Cursing, Ice conjured a bit of human money and left it, grabbing a few scones and muffins. He made for the French doors near the back, exiting onto the street once more and rounding the first corner.
There. His little witch was occupied. Ice stopped, watched as she stood near a human male, drawing him close to her. Young, strapping, he smiled, looking dazed by her beauty. In turn, she sent the man a welcoming smile, punctuated by a flip of that golden hair Ice ached to feel across his chest, over his cock. She reached out to touch the male’s hand. The male gripped her hand in return.
Ice snapped. Sabelle might not belong to him, but by God if she was going to touch another as he watched.
Hell-bent, he stalked across the car park. “Sabelle.”
She whipped her gaze in his direction and gave him a go-away glare. Like hell.
He barreled toward them, pausing mere inches from her. Unwisely, she still gripped the human’s hand. To his credit, the man tried to pull his hand from the minx’s grip, but she held firm.
“This is James,” she said before he could warn the man to get the hell away from his woman. “He’s very graciously offered to let us borrow his car for a few days.”
When she held up the keys, Ice dragged in a deep breath. She’d done it for escape. To be fair, faithlessness wasn’t a question, since she had not committed to him. Even so, he could barely stomach the sight of another man’s hand on her. But in allowing a stranger she would never see again to hold her hand and be influenced by her siren abilities, she had secured a new car that would not trouble them with the authorities. That one touch allowed them to escape and continue their quest.
He should feel thankful, not homicidal.
“Nice to meet you.” James’s voice shook as he extended his free hand in Ice’s direction.
Ice did his best to suppress his scowl and took the man’s hand. Sweaty. Shaking. Rather liking the idea of James’s fear, Ice smiled, not nicely.
“Ice is my very protective … cousin.”
“Cousin?”
Just like that, his tolerance snapped. Cousin was one step from brother, and he hoped to hell Sabelle didn’t see him in that light. Hard to imagine when she’d allowed him to strip her bare on a table and wrap his lips around those tight, berry red nipples. He would have no problem ensuring she saw him as a man once they were alone again.
James glanced nervously between Ice and Sabelle, as if he sensed something wasn’t quite right, but the witch’s grip on his hand muted his logic. Self-preservation kicked in.
“I’ll see you when we bring the car back.” Sabelle leaned close to the human male, lips pursed.
Ice scented the lust pouring from James and, gnashing his teeth, grabbed Sabelle’s arm to jerk her away. Touching her was a mistake. For that moment, she shot him a wave of soothing peace that smothered his jealous rage. In that instant, she planted a soft kiss on James’s cheek.
Wearing a dreamy smile, James nodded. “Take as long as you need, love.”
“Thank you for your kindness. Isn’t he lovely?” Sabelle turned to Ice. When he failed to respond on the spot, she elbowed him. “Isn’t he?”
Only to prevent annoying James, who might leave with his auto, did Ice nod. “Indeed.”
Sabelle elbowed him in the ribs again.
Moments later, James left them, looking euphoric and happily confused. Sabelle watched, palming his keys.
“Let’s go. Did you reach Duke?”
“No answer.”
Concern darkened Sabelle’s face. “What do you think that means?”
“Could be anything.” He shrugged, trying not to think the worst. “Like us, he may not have had his phone with him when Mathias attacked.”
“He did, on his belt.” She bit her lip. “Do you think they were captured? Killed?”
The possibility so terrified her. Ice wasn’t about to mention that had crossed his mind at least a dozen times as well. “They are able to teleport, which is a huge advantage. We’re still alive, so it’s likely they are, as well.”
“I hope you’re right. I’m not certain we can fight Mathias alone.”
You can’t, he wanted to say. He’d tried, after all, taking down nearly a hundred Anarki by himself. Yes, that had been two hundred years ago, and he’d been much more rash and stupid. He’d been lucky to escape with his life, though that hadn’t been his intention. And he’d learned a valuable lesson: Mathias’s army was like an octopus. An evil that could reach in all directions to drag a wizard in and devour him whole if he hadn’t the proper tools and allies.
Which is why you can’t make a bloody big deal about this car, he reminded himself. Escape. Getting Mathias. Lopping off as many arms of the monster as possible should be uppermost in his mind. Claiming the woman? Foolish and ill-timed. She would never say yes, and he shouldn’t expect her to in the midst of crisis.
Time to move on . . .
“Let’s retrieve Bram and get on the road again,” he commanded.
Sabelle nodded. “Did you get food?”
Indeed. But when he looked down at his fist, he realized that witnessing Sabelle touch James had made him angry enough to turn the scones and muffins into little more than crumbs for birds.
With a curse, he dropped them. “We’ll find something in the next town.”
Around midday, Sabelle and Ice arrived at the outskirts of Ludlow. Thomas MacKinnett lived in a renovated nineteenth-century estate about five kilometers from Stokesay Castle. The golden sun burned through the haze to shine in a perfect blue sky. Everything here was lovely in a stark, December sort of way, and she had no reason to shiver. But she did. The air felt disturbed. Even without seeing the house yet, she knew something was wrong.
“It’s quiet out here.” Ice frowned. The farther up the winding dirt road she drove, the more his frown deepened.
Too quiet. Ice may not have said it, but he likely thought it. “Indeed.”
“MacKinnett had no children other than Auropha?”
“No. And his mate died over a decade ago. Other than servants, he lived alone.”
“Perhaps that’s why it’s so quiet.”
Sabelle wasn’t convinced. She stepped on the accelerator and moved their borrowed car farther up the muddy lane. When the house came into view, she slammed on the brakes.
Sun filtered through the clouds, sending down patchy rays of light playing on the battered roof. Age stains and ivy crawled across the stone facade. MacKinnett had closed the shutters over every window.