Marked by Magic (The Baine Chronicles #4)(59)

Not that money was a concern for me right now. Or booze. Or guns. Most of the stuff I unearthed was fairly useless to a person in my position, but I did take the gold back to Messindor’s cave dwelling. If I ever got off this forsaken island, it would definitely come in handy.

As I swung my body from one tree to the next, a howler monkey took offense to my encroachment of his territory, and it lobbed a bright red fruit at my head. I ducked barely in time, then shot him a glare as he chittered angrily at me. Looking up, I saw a female in the branch above me, holding tightly onto the baby monkey wrapped around her chest, and sighed. The guy didn’t want me disturbing his family.

Dropping down to the ground, I made my way to the beach and took up my usual spot beneath a shady tree just at the edge of the forest. The sun was halfway through its descent to the horizon now, and soon would be setting on my seventh day on this island. I always sat out here for a few hours in the very early morning, and then again in the later afternoon, to keep a lookout in case any ships passed by that I could signal. None had as yet, and it was hard not to feel as if the entire world had forgotten my existence. I’d stopped checking on the serapha charm after my fourth day on the island. It was too disheartening not to see any change in the distance between Iannis and me, even though I knew he had to be coming. Maybe the charm just didn’t register change in distance outside a certain radius.

I wished I had some sort of scrying glass, or that I knew how to make one, so I could see what was happening in Solantha. How was the shifter community faring? Had they heeded my advice and withdrawn their support for the Resistance? Or had the ones who’d been released from prison decided to take up arms against the Mages Guild in retaliation for the injustice committed against them? Had the Mages Guild confirmed definitively that Thorgana was the Benefactor, and had they gotten anything useful out of her? And what about Chartis and Yantz? Were they finally in custody, or had they escaped yet again?

I wanted to think everything was going well, but I couldn’t help but worry that things were out of hand. What else could be taking Iannis so long to come find me? The city must still be in danger, or he would be here already. After all, he’d said he loved me. He’d said he wanted me to be his.

Stop that, I snapped at myself as tears smarted at my eyes. There was no point speculating as to the reasons behind Iannis’s absence. He’d proven his faith in me when he’d organized the raid on Thorgana’s mansion based on my say-so, and I needed to have faith in him. He would come. I believed that with every fiber of my being.

I just wished he’d hurry the hell up.

I wasn’t sure how long I stared at the horizon, but my vision eventually blurred, and I fell asleep. It wasn’t a deep sleep – I never allowed myself to fall asleep completely while I was out in the open – but more like a trance, allowing my mind to drift while keeping my ears and nose alert for any threatening changes in my environment.

Sometime later, the sound of footsteps on wet sand caught my attention, and a familiar sandalwood scent followed close behind the sound. My eyes popped open, and I squinted against the brilliant orange-and-gold sunset as my heart began to pump hard and fast. Could it be?

A tall, broad-shouldered figure, backlit by the sun, was walking toward me, his long hair rippling in the wind. He was dressed in a loose, button-up shirt and shorts rather than his usual robes, but his addictive, masculine scent was unmistakable, and my heart leapt in my chest. Beyond, I could make out a small sailing boat at anchor in the bay.

“Iannis,” I whispered, stumbling to my feet. He picked up the pace as I rushed to meet him, and the next thing I knew, I was in his arms. He lifted me off my feet and swung me around, kissing me until I forgot I was on a deserted island, forgot I was anywhere but in his arms. He tasted like the sea, but also like Iannis, and I greedily clutched at his broad shoulders, wrapping my legs around his hips as I pressed my body tight against his.

“You came,” I gasped against his mouth between ravenous kisses. “You finally came.”

“Of course I came for you.” He pulled back a little to meet my gaze. His hands tangled in my hair, and he cupped the sides of my head as he searched my eyes. “Did you doubt I would?”

“No,” I said honestly, and I kissed him again, clawing at his shirt. “What the hell are you wearing?” I muttered as I fumbled with the buttons.

“Sailing attire,” he growled as he lowered us to the sandy beach. “I can’t wear mage robes for every activity, you know.”

His shirt was half-undone now, and I slid a palm up the expanse of his chest, marveling at the warm, silken touch of skin poured over hard muscle. Man, but he was sexy as hell, with his dark, cherry-wood hair tangling in the wind and his gorgeous violet eyes burning with desire. The brilliant sunset backlit his form, making him look like some kind of god glowing with celestial flame.

“Did you really sail all the way here?” I asked, popping another button open on his shirt.

Iannis grinned. “That would have taken too long. I used an airship for most of the distance. When I realized you were on a deserted island, I hired the boat for the last bit. It seemed worth the small delay for the added privacy.”

“I imagine the serapha told you where to go, but what happened after I was whisked away? Did you realize what had happened to me?”

His expression darkened. “Not right away. When I rushed downstairs and there was no trace of you – only that murderer, Yantz – I feared the worst.”