“You’ll never reach New York,” he replied. “My grandfather is a powerful man. Necromancers will either catch you boarding or disembarking. Hell, they might hijack the whole damn plane. They’ve shown their hand with your abduction. No turning back now. They have to recover you at all costs. Air travel is not an option.”
Dread filled her. He wasn’t wrong. The race was now to see if she could reach New York before the necromancers reached her.
“I’m sure you’re about to offer a plan that’s not in the least bit self-serving.”
“We drive,” he said shortly. “We use cash, and we stay as far off the beaten path as possible.”
“With you.” There was no doubting the disdain in her voice.
Tarian glanced at her then back to the road. “Right now, Melissa, I don’t care if you hate me. This is far bigger than you or I. All you need to focus on is getting back to your father, and I can help you do it.”
She tapped her fingers on the door handle as she considered her options. Though she didn’t have her purse or credit cards, she could surely beg a phone call from someone. Her father had contacts all over the country. There must be somewhere safe she could go.
Her next move, however, was the least of her current problems.
“I’m going to put a pin in this argument for the moment,” she said, trying to keep herself calm. “Because dawn in coming.”
She held out her hand to show small wisps of smoke curling from her fingers.
Tarian swore as he swerved onto the side of the road. “Get out,” he ordered, jumping from the car.
Melissa pushed free of her seat just as the sun broke over the horizon. A cry tore from her as light hit her body. Agony flared in every cell in her body as her skin started to blister. Full-on flames were only moments away.
But then Tarian was there at her side, ushering her toward the open trunk. He lifted her in and shrugged out of his jacket.
“It’s not perfect, but it will keep you protected while I find somewhere to stay for the day,” he said, throwing the jacket over her head.
Melissa heard the trunk slam shut, encasing her in near darkness. The collision from their escape, however, must have warped the trunk’s seal. She scuttled back as far as she could to avoid the thin strips of sunlight streaming through gaps. When she woke she’d have some serious blisters to heal, but at least she’d survive.
At least, as long as Tarian didn’t wait till high noon and open the trunk to roast her alive.
He risked a lot to free me, she reasoned. I’m valuable to him alive.
But in the end it made no difference whether she could trust him or not. Dawn was fully upon her, and she lost her struggle to keep her eyes open.
As she slipped into her daylight sleep, she prayed Tarian would find some way to keep her safe from the merciless sun.
Chapter Eight
She opened her eyes to the water stained ceiling of a cheap motel. Turning her head, Melissa saw Tarian lying next to her, sound asleep. One arm was thrown over her waist, and she wasn’t sure whether it was to keep tabs on her or just an unconscious caress.
Moving slowly so as not to disturb him, she twisted her head to scan the room. It had been many years since she’d been in such a run-down motel. She wouldn’t be surprised if she’d seen it as the setting in a horror movie.
The yellow walls and wood paneling had a distinctive seventies vibe, as did the beaten down forest green carpet. A television with old rabbit-ear antennas perched atop the one set of drawers, but she could see its electrical cord had been chewed through by some small creature.
Tarian had wisely stripped the bed of the ugly floral bedspread which likely hadn’t seen the inside of a washing machine in months. The only light came from the single bare bulb set in the center of a slowly rotating beige fan. All in all, the room wasn’t worth whatever fee Tarian had paid for it. And that was absolutely perfect. No one would ever imagine an heiress to bed down in a place like this.
Turning back to her bed partner, she wondered what her next move should be. She might be able to use her super speed to run from the room before Tarian woke enough to trap her with his magic. Once on her own, however, was she better off or worse? She didn’t know this part of the country, but Tarian obviously did. If she could reach a phone and contact her father, backup would be sent her way, but it would still take time to reach her—time where she’d be vulnerable.
Of course, choosing a necromancer as a traveling companion came with its own host of pitfalls.
Better on my own, she decided. At least if she failed, it would be due to her own choices, not because she was naïve enough to trust an enemy.