Page 66

I was trying to make sense of his words. “Then later, I tried to get to you in Vermont, but the magic was already growing stronger in you, the forces aligning. I knew I had to wait for you to come to me and here you are! Finally!”

I didn’t have a lot of energy to move but I had been prepared for this eventuality. I managed to slide my silver-tipped dagger into my hand, releasing it from the wrist hold. I waited for his attention to slide, as he turned to put on his clothes and summoned all my energy, I pulled myself up and threw the silver letter opener into his back.

He jerked upright and flew around. His face darkened in anger, I saw his eyes turn red, his skin became mottled.

“What?! What have you done? You bitch!” He fell to his knees, but he wasn’t dying, I could see it wasn’t enough. He was too strong for the silver or perhaps not enough had entered his bloodstream. I grabbed hold of the pendant, getting ready to throw it at him, but he held up a hand.

“Wait,” he said, his breath ragged. He fumbled in his pants pocket and held up a phone screen.

“You touch me, he gets it,” he said, bringing up a picture of Jack on his phone. He had been tied up and looked unconscious.

I was shocked and confused by this development.

“Jack?”

Da Salle gave a lopsided smile, contorted by pain. “He came after you, tried to help you, I suppose. Fool. You were the only one who ever stood a chance in stopping me. Did you know that? I have been waiting for the chance to do it for decades and now, here you are. It’s our destiny.”

There was a gun in his hand and he fired it at me before I could grab hold of the pendant. Before my eyes, he transformed into the bear of my dreams, bringing only darkness.

Chapter 28

Jack

Kaya called me after about a week, asking me how much cash I could come up with at a short notice. I told her about the safe at the castle and the stacks of money that had been stored there for centuries. She told me of her plan and I met her with a bag of notes outside Hawston.

She looked better than ever, lean and strong. Her manner was focused, almost distant.

I didn’t ask what she had been doing in the mountains, I could see she had been preparing for the mission.

“I wish you’d let me help,” I said, as I handed over the money.

“It’s easier this way,” she said.

She gave a little smile. “But if you want to help, it would be good to keep Da Salle distracted, give him some work problems or something, so he doesn’t see me coming.”

This aligned perfectly with my own thinking.

I was in the process of dissolving the Topaz Group board, using some fine print in the company bylaws to stake my claim. I had put a plan in place that accused all of the board members of conflict of interest and legal breaches, not acting in the best interests of the company and undermining me. I had sought meetings with the remaining shareholders of the company, of which there was now only one. With Simon and Ulrika gone, the only shareholders were myself and Flora’s granddaughter, Elizabeth, an oncologist in the city, who had very little interest in business. She always supported me in the business no matter what I did. With her backing, I would have the legal backing tokick all of the board members out and if that didn’t get Da Salle’s attention, I’d be surprised.

It felt good to take action. It almost felt like going into battle, although this was a different kind of fight.

Max gave me a call and said he had some papers for me to sign, and asked if he could come to the castle. He came within the hour and I let him in, excited to see my plans coming to fruition.

He parked his car and came towards me.

I noticed that his gait was somehow different.

As I was watching him coming towards me, his outlines started to blur and his shape changed. Right in front of me, he became someone else.

To my shock, the man standing in front of me was far bigger and more muscular.

It was Da Salle.

“Not expecting me, then?” Da Salle said and laughed.

I couldn’t believe he’d mastered the skinwalking skills, which had always belonged to the dark arts, the others.

“What do you want?” I asked, keeping my voice loud and firm.