Beyond the Highland Myst(602)

"Come, Gabrielle," he said, extending his hand, "we must keep moving. They can track me by what little magic I'm using to sift, but only to a general vicinity. We need to keep sifting, to spread out their search."

"Is there anything else it's wisest to do that I should know about before we just pop off again?" She tucked her hands behind her back so he couldn't grab her and just sift rather than answering her. Besides, she needed a minute to brace herself for the next bout of traveling in a manner that defied all the known laws of physics.

"You might try kissing me. Better my tongue than a frog, no?" Dark eyes sparking gold, he reached for her.

"Close contest," she growled the lie, backing away, hands still tucked behind her back. She glanced pointedly at the flopping tadpole.

"What?"

"Take it back "

"You're kidding. right?" he said disbelievingly.

"Do we have time?"

He considered that. "Yes, but— "

"Then, no I'm not."

"That lake was three hops ago," he said impatiently.

"If you don't take it back it's going to die, and while you may think it's just a pathetic little thing with an abbreviated little life that hardly even signifies in the fairy scheme of things. I'll bet in the tadpole scheme of things it's really looking forward to becoming a frog. Now take it back. A life is a life. I don't care how tiny an almighty fairy thinks it is."

One dark brow arched and he inclined his head. "Yes, Gabrielle." Scooping up the tadpole in one big hand, gently enough that it gave her pause, he popped out.





* * *





While he was gone Gabby scraped the slimy moss from her purse (which she was rather stunned to find still looped over her shoulder), unzipped it. and inspected the contents. For a novel change, she was glad she could afford only cheap purses— the fake leather had proved waterproof. Fishing out her compact, she scrubbed away the remnants of her makeup and plucked algae from her hair, ruefully acknowledging that things were now pretty much as bad as they could get.

She was not only still stuck with Adam Black, but other fairies now knew that she could see them, and some rogue fairy— according to Adam, one of those not to be trusted— had also found her out and in the thick of it all somebody had summoned the Hunters.

She shuddered at the memory. One moment she'd been staring at Adam, trying to figure out why he sounded so tense and urgent, the next, horrific creatures from her worst nightmares had materialized out of thin air behind him.

And they'd had guns, which she found bizarre enough, but even more strangely, they'd been shooting— not at her— but him. What on earth was going on?

Dabbing away a last smudge of mascara, she went still. He'd not been able to see them. All he'd been able to see was her face, and she knew how horrified she must have looked. She'd been incapable of forming a single word; the blood in her veins had turned to ice, freezing her solidly in place. Had it not been for Adam, she'd have stood there squawking silently, helplessly, until the Hunters had done whatever it was Hunters did to Sidhe-seers. She'd tried desperately to say "Hunters" and "guns" but hadn't been able to spit out a syllable.

And what had he done? The last thing she'd have imagined. He'd lunged forward without hesitation to shield her. Wrapped his powerful body around hers. Knowing that something awful was behind him. he'd not instantly sifted himself to safety. He'd used his mortal, no-longer-invincible body to protect her. He could have simply translated himself elsewhere and abandoned her, which was exactly what she expected from a cold-blooded fairy.

He only did it because now he needs you even more. He has to protect you. You’re his eyes for the enemies he can't see.

"The tadpole has been returned to its watery home, ka-lyrra." Adam materialized before her. shaking like a great wet beast, water droplets flying everywhere. He cocked his dark head, absorbing her serious expression. "All will be well, Gabrielle. I won't let anyone harm you. Not today. Not ever."

"Because now you need me more than ever," she said bitterly. "You have to keep me alive."

He cocked his head and regarded her for a long, measuring moment. "In case you've forgotten, I tried to make you leave the moment you told me about the lone Tuatha Dé. I said, to be precise, 'Walk away from me this instant and don't look back. As fast and far as you can.' You chose not to heed me. And I could always find another Sidhe-seer, Gabrielle. I read your books. One of them lists the names of the bloodlines in Ireland that carry the vision. All the bloodlines."

"It does?" Gabby was horrified. Where? How had she missed it? Why had they ever been written down? Oh, why hadn't someone burned those pages long ago?