IK2 (21 page)

But, if that were the case, why didn‟t she just take Pendragon with her in the first place?

It was all confusing. And Morgan being mixed up in it set his nerves on edge. He

had never trusted her.

As a precaution, though, he‟d taken Pendragon to Stephanie‟s. She eyed Michael

with suspicion when he told her she was better off not knowing anything. She‟d only

relented to keep the dragon when Michael told her he was tied in to Sara‟s disappearance.

And Pendragon was under strict orders to not speak.

The door to the clinic opened and shut. Janie‟s eyes went round while Allison

groaned. Morgan glanced up, her face turning ashen.

“Where‟s my wife?” Robert asked as he stalked to the front desk angrily.

“I don‟t know,” Allison said.

“I was asking
him
.” Robert pointed to Michael.

Michael kept his face impassive. Did Robert really
not
know where Sophie was?

Or was this a ruse to throw everyone off track? He wouldn‟t put it past the man.

“She should be at home,” he said neutrally.

“You know damn well she isn‟t!”

“I do?”

Robert took a deep breath and spoke in more modulated tones. “I went by to

check on her yesterday. There was no one there.”

Michael shrugged. “Maybe she didn‟t want to let you in.” He glanced sideways

at Morgan who was concentrating on making entries in the computer. “Can‟t blame a

handicapped woman for not wanting to be alone with an ex-husband.”

“I wasn‟t…” Robert paused for the merest fraction of a second. “I wasn‟t going

to harm her. I‟ve never laid a harsh hand on her and she knows that.”

So he wasn‟t going to admit that Morgan had been with him. That was interesting

in itself. But, if Sophie wasn‟t at Robert‟s—and why would Robert be here if he already had Sophie ensconced at his home?—then where was she?

SWORD OF FIRE Cynthia Breeding 88

In the end, it had seemed easier to leave than try to convince Michael to stay away

from her. Sophie settled into the silk-covered chaise in one of Mr. Smith‟s guest rooms and propped her leg up.

“Is there anything else you need right now?” Mr. Smith asked.

Sophie glanced at the frosty pitcher of iced tea and the Waterford crystal glass

sitting on the mahogany Chippendale side table. A silver tray of dainty, crustless

sandwiches rested beside it along with a smaller plate of petite- fours. “I‟ll be just fine. I just want to thank you again for sending someone to get me.”

“Think nothing of it, my dear. Princess loves you.” He smiled as the small dog

jumped up to curl into a ball next to Sophie. “I think you made a wise decision to come here. Even if your ex-husband isn‟t as revengeful as you think, it would hardly be proper of Michael to move in with you for a month. Ladies still have reputations to protect.”

Sophie smiled at him. He might be an eccentric, but he had old-fashioned

chivalry in his heart. Of course, if Mr. Smith knew about those exotic dreams of having Michael‟s naked body pressed up against hers, cock hard as he slicked her juices along

her folds, he might not think her virtuous at all.

“Still, I wish there were some way I could pay you,” she said.

“Nonsense. I‟m glad to be of service. I‟ve arranged for a physical therapist to

come every morning so you won‟t have to go out. Christina will be your personal maid.

You have simply to page her with that electronic thing there.” He waved his hand at the small remote. “She‟s been relieved of duties so she can attend solely to you.”

“I‟m not used to having a maid,” Sophie said with a smile. “You‟re being so kind

to me. I hate to ask for one more favor, but it‟s important.”

“Of course. What is it?”

“I know Benton told Michael I wasn‟t here when he called, but he really can‟t

know that I‟m here. Robert will probably hire a detective to follow him and it‟s safer for Michael if he doesn‟t find me.”

Mr. Smith frowned. “I really didn‟t care to have Benton lie to him when he called

here, but I agree. If we can throw Robert off- the-scent, so to speak, then he won‟t follow you once you start the search for the sword. And,” he added in a more serious tone than Sophie had ever heard him use, “perhaps we can throw Adam Baylor off your scent as

well.”

* * * *

An exhausting seventy-two hours later, Michael was still no closer to finding

Sophie than he had been the day she disappeared. Even Brianna could not find her with

the Sight.

After leaving the clinic, Michael had spent that first day tailing the ex-husband.

The guy had returned to his office, then went to lunch and spent the afternoon in court.

He‟d taken some blonde with Playboy boobs out to dinner and spent the night at her

place. So much for Robert‟s sincerity in wanting Sophie back. But the man had gone to

SWORD OF FIRE Cynthia Breeding 89

his house this morning and Michael was headed home.

As he turned in to the parking lot of his condo, he sensed something was wrong.

Turning the ignition off, he sat quietly, opening his mind, stretching out with his senses.

Tendrils of human energy zapped back and forth across the empty lot, remnants of

what mortals left behind. Mostly normal stuff. Frustration, impatience, and

worry ricocheted off the brick walls in flashes of yellow and red. Humans in a hurry to get to work. A slower, wavier line of pale blue drifted above the confused flashes.

Someone centered and at peace with the world. A steady stream of green vibrating

through the ethers indicated a heart filled with love, maybe a mother with child.

Everything seemed to be okay, at least here.

Michael got out of his car, the hair at his nape still prickling. As he walked

toward his condo he saw it—a thin, black line snaking across the tiled walk, almost

blending in with the grout. Malevolence. Evil. Someone had been here bent on

destruction.

Michael raced to his door and tried the handle, not surprised when it opened

easily. His wards were gone, their white light totally diminished. Whoever had broken

in had powerful magic. He released his senses again. Nothing. The intruder was no

longer here.

Stepping inside, Michael scanned the living room. Two original oils by Ruebens

still hung on the wall. Everything else seemed to be in place too, except for a couple of over-turned chairs. He righted them and went into the office. Computer still there,

plasma TV as well. The closet had been ransacked though. Boxes torn open and the

contents tossed out. He moved to the bedroom and groaned at the sight. The bed was

overturned, clothes and shoes in both closets strewn about the floor. Yet, several twenty dollar bills and the gold Templar cross still lay on his dresser.

Michael leaned against the doorjamb, thinking. Whoever had broken in wasn‟t

interested in material goods, but rather something specific. Something that could be

hidden away.

Like a small dragon.

Understanding shot through him like a bolt of lightning. Sophie‟s ex had seen the

dragon. It was the dragon Robert wanted. Publicity? Blackmail? Michael didn‟t know.

Robert had probably taken Morgan along to use her magic to help subdue Pendragon. As

if that would work. They‟d both have gotten singed good.

Since Sophie seemed to have disappeared, Michael‟s condo would be the next

logical place to search. But Robert possessed no magic and Morgan‟s was still too weak for her to have broken through his wards, much less destroyed them. Whoever had

broken in wasn‟t entirely human.

Balor? Michael had never known him to do his own dirty work, but if he were

desperate to get to Pendragon— and if he picked up the dragon‟s scent and followed the

trail…

Dear Goddess of Avalon! He had left Pendragon with a middle-aged human

woman who would not be able to protect herself at all.

Michael grabbed the gold cross and raced out the door, hoping he wasn‟t too late

to save Stephanie.

* * * *

“How is it that this warlock keeps eluding you?” Lucifer asked idly as he sipped a

SWORD OF FIRE Cynthia Breeding 90

nineteenth century cognac in his ultra- modern living room.

Balor glared at him with his good eye. “Careful, little brother! Even yo u would

be wise not to defy me.”

Lucifer grinned and pushed a blond curl away from his forehead. “It is rather

amusing in a warped way. You control some of the greediest political leaders on Earth,

as well as blood-thirsty warlords, to say nothing of the insane people you recruited to

serve the terrorists, and yet this one warlock—and by my own horns, he works with the

Light which puts him at a disadvantage—manages to keep a step ahead of you. You

aren‟t slipping, are you?”

For an answer, Balor raised his eye patch. A deadly bolt of lightening slashed

through the air, piercing Lucifer‟s shoulder and leaving a black, smoking hole in its

wake.

Lucifer‟s eyes flashed red and then returned to blue. He dusted the soot off his

silk shirt and rubbed his shoulder. “That smarted, old man. And this shirt cost several hundred dollars. You might be a tad more careful with your temper.”

“Don‟t push me then!”

“Fine. Drink your brandy. I stole it from Napoleon‟s own cellars.” Lucifer

settled back in his leather armchair. “Tell me how you plan to punish Morgan for not

capturing Pendragon. I‟ll be glad to rape her again.”

Balor swirled the brandy slowly and inhaled the vapor before he spoke. “That

won‟t be necessary. Morgan followed my instructions and called me as soon as they

found the house empty. Who knew the Cameron woman would disappear with a broken

leg?”

“And Pendragon went with her.”

“He must have. I searched the warlock‟s place myself, just to make sure he

wasn‟t there. But I did discover something else.”

“Oh? What?”

“Michael McCain is not just any warlock. His wards were stronger than any I‟ve

encountered since Arthur built Camelot. McCain is an Immortal.”

Lucifer‟s eyebrows rose. “One of the Round Table knights?”

“I don‟t think so. He and Lancelot—Lucas Ramsey—didn‟t know each other.

Very competitive. I tried to turn that into antagonism once I found out who Ramsey

really was, but it didn‟t work.”

“Of course it wouldn‟t. Lancelot inherited Lugh‟s Spear of Light…”

“Don‟t remind me. I was only seconds away from retrieving it.” Balor

swallowed the bitter bile that rose in his throat at the memory. “That‟s why it‟s

imperative that we don‟t let the sword get away from us.”

“I agree, bro, but first we have to find the Pendragon and the girl.”

“Exactly,” Balor said and set the empty brandy snifter down. “And one dragon

can scent another. It‟s time to unleash Sigurd.”

Lucifer lifted his glass in mock toast. “And may the white dragon win again.”

* * * *

“Where are you taking me now?” Pendragon griped as he tried to curl himself into

a ball that would fit the sport‟s seat in Michael‟s car. “I kind of liked that lady,

Stephanie.”

Michael glanced over at him as they headed back to his condo. “I thought you

SWORD OF FIRE Cynthia Breeding 91

didn‟t like humans.”

The dragon rattled his scales. “Well, this one was nice, once I convinced her I

wasn‟t going to burn her alive.”

“You spoke to her? I told you…”

“I didn‟t speak to her.” He pulled his lips back in a dragon-smile. “I put my head

in her lap and rubbed.”

Michael almost lost control of the car. “You gave her a hand-job?”

“A head job, warlock. My claws would have torn her skin.” Pendragon looked

quite pleased with himself. “She squirmed around and liked it.”

The idea of plump, middle-aged, looks-like-a-grandma Stephanie in the throes of

passion was almost more than Michael could imagine. Pendragon had it all wrong.

“More likely she was trying to get away from you. Are you sure you just didn‟t scare her half- to-death?”

He blinked his cobalt eyes. “She let me do it more than once and she made all

those funny noises humans make. And afterwards,” he added with a thump of his tail that

threatened to shred the leather on the dashboard, “she fed me ice cream. Chocolate ice

cream. When did humans invent that wonderful concoction? I
love
ice cream.”

“Forget ice cream. If I let you stay with her, she‟d be in danger. Somehow, Balor

found out you‟d been down-sized and he wants to capture you while you‟re in that state.”

Pendragon sobered. “If I returned to my full size…”

“No. He‟d find you for sure then. I can‟t split my power trying to protect you

and Sophie too. Once I find her, that is.”

“She‟s at that Smith man‟s mansion.”

Michael gave him a quick look. “Smith was one of the first people I called. The

butler said she wasn‟t there.”

Pendragon lifted a leathery wing in what seemed to be the equivalent of a human

shrug. “He lied.”

“And what makes you think that?”

“Because,” he said smugly, “that other vet told Stephanie last night on the phone.”

Michael pulled over to the side of the road and stopped. “She what?”