* * *
Mathias
Cutting across to Forsinard saved us enough time that I was able to give Lauren the opportunity for a proper shower while I loaded our bags into the boot of a car I had arranged for our use. The Fae ponies were back in the hands of their owner’s son, a Seelie I paid extra to get us some fresh food. When Lauren came out of the guest house her dark hair was still wet, but I hardly noticed as I realized she was wearing my sweater again. It was long enough that it looked like a dress as it molded to her slender frame clinging in all the right places to show off her curves.
Raising my gaze, I was caught by the expression on her face. Exhaustion and . . . concern as she hurried toward me. “I don’t think we should stay.”
I nodded. Ushering her to the car, I didn’t say a word until we were on the narrow road leading away from the farm and from Forsinard. I glanced at Lauren. “What happened?”
Her voice sounded odd as she answered, “I just had a feeling.”
“His number changed.”
“Yes.”
When she glanced at me with such wariness in her eyes, I clenched the steering wheel tighter. “By how much?”
“He jumped from a five to a seven when I saw him get on the phone . . . after he gave you the food.”
“It seems the son is not as reliable as the parents,” I muttered. I stopped the car and pulled the sack of food out of the back seat. A quick check revealed the sandwiches I had asked for and nothing else. It was still too much risk to hope the traitor hadn’t tampered with the food. I opened the door and threw the bag over the low stone wall marking the boundary of the bog.
“What are you going to do?”
I started driving again. “Don’t worry. I told him we were going to Thurso. We don’t need to drive through it to get to Wick.”
Lauren didn’t reply, and I glanced over at her. She was biting her bottom lip like she wanted to ask something and was afraid to do so. “What is it?” She flinched and turned wide eyes on me. My grip on the steering wheel tightened. “What are you afraid of, Lauren? Me?”
“I am not afraid of you,” she countered softly. “But, I am a little worried about your reactions right now.”
“Is that why you didn’t tell me about his number changing, indicating he was a threat? You thought I would go kill him,” I stated coldly.
Lauren didn’t flinch this time and her dark eyes pierced me as she murmured, “You think you wouldn’t have done that?”
I opened my mouth to deny it. I wanted to deny it. But, the cold settling in my veins and still edging my vision was already pushing for me to go back and eliminate the threat. I turned my attention back to the road. “Next time you need to tell me. This time he was a snitch. Next time could be an attack.”
“If it was an attack, we should have done the same as we are now. Leave.”
“You are fond of running.” The cool words slipped out before I considered how they would sound. Glancing at her, I quickly murmured, “Sorry. That came out . . . wrong.”
“I know.”
An uneasy silence fell between us. I knew I should let it be, use it to encourage the distance between us, but the draw toward Lauren was too strong. It was enough knowing I would be forcing myself to walk away from her. Allowing the silence to continue was too much.
After another twenty minutes of wrestling with myself, I finally broke the silence. “When we get to Wick, there will be a charter plane waiting to take us to Aberdeen. I’ll get you a ticket to the continent. Germany, Italy, maybe Spain. France is too close to be a truly good option. At least for right now.”
“Mathias, what are you talking about?”
I kept my eyes on the road as I quietly replied, “You said I stopped sharing the plan with you. I’m sharing now. In case we get separated before you can get on your flight. I’ve made arrangements for you to get off this bloody island before you get caught between me and Weard’s hunters again. I won’t have you killed because Weard is trying to break me. I won’t have you end up the same way as Amber.”
Slender fingers slid over my whitened knuckles rubbing gently. “Amber was a victim. I’m a little more prepared. I know what you are and to avoid the people hunting for us. Weard doesn’t know what you are, right?”
“Unless he told them, no.”
“He?”
I ignored the question. That information was something I didn’t want to repeat. “It doesn’t matter now. Weard will find out what I am because I’m going to ensure they know.”
Lauren’s gentle massage stopped, and I could feel her staring at me. “What? Mathias, no.”
“It is the only way,” I countered. “It is the only way to ensure Weard stops sending so many hunters after you. You may be a Spotter, but Weard won’t ignore me when I reveal I’m a Myrmidon.”
“Mathias, no. That’s not a plan, it’s a suicide mission!” Lauren’s hand slipped down to my wrist and she gripped it, making me look at her. Her eyes were wide and filled with . . . fear. “Don’t do this, Mathias. We can find another solution.”
I shook my head. Slipping my wrist out from under her grip, I stated simply, “There won’t be any time to find another. We’ll leave Wick as soon as we reach the airport, which won’t take more than twenty minutes. By midnight we’ll be in Aberdeen. I’ll try to get you a ticket for an early flight.”
“You keep talking like you aren’t going to fly with me.”
The quiet words shook my resolve not to touch her. I reached over and grasped her hand, but kept my eyes on the road. If I looked into her eyes now, I would likely agree to whatever she wanted and that was not what was best for her. “You will have a new . . . guide.”
“Yes, on the continent. I don’t want to split up in Aberdeen.”
“Lauren, this is for the best. I will make my way back to Chicago. The appearance of a Myrmidon in the headquarters of Weard will bring every available hunter flooding back. Maybe I’ll find out who is truly behind this hunt for your remaining people. Either way, I’ll make sure they are far more concerned with me than devoting resources to chasing a little Spotter like you.”
“Mathias, I don’t want to do it that way. I want us to come up with a different plan. I want . . . I want to stay with you.”
I let go of her hand, shaking my head, as I murmured, “No. No, it has to be this way. You aren’t safe with me, Lauren.”
“Is there no way to stop it? This Biting Ice, the cold, how do we stop it?”
“Distance,” I ground out. I knew it was already too late for that, but as long as she didn’t know I would be able to get her away before she became too entangled in my world. I wouldn’t put a death mark on her just to save myself. I drove faster needing to get to the airport faster. “It is the only way.”
* * *
Chapter Thirteen
Mathias
The safe house at Aberdeen was tucked into a sleepy corner of the same district as the airport. Normally I walked, but this time we took the bus to a corner two streets over. Lauren had gotten quiet during the flight from Wick. I could only hope it meant that she was coming to terms with the plan. It would be difficult enough to leave without her continuing to plead for me to concede to a different plan. That was . . .
Just the thought of Lauren’s distress made me ache to stay by her side as she asked. But, it was selfish and foolish. I simply could not do that to her. I glanced down at Lauren. She was using her crutches again, but still making good time. I needed to remind her to find a doctor to give her a walking boot when she reached the continent. It was too risky to linger anywhere in the UK or to go to another doctor here.
As we approached the safe house, I sensed watching eyes. Another glance at Lauren assured me she hadn’t noticed anything yet. Good. I found the key tucked inside a false brick and opened the door to reveal a darkened room.
I stepped across the threshold and shut the door behind us just before Lauren hissed, “Seven!”
Hands wrapped around my
arm jerking me forward. Then I felt movement behind me, heard the thump of a crutch against the floor, before the hands holding onto me abruptly let go. “You little harpy in disguise! Do not hit me again!”
I found the light switch and flipped it on. Lauren slammed her crutch across the fool’s shoulders, a rather determined look in her dark eyes. I chuckled.
Lauren’s gaze jerked to me and for a moment I thought she might strike me with the crutch. “Why is this funny? I can’t let you kill him.”
“I wasn’t planning to kill him,” I stated simply as I turned my attention to the man being battered by a woman half his size. “Royal, stand up. You shouldn’t have tried that.”
Royal’s accent was more pronounced than mine as he gave Lauren a new assessing look while grumbling, “I didn’t know your little Spotter had enough heart for her to attack. To save you, it would seem.” He nodded to Lauren. “Miss Hope, it’s a pleasure. I’m Royal—”
“You’re the hunter from Inverness,” Lauren interjected, cutting off his introduction. Something that made me . . . glad. Then, she turned to me frowning. “Why is he here? Why are you treating him like he’s a friend now? You said you couldn’t trust him anymore.”
“He’s the only other person I know of who will be able to keep you safe from the other hunters.” I turned to Royal. “We might have a day before hunters make their way to Aberdeen. You need to get her to the continent. I will make sure Weard is distracted. It should give you enough of a lead to make sure she’s safe and well hidden.”
“Hold on a moment,” Royal interrupted, raising his hand, as he looked at me more closely. “Has he been cold? Silent?”
“Yeeees,” Lauren drew the word out, her eyes narrowing as she watched Royal. Her grip on her crutch shifted, and I realized with some amusement that she was prepared to strike Royal again. What she hoped to accomplish by beating a dragon shifter about the shoulders, I wasn’t entirely certain. “Why do you care?”
Royal glanced at her and then he turned back to me raising his hands with a smirk. “Change of plans, Mathias.”
Lauren brought her crutch up and then swung it at him. I stopped it this time. “Enough, Lauren. It’s okay. I asked him to meet us here.” As Lauren lowered her crutch with obvious reluctance, I turned back to Royal and narrowed my gaze. “Which you agreed to do, if you recall.”
Royal shook his head. “That was before. This is now.”
“Now?”
“Now I’ve seen you, I know I can’t take over the protection detail. You are already connected to the girl. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be in such bad shape. I’m surprised you aren’t completely frozen already, trying to deny the fact that you are now a Myrmidon in dire need of a mate.”
* * *
Lauren
I looked between the men in bewilderment. The man was the same one who had been at Inverness rail station. The one who had decided to walk away. It was already confusing enough that Mathias had apparently contacted him to be my new protector, but this man had said ‘mate.’
Not knowing what else to do, I turned to Mathias. “What is he talking about? You said only distance could help your control now.”
“He’s trying to protect you,” the man, Royal, interjected. “Even though it is going to cost him his humanity and his life.”
“What?” I looked from Mathias to him and back to Mathias. “You said you were only going to try to distract Weard.”
“It’s too late for that,” Royal interjected again. “Mathias is most likely planning to go to Chicago where he intends to lose control and give in to the Myrmidon’s icy rage. Be another Achilles.”
“I won’t be like that undisciplined embarrassment,” Mathias stated frostily. “This is the only way.”
“He doesn’t seem to think so,” I stated bluntly. Despite the panic stirring at the fact I was arguing with two high numbers in the room, I couldn’t let Mathias do this. “I won’t stand by and watch you go on this suicidal mission, Mathias. Not when there is clearly another option.”
“It is too risky for you to stay with me.”
My voice shook as I met his cool gaze and hissed, “I don’t care! You lied to me about this and that is not acceptable. I want to know what the other options are to you throwing yourself on a funeral pyre built by Weard. After everything we have been through, I deserve that much from you, Mathias.”
Mathias’ mouth firmed into a line and he looked away.
I exhaled a shaky breath. “Fine. Be that way.” I turned to Royal. The man was watching me with surprising seriousness in his brown eyes. “You seem to know a lot about Mathias. You know he’s a Myrmidon. So you can tell me what the options are or I’ll hit you with my crutch again. And, I definitely won’t be flying anywhere with you.”
Royal’s brown eyes flickered to yellow with slit pupils. Definitely a dragon shifter. Then, his dark face split into a smile. “I see why this one got to you, Mathias.” His eyes changed back as his smile faded. “What our rare friend has failed to inform you of is the simple fact that he made an oath of protection. Now, his Myrmidon heritage demands he take a mate or succumb.”
“To this Biting Ice?”
Royal’s eyes flickered, and I knew I had surprised him. Then, he nodded. “If a Myrmidon binds himself with an oath of protection, then he needs to take a mate. Or he will die from exertion caused by a destructive rage, what they call Biting Ice, that will mete out justice in the coldest sense.”
My head drew back as I recalled the screams, the unanswered plea for mercy. My eyes went to Mathias. He was watching me now, but his expression was carefully blank and his gaze cold. Almost as though he were already preparing himself to be lost to the coldness. The thought made my heart hurt for him and the little voice in my mind screamed this was why smart Spotters didn’t get involved with high numbers.
So I wasn’t a smart Spotter. But, I cared. I turned back to Royal who was watching me closely. “You’ve witnessed just a taste of what will come if he succumbs.”
“I didn’t know the whole of it. I didn’t know he would die or go on a rampage.” The words fell from my lips like they were coated in the heaviest metal on earth. I shook my head as I ran my hand through my hair. Turning back to Mathias, my eyes burned with unshed tears as I hissed, “You shouldn’t have kept this from me. You said you would get better if there was distance. Why do you truly want to leave? Why do you truly want that distance?”
“To save you,” Mathias stated so quietly I almost didn’t hear him.
“Save me? From what?” When Mathias didn’t respond, I turned back to Royal. “What does he mean? What isn’t he telling me now?”
Royal glanced over at Mathias who was setting our go bags in the corner of the room. He ran a hand over his short cropped beard and then took off his flat cap to scratch the top of his head. When he turned back to me, I raised my crutch. The normal fear of even considering threatening a high number had been buried by my need to figure out what Mathias was attempting to do and stop him from sacrificing himself unnecessarily. The dragon shifter only looked amused. However, his tone was completely serious when he broke his silence. “He wants distance because he doesn’t want you to fall victim too. And, you will. As will many other innocents, if Mathias doesn’t succeed in isolating himself so he only has to wait until his heart finally bursts or until someone manages to put him down but that is nearly impossible.”
“He’s planning to go to Chicago,” I whispered more to myself than to anyone else. My mind was already putting the pieces together, and I hated what I was seeing.
Royal’s voice was solemn when he answered, “Even this plan of his to unleash his rage on Weard Enterprises is precarious at best. Because he’s going to run into innocents, no matter where he goes. Even at headquarters you’re going to find innocents, Mathias.”
* * *
Chapter Fourteen
Mathias
The disapproval in Royal’s words reached me, but I refused to let them affect my de
termination. I avoided Lauren’s gaze entirely. “There’s a laundry on the premises if you want to use it, Lauren. I’m sure Royal will accommodate that need before you leave on your flight. Keep her out of France, Royal. Mediterranean or Eastern Europe would be better.”
“Mathias.”
I ignored Lauren’s quiet voice. Clearing my throat, I rubbed my temple. “You should probably leave before I do. Give me time to reach the States and be on the way to Chicago.”
“I won’t go with the girl,” Royal interrupted.
I turned on him. “You agreed. Or have you decided not to leave Weard after all?”
Royal folded his arms over his chest as he leaned against the wall. “Don’t threaten me, Myrmidon. You only got the drop on those oath breakers because they didn’t know what you were capable of and I do.”
“So you should know not to try to double cross me,” I stated coldly. “Lauren cannot stay anywhere in the United Kingdom, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland . . . none of it will be far enough away. She will be able to disappear if you take her east. Try to stay out of Turkey if you can. Weard will have hunters there no matter what I do.”
“Well, paranormals do have a tendency to flee to their homelands when hunted,” Royal murmured. “Perhaps that is why they’ve been able to track you here. Accents tend to give us away, don’t they?”
I scowled at him. “I didn’t have a choice. She got hurt, and I needed the pills to give me control.”
“They seem to be working quite well,” Royal countered.
I shook my head. “Dragons. Always so fickle and stubborn.”
“No more so than Myrmidons from where I’m standing,” he retorted mildly.
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