Warrior (Relentless #4)(109)

“I have a better idea. Let’s duel over it.”

Seamus stared at me for a moment before he shook his head. “I like all my parts right where they are.”

“Good, that’s settled.” I picked up my cards.

No one mentioned Sara again, and the four of us had an enjoyable evening. Seamus and Niall would have played poker all night, but I left at ten to take a walk around the grounds, something I did most nights before I retired.

I was walking back from the river when Celine intercepted me. Most women I knew would have pretended it was a chance encounter. Not Celine.

“Have you been avoiding me, Nikolas?” she asked in a husky voice as we walked back to the main building.

“I’ve been busy since I got back,” I replied without answering her question.

“So I see. I hear you’ve been working with Tristan’s granddaughter. How sweet of you to help that unfortunate girl.”

She stopped walking, forcing me to stop out of courtesy. Her lips curled into a smile. “Why don’t you join me in one of my training sessions this week? The other trainees would be thrilled to work with the great Nikolas Danshov.”

“I’ll see if I can fit it in. I’m sure the boys would rather have you as a trainer though.”

She laughed and put a hand on my shoulder. “I think the two of us could give them a lesson they’d never forget.”

My Mori shifted angrily, not enjoying her closeness. It need not have worried. There was only one female whose touch I wanted, and nothing would change that. Soon everyone else would know it too, and Celine would have no choice but to end her futile pursuit of me.

“Nikolas, I was hoping to find you out here.” Tristan strode toward us, his shrewd gaze sizing up the situation. “I wanted to talk to you about a job.”

I frowned, stepping away from Celine. “I’m not taking on new jobs right now.”

He stopped and greeted Celine before looking at me again. “It’s in Boise, and it’ll take less than a day. Why don’t we go to my office so I can tell you about it?”

I nodded, and we bade Celine good night. She smiled graciously because she was a warrior first and foremost, and she understood the importance of our work.

“Is there really a job in Boise, or did you just say that to give me an excuse to leave?” I asked as the two of us entered the building.

Tristan chuckled. “There is a job, but we could have discussed it tomorrow. You looked like you could use a rescue.”

I followed him into his office. “I guess I owe you one. Tell me about this job.”





Chapter 20





“You busy tomorrow?” I asked Chris when he sat with Tristan and me at breakfast the next morning.

“Nothing I can’t reschedule. What do you have in mind?”

“We have a warlock selling bad spells in Boise,” Tristan said. “Nothing too dangerous, but three people have been hurt using his magic. I’d like you two to have a kind word with him before it gets out of hand.”

Chris shrugged. “Sure. I’m up for a day trip. But why didn’t you get the Boise team to talk to him?”

Tristan smiled. “The Boise team is fairly young, and you two have more experience dealing with warlocks.”

“Good morning, gentlemen.”

“Morning,” the three of us answered as Celine laid her tray next to mine and took the seat beside me.

Celine said something to me, but I was distracted when I sensed Sara’s arrival. I glanced around, but she wasn’t in the room yet.

We’d had a great session yesterday, and I looked forward to spending today with her. This morning, I planned to take her back to the lake because she’d enjoyed it so much the last time. After lunch, we were going to spend a few hours on her studies. She’d learned a lot from her friend Remy, but there was so much she didn’t know.

“Nikolas?”

I looked at Celine, who looked a little annoyed that I’d been ignoring her.

“I’m sorry. What did you say?”

“I asked if you had given any thought to joining me in one of my training sessions.” She leaned in. “I’m sure Chris wouldn’t mind working with Sara one afternoon this week to free you up.”

Chris’s smile was full of mischief. “I’d love to teach my little cousin a few tricks.”

Movement behind him drew my eyes to the door, just in time to see Sara’s back as she hurried from the dining hall.

I stared after her. Sara didn’t skip breakfast. Was she ill?

She’d looked okay when we parted ways yesterday, but I hadn’t seen her since. Had I pushed her too hard in training? Maybe I should have gone to see her after dinner.

“Excuse me.” I stood and picked up my tray, ignoring the surprised faces of my breakfast companions. I dropped my tray in one of the bins and turned toward the door.

My eyes fell on a side table piled high with baskets of muffins and pastries, and I snatched up a blueberry muffin wrapped in plastic. I’d seen Sara eating these all the time back in New Hastings, so I knew she liked them.

Something told me she had gone outside, so I left by the main entrance and looked around for her. I didn’t see or feel her, but she couldn’t have gone far. Knowing her love of the woods, I started toward them until I picked up her presence off to my right, in the direction of the river.