As they traveled the long, winding road toward Victor Salinger’s property, Alastair experienced misgivings. For certain, the overall energy of his office complex had been off, but he was at a loss as to understand why. He still wasn’t convinced Ryanne had been completely in the dark regarding her sister’s connection to Victor, but then again, Alastair had learned the hard way that loyalty meant different things to different people.
“My chances of getting out of Victor’s compound are low, aren’t they?” Ryanne asked from the backseat of Rylee’s sporty Jeep.
Alastair shared a grim look with Ryker. Both of them had been in the enemy camp and lived to tell about it, but they’d both lost friends, fellow witches and warlocks who hadn’t been so lucky.
He twisted in the seat to meet her steady gaze. She had courage, this mate to his son. And in that regard, he admired her. If Ryanne wasn’t playing them false, Alastair would do whatever was in his power to help her return to Nash.
“I don’t know, child. But what I can promise you, is that we will do whatever is necessary to get you out unharmed.”
She nodded and turned to stare at the passing scenery.
Alastair twisted slightly to look at Knox. Spring’s young man had been quiet since they commissioned his help earlier. “What’s bothering you, boy?”
“I’m not entirely certain. I do know there is something off about this whole thing.” He shot a glance at Ryanne. “I want to go in with her.”
“You can’t. We have to assume that Salinger has had us all under surveillance at one point or another. If that’s the case, he’d recognize you in a second.”
“I can glamour a disguise or cloak myself.”
“He’d detect the magic. No, I’m afraid Ryanne has to go by herself.”
“It goes against my nature to let her take all the risks. The Council won’t care how we obtain the necklace, as long as we do. Maybe we should scrap this idea and try to get a plan of the building. Hell, you’re skilled at picking locks. You could get us inside.”
Alastair smiled wryly. “Son, you would charge in where angels fear to tread. Maybe it’s the nature of your gift, but you’re going to have to trust me on this one.”
Knox’s troubled expression weighed on Alastair. The man’s instincts were sharper than any Alastair had ever seen, perhaps even his own. If Knox had a bad feeling about sending Ryanne inside to retrieve the necklace, chances were, he was right. Such had been the case when he and Spring went to Cartagena for the third magical artifact to revive Aurora. That trip hadn’t gone as planned.
“Turn the vehicle around, Ryker.” Three pair of eyes snapped in his direction. He smiled ruefully at the couple in the backseat. “We’ll find another way.”
“No. I promised Nash I’d get that necklace,” Ryanne protested.
“And you will, child, only not today. Not like this. I’ve learned to trust this young man’s feelings on certain things.” He tilted his head toward Knox. “You mean more to my son than a piece of jewelry.”
“A powerful piece of jewelry, Mr. Thorne. I couldn’t live with myself if something terrible happens because Victor has it.”
“He won’t have it long, Ryanne. Never fear.”
“If you continue to pace, cousin, you are going to wear a hole in the wood floor.”
Nash halted in front of Autumn. The sardonic twist to her lips made him want to growl in response. “Why do you always have to be a sarcastic bitch?” He sneezed and balled his hand to forestall the onslaught of raccoons.
“Why do you always have to have a stick up your ass?”
“You—”
“Stop!” Spring commanded. The sharp edge was at direct odds with her usual melodic tone. “This is not like either of you.” She paused for a second. “Okay, maybe it’s somewhat like Autumn, but still.” She stood and moved closer to Rylee, tilting her head as she studied the other woman. “What are you hiding?”
“Not a damned thing,” Rylee snapped. “Who does a person have to kill around here to get a damned drink of water or to go to the bathroom?”
“Of course. You’ve been sitting for a while, haven’t you?” Spring said, not unkindly. “I’ll take you.”
As Spring lifted her arm and spoke the words to undo Alastair’s magical binds, a crafty, smug expression washed over Rylee’s face. All Nash’s nerve endings went on high alert.
“No, wait!”
In a stunningly swift move, Rylee was up and had the tip of a wicked-looking blade pressed to Spring’s jugular.
“I will fucking rip you apart if you hurt my sister,” Autumn snarled. “There won’t be a place on this earth where you can hide from me or mine.”
“I’m trembling in my stilettos, bitch,” Rylee sneered. “Spring, in my pants pocket is a necklace. Reach in and get it—carefully I might add. You don’t want to get stung by its tail.”
“I’ll get it,” Autumn quickly volunteered.
“Not you. It will sense your anger and kill you immediately. It has to be someone in control of their emotions.”
It was the only indication that Rylee didn’t really want to harm Spring. Nash tried to force back his instinctive desire the rip out that treacherous bitch’s throat as he channeled a calming energy. “I’ll do it.”
“No tricks, Nash. This blade is laced with poison lethal to witches. One nick and she’s a goner.”
“I get it, Rylee.” What he didn’t get was why none of them had thought to search her. For as smart as the Thorne family collective was, they tended to miscalculate the intelligence of others way too often. How she’d smuggled in a knife—and what Nash believed could very well be the Red Scorpion necklace—made him question his survival instincts. He sighed his disgust. “Which one?”
“Right.”
He glanced down at her flowing palazzo pants and could have sworn he saw movement of the pocket in question. The bulge was obvious now that he looked closer. How had Alastair missed it? His father saw everything. Perhaps he thought she’d pocketed her keys?
“Invisibility spell.”
His head whipped up to stare at her.
“It’s the reason you didn’t see it before now. Why none of you did. I’m assuming that’s what you’re thinking.”
“Yes. Clever trick. We all underestimated you.”
“People always do.” Her look and tone hardened. “Now get the necklace.”
Nash eased open the pocket of her pants. Again, there was movement inside. The sound of the shifting chain made the hair on the back of his neck stand at attention. Man, he so didn’t want to reach in and touch that damned thing. The evil amusement in Rylee’s mocking gaze made him doubly nervous.
“You don’t have to do this, Nash. Not for me.” Clear understanding shone in Spring’s face, and she gave him a brave half-smile.
Keeping his eyes locked on Spring’s, Nash asked, “What guarantee do I have that you won’t hurt her?”
“None,” Rylee snapped.
“Then why should he do as you ask?” Spring reasoned.
How the hell she could remain serene was beyond him, but Nash admired the hell out of her.
“Oh, fine. I’ll let her go as soon as I’m free. Happy?” Rylee sneered.
Mentally taking his balls in hand, he reached into the pocket and grabbed the chain. Slowly, he withdrew it until it dangled in the air between them. He’d seen images of the necklace, but they hadn’t done it justice. The piece was beautiful in a macabre way. The body was slender, fashioned of silver and rubies. One large stone made up the thorax; the deep red seemed to be illuminated from within, catching the light as it swung slightly. Miniature silver pinchers bit into the intricate silver chain. But it was the tail that drew the eye. Even as he watched, it stiffened and curled over the back as if to strike. The line of tiny rubies brightened to fire as the sharp barb whisked back and forth.
Goddess! He shouldn’t fear the thing as much as he did, but he’d read the legend. One sting from that tail, and they’d be entombing him in the family mausoleum.
“Put it on,” Rylee ordered.
“What?”
“I didn’t stutter.”
“You’re a stone-cold bitch, you know that?” Autumn snarled, trembling in her rage and inability to take action.
Nash opened the clasp and reattached the ends at the back of his neck. Once again, the scorpion shifted. He could feel the sharp tips of the eight legs as they dug through his Henley shirt. His skin crawled, and he wanted nothing more than to tear the creepy thing off and fling it across the room, as far away from him as it could possibly get.
“Open the collar of your shirt.”
Again, he did as Rylee commanded.
“Conpressi!”
He gasped and choked off a strangled scream as the necklace contracted around his neck and the scorpion dug into his skin. It was as if it wanted to burrow beneath his flesh. Unless Nash missed his guess, Rylee had sealed his fate.
“Now, my work here is done. Hand me that journal, and I’ll be on my way.”
On leaden feet, he walked to the table and lifted the leather-bound book. With a sense of fait accompli, he placed it in the outstretched hand across Spring’s shoulder. Nash eyed the knife and wondered if he could wrench it from her grasp before Rylee could cut his cousin.
“I wouldn’t try it, hero. Besides, you have enough problems of your own now.” Rylee backed toward the door, using Spring as her shield. “Victor sends his regards to your father. He said it was a life for a life. Your father murdered someone Victor cared about deeply. This is his revenge.” She paused by the door and eased the knife away from Spring’s throat. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry it had to be you, Nash. My sister seems to really care about you.”
With a hard shove to Spring’s back, Rylee dashed through the door.
Autumn pivoted to go after her, but Nash placed a hand on her arm.
“No. Let her go.”
“She took the journal, Nash! We need to get it back to get that thing off your neck!”
He reached up and parted the edges of his shirt. “It’s too late. She sealed it on and accelerated the rate it merges with the wearer’s body.”
Twin horrified gasps from his cousins told him exactly what he expected based on the pain in his upper chest. The Red Scorpion had burrowed deeper and was about to claim another victim.