A Thief of Nightshade (7 page)

“You aren’t fine,” he said.

She tucked her arms against her chest. “I was thinking about Jullian. How terrified he must have been when he was brought back here, knowing what would happen.”

“What was the Prince like?” Lipsey asked.

“He loved the outdoors, especially in the fall when all the leaves change color.

We went camping all the time. We traveled a lot. He loved to travel.” She laughed then, “But he hated the ocean and I couldn’t imagine why until now.”

“Only freshwater is safe. Saltwater harbors Kelpies, Sirens and all sorts of other awful creatures, all commanded by the Sidhe.”

“You saved me. I never really thanked you. What were you doing out there anyway?”

Lipsey started to say something when Aislinn snatched him up and held his mouth closed. “It’s nothing,” he said. “I was ... exercising.”

Lipsey grumbled behind Aislinn’s paw and the bear leaned down, saying softly, “You’ve worn out her ears, little one. Perhaps you should let her talk more of the Prince?”

Aislinn lowered his hand. Obviously Lipsey was about to say something Aislinn didn’t want her to hear. She also noticed that Aislinn himself hadn’t asked her anything about Jullian and had known his name immediately, despite his own statement about the animal kingdom having nothing to do with Man. How would he have known Jullian if he had been gone ten years?

“You seem awfully well acquainted with humans, have—” Aubrey’s question was cut short with the sharp pain of claws raking across her back. She screamed as pain radiated to her ribs. It hurt worse than the broken leg she’d suffered three surgeries to fix.

Aislinn, having seen something, leaped above her in fury.

She gripped the dirt, pulled herself to the nearest bed of moss and with great effort, turned her head to see what looked like a dragonfly made human. So strange.

It had lovely iridescent wings, light that seemed to dance endlessly around it. How beautiful. She reached for her necklace, reminded of it, but found her throat slick with blood.

The creature twirled a shining blue sword through the air and, hissing, stepped out of Aislinn’s way, running the blade against Aislinn’s shoulder and arm.

Brilliant white eyes were set into taut, scaled skin. It stood on two spindly legs with a woman’s figure but was taller than an average human. It lacked a nose, but two protruding slits above its thin mouth flared slightly as it breathed. It laughed at

Aislinn. “Too late, Ellohim.”

“No!” Aislinn rolled out of his fall and came at the creature again. It tried to fend off his attack but miscalculated and Aislinn tore into its face, ripping out a chunk of flesh with his teeth, just below the cheekbone, and slicing its right leg with his claws. It screamed as it fell, but lifted the blade, still held firmly in its left hand.

Aislinn’s body felt bulbous and awkward —not that there hadn’t been a time in the last decade when it hadn’t felt so, but just this once, he allowed himself the quarter to wish for his old form—his human form.

The Wraith laughed, spinning the sword between both hands.

“Who sent you?” Aislinn demanded.

“You know by whose authority my work is done, betrayer!”

Aislinn circled the creature. “I betrayed no one and you can tell Her Majesty I said so.” He smiled. “Wait, forget I said that. You won’t be telling anyone anything after I’m through with you.”

The Wraith started to lunge at him again, but screamed out in pain as Lipsey latched onto its shoulder and bit down.

This provided just enough of a distraction for Aislinn to steal the sword and drive it cleanly across the Wraith’s neck.

“Hey, little one, let go.” Aislinn pried Lipsey off the Wraith as its body

turned to sand.

“Oh no,” Lipsey cried, looking in Aubrey’s direction. “No, no, no!”

Aislinn’s voice was the first thing she heard. “Aubrey? Aubrey, speak to me!”

Aislinn had picked her up and held her in his arms. “You’ve got to wake up now.

We can’t stay here.”

Time had elapsed, it seemed, because the sun was rising and she was certain it had just been setting or ... had it been rising? The dragonfly was no longer there and she could hear Lipsey sobbing.

A burning pain tore through her muscles.

Aislinn lowered her to the ground; the gravity of his gaze was unwavering.

Lipsey padded around to her and looked up at the bear.

“She’ll be all right, right? Aislinn?”

Lipsey asked. Aislinn didn’t respond. A breath hitched in Aubrey’s throat as another spasm gripped her and she gasped.

“Keep still,” Aislinn said.

“That thing, where did it...?” She noticed the cloth wrapped around his shoulder and a cut on his arm that was still bleeding. “You’re hurt.”

“It’s gone. Don’t worry about me.

We’ve got to get you somewhere safe.”

Lipsey scrambled up Aislinn’s arm, “The King, he can help her, I know he can.

He can do—”

Aislinn looked into Aubrey’s eyes, sorrow brimming from his own as he interrupted

Lipsey,

“You’ve

been

poisoned by a Time Wraith. The same magic that has stolen Jullian’s memories from him will slowly steal yours and without the Queen’s hand to stay your life, you will lose it as well. You’re dying, Aubrey, and not even Tabor can save you.”

AUBREY STOOD AND BRUSHED HER HAIR

FOR
the hundredth time, then laid the sterling silver brush back on the dressing table with shaky fingers. She closed her eyes, trying to calm herself enough to face her parents and Grant at dinner. She smiled when warm hands swept the hair from her neck and soft lips kissed her skin.

“How do you do that?” she asked, her eyes still closed.

“Do what?” he murmured, still kissing her.

“Take away my worries like that, with just a kiss.”

He laughed, “I would take them all if I could.”

She opened her eyes as he laid something around her neck: A silver dragonfly with iridescent wings. “Jullian, it’s beautiful. What did I do to deserve this?”

He turned her around in his arms and held her to him. Over the past few months, Aubrey had grown used to his strength of presence. He could command a room and those in it like he’d been raised royalty, yet it was a quiet strength. All who knew him loved him, especially her younger brother Harrington.

He let his thumb slide playfully over her mouth, stealing her breath and making her that much more grateful that he was holding her up. “I ask that very question of myself every time I see that look in your eyes. This,” he placed his palm over the necklace, “is because I love you.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to kiss her, but paused before his lips touched hers. “Do we have to go?” she asked He

laughed,

kissed

her

more

passionately than she anticipated and said, “Yes, but I can certainly think of a few things that would be a much more pleasant use of our time.”

“Oh, a few?” she teased.

“Well, more than a few.” He kissed her one more time, wrenching frustrated laughter from her as he pulled away.

“Dinner will be over soon enough and we have nothing at all to do in the morning.”

She gave him a blank look and he said, “Which means we can stay up until dawn.”

“Then I suppose we should go.”

“Are you going to tell them or show them first?” He took her hand, toying with the ring on her finger. They had been engaged for almost a month. Harrington was the only family member who knew. In fact, Harrington was the only family member who had met Jullian.

She slipped the ring off and handed it to Jullian to put back into the box in his pocket. He had already made his feelings clear on wanting to ask her father for her hand in marriage. “He won’t give you his blessing. I appreciate the gesture, but trust me when I tell you it isn’t going to go over

well.”

He gave her the same grin he wore no matter how stressed out she felt or how dire the situation seemed. “The only blessing I want is yours, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt to do the right thing, regardless of how your father responds.”

She shook her head, unwilling to argue with him over how archaic his thinking was at times. “God help us if we have daughters.”

“Where did you get your undergraduate, Jullian?” Evangeline Wright, Aubrey’s mother, asked. They sat at the dinner table, surrounded by more hired help and more finery than Aubrey had seen her parents display in a very long time. They did it on purpose and were it for the purpose of impressing Jullian she could have tolerated it, but this was nothing more than a specious show of impeccability, intended to remind Jullian of what he couldn’t possibly provide.

“Yale. My graduate degrees aren’t quite as impressive, though. I have a master’s in European literature from Stanford and my doctorates are in Ancient Mythology, Latin and Gaelic Literature, also from Stanford.” Jullian flashed his all-too-charming smile at Mrs. Wright.

Aubrey hadn’t even known that. She knew he had a doctorate in Gaelic lit, but as for the rest of it, she’d never asked—it hadn’t occurred to her. Every time Jullian asked her about Harvard, she changed the subject. He squeezed her leg under the table and winked at her, apparently having sensed her dismay over what he’d said.

“I imagine Aubrielle has told you that she declined a full scholarship to Harvard medical school, after graduating cum laude in its pre-med program.” Mr. Wright emptied his pre-dinner glass of bourbon as he waited on Jullian’s response.

Jullian had his mouth open with what would have most likely been an overly pleasant reply, but as Aubrey started to interrupt him, her elder brother Grant arrived.

“She didn’t have to tell him, I’m sure he noticed the scarlet letter on her chest.

Really, Father, you’ve chastised her enough. Dr. Sellars, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. Your name is all I’ve been hearing from Harrington these last few months.”

Jullian was up and shaking Grant’s hand

quicker

than

Aubrey

could

comprehend what had just been said. “Dr.

Wright, the pleasure is all mine.”

Grant leaned down to kiss Aubrey on the cheek and whispered, “I’m still aggravated with you, but he hasn’t the right. You look good.”