Wraith(80)

If they didn’t exist? What exactly was he suggesting? ‘They’re not all bad.’

‘Yes, they are.’ His voice was insistent. ‘If you see a shadow out of place, you must tell me. I can put down any wraith that tries to attack you. I won’t let you get hurt.’

I tore my eyes away from his and turned away. I couldn’t even begin to think of an appropriate answer. I had to either start yelling in his face or change the subject. ‘We need to go. The goblins might still come down the cliff after us. There’s a small cave near here where we can hide. You’re obviously still weak after the poison and you need to rest up.’

‘I’m fine.’

‘Your skin is still green. You might have performed a magic spell to stop us being squished against a tree but you’re not right yet. You can’t half die and then run around the Scottish countryside without expecting some side effects.’

‘I do have a strange taste in my mouth,’ he admitted.

That would be the iodine I’d forced him to drink. ‘Well, there you go,’ I said briskly. ‘We find the cave and hunker down for thirty minutes while you get some rest and we can check that we’re not being followed. Then we’ll head out and sort the Stone out once and for all. Okay?’

For a moment I thought he was going to argue but fortunately he took a deep breath and acquiesced. ‘Okay.’

I forced a smile. ‘Great. Let’s go.’





Chapter Twenty


I wasn’t completely sure about the cave’s location; it was a long time since I’d been in these woods and it wasn’t easy to get my bearings. Eventually, however, I spotted a familiar rocky outcrop and I knew we were on the right track.

I stomped through the undergrowth towards it, churning over what Gabriel had said about wraiths – and starting to quiver with anger as a result. How dare he dismiss an entire race out of hand like that? He’d virtually advocated genocide when he said that the world would be safer if we didn’t exist.

My mind flitted back to the other wraith, the one who’d been despatched to kill Ange. Yes, he was an assassin but he’d turned his back on that and helped us when he realised what was going on. In fact, he’d not just helped us, he’d sacrificed himself. And I wasn’t an assassin. I wasn’t evil. Ange knew the truth and she didn’t despise me.

My thoughts tripped over one another and my rage increased. This was yet another first for me. Normally I found it easy to separate my emotions and deal rationally with whatever problem I faced but I’d never experienced a problem like Gabriel before.

When I finally located the cave, I kicked away the dead branches that blocked the entrance and crouched down to enter it. I didn’t bother checking to see if Gabriel was following me; I knew from the sounds he was making that he was hot on my heels.

Once I’d crawled in a few metres, the cave widened and I could stand. It was very dark and gloomy, just my kind of place. I glowered at Gabriel as he also stood up but he couldn’t see my expression through the darkness. He murmured something under his breath and, a moment later, a faintly glowing ball of light appeared from nowhere and floated above our heads. Great.

‘You’re angry,’ he said.

‘We need to rest.’

He moved over to me but he was sensible enough not to touch me. I was painfully aware of his proximity. ‘What’s the matter?’

‘You’ve been through a great deal, Gabriel, and you’re still not recovered. At least sit down.’

He remained where he was. ‘Usually I have no problem getting to the crux of a matter and understanding what’s going on. Where you’re concerned, it’s like staring at a closed book. Give me something, Saiya. Anything.’

You think the world would be safer place if I didn’t exist, I thought. ‘I’m worried that you’re going to collapse again,’ I said aloud. ‘Not to mention what will happen if we don’t find the Stone of Scone before the goblins do. Or what your Prime Minister James will do in the meantime.’

‘No,’ Gabriel said slowly. ‘Those are concerns, valid concerns but they’re not what’s really bothering you.’

‘I thought I was a closed book,’ I snapped.

‘You are.’ His dark eyes glittered. ‘I’ll just have to work harder to get you to open up. After all,’ he added, ‘I know one thing for certain about you.’

‘What’s that?’

‘You feel the same way about me as I do about you.’ He gave a self-satisfied smile. ‘You wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of saving my life if you didn’t.’

‘Have you ever thought that maybe I just feel sorry for you?’

Gabriel’s smile grew. ‘No.’

I hissed in irritation. ‘Until recently you were all but dying. Get some rest.’ I turned away towards the cave’s entrance, as if I were going to keep watch.

Gabriel reached out and gently tugged me back. ‘I don’t want rest. I told you before that I wouldn’t touch you until you begged but we’re a bit short on time, so I’m going to have to resort to faster methods. Thirty minutes, you said?’ His eyes gleamed. ‘I can work with that.’

‘Gabriel,’ I began, my frustration rising even further. ‘You…’ My voice caught as he reached out, his thumb gently brushing my bottom lip. His head dipped and he sucked on it then his hands were on my waist.