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“Good, because this is a business arrangement—nothing more. You will do well to remember that.”

I spluttered, fury a burning ache in my chest. “Don’t worry; there’s no chance I could forget!”

Turning on my heel, I stormed from the room.

17

Brydie

I slammed the door shut behind me and leaned my back against the wood, hoping Gage had fallen for my performance; that I’d convinced him of my pledge that I would not leave.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed off the door and swiftly turned the lock. Part of me knew it was fruitless, but there was some satisfaction in knowing that I’d locked him out.

My gaze flitted around the bedroom, latching onto the large bay window. It was my only option for escape.

As I stared at it, I became conscious of the rain battering the glass pane. It was a tinkling crescendo of sound, interspersed with the occasional roaring gale. I could smell the damp draught filtering between the windowpanes; the wild spring weather was making its presence known.

Swiveling, I looked on the bed, catching sight of my handbag and the rain jacket I’d thrown on top of the coverlet earlier this afternoon. It felt like it had been days ago—not hours.

I quickly pulled the jacket on and rifled through my handbag to locate my cell phone and wallet. Once in hand, I tucked them securely into the front pocket of the jacket. Without pausing to consider the consequences any further, I walked determinedly toward the window. Pulling the gauzy curtains aside, I couldn’t help noticing how my fingers trembled. Gage had said I wasn’t safe outside of these walls. That Talorgan could catch me beyond the wards. But he’d also said I had twenty-four hours before he recuperated. I was going to use that time wisely to investigate whether Nora really was dead and if Gage was who he said he was.

My plan was loose, but tonight I intended to stay in a hotel on the other side of town. First thing in the morning, I was going to visit our family solicitor. Nora had left her details at their office, and I was certain the firm would have a way to get in touch with her on my behalf. I also needed them to confirm if they’d ever heard of Gage Campbell. Another option was contacting the police, but that avenue felt too risky, especially after what had happened in my villa tonight. Besides, I still didn’t know for sure if James was alive or not. Gage could have told me that to keep me happy.

If the solicitor confirmed Nora was dead and Gage was a family friend, then I would begin to hold some truth in what Gage and Nora had told me—that I was a descendant of a Celtic deity.

Oh god! Even thinking of it caused my mind to whirl in a flurry. There was no way I could comprehend it. Gods, immortality, Druidry? It was too much to consider, too unreal. And I wasn’t that naive to believe every word I’d been fed. No. I needed to determine the truth for myself.

I curved my hand around the window latch and pushed the window slowly outward, anticipating the exact moment the hinges would catch. Holding it in my cold grip, I took a deep breath before pushing it violently away from me, past the place it usually caught and squealed.

Silence.

Releasing my breath, I carefully straddled the ledge, ignoring the damp that seeped under my thighs. I made sure to keep a hold of the window. If it were flung out of my grip in a sudden gust of wind and smashed into the side of the house, my cover would be blown.

To my left was a trellis of trailing wisteria. The scent was a bouquet of wild sweetness, swirling around me in the hostility of the storm. It was pitch black outside, the light of my bedroom providing little relief against the inky darkness. The bay window wasn’t high though, and I knew that it was an easy fall to the garden below. Planting my hands on either side of my thighs, I pushed off, anticipating the impact of the soft ground below.

But I remained on the ledge.

Puzzled, I pushed again, leaning forward precariously out of the window, almost as if I would fall out. I didn’t move. It was as if there was an invisible wall in front of me.

What the hell?!

Not daring to think what this was and refusing to consider the consequences, I pushed again, throwing all of my body into the momentum. The pendant flashed, its brilliance illuminating my leafy garden in a blaze of amber. In its afterglow, I caught sight of a lone figure standing in the shadows to my right.

One thought seared my mind. James.

I screamed, scrambling backward, back into the bedroom.

But I never felt the impact of the floorboards beneath me because two hands gripped my calves and hauled me roughly out of the window. I slammed into a hard body, and a large hand clapped over my mouth in a parody of only hours before.

“Quiet!” the voice came, low and urgent.

I froze, fury taking over. Gage. I bit down hard, and he cursed, pulling his hand away.

“You bastard!” I spat, lashing out with my feet and swinging my arms wildly, desperate to find purchase. Rain fell in a relentless roar around us, pounding on my unprotected head.

Gage snarled, and in one swift movement, he lifted me in mid-air, flinging me over his shoulder. He began striding away, but I didn’t quit, thumping my fists against his back as the rain poured incessantly down my neck.

The darkness of the night was broken by artificial light as he viciously kicked the back door open and planted me roughly on my feet. Before I had time to take a breath, he’d slammed the door and thrust me against the wall, his hands on either side of my shoulders.

I glared at him, gasping for air. His hair was plastered to his scalp, but his eyes were fiery with an intensity that I hadn’t yet witnessed. His blue irises were blazing. Oh, he was angry—very angry. But I ignored the warning signs, a riot of emotions overtaking reason. “What were you doing out there?” I demanded.

His lips drew into a thin line. “No, Brydie, the question is, what were you doing?”

My breath loosed in a rush of hot air. “You can’t blame me for wanting to escape! You would have done the same if some lunatic broke into your home, stabbed someone in front of you, and then told you some bullshit story based on a mythological figure!”

His face was a cold, controlled mask of anger. “Regardless of what you’ve seen or heard tonight, some part of you should have known to stay inside! Don’t you have any self-preservation?” His fingers bit into my shoulders as he added, “And you underestimated me if you thought I’d let you escape.”

His hand snaked out and tugged cruelly on the chain around my neck. The motion pulled my face up to his. I could feel his breath on my cheek. “What you didn’t know,” he bit out quietly, “is that the pendant is your first protector. It will do whatever is in its power to stop you from hurting yourself. The second thing you didn’t know is that I’ve warded the house. Breaching those wards alerted me that you were either trying to escape, or someone was trying to get in.”

I swallowed, understanding it had all been a test. “So, I failed miserably,” I cried. “Do you blame me?”

He growled low in his throat. “Make no mistake, Brydie; I’m not here by choice! I would like to be free of this prophecy, free of this curse! But I have a role to fulfill, and part of that is ensuring that you survive. I can’t lose—I have people relying on me, people I need to protect. And if you willingly put yourself in danger again, I’ll chain you to me without so much as a breath of air to move in. Do you understand me?”