Page 86 of Twilight Destiny

Saintcrow nodded. “With pleasure. Where can I find the witch?”

Kincaid went in search of prey. He put everything else from his mind but the need to feed before he faced Luca. He had to trust Rhinehart to keep his word, had to trust that Izabela wouldn’t refuse Saintcrow’s request for help.

And if she refused? He could live with that. He could live with anything, as long as no harm came to the woman he loved.

Rosa regained consciousness slowly. She had a bad taste in her mouth, and when she tried to sit up, she discovered she was lying on a sofa and that her hands and feet were bound.

Struggling to sit up, she glanced at the unfamiliar surroundings.

“Here, drink this.”

She stared at Paul Rhinehart. “Where am I? How did I get here?” Fighting down a wave of panic, she glanced around again. Maybe she was dreaming. The room was large and dark, crammed with furniture and bookcases that were obviously antiques. A Persian rug covered the hardwood floor. A large cage housed a parrot. A black cat slept in front of the fireplace. An owl perched on the back of a chair. Strange looking objects were scattered across the mantel. A skull that had been turned into a lamp occupied a small table. A long, curved sword hung on one wall. A gray cloak embroidered with silver lightning bolts had been carelessly tossed over the back of a ladder-back chair.

She shivered as a tall, thin man with long, gray hair and blue eyes so pale they were almost white entered the room. She had never felt dark magic before, but she felt it now, crawling over her skin, invading her mind. She flinched when the grandfather clocked tolled the hour. Six-thirty p.m.

“It’s been an hour,” Luca said.

Rhinehart drew back the edge of the curtain and peered out the front window. “He’s here.”

Rosa flinched when the hunter picked up a knife, felt her blood run cold when he moved toward her. Was he going to kill her?

“Relax. I’m just going to cut the ropes,” he said quietly. “Don’t say or do anything. Do you understand? Your life and mine depend on it.”

She nodded, her throat thick with fear, her skin icy.

“Open the door,” the witch said.

Rhinehart crossed the room and unlocked the heavy front door. Black clouds hung low in the sky.

The witch went to stand beside the hunter. “Come in, vampire.”

Rosa reeled back as a wave of black magic rolled through the room, let out a gasp when Jake walked in the door. As soon as he crossed the threshold, the witch waved his hand and a pair of thick silver manacles shackled Jake’s wrists and ankles. He didn’t move, didn’t look at her.

“My debt is now paid in full,” Rhinehart said. Taking Rosa by the hand, he lifted her to her feet.

“Be gone,” Luca said, his full attention on the vampire in front of him.

Rosa started to protest, but the warning look in Rhinehart’s eyes stilled her tongue.

As soon as they were out of the house and on the sidewalk, she turned on the hunter. “What’s going on?”

“I’ll tell you later. Let’s get out of here while we can.”

“But … ”

He dragged her down the path that led to the street, shoved her into his car and slammed the door.

A moment later, they were speeding away from the necromancer’s house.

“Where are we going?” Rosa asked.

“My place. You’ll be safe there.”

At the moment, her own safety was the last thing on Rosa’s mind.

“Saintcrow called me a few minutes ago,” Rhinehart said. “All I know is that he and Kincaid have some sort of plan. I’m a little fuzzy on the details.”

“What about Jake? We can’t just leave him there at Luca’s mercy. The witch wants his head.”

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