Steal the Sun (Thieves #4)(96)

Danny and Lee let the wee folk go. They immediately went to the table and started counting coin.

“You’re a generous lady,” one said, giving me a wink.

At least I wouldn’t have to worry about revenge. If they were satisfied with our bargain, they would leave us alone. We turned to leave.

“But you’re the one who’s gonna be needing the luck,” the other said in an “I know something you don’t know” voice.

When I looked back, the leprechauns were gone. Tully sighed and took another drink. It seemed like it wasn’t the first time he’d been left behind.

“Come on, Z,” Danny said, and I could see he was wary of what the leprechaun had said. “Let’s get our gear. We can make it to the mountain before dawn and then get some sleep.”

I followed my husband and hoped our luck would hold.





Chapter Twenty-Two





“I’m gonna kill those f*ckers,” Daniel said, his head all the way back as he looked up at the ridiculously imposing mountain. It made Everest look like a baby hill. Someone might have mentioned that fact to us.

“How do they get up there?” Neil’s eyes were wide, his head thrown back as he looked up.

“They must be part goat,” Lee commented.

I shivered because it was damn cold. The wind whipped around something fierce. “At least goats have a nice coat of fur.”

I wrapped my arms around my chest and wished Declan had thought to put some parkas in the gear. I’d managed to sleep some during the day with Daniel’s arms around me, but I missed Dev’s warm heat mightily. He was like a furnace in bed sometimes, and Daniel and I both were missing his warmth.

“Here, baby, take my coat.” Danny took off the light jacket he was wearing and wrapped it around me. “I don’t even feel this.”

I knew he did but not as much as I did, so I accepted the gesture. The truth was even if he felt every degree of the cold, he would insist I take his coat. The wolves didn’t mind the cold at all.

Daniel looked up the mountain and made his decision. “I’m going to try to fly up. It would be a hell of a lot easier than climbing. Come on, Z.”

He hooked his arm under my knees and held me close to his chest. He took off faster than he normally would and I wove my fingers together around his neck so I had the tightest hold possible without choking him. I’d gotten somewhat used to flying with Daniel, but I still got a rush of adrenaline any time he launched us into the sky. The moon was almost full as he climbed higher and higher. I needed that parka now as the higher we went, the colder we got.

“Do you see it?” Daniel shouted the question because the winds were loud as we got closer to our destination. He nodded toward the mountain. Sure enough, there was the opening to a cave in the middle of the rocky face of the mountain. It wasn’t small, either. We would have no trouble getting in and out. Given that we were dealing with leprechauns, I’d been worried about small spaces.

“Let’s go,” I yelled. “We can check it out and you can go back and get the wolves if we need them.”

I was hoping we wouldn’t. We would only need Lee and Neil if there was some serious security. The leprechauns had chosen this site because the mountain was a security measure in and of itself. It was difficult to get to and unless you were up as high as Danny and I were, you couldn’t see the cave. It wasn’t visible from the ground. Someone would have to be looking for it to find it. Even if the leprechauns had locked their treasure in a chest, there wasn’t much Danny couldn’t get through.

Looking over Daniel’s shoulder, I noted that there was a castle in the distance. It was a pale ivory, much like the palace, but it looked even more medieval. There was a wall around what looked like a large village just outside the castle. Even from this distance, I could see the activities going on in the walled city. Like the palace, they were preparing for war.

Daniel’s arms tightened around me the higher we went, and I realized he was trying to stay in control. The wind whipped around us in a violent wave that sent my stomach flipping, and Danny had to correct his course three times before a mighty gust sent us flying back down. Daniel lost control and we tumbled through the air, twisting like an out-of-control kite. I saw the ground suddenly coming up at an alarming rate of speed. I clung to Daniel, my heart in my throat. I couldn’t scream, couldn’t do anything but hold on to Daniel and pray that the end was quick. I closed my eyes, waiting for impact.

Daniel pulled up at the last second, and I felt the ground just scrape my back as I was jerked up like I was riding a bungee cord. Daniel swore as he righted us and managed to float us lightly back to the ground.

My heart did a weird skippy thing, and I just managed to avoid vomiting.

“Jeez, Z, are you okay?” Neil asked, hurrying forward.

“What the hell happened?” Lee put his hands on his hips, staring up at the mountain as though he could see the threat.

Daniel ran his hands along my back, making sure I hadn’t taken any damage. “God, baby, I lost control. Those winds were hellacious. I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” My voice was shaky and my legs even shakier. “I think I’ll walk from now on. Like forever.”

“I’m going to try again. Maybe I can handle it better without a passenger.” Daniel handed me off to Lee, who made sure I could stand up. “You rest, Z. I’ll be right back.”