I assessed his question. My head and body ached. My mouth felt stretched and tender, and I could feel blood drying on my chin. “No. I’m just bruised.”
“Good.” He turned to James. “I have to deal with this.”
He bent down and lifted James’s limp form in his arms. The action caused panic to claw up my throat, and I scrambled into a sitting position, ignoring my protesting limbs.
“Wait,” I cried. “Where are you going?”
Gage paused, staring down at me as he held James effortlessly in his arms. Ignoring my question, he barked out firmly, “Stay here. I’ve warded the house. If you stay inside, you’ll be safe.”
He turned sharply and began walking to the front door.
I started to panic. Was he leaving me? The aftermath of what had just happened was beginning to filter in. I didn’t want him to leave. I didn’t want to be alone.
“Stop,” I cried hoarsely. “Please don’t leave me!”
But Gage ignored me, not looking back as he opened the door and slipped into the night.
13
Gage
A streetlight illuminated the interior of the cab, and my gaze flicked involuntarily to the rearview mirror and the prone passenger on the back seat. He was still out cold.
Anger at what had just happened bloomed like a raw wound in my chest. I smashed my fist onto the steering wheel, a stream of expletives spewing from my mouth. As the burn subsided, I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to find calm. The act made me conscious of the bruise on my jaw, where James had powerfully smashed his head into my chin. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, it hurt like a bitch. I sent a tendril of magic to the area, easing the pain and the bruise. It wouldn’t do to be conspicuous on this errand.
I also needed a clear head. Because Talorgan was already here.
Talorgan knew about Brydie’s existence, and he’d already gone after her. That meant Nora had gone to the effort of keeping her existence a secret all for nothing. I still couldn’t understand why Nora hadn’t told me about Brydie. Nor could I understand why Reuben hadn’t shared her existence with me, either.
The questions plagued me.
I knew that Nora and Grandfather would have had a reason. A reason valid enough to break the bond between us all. I needed to find out what that reason was. For as soon as Reuben knew of Brydie’s existence, he would have known his time with Nora was limited. That she wasn’t the one they’d believed would end this prophecy.
I could only imagine what Grandfather would have felt. The knowledge that the woman he loved would die at the hands of his enemy. I didn’t feel remorse. Reuben had created a bed of his own making—his instincts dulled by his feelings for Nora. And he’d paid the price of that dearly.
I snarled, grinding my teeth together as I felt the pain of his loss. But I would not be swayed like Reuben. I had a failsafe that no one else had—my power was unmatched by any other Druid.
The inferno that raged inside me wouldn’t let many people close. It licked at the edges of my consciousness, a constant burn that never let me forget that my emotions tempered my control. Caring about others only fueled its fire and made my magic unpredictable. As a result, my inner circle had to be tight. Only those who I couldn’t live without could mean something to me. Reuben had been one of them; so had Nora. All that was left now was my brother and my son.
Without Reuben and Nora influencing my actions, the pressure on my magic had eased somewhat. Reuben would have expected me to add Brydie to my inner circle, just like I had Nora. I didn’t want to. I protested it with all my being. Not only was she undeserving, but I didn’t want to follow in Reuben’s footsteps.
Brydie would not touch me—emotionally or physically. I was adamant that she would have no control over any part of me. Prophecy be damned.
I passed under a streetlight, and another yellow glow invaded the cab. I couldn’t help glancing in the rearview mirror again, checking to see if the light would rouse my silent companion. But he remained unmoving, his body slack against the seat.
My lips twisted into a grim smile. The rune I’d imbued on the knife had worked well. I was worried I’d misjudged the strength of the rune required to eradicate Talorgan from the man’s body. But I hadn’t wanted to leave it to chance. If the rune wasn’t strong enough, Talorgan would have stayed inside the man, relentlessly pursuing his quarry—pursuing Brydie.
James had moved fast, I reflected. Talorgan had been clever. Using someone familiar to cross the wards, someone she’d already let into her home.
That meant Talorgan had been here for a long time. Spending time here, learning her world, her patterns. My blood chilled. What if I hadn’t found Brydie in time? What if I had turned up a few days later?
She would have been dead—the prophecy fulfilled—and darkness would irrevocably have fallen.
I tightened my hands on the wheel. That outcome was unacceptable. Acid burned at the back of my throat at the knowledge that I’d cut it close.
I’d felt James cross the wards, but I was too busy watching Brydie at the other end of the house to catch his movement on the property. By the time I walked to the front of her villa to discern who had arrived, James had already entered.
My neck had been pulsating viciously, burning with a vengeance that was a blaring warning Talorgan was near. I didn’t hesitate to rush immediately inside. The first thing I saw as I burst through the front door was James. He was just ahead of me, his back facing me as he dragged Brydie into the hallway. I was operating on pure adrenaline, too frantic to wield a rune, and in that split second, I opted for physical strength, throwing myself at James and pushing Brydie to the floor.
His strength was surreal, and I knew as soon as I’d touched him that I’d been fooled back at the restaurant. Distance hadn’t weakened Talorgan’s strength—he’d played me.
My headlights reflected on a metal sign just ahead, cutting into the dark oasis of my thoughts.
Waikato Hospital.
I’d arrived.
I pulled down a side street, two hundred meters from the main entrance. Scoping the darkness outside, I noted one lone straggler fifty meters ahead. By their gait, it was clear they were inebriated. Still, I wasn’t satisfied. I sat there a moment longer, pushing out with my senses, seeking a vibration or a scent that didn’t belong.
There was nothing.
Without hesitating further, I jumped out, opening the back door to pull James off the seat. Hoisting him securely under my arm, I half dragged, half carried him down the street, and turned left toward the hospital. When we were within fifty meters of the entrance, I ducked into the dense foliage adjacent to the building. It provided a natural screen against the concrete monstrosity and unobtrusively hid us.
I crouched low, laying James on his side. My fingers flickered in a flutter of movement as I sent a whisper of coercion on the slight breeze. It was a suggestion to others that they look away, forget what they see. I wasn’t leaving anything to chance. Talorgan’s minions were still out there—the man from the club, and potentially others.
Then I waited.
It didn’t take long before a young woman exited the building and began walking toward us. Her bomber jacket flapped open as she moved, and my sharp gaze trained on the pair of scrubs she was wearing underneath.
Perfect.
My hands fluttered again, and I murmured softly, sending a wisp of gray smoke on the breeze. I watched it keenly, following its unerring progress. I felt the connection the instant it flowed into the woman’s nostrils. Her head lifted, and our gazes met.