The Serpent in the Stone (The Gifted Series) (11 page)

“
This should be sufficient to pay off your substantial gambling debts, plus a little more to renew your good standing at the pub, Mister MacRae.
”

The man
’
s bloodshot eyes narrowed at her.
“
Why?
”
he shot back, which Ian took to mean
Why would you want to help me?

Ian would have liked to know that and more, himself. How the hell did she know the shopkeeper had gambling debts?

“
Let
’
s just say I know your creditors, and I
’
d hate to see them ruin your good looks.
Do you want it, or not?
”
she asked.

Ian watched the man
’
s gaze shift from the billfold to the gap in the counter, and then to the shop door.
He slid into the gap and blocked it with a casual air.
When the man gave him a dirty look, Ian answered it with a philosophical tilt of his head.

MacRae turned his sneer back on Sara.
“
What do you want out o
’
me?
”

Sara set her locket on the counter, followed by another, golden one.
She reached into her pocket once more, then set the last item down.
Her hair swung forward so that Ian couldn
’
t see her eyes.
She took her hand away.
The stone necklace rested on the stained wood.
“
I want you to fix this.
”

MacRae peered at the amulet as if he expected it to jump up and bite him.
“
What kind o
’
trinket you got there?
”

She showed her teeth.
“
A birthday present.
”

The man grunted and scooped up the lockets.

“
I want you to melt those down into oval beads,
”
she said.
“
One goes in one side of this necklace, and one in the other.
You give me my present back in one piece, and
”
—she picked up the billfold and stuffed it back in her pocket—
“
I give you your pretty face.
”

She spoke pleasantly enough, but the underlying menace in her tone made Ian
’
s skin crawl.
He hadn
’
t thought her capable.
He hadn
’
t wanted to think so.

Of course she was capable.
He itched with the desire to be anywhere else.
Away from this insanity.

Away from her.

The shop owner divided a guarded look between Sara and Ian.
“
Who are you people?
”

She held out her hand for the lockets.
“
If you
’
re not interested—
”

“
I didn
’
t say that.
”

“
Good.
”
She beamed.
“
We
’
ll wait in the pub, then, shall we?
”

They entered the Rampant Lion to the roaring din of arm-wrestling customers at one end of the bar.
Smoke lay thick on the air, mingling with the pungent odor of unwashed bodies.
Ian bought two cups of coffee and set them on the table at the back of the pub, well away from the impromptu test of manhood.
He sat down across from Sara.
“
What did you do to that guy in the pawn shop?
”

“What makes you think I did something to him?”

“
I
’
ve never seen a guy cave under pressure that fast, is what.
”

She studied him.
“
I thought you didn
’
t want to know anything about me.
”

He took a swallow of his coffee.
The stuff stung his tongue like battery acid.
Watching Sara, he set the cup carefully down.
He already knew more about her than he should have.
Some things, more than others.
He closed his eyes, and her naked figure haunted him once more.

They passed an uncomfortable hour looking over everything in the pub but each other.
They ordered another pair of drinks and a small meal.
The arm-wrestlers declared a champion, a brawny mountain of a man who ordered a pitcher of beer to celebrate his own victory.

At last, Sara gave a soft sigh that he probably wasn
’
t meant to hear.
“
I
’
m sorry if I—
”

He banged his mug down on the table harder than he intended.
“
Don
’
t do that.
”

Lines appeared between her brows.
“
You aren
’
t even going to let me apologize?
”

“
What for?
”
He hunched his good shoulder.

“
For making you change your post.
”

“
You didn
’
t make me change anything,
”
he said.
“
That was my doing.
”

“
Well, then, for delaying your departure,
”
she snapped.

Something in her tone made him look closer at her.
She touched a finger to an old beer stain on the table
’
s grainy surface, avoiding his gaze.
Sitting in the middle of a rowdy pub, with shouting people on her left and right, she looked desperately lonely.

He spoke without meaning to.
“
I like you, Sara.
”

Her gaze flashed up in obvious surprise.

He glanced away.
The admission surprised him, too.
And did a few other things he didn
’
t want to think about.
“
I can
’
t be whatever it is you
’
re looking for,
”
he added gruffly.
“
I
’
m not that guy.
”

“
What makes you think I
’
m looking for something in you?
I
’
m here for an excavation.
That
’
s it.
If you want to leave— No, wait.
You
are
leaving.
”

He backed away from the remark the same way he would from an unpredictable creature.
“
Why don
’
t we go see if that necklace is ready?
I
’
ll pay our tab.
”

“
I
’
ve got it.
Just go check on the necklace.
”

He opened his mouth to snap a response, but thought better of it.
Glad for the excuse to get away from her for a moment, he left the pub and went back to the pawn shop.
He wished it didn
’
t feel so much like a retreat.

The radio had been turned off.
The shopkeeper wasn
’
t at the counter, but Ian heard shuffling noises from the now-open doorway behind it.
“
Hello?
”

MacRae swaggered out with a dirty handkerchief in one hand and a set of keys in the other.
When he saw Ian, his eyes went wide.
He covered it fast and looked around, presumably for Sara.

Ian didn
’
t like the relief on MacRae
’
s face one bit.
Even from this distance, he could smell beer, and he wondered just how many the man had tossed back.
“
Is the necklace ready?
”

“
Oh, it
’
s ready.
Not for you, though.
”

“
I know.
She
’
s coming with your money.
”

The man tossed the handkerchief down.
He reached into his back pocket and produced a gun.

Ian froze.

MacRae gave him an unpleasant leer.
“
Not for her, either.
I
’
m sure that trinket
’
s worth a bit more
’
n she
’
s paying me.
So you
’
ll be leavin
’
without it, I think.
I know antiques when I see them.
”
He twitched the barrel of his pistol toward the doorway and advanced around the shop counter.
“
You snobby rich kids think you
’
re gonna come in here and threaten me, you got a nasty surprise coming.
”

“
Whoa.
Jesus.
Hold on a second here, mister.
”
Ian held up his good hand and backed up a step.

“
Out with you.
This gun
’
s loaded,
’
case you were wondering, and I
’
ve got no problem usin
’
it.
”

Ian heard a low growl.
He looked behind him with a quickening pulse.

A wolf rounded the corner of the counter near the door, ears flattened and teeth bared in the shop owner
’
s direction.

MacRae
’
s eyes bulged.
The gun faltered in his hand.
“
What the hell you doing, bringin
’
animals in my shop?
Get that thing out o
’
here!
”
He raised his gun again.

The wolf vaulted forward with a snarl and plowed the man over.
They barreled into a table, spewing books and stereo equipment that crashed to the floor.
Ian heard the shopkeeper scream, but didn
’
t stop to think.
He raced through the gap in the counter into the back room.

Another door stood at the rear of the tiny room. Through its small, filmy window, he saw an alley stretching away. The stone pendant lay on a messy workbench. Ian snatched it up and jammed it into his pocket. He jumped back into the shop doorway, hearing growls and human cries. “Come on! There’s a way out!”

The wolf sprang through the gap in the counter, and they ran for the back door. Ian shoved it open and bolted outside. The wolf’s breath churned behind him as it followed.

Just before they reached the corner of the alley, a gunshot blasted behind him. He ducked instinctively and heard a yip. Ian looked back, but the wolf kept coming. They raced around the corner together and flew down another long series of alleys until he thought they’d escaped their assailant.

He skidded to a stop behind a run-down hotel, clammy with sweat.
Fuck! What the hell just happened?
He glanced down at himself, shaking with shock. No blood, no bullet holes, holy
crap
what had he gotten into?

The wolf galloped into the alley, then its forelegs buckled. It somersaulted head over tail and lay still in the dirt.

For a second, Ian bent double, gasping, unable to trust his senses. When the wolf didn’t move, he stumbled toward it.

And then he stopped, because the creature
’
s outline began to glow.
Its shape blurred, changed somehow.
He couldn
’
t be sure what he was seeing.
The animal shape stretched, distorted, resolved itself into a prone woman, and then solidified.

Sara.
Without a shadow of a doubt this time.
His world flipped over, and he felt sick.

She clutched her upper arm with the opposite hand, her eyes shut.
“
Did we lose him?
”
she panted.

Ian staggered backward, heaving for breath that wouldn
’
t come.

She opened her eyes.
They faded to hazel, glassy with pain.
Even though he
’
d seen it happen, he wanted to disbelieve it.
His skin prickled.
The hairs on his arms stood on end.