Moments later, the shackles lay on the floor.
Dissolving into mist, he left the basement. Resuming his own form, he went in search of Verah’s wand. He found it on a table in what he surmised was the room where she worked her magic. Her familiar was curled up on a high stool beside the table. The black cat sprang to its feet, back arched, teeth bared, when Gideon reached for the wand.
“You’re out of a job.” Gideon jerked his thumb toward the door. “Get lost.”
The cat stared at him, unblinking, then jumped off the stool and ran out of the room.
Gideon stared at the wand. It was just a piece of wood, perhaps sixteen inches long, yet he was reluctant to touch it. Still, a promise was a promise, and he had promised this wand to another witch.
He glanced around, looking for something to wrap it in. He settled on a scrap of toweling, felt a ripple of supernatural power when he picked up the wand. He quickly wrapped it in the towel and left the house.
A thought took him to his lair in New York. A tingling on his skin told him it was only minutes until sunrise.
Going into the bathroom, he stripped off his jeans. One good thing about being a vampire, his wounds healed quickly, even those made by silver. He took a hot shower, wishing all the while that Kay was with him. Closing his eyes, he imagined her hands moving over his shoulders and back, sliding lower, lower …
Shaking off his lustful thoughts, he stepped out of the shower, dried off, and stretched out on the bed. Lying there, his arms folded behind his head, he made a mental list of things to do when he rose on the morrow. First, he would call a florist and order five dozen roses for Kusuma Ila. Second, he would box up Verah’s wand and arrange to have it delivered to her, payment in full for services rendered. And third, he would get in touch with Kay.
Closing his eyes, he summoned her image to mind, focused on it while the darkness wrapped its arms around him and dragged him down into oblivion.
Kiya?
At the sound of Gideon’s voice, Kay glanced up from the book she was reading.
Gideon! How are you? Where are you? I haven’t heard from you in days. I’ve been so worried.
I’m fine. I’m in New York. Are you still at your father’s?
Yes. Kay looked over at her mother, who was asleep on the sofa.
Can you get out of the house?
I don’t know. I’ll try, but there’s always someone watching me. Where did you go?
I went to Verah’s. You can stop worrying about her. She won’t be coming after you again.
She’s dead?
Definitely dead.
You killed her. It wasn’t a question.
I had a little help. Remember that witch in Apache Junction? She concocted a poison cocktail.
How did you get Verah to drink it?
Gideon chuckled. I drank it, and when she drank from me …
It killed her. Kay shook her head. It was brilliant.
As soon as you get away, let me know, and I’ll be there.
I will. Gideon? I love you. If only she could invite Gideon into the compound, getting away would be so much easier. But her father had rescinded Gideon’s invitation, which superseded any invite Kay or anyone else might issue.
I love you, too, Wolfie.
Tears stung her eyes when he closed the connection between them. He was alive. Verah was dead. If she could get away, no one would be able to find her.
“Kiya, what is it?”
Kay glanced at her mother, hoping she hadn’t seen the tears in her eyes.
“You’re crying. Why?”
Kay shook her head, but the harder she tried to hold back her tears, the swifter they fell.
Rising, Dorothy went to sit on the footstool in front of Kay’s chair. “Whatever it is, you can tell me.”
“No, I can’t.”
“It has something to do with Gideon, doesn’t it?”
“Mom …”
“I know you love him. And he loves you.”
Kay blinked back her tears. It was so tempting to pour out her heart to her mother, but she didn’t dare. How could she trust her to keep her secret now, when her father had broken her mother’s spirit?
Dorothy took Kay’s hand in hers. “You can trust me, Kiya. I won’t say anything to your father. I promise.”
“Gideon’s waiting for me, Mama. If I can get away from here, he’ll come for me and take me away.”
“Are you sure you want to go with him? He’s a vampire, Kiya.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Kay sighed. “My father will never let me go. Even if I can convince him to end my marriage to Victor, he’ll just find someone else for me to marry. And Mama, I’m already married to Gideon. It doesn’t matter if my father says the marriage is no longer valid. I’m married to Gideon in my heart, in my soul. I always will be.”