracked enamel.
Witches couldn’t be held in normal prisons, so each was restrained in a pocket universe, with the key to the jail’s doorway or wormhole or whatever the hell you wanted to call the only fucking way out in the hands of the jailer.
He fought to ease the grimace from his face. He couldn’t afford to piss off Ryder, not until the Enforcer opened Sophia’s bubble and his sister was safely released.
Damn, he’d hoped for a quick, painless resolution. But here was Ryder, fucking up his life again.
Affecting a control he didn’t feel, Gabriel drawled in return, “Lose the key? That’d be singularly careless of a Council Enforcer. Let’s be reasonable. What would it take to get Sophia released? A promise of public service? Money? ”
Ryder licked his lips at the word money, but his stupid crunchy-even-in-milk familiar had to chirp up.
“Don’t be an ass, Light.” The cricket leaned forward, all buggy attitude. “She was having relations with a wolf. That’s headsman territory.”
“Right.” Ryder’s own ass-itude snapped back. “She stays where she is until a trial can be held.”
Damn that cricket. Gabriel’s fists tightened, nails biting into his palms. He didn’t believe a witch’s worth was reflected in the shape of his familiar, except where Ryder was concerned. “Intermagical relations is a pretty serious accusation.” He hid his clenching fists behind his back and spoke in the most offhand tone he could muster. “Do you have proof?”
The swizzle-stick man made a scornful sound. “Come on. Everybody in town knows it. She married the animal in front of witnesses, for shit’s sake. She’s already pregnant with the brute’s litter.”
Emma’s face went red. “Noah Blackwood is no animal.”
This time he was the one to gently restrain her, touching her arm.
Ryder’s gaze followed his hand and narrowed.
Clasping his traitorous digits behind his back, Gabriel repeated in his most civil tone, “Do you have proof?”
“I have better,” Ryder smiled his shark’s grin. “I have an informant who will swear to it as fact.”
“One of Noah’s pack, I know. Who?”
“Well, I could tell you. But I don’t think you’re ready to hear it.”
“Stop playing games,
Similar Books
