Fear the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #9)(48)

The female moved toward him with a sulky pout. “I have a name.”

He dismissed her complaint with a wave of his hand. “Do whatever it is you have to do to find the prophet so we can be done with this.”

“I’m a witch, not a miracle worker. It’ll take a few minutes.”

He bared his fangs. “Then stop wasting time.”

“Okay.” Stomping toward the counter, she dropped Cassandra’s hair into a shallow bowl. “Don’t get your panties in a twist.”

“Someday you will learn your place,” he warned. “Let’s hope you survive the process.”

Seeming to sense he wasn’t joking, Sally hastily bent over the bowl and muttered low words of magic. As she’d warned, it took several moments before she at last lifted her head, a layer of sweat coating her face.

“I found her.”

Gaius strolled to stand at her side while the matching curs crowded behind her. He peered into the bowl, uncertain what to expect. Then, as he studied the thin layer of water, he realized that there were pictures flickering over the silver surface.

Leaning closer, he watched in fascination as the image of a pretty young female with long, blond hair and emerald eyes came into focus.

Cassandra.

The debacle of his last encounter with the prophet was forgotten as renewed hope flared in his frozen heart.

This time there won’t be any mistakes, he silently swore.

“Where is she?”

“Hold on.”

The witch waved her hand over the bowl and the picture shifted. Or more precisely it expanded, like a camera zooming back to reveal a wider angle. He saw a farmhouse surrounded by trees and acres of rolling cornfields. Then the cluster of lights that marked a small town.

“Fascinating, but nothing helps to pinpoint the location,” he said dryly. “This could be anyplace in the Midwest.”

The image widened even farther and Sally made a sound of satisfaction. “There’s a city.”

“It’s Chicago,” Dolf abruptly announced.

Gaius sent him a warning glance. “You’re certain?”

“Absolutely. I recognize the skyline.”

“Fine.” Gaius pointed toward the bowl. “Return to the prophet.”

There was a blur of movement as the image condensed to focus on the female Were, who was standing in the center of a book-lined room with Caine holding her in protective arms.

“Is that what you wanted?” Sally demanded.

“I need to know if she’s alone with the Were.”

The witch concentrated as she shifted the images to search the farmhouse and outlying buildings.

“Looks like it.”

It did, indeed. Which did nothing to reassure Gaius.

“Why?” he muttered.

Dolf sent him a baffled frown. “What do you mean?”

“Why are they always alone?” he clarified in icy tones. Was he the only one with a brain? “They could surround themselves with the most powerful Were guardians. Or even vampires. Why leave themselves so vulnerable to attack?”

Dolf shrugged. “Caine has hated the King of Weres and his people for centuries. There’s no way in hell he’d turn his honeypot over to that megalomaniac,” he said, clearly indifferent to any fear they might be walking into a trap. “And he isn’t stupid. He would never trust the leeches. To be honest, I don’t think Caine has ever truly trusted anyone.”

“And they’re not unprotected,” Sally added, pointing toward the edge of the yard. “The entire house is surrounded by layers of hexes and cloaking spells. There’s no way we’ll get through that barrier without some serious magical mojo.”

Gaius was not entirely satisfied, but he wasn’t stupid enough to believe the Dark Lord’s patience was infinite. Any moment he was going to demand results.

And the gods have pity on all of them if the evil bastard was disappointed.

“I’ll get us in,” he grimly promised, stabbing Dolf with a warning glare. “You make sure you have your spell ready.”

The cur smiled. “Whatever you say, boss.”

Caine kept Cassie locked tight in his arms, his wolf needing the intimate contact to reassure the beast that she was unharmed and back where she belonged.

The past few hours had been . . .

He shuddered, unwilling to relive the torturous wait for Cassie to arrive.

Logically, he’d been convinced that the aggravating female was headed to this isolated lair. But after his hair-raising journey with Yannah that had defied the basic laws of physics, he’d had far too many hours to pace the floors and dwell on the numerous ways this could all go to hell.

What if she’d had another vision that led her in a completely different direction?

What if she’d been attacked or kidnapped on the way?

What if she’d wrecked the damned Jeep and was even now lying hurt alongside the road?

What if she was simply lost?

The worrisome thoughts had looped through his mind, gnawing at him until he felt like climbing the walls.

Then, at last, he’d heard the sound of the approaching vehicle and watched as she made her way to the lair, clearly unhurt. From one beat of his heart to another, his savage fear had mutated to fury.

A fury that had gone ballistic when she admitted that she’d left herself vulnerable because she wanted to protect him. Dammit, his entire life had been an empty struggle for survival and even after he’d made his deal with the devil to try and alter curs into Weres, he’d known that there was something vital missing.