I’m terrified we’ll fail, Darien. I’m terrified we’ll lose her but I refuse to spend the rest of our lives in fear of that damn warlock! I want him taken care of so we can go on with our lives!”
“Marcus,” Vincent murmured just before a flash of light lit up the room.
Darien turned to stare at Marcus in surprise. A bruise had begun to form on his cheek, his eye swollen and turning black. His usual neat appearance had been replaced with dirt-smudged clothes and rumpled hair.
“What the hell happened to you?” Darien asked.
“Vlad,” Marcus snarled and nodded toward Vincent. “What have you got for this mess, Vincent?” he asked, pointing toward his cheek. “I don’t want Tonya seeing it.”
“I think it’s a little late for that.” Nicholas nodded toward the doorway.
Marcus turned to face Tonya. Her eyes widened in surprise then concern as she ran forward. “Are you okay?” she asked, gingerly touching his cheek.
“I’m fine, sweet,” he whispered, grabbing her hand and placing a kiss on the center of her palm.
Rebecca stood back, her gaze moving from Marcus to the various vials and jars littering the room. “What is this place? A lab?”
“Of sorts,” Darien said as he strolled forward and took her hand in his. Her fingers were cold, her gaze full of worry. “You all right?”
61
She nodded, giving him a soft smile, but her gaze didn’t change. “Who’s Vlad? Is he the one you were talking about earlier?”
“I was just about to ask the same thing,” Tonya said, narrowing her eyes at Marcus.
“Yes,” Marcus said with a sigh.
“I take it the two of you don’t play well together,” Tonya said, making everyone snicker.
Marcus grinned. “You could say that. Seems he didn’t like my asking questions about Sebastian.”
Darien frowned as the heavy weight of doom settled on his shoulders. “How did he even know you were asking questions?”
“Sebastian,” Marcus sneered. “I’d bet every dime I have the son of a bitch was in my father’s house.”
“Do you think your father is in on it?” Vincent asked.
Marcus shook his head as Nicholas led him to a stool, where he rubbed a salve on his cheek. “I’m not sure. Part of me wants to say yes, the other part—the son—wants to give him the benefit of the doubt.”
Darien looked down at Rebecca and felt his heart tear into pieces. He couldn’t lose her. Not now. Leaning down, he placed a soft kiss on her temple, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair. She glanced up at him, her gaze questioning. With a smile he brushed her bangs from her eyes.
“Is this a magic thing?” Tonya asked as she stepped forward, studying the salve on Marcus’ cheek.
“Yes. Want to take care of it?” Nicholas asked, handing Tonya the small bottle.
Her eyes widened slightly. “Can I?”
“Of course. It’s the salve that has the magical properties, not the person applying it.”
Tonya took the bottle and sniffed, crinkling her nose in distaste. “This is disgusting.”
Darien shared a grin with Marcus.
“We’ll take it to the garden,” Marcus offered, putting his hand at the base of Tonya’s spine and leading her to the door. “I’ll get with you guys later about Sebastian.”
Darien nodded.
“I’ll meet you on the veranda for breakfast, Tonya,” Rebecca said and Tonya waved her consent, making Rebecca grin. “She’s so crazy about him. She just doesn’t realize it yet.” Her gaze wandered around the shelves, her fingers turning bottles so she could read the labels. “What is all this stuff?” she asked in curiosity.
“Herbs mostly,” Vincent replied. “Some of them are pretty powerful, so be careful.”
62
“Why?” she asked with a cheeky grin as she lifted a bottle from one of the higher shelves. “Will it blow me up?”
Removing the cork, she lifted the bottle to her nose. Darien noticed the label and gasped, trying to stop her before she inhaled too much. “Rebecca, no!”
It
“Marcus,” Vincent murmured just before a flash of light lit up the room.
Darien turned to stare at Marcus in surprise. A bruise had begun to form on his cheek, his eye swollen and turning black. His usual neat appearance had been replaced with dirt-smudged clothes and rumpled hair.
“What the hell happened to you?” Darien asked.
“Vlad,” Marcus snarled and nodded toward Vincent. “What have you got for this mess, Vincent?” he asked, pointing toward his cheek. “I don’t want Tonya seeing it.”
“I think it’s a little late for that.” Nicholas nodded toward the doorway.
Marcus turned to face Tonya. Her eyes widened in surprise then concern as she ran forward. “Are you okay?” she asked, gingerly touching his cheek.
“I’m fine, sweet,” he whispered, grabbing her hand and placing a kiss on the center of her palm.
Rebecca stood back, her gaze moving from Marcus to the various vials and jars littering the room. “What is this place? A lab?”
“Of sorts,” Darien said as he strolled forward and took her hand in his. Her fingers were cold, her gaze full of worry. “You all right?”
61
She nodded, giving him a soft smile, but her gaze didn’t change. “Who’s Vlad? Is he the one you were talking about earlier?”
“I was just about to ask the same thing,” Tonya said, narrowing her eyes at Marcus.
“Yes,” Marcus said with a sigh.
“I take it the two of you don’t play well together,” Tonya said, making everyone snicker.
Marcus grinned. “You could say that. Seems he didn’t like my asking questions about Sebastian.”
Darien frowned as the heavy weight of doom settled on his shoulders. “How did he even know you were asking questions?”
“Sebastian,” Marcus sneered. “I’d bet every dime I have the son of a bitch was in my father’s house.”
“Do you think your father is in on it?” Vincent asked.
Marcus shook his head as Nicholas led him to a stool, where he rubbed a salve on his cheek. “I’m not sure. Part of me wants to say yes, the other part—the son—wants to give him the benefit of the doubt.”
Darien looked down at Rebecca and felt his heart tear into pieces. He couldn’t lose her. Not now. Leaning down, he placed a soft kiss on her temple, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair. She glanced up at him, her gaze questioning. With a smile he brushed her bangs from her eyes.
“Is this a magic thing?” Tonya asked as she stepped forward, studying the salve on Marcus’ cheek.
“Yes. Want to take care of it?” Nicholas asked, handing Tonya the small bottle.
Her eyes widened slightly. “Can I?”
“Of course. It’s the salve that has the magical properties, not the person applying it.”
Tonya took the bottle and sniffed, crinkling her nose in distaste. “This is disgusting.”
Darien shared a grin with Marcus.
“We’ll take it to the garden,” Marcus offered, putting his hand at the base of Tonya’s spine and leading her to the door. “I’ll get with you guys later about Sebastian.”
Darien nodded.
“I’ll meet you on the veranda for breakfast, Tonya,” Rebecca said and Tonya waved her consent, making Rebecca grin. “She’s so crazy about him. She just doesn’t realize it yet.” Her gaze wandered around the shelves, her fingers turning bottles so she could read the labels. “What is all this stuff?” she asked in curiosity.
“Herbs mostly,” Vincent replied. “Some of them are pretty powerful, so be careful.”
62
“Why?” she asked with a cheeky grin as she lifted a bottle from one of the higher shelves. “Will it blow me up?”
Removing the cork, she lifted the bottle to her nose. Darien noticed the label and gasped, trying to stop her before she inhaled too much. “Rebecca, no!”
It
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