by Nadia Heaton
Nobu’s first instinct was to laugh, but Lisette was so serious, it wiped the smile off his face. “A witch.”
Ordinarily, he’d never believe it, but he’d never seen anything like what she did. For a weapon like that to have passed by his attention was extremely unlikely. Maybe her explanation wasn’t as crazy as he thought.
“Can you prove it?”
“Do I need to?”
“Well, one glowing ball of light is hardly a convincing argument.”
“What about the shield that stopped you from getting shot in the leg? Don’t I get any credit for that?”
Nobu just stared at her, wondering if she was being truthful, or if she was insane.
Lisette rolled her eyes and held out a hand, palm up. This time, the ball of light was green, and it didn’t move more than a few inches above her palm.
Ok, that definitely wasn’t a weapon. She wasn’t holding anything. That thing had literally appeared above her palm! Nobu realized he’d backed up a bit, and forced himself to stop. If Lisette had wanted to hurt him, she could have done so by now; that much was clear.
“You’re a witch.” This time, he believed it.
“Yep.”
“Then why did you run? If you can incinerate someone and create a bullet shield, why risk falling off the side of a mountain by following me?”
“Humans aren’t supposed to know about us. Using magic in front of them is acceptable in cases of emergency, but removing yourself from the situation is always preferable.”
“So you have to hide all the time?”
“Mostly. We can still make a living from our craft, though. You can get away with a lot by surrounding it in crystals and incense. Most people think it’s just nonsense, and even those who know our cures work don’t think it’s real magic. They think it’s about auras or stars or something. It varies from person to person.”
That was clever. Nobu was impressed, though he didn’t know why she was telling him all this. “So what makes me different? You’re telling me the truth.”
“Well, after what you saw, it would be a bit pointless to pretend otherwise. Besides, if you told anyone, you’d only end up getting yourself locked up in a mental institution.”
True. Now it made sense why she hadn’t been afraid of him or Gregory. She was more powerful than the two of them put together.
“So what are you doing here, on Gregory’s property? I assume you don’t know him, given that you tried to blast him away.”
“Oh no you don’t. I told you my story. Your turn. What are you doing on Gregory’s property?”
She had him there. She’d trusted Nobu with an intimate secret about herself. Not reciprocating would be just rude. Perhaps it was a bad idea, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he could trust Lisette.
“I’m an assassin,” he blurted out.
It was clear he’d surprised her. Lisette’s mouth popped open comically. Though she was clearly taken aback, she still didn’t seem afraid, for which Nobu was grateful. “Why?”
He shrugged. “It’s what I know. I’ve been trained since I was young. My father lost me in a bet, and the man who took me needed an apprentice, so…”
“Your father lost you in a bet?”
“He wasn’t a great father, obviously. It’s not a bad life. I think of it as helping people, in my own way.”
“Helping people?”
“I only kill people who deserve it. I’m not a monster, Lisette.”
“How do you decide if they deserve it?”
“Research. People put everything online nowadays. Gregory has made dozens of enemies, and all for good reason. I’m not sure what he did to offend my client, but his business practices leave something to be desired. He’s got ties with human trafficking rings, and he does his best to screw over everyone he employs. The only ones who get anything good from him are his customers. The police have a file on his wife; they suspect he beats her, but there isn’t any proof as of yet.”
“Wow. That really sounds like he does deserve it. What do you do if someone wants you to kill someone innocent?”
“I say no to the job. There will always be another. Now, your turn again. What are you doing here?”
Lisette hesitated for a moment. “I… I ran away from my wedding,” she admitted.
Well, that certainly explained the wedding dress. “Was your wedding nearby?” Nobu knew there weren’t any churches in the area.
“No, it was… I’m not sure how far away, exactly. When I ran, I panicked, and my magic took over. I ended up flying here.”
That wasn’t what he’d been expecting. Lisette was full of surprises. “Why did you run away?”
Nobu listened carefully as Lisette told the story, getting up every few minutes to check for signs of Gregory or his men. As they talked, he found himself drawn to Lisette. They had an instant connection. He liked her dreamy personality that showed itself when she wasn’t under pressure. She seemed just as interested in him.
Hours passed as they sat together on the towel, eating energy bars and chatting. It was by far the most pleasant failure of a job Nobu had ever experienced.
5
She tried to be cautious, she really did. Lisette had just resolved not to give her heart away again in the near future, yet she could feel herself becoming quickly infatuated with Nobu. It wasn’t exactly something she could control. And she couldn’t leave, either. Nobu was right about Gregory having guards search the area; she could sense them when she sent out listening spells.
So she waited and talked, wondering what she was doing. As the sun started to sink, Nobu brought the subject back to the present. “So, what do you want to do next?”
Lisette groaned. “Not go home. I’m not ready to face them yet.”
“I’m not quite ready to see my employer yet, either. He’s not going to be happy. It’ll be weeks before Gregory lowers his guard enough for me to try again. What do you think about Spain?”
“You mean – with you?”
“You’re in danger because of me, Lisette. Gregory was close enough to recognize you. He’s the kind of man to hold a grudge, and to hire assassins to go after those who annoy him. I’m not keen on letting you out of my sight for a while. I wouldn’t want you hurt because of me.”
She should say no. There were a million places she could go that weren’t home… but Lisette liked the idea of going somewhere with Nobu. Fleur would reprimand her for listening to her heart instead of her her head, but this was how Lisette had always operated – leaping in and worrying about drowning later.
“Spain sounds great.”
Nobu’s smile sent shivers down her spine. Gosh, he was handsome. All thoughts of Teo were wiped from her mind as she stared into his dark eyes, enhanced by equally dark hair, cropped short. She couldn’t peg his nationality, but his skin had a beautiful warm tint to it.
“So, are you going to magic us there?”
Lisette laughed. “No, it’s too far away. A spell like that would require an entire coven. Even broomsticks would be risky to take. We can go by boat.”
“Boat? Why use a boat when we can go by plane?”
“You should know. It’s the easiest way to sneak into a country undetected. I assume you don’t want your identity broadcasted, and neither do I right now. I don't want my or Teo’s family to find me, at least not yet.”
“I have plenty of fake IDs. I’ll be fine.”
“Well, I don’t have fake IDs. Don’t worry, I’ll be able to cast a fog over the area as we pull into port in Spain.”
Nobu still seemed hesitant. “I’m not a great swimmer…”
That had her laughing again. “I can guarantee that in the ocean, you’d be better than me. Salt water is deadly to witches. I’ll have to stay below decks most of the time if I don’t want to risk getting sprayed. Don’t worry about it, we’ll be sailing, not swimming.”
“I guess so. Fine, we’ll go by boat. We should head out, then. The search will have died down by
now, and it’s near sunset – a good time to make an escape.”
“I assume you have an escape method planned?”
“My car is parked a few miles from here. We’ll have to hike, but it’s not a difficult path.”
“Ok, just let me send a message to my sisters first. They’ll go crazy if I just disappear.”
Lisette cupped her hands and spoke one of the many incantations she knew by heart. “Fleur, Tristan, I’m alright. I’m not going to be home for a bit – I need to get away from everything for a bit. Tell everyone not to worry. I’ll contact you when I can.”
A tugging feeling in her gut told her that the message had sent. Nobu was staring at her in fascination. “How did you do that?”
“Magic. I’ve been studying it since I was five. It’s really not that difficult, once you know what you’re doing.”
“Can anyone do it?”
“No, you have to be born with the ability. It generally runs in families.”
Nobu nodded and gave her a hand up. Lisette followed as he led the way through more trees. He was a lot fitter than her, but he didn’t complain about having to slow down. As they walked, they talked some more.
Lisette told Nobu about her sisters, and he filled her in about his childhood. He’d never really had much of a good childhood or family, but he seemed at peace with that. He found his work satisfying, which Lisette could understand, given how he made sure each kill made the world a better place.
It was truly nighttime by the time they made it to his car. Lisette flopped gratefully into the passenger seat. “I’m exhausted. Do you have a base or anything nearby?”
“I’m booked into a hotel in town under a different name. I can take you there.”
The thought was more than inviting, but Lisette shook her head. “I can’t show my face in town. Not after running away like I did.”
That left them with a very uncomfortable night ahead of them. Sleeping in the car wouldn’t be fun, but they wouldn’t be able to get a boat ride until the morning. Apparently, Nobu had a backup plan.
“That’s fine. There’s an abandoned farmhouse not far from here. We can crash there for the night. Though you’ll need something different to wear on the boat if you don’t want to attract attention.”
“I won’t argue with you there – this dress isn’t exactly made to be comfortable. You’ll have to grab me something in town, though. No way am I risking being caught before we’re away.”
Nobu took this request in his stride. “Alright, I need to get some supplies tomorrow anyway. You can lie down in the back, I’ll wake you when we’re at the farmhouse.”
Lisette gratefully spread out on the back seat, watching Nobu’s sharp profile as he put the car into gear. She wondered how many beds the house would have, and if they’d have to share. The thought scoured some of the tiredness from her mind, but it didn’t last for long. Before they arrived, she drifted off.
She was vaguely aware of Nobu lifting and carrying her inside. Lisette nestled sleepily into his arms, utterly content. He settled her in a soft bed, and she turned for him, but found only cold blankets. Were she more awake, Lisette might have made a case for them to share the bed – strictly for warmth purposes, of course – but her eyes were already closing.
It was cold in here, and she shivered slightly as she pulled the blankets up to her chin. Before she’d managed to drift off, the door opened again. Nobu was back; hopefully to get into bed with her, but it seemed Lisette was out of luck. He simply placed an additional blanket over her before tiptoeing out.
Finally warming up, she drifted back to sleep.
When Lisette woke, sunlight was streaming through the window. She yawned and sat up. The first thing she noticed was a note on the desk, folded so that it was standing up, with her name on it.
Lisette
I’ve gone to get you some clothes and other things. I will be back soon. There is food in the pantry.”
Nobu
She fought the disappointment that she wouldn’t get to see him right away. This was stupid, she could wait an hour or so for Nobu to get back with the essentials. Lisette didn’t have anything else to get changed into yet, but she could, at least, shower. She found that Nobu must have turned the heat on during the night, because there was hot water.
What time had he left? Maybe he’d be back soon. Lisette wasn’t done talking to him. The fact that they had an entire boat ride to Spain ahead of them didn’t make her any less eager to see him. She recognized the signs of early infatuation, having felt them many times before, but Lisette was helpless to do anything about it.
There was nothing she could do but wait for Nobu to return.
6
This really wasn’t Nobu’s idea of a good time, but it had to be done. Lisette couldn’t go to Spain wearing a wedding dress. Besides, she didn’t have any of the other essentials packed. He could share his travel kit with her, of course, but there were some things she’d need that he didn’t have.
Like women’s clothes. Ugh.
He walked into the first clothing store he found, then stood inside gaping like a lost goldfish. What was he looking for? Lisette had written down her measurements, but that didn’t tell him anything other than size. What did she like to wear?
Nobu eventually decided that it was best to be thorough. He grabbed a few pairs of jeans, some tops, dresses and skirts. Jackets, jerseys, wraps, four different types of shoes, a handbag, pajamas – both the sexy and comfortable kind.
He flinched slightly as he got to underwear. Why were there so many bras? How in the world was he supposed to choose? In the end he grabbed one of each type in her size, and did the same with panties.
The sales woman raised her eyebrows slightly, but didn’t comment on the two trolleys of stuff as he paid for it. Next, Nobu stopped to get some snacks and drinks. The boat they hired would no doubt provide food, but snacks never went amiss.
Lastly, with a feeling of doom, he headed into a small pharmacy. The number of skin and hair products was astonishing. Once again, he ended up buying multiple items, unsure what Lisette would like. He grimaced as he faced the last section. Pads and tampons. He didn’t know if Lisette would need them, but he certainly wouldn’t want her stuck on a boat for over a week without them if she did.
He could feel his face growing red as he shoved about ten different boxes into his basket. Lisette had better be grateful for this, he shook his head and paid the cashier. Nobu was in a foul mood, which he tried to remedy as he started driving back. The last thing he wanted to do was to snap at Lisette and start their day together off badly.
One last stop to buy her a suitcase, and he was set. Nobu was just about to head back to the farmhouse when he heard a voice, right in his ear, and it nearly made him crash into the street lamp.
“Nobu, I’m at the docks getting us a boat. You can meet me there.”
Once the frantic hooting died down, Nobu pulled into the first side road he saw. That had been Lisette’s voice; he recognized it. She must have used magic. He remembered her doing something similar when sending a message to her sisters.
He decided to assume the message was real and not some kind of vivid hallucination on his part, and headed to the docks. Sure enough, there Lisette was, waving the moment she saw his car. She looked stressed, and Nobu screeched to a stop, not so much parking as getting shutting down the engine and leaping out.
“Lisette? Are you ok?”
“I’m fine. I just want to get going. I’m too well known here. Any longer, and my sisters will find out I’m here. They won’t let me go without talking to me first, not once they realize I’m so close.”
“We need to hire a boat…”
“Already sorted. I bargained with one of the sailors.”
“Bargained?”
“I promised him a spell in return for our passage.”
“What kind of spell?”
“One to attract fish. He’s a fisherman.”
“So he knows yo
u’re a… he knows what you are?”
“Not really, but I convinced him the spell will work. It’ll take ten days to get to Spain, and we leave immediately. Come on, let’s get onto the ship before anyone sees me.”
Lisette’s eyes widened when Nobu led her to the car. “Did you buy the whole store?”
He shrugged. “I want you to have everything you need. Come on, help me put it all in this suitcase.”
Lisette didn’t comment on the plethora of things he had, but she was smiling the whole time they packed the suitcase. Once that was done, Nobu hoisted his own bag, mostly filled with weapons and minimal travel supplies, and followed her to the boat.
A cheerful looking man waved as they trooped on board. “This your friend? Hi, I’m Jim. You’ll be sleeping in hammocks – I only have one bunk. I hope you like fish, because that’s what we’ll be eating.”
“I like fish,” Nobu assured him. He didn’t really like being out on open water, knowing he wouldn’t be able to swim to safety if the ship went down, but he kept that thought to himself.
He and Lisette quickly got settled, not that there was much to settle. Jim had a small cabin, and apparently the favor Lisette was doing him wasn’t enough for him to give it up. He set up hammocks for the two of them in the storage room, where they shared the ceiling with multiple hanging fishing nets.
“Will he expect us to help out?” Nobu asked in a low voice. “I don’t mind working, but I know nothing about sailing – I’d probably be more of a nuisance than a help.”
“He usually sails by himself, so I doubt he’ll need our help. I suppose I should start getting used to this hammock, as I won’t be able to go up much. I told him that my skin reacts badly to salt water, which isn’t far from the truth.”
Nobu had forgotten what Lisette said about salt water. It would be a miserable voyage for her down here with nothing to do, and he wished he’d gotten some books or games or something. He resolved to spend as much time as he could with her. Unless…
“You don’t get seasick, do you?”
