Page 24

“Are you sure that’s wise? It seemed dangerous to me.”

“It is, but the sun is rising. The Wendigo will go to ground until nightfall.”

“The trail won’t go cold?” she asked, shoving her phone into her coat pocket.

“Not for me. I am an Assenta… a hunter. There isn’t a creature alive that can hide or escape me.”

“Annoying and arrogant,” she muttered, re-crossing her arms. “Both’ll get you killed, you know?”

“Unlikely, but thanks for the warning,” he said, as sunlight peeked over the treetops, casting long shadows on the lawn. “Now, come inside and —”

“You’ll explain.”

“Yes.”

“Everything — to my satisfaction,” she said, index finger pointed at her chest.

“As much as I know,” he said, lying through his teeth. He had no intention of telling hereverything. He might not want to hurt her, but that didn’t mean he planned to take her off the board. He needed every pawn to win against Lyonesse. He played a dangerous game with a powerful queen, a match he couldn’t afford to lose. “If it is within my power to give, the information is yours.”

Wary, unwilling to trust him too far, she studied him. Molecules buzzed, shooting out from her to surround him. Pleasant prickles grazed his skin. Eastbrook shifted on his throat, causing the ink to burn deeper. Westvane stayed still through the sting, blocking the barrage as her magic attempted to pry the information she needed out of his mind. He should’ve felt bad about holding firm. He didn’t. Guilt was a waste of time, so instead of spilling secrets, he withstood the cosmic assault, giving nothing away. Truly would learn the truth soon enough. It wasn’t his place to tell her what Lyonesse planned.

Chewing on the inside of her lip, Truly broke eye contact and, deciding to take him at his word, moved toward the house. Her boot soles tapped against the flagstones, echoing across the yard. He held his ground, shifting at the last moment, allowing her to skirt past him.

Reaching the porch, she jogged up the stairs.

Pivoting in her wake, he followed.

Halfway up the steps, she glanced over her shoulder. “Don’t get any ideas, Westvane. After our talk, you’re leaving. You can’t stay here.”

He snorted. “Well, I’m not staying anywhere else.”

“It’s my house.”

“You’re my guide.”

Truly threw him an extreme look of irritation.

He swallowed his laughter. Stubborn little witch. Endlessly amusing with her opinions and bad attitude. Not that it mattered. She might be an excellent source of entertainment, but that wouldn’t change the facts. Like it or not, the Door Master had just gained a new roommate.

No way in hell would he let her out of his sight.

Not until he completed his mission. Not until he figured out how best she fit into his plans. Even if that meant handing her over to the queen in the end.

* * *

Hyper-aware Westvane stalked behind her,Truly trudged up the front stairs. Each step cost her, making her bow beneath the weight of fatigue. The stress of the past few hours had gotten to her. Add her unrelenting work schedule — all the sleepless nights — and she felt as though she’d been hit by an eighteen-wheeler. Then run over again. And perhaps, one more time.

She should be dead.

Instead, she was simply dead on her feet.

Bad timing, given Westvane didn’t seem the type to give her a break.

He was too brutal for that — not a soft spot on his body or in his mind. His determination pressed against her back, pushing her forward, pressing nervousness toward anxiety. Which caused her mind to skip from one worrisome detail to the next. Now she couldn’t settle on anything. Nothing made sense. Not one thing since Minador threw her to the wolves and hightailed it in the opposite direction, lined up with what she knew of the world.

The muscles along her spine began to ache.

She forced herself to keep moving, wishing she could sleep for a few hours before slogging into a conversation. The mass of muscle-bound testosterone hulking in her wake said “fat chance.” His manner, the lethal aura he wore like a bad attitude, told her the talk he wanted to have wouldn’t be delayed. Truly frowned. Come to think of it, she didn’t want to delay it either.