Page 28 of Twilight Destiny

Rhinehart lifted one brow. It had to be a woman, he thought. Kincaid had foolishly taken the life of a woman the necromancer cared for.

Luca’s power shook the furniture in the room and shattered the windows. “Kincaid is here,” he murmured. “Here, in Wyoming?” He stared into the distance. “Last I knew, he was somewhere in the east.”

Rhinehart took a wary step back. He had the distinct impression the necromancer had forgotten he was in the room, that he was, in fact, speaking to someone who wasn’t there. A moment later, he was sure of it.

“So close, Katya,” Luca murmured. “So close and I did not know.”

Rhinehart clenched his hands at his sides as the whole house vibrated with his fury. Why hadn’t Luca known the vampire was nearby? Surely, if the necromancer wanted Kincaid, he had the magical ability to find him. Why did he need help?

Luca’s head snapped up. “Bring me Kincaid’s head!”

“But … what about Saintcrow … ?”

“He can wait.”

With a nod, Rhinehart backed out of the room. Damn! What had he gotten himself into? Not for the first time, he regretted that he had ever contacted Luca. It had been years ago, when he was a young hunter searching for enlightenment about destroying vampires. Going to Luca for help was surely the biggest mistakes he had ever made.

He took the stairs two at a time and fled the house.

Chapter Twelve

Considering how they had parted the night before, Rosa was surprised when Kincaid called her late the next morning.

“Hey, lovely lady, what are you doing today?”

“I don’t have any plans, but I’m open to suggestions.”

“Pack a lunch. I’ll pick you up in an hour.”

“Where are we going?”

“It’ll ruin the surprise. One hour.”

“I’ll be ready!”

Filled with excitement, she settled for toast, cereal, and orange juice for breakfast. Not knowing what Jake had in mind, she took a quick shower, then pulled on a pair of jeans and a gauzy peasant blouse, tied her hair back in a ponytail. She found a large tote bag in a closet and tossed in her comb and brush, a skirt and sweater, a light jacket in case it got cold, and a pair of heels.

Grabbing her phone and her handbag, she headed to the kitchen where she packed a tuna fish sandwich in a plastic container and tossed it into her tote, along with an apple, and a bag of chips.

Knowing it was unnecessary, she wrote a short note for Saintcrow, telling him she had gone off to spend the day with Kincaid, and then went out on the front porch to wait.

Five minutes later, Kincaid materialized on the porch beside her. “Ready?”

When she nodded, he slipped his arm around her waist, and the next thing Rosa knew, they were in a swath of green grass and ferns. Sunlight sparkled on a lake in the middle of the meadow. Mountains rose on three sides. Tall trees sighed in the warm breeze. The air was fragrant with the scent of wildflowers. “Where are we?”

“Some lake in New York. I don’t remember the name.”

“It’s beautiful.” She did a slow turn, thinking it looked like something out a fairy tale. She wouldn’t have been surprised to see a castle rise up in the distance, or fairies dancing on the water.

“I’ll be back in a minute.”

He was gone before she could ask where he was going. He returned almost immediately with a blanket draped over one shoulder, a bottle of wine in one hand, and a pair of crystal goblets in the other.

Rosa smiled as he set the bottle and glasses aside and spread the blanket on a flat stretch of ground. He dropped down on the blanket and patted the place beside him.

“Do you come here often?” she asked.

He shook his head. “I found this place years ago. I haven’t been back since then.” He glanced at the lake. “What do you say we go for a swim?”