Part 7 (1/2)
”You say there will always be suffering in the world. You would be right.
That does not change. However, for all the suffering in the world, many could be called upon to champion the cause of those other victims. In the case of the queen, there is only you.
”No one else can help her?”
”All who could have helped have tried, and failed.”
”I find it odd that you keep going on about how your beloved queen is in
mortal danger, yet you don't seem to care overmuch for her.”
That took him aback. ”How would you know what I feel?” His gaze narrowed.
”I thought you said your empathy dealt only with animals.”
She couldn't get used to the way he talked so easily about her gift. It unnerved
her. ”Just answer my question.”
”I am here at the queen's request.”
”So this is what, a favor? A good deed? I asked you before what was in it for
you and you didn't answer. I want an answer.”
He looked her dead in the eye. ”A pile of money.”
She swallowed. So, there was what amounted to a bounty on her head. And
she was looking at what was probably the future's best bounty hunter. Lovely, just lovely. ”So you're basically kidnapping me. And I'm supposed to go along with this willingly, to boot.”
”I am not a kidnapper.” He seemed honestly affronted by the notion. ”I'm a businessman. Of sorts.”
”You're a mercenary, you mean. A professional bully. Of sorts.”
He shrugged off the sarcasm, but there was an air of supreme confidence about him now. Okay, a bigger air than usual. ”I don't bully. But I do have special skills of my own. Available for a price.”
Talia wasn't used to people jerking her chain, not in her quiet, safe little existence. But her chain had been jerked now and she found it impossible to remain pa.s.sive. Maybe she was too far down the Yellow Brick Road now to have any perspective left. Whatever the cause, she found herself running her gaze over him, doc.u.menting his serviceable clothing, his body's latent powerful stance, the calculating look that met hers when she came back to his eyes. ”Yes, I can imagine you do.”
His eyes widened a bit and for the first time a tiny spark of awareness shot into their dark depths. s.e.xual awareness. Whoa, she thought, backpedaling quickly. We won't be going there again. His mercenary skills apparently extended beyond kidnapping for his queen to... other things. Things she had little experience with and no business fooling around with. Not with him anyway.
She glanced away and caught her reflection in the pond. Baggy overalls, a T- s.h.i.+rt that was almost as old as she was, and Beatrice's fis.h.i.+ng bonnet. Oh, yeah, she was just a seduction waiting to happen. She smiled wryly.
”I'm glad I amuse you,” he said shortly. The spark-if it ever really existed- had died, replaced by the cool competence and impatience that were more
typical of him.
She didn't tell him she was amused at herself, not him. She liked him better when he was on the defensive. He was still c.o.c.ky and arrogant as h.e.l.l, but he seemed more human somehow.
”You said there would always be risks, whether I went with you or not. What did you mean? Does it have something to do with Jimmy?””There are those who would like nothing better than for Wales to-”She lifted her hand. ”Hold up. Wales?”
”Of course. One of Britain's three kingdoms.”
”Countries, you mean. Wales, Scotland, and England. But they are united under one monarchy.”
He stared at her for a long moment, then said, ”That changes.”
”Oh.” Talia wanted to ask him more, and at the same time she didn't want to hear another d.a.m.n thing. Right now she had goose b.u.mps on her goose
b.u.mps. He was pretty d.a.m.n good at this ”I'm from the future” thing and she wasn't liking it.
”Lord Chamberlain, our High Parliamentarian, would like nothing better than
for Llanfair to lose its ruler and heir to the throne in one tragic death.”She stilled. Llanfair? In her mother's fairy tales King Gynan's castle was set in the magical land of Llanfair. She'd thought it had been all make-believe. She desperately wanted to keep believing that. Then something else he'd said struck her. ”Ruler and heir?””Queen Catriona is pregnant with a son. The heir to the throne.”
Chapter 4.