Page 81 of Discovered Magic
“Don’t. You can’t understand what he’s been through.”
“Can’t I?” she rounded on him. “How about falling off the peak, believing you’re going to die, only to find yourself face-to-face with a rattlesnake? How about having strangers take potshots at you while climbing to escape? How about falling a second time within an hour, snapping the bones of your arms and legs, scarring your face, and losing your memory because of it?” Her breath hitched. “How about calling out to the man you love both times, hoping his magic will save you, but it never does?”
“Abbie—”
“How about almost getting raped each time you venture into town, and needing a boy—the one your friend Jennings shot in the back—to be your champion by redirecting his low-life father at every turn?”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Truly.”
But she was on a roll. “How about getting shot in the face during a bank robbery by that same man? And how about having your fiancé show up to save you after two years and not remembering him, witnessing his crushed expression?”
“Please stop.” His expression was pained, as if hearing of her plight was too hard.
But she couldn’t stop.
“Or how about finally feeling the spark return, only to witness the man you love get shot in the back? How about being abducted by a guy intent on raping you and selling you to a band of outlaws to get their kicks? One of which lives off the terror of the victims?”
He remained mute in the face of her rage.
“Tell me again that I don’t know suffering, Royal. Please do, so I can kick you right in the fucking balls.”
She spun away, searching for the bathroom and fearing she’d soil herself before finding it.
“This way,” he said, his tone mild, as if she hadn’t just unloaded all her woes on him.
They stopped at an outhouse with an attached outside shower.
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. Not only for what we’ve put you through, but for all of it.” The sincere apology in his expression was as honest as she’d ever seen, and she could only nod if she wanted to hold it together.
“I’ll go in to check for snakes first. Wait right there,” he ordered.
Abbie was more than happy to let him take the lead.
“And spiders,” she called. “Please remove any tarantulas, or my death will come sooner than either of us expected.”
He turned his head, but his grin flashed before he could hide it. The spiteful part of her didn’t believe he should get off so easily, but the fair part owed him for repeatedly saving her from the likes of Jennings, Morcant, and Silas.
He returned momentarily with the all clear. “Do you want a shower? I can arrange it.”
“Christ. I was trying not to elevate you to hero status, but there you go with the fucking consideration again.”
Had there been no Wilder in her life, Royal’s crooked smile would’ve charmed her to no end. But she couldn’t forget what he was. A killer wearing a saint’s smile. Luckily, he was there to remind her.
“I’m no one’s hero, Fire Cat. Besides, there’s no hot water. It’s my own twisted sort of revenge.”
26
Abbie had just closed the door to the outhouse and squatted when her bracelet lit up. Slapping her hand over it, she peeked through the crack in the boards, praying they hadn’t seen the glow from the outside. That was all she needed! If Silas recognized it as a magically infused item, the jig was up. He’d sign her death warrant, becoming judge, jury, and executioner.
As the one responsible for his wife’s demise, she’d deserve it. The weight of accidentally killing a person didn’t sit well with her. If she had a way to do it over and save the woman, she absolutely would.
Beneath her fingers, the metal shifted, as if it sprang apart. She dared a peek as the illumination died and the silver returned to its normal appearance.
A rush of relief made every nerve in her body exhale at once.
When she eased her grip, the bottom half sagged on a hidden hinge, and the bracelet plinked as it hit the floorboard. She cringed at the idea of rooting around the shadowy stall’s pee-soaked floor to find it.
Inspecting her surroundings, she spotted the pile of toilet paper sheets. Thank the Goddess! Their presence had to be Royal’s doing. In the last twenty-four hours, she couldn’t help but notice how fastidious he was. Discovering luxuries existed in this hellhole was the only bright light in her otherwise miserable existence.
