Relic (21 page)

Grace tapped her chin, then turned to the back rooms of the refinery. “Hey, Moon John. Can you come out here a sec?”

I perked up. “Moon John’s here?”

“Yes, ma’am. You’re in luck.”

The wizened old man smiled warmly as he limped up to the counter where I stood. “Good evening, Maggie. How nice to see you. How have your studies at the Hacienda been coming?”

“Fine,” I said, hoping none of my nerves showed. “Just fine.”

Moon John nodded, but I could see a glint of doubt in his eyes.

Grace held up my newly polished little relic. “In the meantime, why don’t you help us with an identification. We got us a real mystery here. Take a peek at that, and tell me if it’s not the strangest thing you ever saw.”

Moon John’s aged body bent slowly to the lens. He pressed his eye to the scope and stayed there for a long time. So long, I started to wonder if he had dozed off. But then, slowly, he stood. He wore the same puzzlement Grace had, but an inscrutable intensity trembled in his eyes.

I could scarcely breathe. “You know what it is?”

He shook his head slowly.

Grace sighed. “Aw, darn it.”

Moon John’s gaze was fixed on me. “Perhaps we should keep it for the night. Just so I might look over my books and study it better.”

“That’s a good idea,” Grace said.

But something in Moon John’s eyes set off a warning in my heart. And something about that red, black-glowing stone made me want to grab it and not let anyone else even touch it. I needed that relic. There was no way I’d allow them to keep it all night. Somehow, I knew I’d never see it again if I did.

“Actually,” I said carefully, “the relic’s not all mine, see. It belongs to Señor Castilla. A gift from that sheik. Álvar let me borrow it for the day, to see if I could identify it. He’d be pretty worried if I didn’t bring it right back.”

Grace frowned. “I thought you said you traded with a miner.”

I froze in place. Moon John’s eyes shot to mine, now brimming with suspicion.

“N-no,” I stammered. “I must have been confusing this for another.”

“I see,” Grace said, eyeing me now like Moon John.

A charged silence fell. Swallowing a hard gulp, I snatched the relic from beneath the gazing lens. “I’d better be off.”

“You sure?” Grace asked. “I’m positive we can identify it if we had a little more time to—”

“No. Thank you. I should take it back to Señor Castilla.”

I backed toward the doors, but Moon John’s voice sliced through the room. “Maggie. Does this have anything to do with the gift I gave you?”

I avoided turning to meet his gaze, though I could feel it on me. “No. It’s nothing you need to concern yourself with.”

His voice hardened slightly. “Maggie…”

“Thanks again,” I said to Grace. “You all have a nice night.”

My heart was pounding as I closed the door. I looked down at the strange, gorgeous relic in my palm. That was close. Too close. Moon John had better be careful with those greedy eyes. I slipped the relic back into the jar and tucked it in my apron pocket.

I hopped back on my horse and rode down Main Street, positive that every passerby on the street was staring at me. That they somehow knew about the relic. A tickle crawled up the back of my neck. I was so preoccupied, I nearly collided with a carriage that had stopped in front of the Cooper Hotel.

I scowled. “Hey—”

A twitter of woman’s laughter rang on the air. Another laugh, and then a male voice all too familiar to me. “Thanks for the joyride, Adam,” he said to the driver.

More laughter from both. And then, slowly, like it was happening in a dream, Landon stepped out of the carriage. He wore a drunken grin and had lipstick smudges on his cheek And on his arm: Dora.

Her hands were hooked around Landon’s elbow. Her auburn hair looked mussed, her cheeks pink.

Landon’s eyes clicked to mine. The smile slid from his face.

I didn’t move.

Dora followed Landon’s gaze to me, then back to him. Landon untwined her arm from his abruptly, and she looked as if she’d been slapped. Landon’s mouth opened to speak, but no words came out. Not that I gave him any time to find his tongue. I felt like the sky had crashed down on me, like the ground had collapsed beneath my feet. I had to get away as fast as my body could manage.

My legs finally complied, and I kicked my horse to move. Landon ran after me, sounding frustrated. “Maggie, wait a minute!”

I didn’t. I lashed the reins and rode away into the darkness, the stallion galloping in the darkening twilight. His hard-beating hooves pounding in my head, like the pounding of my broken heart.

Chapter Twenty-seven

Late that night, after the swank dinner and mindless chatter, I sat alone at my dressing desk, staring at my reflection in the mirror. A fine mess I’d gotten myself into. Now I’d lost Landon forever. And for what? Because I couldn’t let myself admit that he was right?

Meanwhile, I had Sheriff Leander
and
Moon John mad at me, Yahn had lost hope, and my last-chance theory that Emerson Bolger was burning the towns seemed more confusing than ever. I’d managed to ruin everything I’d set my hand to. And I couldn’t think of any way to make it right. I was starting to realize that there wasn’t a relic on earth that could get me out of this mess.

Or was there?

Almost as if it were acting on its own, my hand tugged open the bureau drawer and slipped into the soft underclothes. The feel of the cool, smooth pickle jar sent a chill through me. I pulled it out and set it on the desk in front of me. The sight of the relic with its deep red hue filled me with a strange power.

I spilled the gem-like stone onto the wood of my desk; my fingers hesitated for only a moment before scooping it up. Sitting in my palm, it almost felt alive. As before, my pulse filled my ears with slow, firm beats. And then the breathing, so deep and faint, like a distant wind.

“What are you?” I whispered to the relic.

It seemed strange that Gibbs had been so afraid of it. I didn’t feel any cold or anger. In fact, I was drawn to the relic. Surely I had something wonderful in my hands, something worthy of more than hiding away in a pickle jar. A piece this special should be displayed for all to see.

There were many ways to wear relics. Some people had them embedded into clothes, some wore them on rings. Our phony kraken relic had been set on a chain, like an amulet. Frowning, I rummaged through the wooden box of jewelry Álvar had seen placed in my room. The only thing that could possibly work was a thin silver chain. Maybe if I took it to the refinery they’d drill a hole to string the chain through. Of course, then I’d have to face Moon John and his probing, greedy looks again.

As I studied the chain and the relic, they both became hot as a branding iron. I winced, and they clattered to the desktop, but they didn’t stop moving. The relic had begun to change, to bend ever so slightly to the chain. Wrapping itself around it. Making itself into an amulet. I picked it back up, watching in breathless amazement as it settled into its new shape. It must have been the magic, sensing my will to make it a proper, wearable piece, though I’d never heard of a relic that could do such a thing. Within a minute, the piece hung sturdily from the chain. My lips pulled into a smile as I hooked the clasp behind my neck.

The relic lay just between my breasts, warm against my echoing heartbeat. I stroked it slowly, staring at my reflection in the mirror. The sight of it, so powerful and beautiful against my bare skin, filled my insides with a tight, fierce fire.

Let Landon see me this way, and he’d never so much as
look
at that cheap whore Dora again.

I swept to my wardrobe and flung open the doors. The row of dresses hung in quiet splendor, waiting for me, and I examined each one. The occasion called for something as sensual and powerful as my new accessory. I pushed the dresses past me, one by one, until I came to the most vulgar of them all: a sleek black satin. The bodice laced tightly in a corset with a neckline that plunged deep, and it hugged the curves of my body as I pulled it on. Exactly what I wanted.

I stood in front of the mirror. The dress would have made even Adelaide blush. I laughed a little and swept my dark hair freely over my shoulders. Then, pulling my new velvet cloak around me, I slipped out into the hallway.

The empty, dark mansion didn’t stall me in the slightest. The knowledge that Mr. Connelly’s spies could hear me or see me seemed laughable. He was an old fool. An idiot watchdog for a more powerful man.

My own agonizing and fretting over the past few days seemed laughable as well. Why had I wasted so much time trying to talk to people? If I wanted something, all I had to do was ride out and
take it.

With a smile, I brought Álvar’s sky steed out from her fancy stable. The animal took me across the moon-bathed desert with breathtaking speed, only adding to the trembling feeling of power that coursed through me.

Burning Mesa was mostly deserted, as one would imagine in the middle of the night. I rode right down the center of the street with my back straight and chin jutted out until I reached my destination: the Cooper Hotel. With a slap, I sent the sky steed galloping back to the Hacienda. I would be staying here from now on.

The concierge sat dozing behind the counter. I breezed past him without so much as a blink, choosing what I wanted from the wall of hanging keys behind his head. I knew the room I needed. I’d heard Bobby mention it to Adelaide once. I knew where to find Landon.

My heart started to beat loud and strong within me as I walked through the wallpapered hallway. The wood door marked 134 stood out like a beacon from the others. Smiling, I slipped the key into the latch. It clicked with a
snap
, and I pushed open the door.

Landon sat up with a start, blinking sleep from his eyes. “Who’s there?”

The lamp on the nightstand behind him still carried a dim glow. The longer I looked at it, the more the light beamed out, until it was a blast of white. Landon shielded his eyes with his arm.

“Good evening, Landon,” I said, stepping into the center of his small room.

“Maggie?”

“Of course. Who’d you expect, Dora? I’m glad to see she didn’t stay.”

He rubbed his eyes. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to pay a little call. Any crime in that?”

He seemed more conscious now. “I thought you were mad at me.”

“I was.” With a smile, I pulled the string of my cloak; it dropped to a velvet arc at my feet. “But I’ve decided to forgive you.”

Landon’s eyes widened at the sight of me in the dress. I laughed and sat beside him on his bed. “You like it?”

He swallowed hard. “Yes.”

“I thought you might.”

A tingling silence filled the air, and then I grabbed Landon by the collar of his pajamas.

“If you like it so much, why don’t you put your hands on me?”

He sounded shocked. “Maggie, I—”

I didn’t give him time to finish. Instead, I pressed my lips to his and drank deeply. Landon hesitated for a moment but then surrendered to the desire I knew boiled inside him. His arms hooked around me. I climbed onto his lap, straddling him with my legs. His hot breath flashed my cheek as he kissed me hungrily.

I tore my fingers through his hair; I arched my neck and pressed his face to my throat. My body pulsed with a surge of desire. His every touch made it rage like a blacksmith’s forge.

Suddenly he pulled back, gripping my upper arms. “Wait,” he said, breathing hard. “What’s goin’ on here?”

“I think it’s pretty obvious,” I said with a smirk.

“What about Connelly?”

“Connelly?”

“Adelaide told me about him tonight.” Landon tightened his grip but looked away from me. “When you saw me with Dora, I came runnin’ after you, but you were too quick. I went to The Desert Rose to talk to Adelaide about it, to see if there was any way to patch things up. She told me how Connelly’s got his guards watching you day and night.”

I smiled, not bothering to correct him. Adelaide’s little story would serve for tonight.

“I’m sorry about what I said the other night,” he added, scraping for words. “And I’m real sorry about Dora. It didn’t mean anything. And nothing really happened, I swear. I was just mad at you. I was hurt, and so I—”

I put my finger on his lips. “It doesn’t matter. Dora’s a cheap, used-up whore. I know it’s me you want.”

Landon’s brow lowered. “You’re acting different, Maggie.”

“I
am
different.” I slid my arms around him and clutched his lower back.

Enough talk. I wanted to taste him. I wanted him to drink of me. He kissed me, but I could feel his resistance. Angrily, I pushed him to his back on the bed. My hands curled at his shirt, and I ripped the buttons open. The sight of his firm, bare chest made my insides burn. I kissed him again, pressing myself against his body. Landon moaned softly, but I could still feel him pulling back.

“I know you want me,” I said between kisses. “Don’t fight it.”

He tried to push me away. “Seriously, what’s gotten into you?”

“I’m tired of being weak,” I said, running my hands down his chest. “I’m ready to be strong. I’m going to have everything I want now.”

“But what about Connelly?”

I tossed my head back and laughed. “He’s a fool.”

“A fool with power and spies and men with guns. A man who the law turns a blind eye to.”

I pushed my fingers through Landon’s hair again, kissed his cheek, his neck, his earlobe. “Let’s kill him, then,” I whispered into his ear.

He pushed me away, sitting up. “What?”

“We’ll kill him. It would be simple. I know where he sleeps. We could do the job right now.”

Landon looked at me like I was a stranger. “Listen to yourself, Maggie.”

“No,” I said, shoving him back down on the bed. “Enough talk. I didn’t come here for that. You know what I came for.”

I started to undo the front laces on the corset of my dress. Landon’s eyes widened. “Maggie.”

Another pull. My heart was hammering in my chest, and I couldn’t breathe. I was reaching to untie the final lace and expose myself fully, when Landon’s hand shot forward. He grabbed the relic that hung around my neck.

“What in the—?”

A jolt ran through me. I grabbed for the relic. His eyes linked with mine…and he seemed to understand. “Take this off,” he said.

“No!”

But it was too late. Landon ripped the relic away from my throat. The chain snapped. As the tension broke, the relic flew to the ground.

“NO!”

I made a lunge for it, but Landon’s arms hooked around me. He tackled me to the bed, pinning my arms at my sides.

“Let go of me!” I screamed.

“It’s not you, Maggie,” he said, pressing his cheek to mine. “Whatever that thing did to you, it’s not you. It’s not your mind.”

I was panting, my pulse throbbing in my throat. I screamed and struggled in vain. And with each breath, the darkness seeped out of me, seemed to exit with every beat of my heart. Landon held me to the bed until he could feel my body relax.

He slowly let go of me. Breathing hard, we stared at each other for a long moment. Then I became aware of my dress hanging open in the front. I pulled the blanket up to cover me as shame burned over my face. I blinked hard, trying to grasp what on earth had just happened.

“The relic,” I said, still trying to catch my breath. “It was the relic.”

“I know,” he said softly.

I turned away from him, overcome with humiliation for how I’d acted, for what I’d said. “I—”

“Don’t apologize. I know it wasn’t you. I only want to know what that thing is and how on earth it got around your neck. Is that some gift from Álvar?”

I shook my head, trembling.

“Did you buy it?”

“Adelaide and I got it from the miners’ camp yesterday. We were investigating the razings. The miner gave it to us, and I put it in my room. Tonight something made me want to use it.”

Landon looked pale. “What is it?”

I shook my head. “I took it to the refinery today. Even
they
didn’t know.”

“Well, from now on, stay away from it.”

I used my cloak to wrap up the relic. I knew the farther away from my touch, the better. Landon didn’t look happy about me taking it again, but he said nothing.

“I’ll bury it like that miner did, ” I promised.

I sat back beside him on the bed. Our eyes met, and warmth gripped my heart. I’d missed being with him so much. And as crazy as it had been to come here and attack him like I had, I knew it wasn’t anything I hadn’t secretly longed to do. Even now, I wished I could kiss him again. If only for a moment longer.

But I wasn’t safe here. If someone had seen me leave, riding through town, or stalking into the hotel, word was certain to get back to Álvar. I sat up and hurriedly tightened the laces of my dress. “I’ve got to get out of here. I’ve got to go back to the Hacienda.”

“No,” Landon said, grabbing my hand. “It’s not safe this late at night. Someone might notice you.”

“If I wasn’t already noticed coming here.”

Landon ground his teeth in thought. He then turned to rummage in his things. He pulled out the goblin relic belt.

“Take this,” he said.

“Landon, no. I can’t ask you to—”

“You aren’t asking—I’m giving it to you. Please. Take this belt and sneak into The Desert Rose. Adelaide will hide you in her room for the night. Just keep wearing that belt. And then, in the afternoon sometime, when there’s plenty of noise and commotion, sneak on back out. Will you do that for me, Maggie? I won’t be able to sleep tonight if you tried to go back to that place.”

I set my hand to his cheek. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to sleep tonight either way.”

He sighed deeply. “What are we gonna do about this?”

“I don’t know.”

Landon cupped my face gently in his hands and pulled me in for a kiss. My eyes closed, and I tried to savor the warm sweetness of it.

“We’ll find a way to be together again soon,” he said. “I promise.”

I nodded, but inwardly, I wasn’t so sure.

“Good-bye,” I whispered.

I kissed his cheek one last time and slipped from his room. Putting on the goblin relic belt, it wasn’t hard to concentrate on the invisibility spreading over me. I knew my life depended on it.

As I slipped through the dark streets to The Desert Rose, the feeling of power was long gone.