by Linsey Hall
“True accusations,” I said.
“Exactly. And all of it leads back to Roarke. He’s got a stake in this. If the Order of the Magica finds out he’s protecting you, he’s in just as much trouble as you are. But he looked an Order member in the face, then hit him over the head and massively broke rules that we know make him uncomfortable. For you. I see no benefit for him in any kind of long con. If he wanted to turn you in, he’d have done it by now. So I think you’ve got to trust him. Tell him the whole lot.”
Stunned, I stared at her. “But then you guys are at risk, too.”
Nix shrugged. “We’re always at risk. And ever since Cass hooked up with Aidan and told him the whole, dirty truth, our lives have been better.”
She was right. But Aidan was so clearly trustworthy.
Or was I only thinking that in hindsight because I’d watched him with Cass for the last few months? He’d protected her, helped her, loved her.
Didn’t I want something like that?
Whoa, Nelly. The cart was really getting ahead of the horse here. Sure, we had the hots for each other and I liked him a lot, but we hadn’t even known each other two weeks.
“You got a circus going on behind your eyes there,” Cass said. “Care to share?”
“No.” It was embarrassing. My whole life was embarrassing these days. “But don’t you think it’s just a bit too good to be true? Cass meets a great guy, gets her memory back, saves the day. Now I’ve met a dude, am maybe getting my memory back…” I didn’t even want to mention me saving the day. What if I couldn’t? “I mean, it’s all just too good to be true.”
“Or maybe it’s just time something started to go right,” Cass said. “Face it, we’ve had a rough slog the last ten years. But it’s only been getting better. Maybe things are finally, really, truly working out.”
“Yeah.” Nix nodded. “I like the sound of this. Because it means I’m next, and I want to meet my own smart, nice, hot dude and remember where the hell I’m from. So fess up to Roarke. Let’s keep the good things coming.”
A grin tugged at my lips. Maybe they were right. “Fine. I will. When the time is right. For now, I have to follow a mysterious map to who the hell knows what on the other end.”
“Want us to come?” Nix asked.
“No,” I said. “You guys gotta keep Ancient Magic going. We’re going to need the money to pay back Mordaca and Aerdeca for the memory spells.”
Cass grimaced. “Yeah, that wasn’t cheap.”
“You’d think they’d give us a discount because we’re friends,” Nix said.
Cass and I laughed at the absurdity. Aerdeca and Mordaca, giving discounts?
“If I really need you guys—like I know we’ve got a big fight ahead—I’ll let you know,” I said.
Nix grinned. “Good. I like our team outings.”
“Team outings?” I asked. “Like a field trip?”
“Yeah, but more violent.” Nix punched the air. “Keeps me in fighting shape.”
I laughed. “I thought beating up the jerks who try to rob the shop did that.”
“It does. Sorta. But they’re easy targets. I like a challenge.”
A challenge. I had a feeling that whatever was at the other end of this Guardian situation I was dealing with would probably be considered a challenge.
A big one.
Chapter Nine
It was with heavy footsteps that I made my way back up to my place. Would Roarke still be there? Did I owe him an apology?
Maybe. Probably.
Ah, hell, I’d have to figure it out.
When I opened the door and heard the shower running, my shoulders relaxed.
A reprieve.
I would take it.
I hurried into my bedroom, then into my trove. The piles of books, gleam of gold, and scatter of lucky charms calmed me. I ran my fingertips over a book that teetered on top of a pile as I went to a small chest that contained some of my favorite lucky charms.
It didn’t take long to pick out a variety of lucky talismans. Four, to be precise. Two necklaces, a belt, and a bracelet. All were gold, which gave them a bit of extra lucky something, as far as I was concerned. It was more than I normally wore, but less than I wanted to, so I called it a victory. Semi-self-control for the win.
Wearing my battle gear, I returned to my bedroom just as the water shut off.
Whew. I planned to tell Roarke what I was, but I didn’t want him catching me walking out of the wall as I exited my trove. Better to do it on my terms—not by being caught.
I gave him a moment to get dressed, then went out into the living room. He standing near the couch, tugging his shirt on as I entered.
His head popped over the top. “Hey.”
“Hey.” I stood awkwardly on my side of the room, not quite sure how I wanted to admit that I was wrong. To say it wasn’t my favorite activity would be an understatement. “So, uh, maybe you have a point that there are some things I haven’t been telling you.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. But I have good reasons.”
“I know.”
And the thing was, he looked like he really did know. It made this easier.
“Well, anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I will tell you…stuff. That stuff I haven’t been telling you, that is.” Oh boy, I was handling this super well. This was why I normally stayed away from real relationships. “But let’s just get this demon thing under control first, okay? I’m worried that the longer I hang out in one place, the more I’ll attract. So I’d like to get a move on. That is, if you’re still helping me.”
His gaze softened, and he approached me. “I’m still helping you.”
“Thank you.” My heart thudded. “Really.”
He leaned down and pressed a kiss to my forehead. I closed my eyes, savoring the touch.
When he pulled away, I couldn’t make eye contact, so I walked to the window and peered out, unsurprised to see a demon out on the sidewalk, staring up at my window. He was muscular and tall, with pale yellow skin that made him look like a fit Minion. He was even bald. He just needed funny goggles and blue overalls.
Too bad he had a big old sword in his hand.
Great. This was just great.
“Another one?” Roarke asked.
“Yep.”
Roarke came to join me at the window, standing far enough away that we didn’t touch. But I could still feel the heat of him. I ignored it—tried to, at least—and focused on the fight below.
The green door that led to our apartments burst open, and Nix ran out, leaping up to deliver a flying kick to the demon’s chest. The demon was so preoccupied with staring at my window that she landed the blow solidly. She’d always been best with hand-to-hand. A legacy of defending the shop from burglars for years.
The demon jumped to his feet, far more quickly than I’d have expected for a demon his size. Nix was unarmed, but I wasn’t worried. She had this guy in the bag.
As expected, she ducked his sword blow, then kicked out and swept his legs out from under him. She was on him before he’d fully hit the ground, landing a mean punch to his jaw. She nailed him again, this time from the other side, and he passed out cold.
Nix jumped to her feet and dusted off her hands, then picked up the demon’s blade and plunged it through his chest. She left the sword sticking upright, then leaned against Cass’s old black car and watched the demon slowly disappear.
“You three are tough as nails,” Roarke said.
“Yeah.” Pride warmed my chest. “We are.”
The closest Underpath portal to Cwm Y Ddraig was located about ten miles away near the walled castle town of Caernarfon. I followed Roarke out into a graveyard in the shadows of the castle wall, stumbling over a fallen headstone. Threatening clouds hung low overhead, crowding around the surrounding mountains and promising snow at any moment. Chill winter air froze my lungs and made my cheeks sting.
“At least it’s daylight,” Roarke said.
&
nbsp; “No kidding.” Because of the time change, we’d arrived here in daylight, thank fates.
I followed him through the tombstones toward the wrought iron fence. Just as we stepped out of the gate, a big black car pulled up, and a demon popped out. He’d pass for human among most people, but my new demon-savvy senses picked up his demonic nature from the strange gleam in his eyes.
“Just in time. Thank you, Florus,” Roarke said.
Florus walked around the vehicle and handed Roarke the keys, his gaze glued on me.
“What’s she?” Florus asked Roarke.
“None of your business, is what she is,” Roarke said.
I eyed Florus warily, waiting to see what he would do. All demons weren’t evil. So this one shouldn’t necessarily attack me on sight. But I was so used to the other demons—the ones who usually served as mercenaries or who’d just recently escaped the Underworld. They were trouble.
Florus’s nose twitched, as if he smelled something weird, then he turned to Roarke. “That all you need?”
“That’s it for now, thanks. Give my best to your family.”
Florus nodded and ambled off down the road, disappearing in a poof of gray smoke when he was about ten feet away.
“He’s another one of your minions?”
“I prefer to think of them as staff,” Roarke said as he climbed behind the wheel of the car.
I jumped in and sighed gratefully as warm air blasted from the heaters. “So how does it work? With the demons. He seemed much more…benign.”
“I told you not all demons are evil.”
“Yeah, I know.” I’d literally just been thinking about it, but given my line of work, it was sometimes hard to remember. “But what’s the deal with the ones who work for you? Do they live on Earth?”
He nodded as he pulled onto the narrow road and punched Cwm Y Ddraig into the GPS on the dash. “They do. They’re demons who’ve proven to be trustworthy and valuable members of society. So I allow them to live on Earth with their families, scattered all over the globe, in return for their help in situations like this.”
“Whoa.” I turned to look at him as we drove out of the town surrounding the castle and into the woods. “So you bend the rules for them? Because demons aren’t supposed to live on Earth. If they were, I’d be out of a job.”
“You could still hunt treasure.”
“True. But don’t change the subject.”
He grinned. “No. I don’t break the rules. I have a special dispensation from the Order of the Magica. They agree that it’s good to have some demons on our side.”
Roarke slowed the car as the GPS told him to turn in twenty meters.
“Turn here,” the dulcet tones of the GPS commanded.
But there was no road, just more trees.
Roarke turned anyway.
“Wait!” I pressed myself back into the seat.
Instead of plowing into a tree, the car bumped onto a tiny dirt road, and the vision of forest turned into a narrow lane, barely wide enough for our car.
“I’m going to guess the town of Cwm Y Ddraig isn’t visible to humans.” I glanced at the GPS unit in the dash. “So I assume the GPS lady is a supernatural.”
Roarke grinned. We followed the tiny lane for about fifteen minutes before pretty slate buildings appeared ahead of us. Light glowed warmly in their windows, and snow sparkled on the bushes in front of the houses.
The sound of a band of some kind—more the marching sort of band than the head-banging kind—echoed through the trees.
The houses that we passed were quiet, their dark slate roofs speckled with snow, but as we neared the center of town, the sound of revelers joined the music of the band.
“I think they’re having a festival,” I said as Roarke slowed the car to a crawl. We were near the center of town. Every inch of space around us was taken up by houses and gardens.
“What does your map say you’re looking for?” Roarke asked.
I pulled the copy of the map that Nix had made for me out of my pocket and unfolded it. I didn’t want to hurt the original. Nix’s crazy good gift for conjuring meant that the replica was an exact match—perfect in every way. The best photocopier a girl could ask for.
I peered at the faded map for a moment, waiting for the letters to make sense.
“We’re looking for the Eastern Rail,” I said.
“Does it say where it’s located? Or show a picture?”
“Nothing on the map. Give me a moment.” I closed my eyes and called upon my dragon sense, hoping to catch something. But nothing tugged at my middle. No familiar feeling of direction. I just didn’t know enough about the place. I tried to imagine what the old railway might have looked like and worked up every ounce of desire to find it that I could muster.
Still, I got nothing. Maybe I should have brought Cass or Nix along. Their stronger dragon sense would have helped.
“I have no idea,” I said. “Though this town seems really small to have a train station.”
We caught sight of the town square where colorful stalls were set up. In the middle, a band of about six played a jaunty tune. Dozens of people flocked between the stalls while thousands of twinkle lights glittered in the trees. The clouds were heavy enough overhead that the day was fairly dark, letting the twinkle lights really glow.
The mountains on the other side of town were daunting—black slate covered with patches of scrubby grass. Since most of the buildings were made of the same dark slate that formed the mountain, the place would be very bleak if it weren’t for the colorful tents and sparkling lights.
Roarke parked the car on the street near the square and cut the engine. “We’ll do the rest on foot. Poke around, ask the locals. It’ll probably be faster than driving aimlessly.”
I shoved the map back into my pocket and climbed out of the car, grateful for my warm hat and puffy coat. Though I hated to give up my black leather, Roarke had been right in suggesting the warmer alternative. North Wales in the winter was chilly.
We made our way toward the village square, passing warm pubs and closed teashops. The few people we passed were clearly supernaturals, though which type I couldn’t determine. They looked human, except for their jewel-toned eyes and the magical signatures that hung heavy in the air.
We passed a few stalls before Roarke stopped at one selling hot cocoa out of a gleaming silver carafe. The chocolatey scent made my mouth water. A woman with rosy cheeks and a colorful patchwork coat smiled at us. She was about sixty, with the look that everyone recognized as friendly mom. I might not have had one of those, but even I knew what they looked like.
“From out of town, are you?” Her accent was thick as butter, and it took me a moment to figure out what the heck she had said.
“We are.” Roarke grinned his most charming smile. “It’s a lovely village.”
The woman grinned back, and I had to admit, his smile worked on me too.
“It is, isn’t it?” she said. “What can I get you?”
“Could we have two, please?” Roarke asked, nodding toward the gleaming silver carafe.
I glanced at him. The hot chocolate sounded divine—even now, my nose was freezing into an ice cube—but we were here to work.
“But of course you could, you handsome devil.” The woman laid the flirt on thick as she prepared two takeaway cups, then passed them to us.
Roarke handed over the money and asked, “I don’t suppose you know where the Eastern Railway is?”
The woman’s gaze turned thoughtful. “No, dear. I’m sorry to say that the railway closed down about seventy years ago, so you’re a bit late to catch a train.”
“Really?”
“Oh yes. And anyhow, it didn’t carry people. It carried slate from that mountain over there.” She pointed toward the massive black mountain that crouched over the village like a dragon.
Maybe that’s why I couldn’t find the station. I’d been imagining a train full of people, not a train full of slate.
&n
bsp; “But say we were interested just in seeing it,” Roarke said. “Historical inquiry. How would we get there?”
He sold it so well that I totally bought it. We were definitely here on historical inquiry. Why wouldn’t we be? Who wouldn’t come to this lovely town to search for an old railway?
“Well now, that’s an interesting subject. After the quarry closed down, so did the rail. Though you could find the remnants of the old track by the gin distillery. Very popular, that stuff. Making a real comeback. Artisanal gins.” She nodded knowingly. “Just go around the building to the back, and you might be able to find remnants of the track. But be careful of the pixies, dear. They’re liable to steal your hat.”
“Which way is the distillery?” Roarke asked.
She pointed down the street. “Three blocks down, one over.”
“Thank you.”
She smiled. “You come back when you’re done. Another chocolate on the house.”
“Thank you,” he repeated.
I grinned bemusedly at her, then up at Roarke.
He pointed down the street, the way the woman had directed, and said, “This way, then.”
We hurried off, the warm cup of chocolate heating my hands. I took a sip and almost groaned at the chocolatey goodness.
“You bought the chocolate to make her friendlier, didn’t you?” I asked.
“And because it smelled good.” Roarke took a sip. “But yes. We didn’t want to have to poke around too much, and you never know with tiny towns like these. Sometimes they don’t like outsiders.”
“True.” We passed stalls selling savory meat pies, sausages, cakes, cookies, nuts, crafts, wooly hats, jewelry, and books. Everything you would want at a local fair.
“Do you have any idea what kind of supernaturals these are?” I whispered as we passed a group of shrieking schoolchildren who all had distinct jewel-toned eyes.
“No idea,” Roarke said. “Strong magic, though.”
We turned at the third block and went down one. The distillery was a small building with an artfully designed logo. It was quiet for the day no doubt the distillers having gone to join the party in the square.
