Part 20 (1/2)

She came to a dead stop. ”Okay, that's it. I can't do this anymore.”

He gaped at her. ”Well, it's a bit late for that, sweetheart.”

”I don't want to play these games of intrigue anymore. I don't want to have

you hovering about all dark-eyed and mercenary or chasing after bad guys.”

She s.h.i.+vered. ”It's not worth learning about my mother, my past, or even about myself. Maybe I already know too much. So, I've made my decision.” She looked squarely at him. ”I'm not going back with you. I'm sorry. I just can't do it. I can't heal anything anyway, so it's just as well we end this charade right now.”

His expression flattened. ”It's not that simple anymore.”

”Maybe not for you, but I'm taking myself out of the game.”

”You don't understand. It's too late for you to make that decision. There are

others who will simply do it for you.””Can't you just-” She flung one hand in the air in exasperation. And not a little fear. ”I don't know, announce to the players on the field that I'm out of the game? I won't be going back to heal the queen, so I'm no longer a threat.

Period, done, game over.”

”It doesn't work that way. You were a player the day your mother conceived

you. The only way I can protect you now is to take you to court, to the queen.

They aren't going to stop. Cla.s.s time is officially over.”

Her trembling increased. ”But if I make it clear I'm not going back, can't I just

stay here? If I can't help Catriona, what threat am I to anyone?”

He shook his head. ”I can't keep you safe in this time any longer. If Chamberlain sent Anteri, he's made it clear what he intends and he won't stop

until he succeeds. Whatever Baleweg has taught you will have to be enough.

We have to go back.”

”Back.” She laughed, only it sounded like a faint little chirp. ”As in...

forward. Really far. Forward.” Her knees began to buckle.

Archer caught her before she hit the ground. ”Come on, Talia,” he said close to her ear. ”I know you don't want a scene.” But it was too late for that.

Heads turned as Stella rushed over. ”What happened? Oh, my G.o.d, look at

you! Were you in a fight or something? Talia! Is she okay?”

He tried a rea.s.suring smile. ”I think all that sugar went to her head. I was just helping some bloke with his, uh, truck,” he improvised, ”and the next thing I know her eyes are all gla.s.sy. She needs to eat more regularly.” He turned his lips to her ear and whispered, ”Come on, sweetheart. Open your eyes for me.

Show Stella you're okay.” Her eyelids fluttered once, then twice, and suddenly

those fairy eyes were looking deeply into his. Stella and the rest of the concerned onlookers ceased to exist.

”Sorry,” she murmured.

He smiled. ”No worries. I have you now.”

Her eyes clouded. ”What's going to happen to me, Devin?”

He swore his heart stopped for several complete beats. If he'd thought hearing his given name on Baleweg's lips had been disconcerting, hearing it from hers was close to life-altering. ”You'll be okay. But we have to get you out of here. You've created a bit of a looking on.”

Stella stepped in. ”Are you okay, Talia?” Talia s.h.i.+fted to get out of his embrace, but Archer was suddenly unwilling to let her go. He tightened his hold almost instinctively, but when she cut her eyes sideways at Stella, he was forced to release her. He kept his hand on the small of her back. To steady her, in case her legs were still watery, he told himself. Another crock of bull. The more he got his hands on her, the more he couldn't keep his hands off her. ”I'm fine, Stella,” Talia said, her voice slightly wobbly. ”Just a bit too much fair and not enough food, I think. I should be more careful.” She looked at Archer then and deliberately moved away from his touch. ”Why don't we load up the dogs and go back to the house?” She moved away, Stella at her side. It stung him more than it should have, to be dismissed so easily. Her constant need to a.s.sert her independence from him was beginning to irritate him. No matter what she thought she'd decided, her entire world was about to go through some rapid changes and she'd need him to survive. And dammit, he wanted her to need him.

Christ, when had that happened? Probably the moment he'd looked beyond Talia's blue-stained lips and found Anteri emerging from the woods. He'd thought his heart had stopped beating in that instant before he leaped into action. How could she capture all his attention, and to such a degree that his instincts-which he'd forged over a lifetime, enabling him to continue having a lifetime-simply shut down? He looked over at Talia and Stella as they loaded the animals up. Ringer trotted over to him and b.u.t.ted his head against his leg. He knelt and scratched the beast behind the ears. ”Thanks for staying with her, mate. I know she thought she was protecting you, but we know otherwise, right?” Ringer relished the attention, his soulful eyes as fathomless and unreadable as ever. Archer stood and looked at Talia again. He had to stay sharp if he was going to keep them from going down the gurgler. He couldn't do that if he was mooning over her every other moment. Not that he mooned. He never mooned. l.u.s.t, that's what it was. And normally he was a man who l.u.s.ted, slaked his l.u.s.t, and moved on.

He watched as the wind caught her hair and danced it about her head. He wasted another moment wondering what it would be like to slake the l.u.s.t he had building for her. He also wondered what it would be like to move on, to never see or touch her again. But he knew that would happen as soon as he delivered her to Catriona. So he'd better get used to it. And get over it.

He turned abruptly away and scanned the crowd and the fringes of the woods that ringed the area. He was fairly certain Anteri had acted alone. But someone -Emrys?-was keeping tabs on him, because no sooner had Archer been almost on top of him than he'd made it through one of those d.a.m.n triangles and disappeared. Back to Llanfair and Chamberlain most likely, filing his report right now.