Magic Undying (Dragon's Gift: The Seeker #1)(44)

“Yeah.”

“Why that job?”

“Why do you care?”

He shrugged, tilting his head until his dark gaze met mine. “I’m interested.”

In me? Whew. I didn’t know what to do with that information, so I packed it away. I didn’t necessarily want him to be interested, but there was no harm in sharing the basics.

I shrugged. “I’m good at it. And it pays well.”

“Did you train with the sword for long? You’re talented with it.”

I leaned against the railing, needing to take some weight off my aching muscles. “That’s the weird thing. I didn’t have to train a lot. At least, not that I remember.”

“What do you mean?”

I glanced up at the stars, my mind drifting back to the first time I’d seen them. “When I was fifteen, I woke in a field with no memory. I was with Cass and Nix. We didn’t even remember our names. I can’t remember the first fifteen years of my life. But I’m a natural with a sword. Maybe because I practiced when I was a child. I don’t know.”

Why was I telling him all this? Maybe because it felt good to confide in someone other than my deirfiúr. I’d always found it unsettling that I was so good with a sword. What kind of childhood had I had that I didn’t remember training with weapons?

And maybe if he knew me better, he’d feel guilty about taking me back to the Underworld.

“What the hell happened to you that you woke as a child alone in a field?” Anger rang clear in his voice.

“Um, we’d been held prisoner by a sociopath. I don’t have any memories of it, but Cass does.”

“Why? And where is he?” Roarke growled.

“Dead.” I grinned. “Cass killed the bastard.”

As for why he’d held us prisoner, that was info I wouldn’t be sharing. The Monster from our past had wanted us because we were FireSouls. He’d planned to use our talents for his own benefit. But there was no way I’d reveal that side of my nature to Roarke. A rule follower like him would have a hard time not turning me in to the Order of the Magica.

I shivered at the thought. Roarke was part demon. He’d turned his brother over to the law. I had to keep these things in mind. Constant vigilance through my life had kept me safe. Forgetting what Roarke really was—what he was really like—would do me no favors.

“Do you know anything about me other than my last name?” I asked. “And is my first name really Delphine?”

“Yes. It’s Delphine. But you said you didn’t know your own name.”

“I didn’t. But maybe that’s what made me choose the constellation Delphinus for my name. Deep down, I recognized it.” The thought made my heart ache for something I couldn’t even recognize. “But what about my last name? Do you know any more?”

“No. I knew only your name and how to find you.”

“I thought you tracked me by the blood I left behind.”

“I did.”

Was he lying? Before I could ask, he said, “What did you do after you woke in the field?”

“Stayed on the run. Eventually we raised enough money for concealment charms to hide us from the Monster’s seers who sought our location. Then we opened Ancient Magic.” With our skills for finding treasure, it was the only way we’d known to make a living. “The demon hunting for the Order was just a gig on the side to make more money. But with Ancient Magic doing better, I can now do more treasure hunting.”

“You lead an interesting life, Del Bellator.”

“You’re not too shabby yourself.”

He shrugged. “It’s a job.”

I laughed. “Some job.”

“It keeps things in line.”

“Which you do like.” And that was what I was afraid of. Staying in line probably meant taking me back to the Underworld.



After leaving Roarke on the porch, I slept like a log. By the time I woke at seven the next morning, all my aches and pains were gone. If I hadn’t woken in Roarke’s spare bedroom, there’d have been no way to tell I’d almost been killed by the Ubilaz demon.

“There’s coffee in the kitchen!” Roarke yelled through the door. “We’ll leave in ten.”

“All right!” I showered quickly, regretting not waking early enough to spend more time in his enchanted forest shower, then pulled on my black leathers.

When I took my sword off the dresser, I couldn’t help but grin. Having it again felt so danged good. I sheathed it at my back and then headed down the stairs. The kitchen was lit by the warm glow of the rising sun, and I got a fairly big stab of kitchen envy.

Coffee was sitting on the counter, along with a travel mug, so I grabbed a quick cup and headed out to the driveway. The morning was brisk and chilly as fall leaves tumbled off the trees.

Roarke, dressed in a dark blue sweater, leaned against his car, holding his own cup and looking like he fit into this rustic-chic mountain life so easily. No one would guess that the Warden of the Underworld owned a matching pair of travel coffee mugs or looked so good in a sweater. Mostly they’d just imagine his Were-demon side.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Yep.” We climbed into the car, and I almost groaned at how cozy the pre-warmed interior was. “You’re not a big fan of being late, are you?”