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I gave him a happy smile. ‘I’d be delighted to toast my future success, but sadly, I can’t divulge my secret.’
‘And why’s that, me darlin’?’
I leaned forward, and said in a low voice, ‘Because then it wouldn’t be a secret any more, would it now?’
His eyes lost their warmth for a moment, then he threw his head back and laughed. ‘Fiona, me love, another drink for the sidhe, if you please.’
She hesitated, then held out her hand for my glass. Whatever she was feeling was buried deep beneath a smile of pure courtesy. ‘Ms Taylor?’
As I gave her the glass, our fingers touched.
She shuddered, eyes going wide and unfocused, hand spasming, dropping the expensive crystal—
In one quick move Declan caught the glass and placed both it and his own back on the table with a soft thud.
My throat tightened. I’d felt nothing other than the heat of her skin.
‘Me love?’ There was a thread of something like command riding beneath his quiet concern.
Fiona sank onto the seat next to him, her face pale as rice-paper. Another shudder racked her body and she gasped, drawing in a deep breath.
He took her hand in his. ‘Show me.’
She hesitated, shooting me a fearful look from under her lashes, then she leaned in towards him and kissed him full on the mouth.
I got the feeling it was way more than just your standard kiss.
I stared at my glass, sitting unbroken and empty on the table, and finally remembered what it was about rubies. Witches use gems to store their spells, but some humans use them to enhance and control other talents. Rubies were for intuition, empathy, clairvoyance: with a touch Fiona might see the past, or pluck a memory from a mind, or—more rarely—perceive the future. And right now I was betting Fiona was one of the rare ones. And Declan would be able to taste her ability in her blood. Add that to Declan’s handy knack for stealing memories and the old adage You are what you eathad to be working overtime between the two of them. The look she’d given me had held fear and horror, but underneath there had been a gloating satisfaction.
Fuck.What had she seen?
‘Blood—’ Fiona’s voice was a harsh whisper. ‘So much of it...’ She trailed off with a quiet whimper.
Declan stroked Fiona’s face with a gentle hand. ‘Forget, me love. Sleep and forget,’ he said quietly, insistently.
She relaxed against him, her head dropping to rest in his lap, her eyes fluttering closed with a soft sigh.
This was not good. Picking up the vodka, I poured myself another drink and knocked it back.
‘Well, this was nice.’ Shame I’d have to drink at least another full bottle before the alcohol had any effect on me. Damn sidhe metabolism. I slid the glass onto the table. ‘Sorry to break up our little tête-à-tête, Declan, but it’s time I was going.’
He looked up at me, the blue of his eyes as chilled as the vodka. ‘A warning for you, Genevieve.’ He trailed a finger down Fiona’s neck, hooked it under the ruby choker she wore. ‘Your bargain is with me.’ He twisted the necklace. The stones dug into Fiona’s pale flesh. ‘So you’ll be staying away from the Earl and Malik al-Khan.’
My heart thudded in my chest. I got his message loud and clear—Fiona might be important to him, but after all, he considered her his property and he’d hurt, or even kill her if he felt the need—and he’d try and do the same to me.
‘Let’s get one thing straight, Declan.’ I clenched my fists. ‘We may have a deal going on here, but that’s all we have. It doesn’t give you any rights. I belong to no one but myself. Is that crystal-clear enough for you?’
He smiled and gave another sharp twist to the ruby choker.
Fiona whimpered in her sleep, one arm half-lifting in supplication.
I stood up. ‘Thanks for the drink, Declan.’
‘Slàinte, Genevieve. You’ll be sure and let me know as soon as you discover anything.’
The band played ‘Da
Chapter Thirteen
Five flights of stairs, the after-effects of too much G-Zav and a visit with Declan at the Bloody Shamrock, never mind the dread weighing me down after Fiona’s little fortune-telling show are not the best way to end an evening. I set myself at the last flight of stairs and clutching my keys, grabbed the wooden handrail and climbed. As I stood at the top, head down and heartbeat pounding like a bass drum in my ears; I tried to get my breathing back under control. This was one of those times when I wished I lived on the ground floor instead of in a converted two-room attic—never mind that the night wasn’t over and I still had miles to go—
‘You look like you could use a few more visits to the gym.’
I yelped and dropped my keys.
Fi
I would have— should’vesensed him—if it wasn’t for the G-Zav. Damn stuff always screws me up. I looked at him, but the usual stupid thrill of seeing him was muted by other things: Hugh’s little lecture, the mess I was in, and the fact it was getting harder and harder to say no to him.
‘Now’s not a good time,’ I sighed. ‘I’m too tired, Fi
He frowned. ‘You do look sort of hot and bothered.’
Yeah, well, so would he if he was halfway to another venom-induced blood-flush.
‘Anyway,’ he pushed himself upright, face concerned, ‘I need to talk to you.’
‘If it’s about di
‘It’s important, Gen.’ He bent and picked up my keys. ‘I’ve found out what the trees have been talking about.’
Oh right. In all the excitement I’d forgotten about them. ‘You’d better come in then,’ I said, resigned.
He unlocked the door and stood back to usher me through. ‘After you, my Lady.’
I flicked the light on and as I walked across the room, I reached up out of habit and set the light’s long strings of glass beads tinkling, then headed for the run of white cabinets along the one wall that makes up my kitchen. I pulled open the fridge, snagged the vodka from the ice-box and grabbed a glass. Then I remembered my guest. ‘Want a drink, Fi
Fi
... the memory of gift horses bearing crystals and way too much brownie magic surfaced and I frowned at Fi
‘Great place, Gen.’ He gri
‘You didn’t come round to look at my décor, Fi
‘Hey,’ he gri
‘Fine!’ Suspicion fell into anger. ‘Let yourself out when you’ve finished admiring it.’ I splashed vodka in the glass and knocked it back, feeling the icy chill deep inside me. ‘I need to get some sleep.’
‘C’mon, Gen—’
I slammed the glass down. ‘No, you c’mon. You set me up today, Fi