Lone Star Magic (24 page)

She bit her lip and looked down at her hands,
twisting them in her lap. “I don’t know. I guess because I really
like you.” She spoke so quietly she thought he might not have heard
her. She prayed he wouldn’t ask her to say it again.

“I like you too, Carly Roberts.” Some new
note in Alrick’s voice made her raise her head. “And were
circumstances different, we would become much more than
friends.”

“Friends?” Her stomach clenched. Suddenly,
she realized with blinding clarity she wanted to be much more than
friends. “But you desire me, don’t you, Alrick? We couldn’t really
be friends with all this heat between us.” She held her breath, her
face still hot, her heart pounding.

“You know I want you.” His voice was low,
husky with emotion. That sexy-as-hell voice that had her wanting to
climb all over him. She squirmed.

“I want you so badly I can’t sleep at night.
You haunt my dreams,” he continued. “You’re distracting as hell,
Carly. So badly I have trouble concentrate on fighting our
enemy.”

Her throat stung. “Same here, Alrick. That’s
why I know this can be something…” she choked, trying to find the
right words, “more. Do you realize how long it’s been since I felt
this way?”

“Look at me.”

Was that anger in his voice? Slowly she
raised her head. His eyes glowed in the darkness.

“Another man will come along for you.” He
sounded fierce, his voice raw. “Remember? The one who will father
your son.”

She hung her head. “I know.”

“Do you realize how much that hurts me? That
another man will…” he broke off, swearing in that unknown language
of his.

They both fell silent.

Finally, Alrick spoke. “Try to get some
sleep.”

“I can’t sleep. Not now. You go ahead.”

He made a sound low in his throat, telling
her he wouldn’t be able to sleep any time in the near future
either.

She sighed. “Do you mind if I ask you a
question?”

“As long as it’s not about…”

“It’s not. I want to know what you get out of
this, when it’s all said and done.”

“I’m not sure I understand.” He spoke slowly,
considering her words. She appreciated that. Even Liam, who’d loved
her, had sometimes tuned her out or acted as if her chatter was
meaningless. It used to irritate her that, while he could repeat
back what she’d said, word for word, he’d remember none of it
later.

“Let me try to be clearer. What reward does
Alrick, prince of the Fae, claim for guarding the life of some
human woman he doesn’t even know?”

“Altruistic reasons?” he drawled. “You know,
my actions benefit the greater good, even if it is in the
future.”

His sarcasm almost made her smile. Seems he
had picked up
something
from her after all. “Remember,” she
reminded him. “You can’t lie.”

“I know.” The humor vanished from his voice.
“By giving me this task, my father tests me to see if I’m worthy to
sit on the throne.”

“Ahh, so in your world, this is what you want
more than anything else?”

“Yes. To be named heir. As things stand now,
Cenrick and I both share that honor.”

“But only one can be king?”

“Yes.” The fierceness in his voice told her
how important this was to him.

“Did the mage promise you this, if you save
me? Did he tell you he’d get your father to agree to name you
heir?”

“No he didn’t.” But Alrick wouldn’t look at
her, turning his attention to continually monitoring their
surroundings.

“But you hope this will sway your father to
you?”

Now he swung his head to glare at her, eyes
blazing. “Cenrick doesn’t even want to be king, so I don’t
understand why my father won’t name me.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” she agreed.

“Shades of Lothar, even if Cenrick
did
want the throne, I am firstborn. I should be heir.”

She let that one go. Even kings had their
reasons. Maybe it was best that Alrick didn’t wonder too deeply
about his father’s. Instead, she asked about Cenrick, whom she’d
honestly liked. “Why doesn’t Cenrick want to rule?”

“He’s a scholar. His books and his theories
are more important to him than anything else.”

“So? Sometimes scholars make great
kings.”

“And sometimes they do not. This is one of
those times. The Mage has told us what awaits in the time yet to
come. Rune needs a warrior king when my father steps down.”

“Steps down? How old is your father?”

“The Fae do not reckon age the same as
humans. By your terms, he is centuries old. He has ruled Rune for
two hundred and fifty-nine years now.”

She couldn’t help gasping. “Two hundred?” She
looked again at Alrick, checking him out, not seeing a single
wrinkle or even a hint of crow’s feet near his eyes. “Er, how old
are you?”

“Nearly a century.” He tossed the age out
casually, as though he found it unimportant. Then, while Carly was
still reeling from this revelation, he shook his head. “The next
king of Rune will lead the Fae into the future – a time when humans
and Fae are at war.”

He spoke of time so casually, as though
centuries meant nothing more than days to him.

“Okay, so when this is all over,” she waved
her hand for emphasis, “and assuming you kill the Warlord and save
me, you’re going back to Rune, right?”

“Assuming?” He appeared shocked that she
would consider any alternative. “I will destroy the son-of-a… Of
course I’m going back to Rune, back to my people, back to my
kingdom. That’s where I belong. You didn’t think…” His face
softened and she saw pity there.

Pity? There was nothing she hated worse.

“Of course I didn’t think you’d stay here.”
She put enough sarcasm into her words to make her sound uncaring.
“I just wondered.”

“Wonder no more.” As he shook his head, one
corner of his mouth turned up in a wry smile. “Win or lose, in the
end we always have to go back where we belong.”

His words haunted her. Since Liam had died,
she hadn’t felt she belonged anywhere. No Name Ranch had been his
dream, not hers. Though she’d once lived in Austin, that had been
during college and those days were long gone. She wasn’t the same
person she’d been then.

A lot of people said they felt they belonged
around family. Her family – she had only her mother, who lived in
Seattle and was too busy to call. While Alrick had an entire castle
full of family. For a moment she envied him that.

Then, because she’d always considered herself
a practical woman, she decided she’d better make her own plans for
when this was over. Assuming Alrick succeeded in keeping her safe,
that would be it for him. He’d go back to Rune and leave her here,
alone.
His
life wouldn’t change either way.

While hers… she had to look to the
future.

No Name Ranch. Home, once she got past the
awful memory of the fireballs and rampaging insects. If she could
survive the loss of Liam and the memories they’d made their
together, she could make herself forget about this too.

She could force herself to forget about
Alrick.

The idea was a physical ache in her heart.
She’d known so much loss in such a short period of time…

Enough. No more self-pity.

“Are you all right?” Alrick’s deep voice
broke into her thoughts.

She blinked, focusing on him. “Fine.”

“What about you?” He raised a brow.

“Me?”

“What will you do once this is over?”

Since his question so closely mirrored her
own thoughts, she had a ready answer. “Run No Name Ranch. At least
I have this future child to look forward to. My son, Lance. And of
course, the man who will be his father.”

A brief cloud passed over Alrick’s face, gone
so swiftly she might have imagined it. “Yes, there is that. Once I
am named heir, I will need to find my own wife and get busy
supplying the kingdom with children.”

The thought made her positively gloomy. She
struggled to hide it, injecting a forced brightness into her tone.
“Heirs of your own, huh?”

“Yes. Heirs of my own.” He didn’t sound
overjoyed either.

They were a pair.

He sat beside her and drew circles in the
dust. She watched him from the corner of her eyes and memorized his
face. Finally, he glanced at her and caught her looking. She didn’t
turn away.

“Don’t,” he said. That one word was enough.
They both knew what he meant.

Focusing her attention elsewhere, she found
herself searching for a glimpse of the black and white blur that
was her dog. “I miss Kayo.” She had to swallow past the lump in her
throat. “I don’t understand why that boy took him.”

“Maybe he’ll show up again, bring him
back.”

“Do you think so?” She could only hope. “I
guess that depends on whether the boy is good or bad.”

“True. Since we didn’t get to hear whatever
the Mage was going to say about him, I guess we won’t know until we
see him again. Though he didn’t seem evil to me.”

“Me either. He was so worried about the
girl.”

“That entire incident puzzles me.” Jaw set in
grim lines, he shook his head. “I don’t understand why he asked us
for help, then disappeared before we could do anything.”

“And why he took my dog. What would he want
with Kayo?”

Since neither had an answer, they fell silent
again, continuing their sleepless vigil, waiting for dawn and
whatever fresh threats the new day might bring.

A SHRILL screech woke her. Carly bolted up,
heart pounding, stumbling for a weapon she could use against the
threat.

“Easy.” Alrick sounded amused. “Look. The
Mage’s hawk has decided to pay us a visit.”

She glared at him through bleary eyes. How
anyone could look so alert and sound so damn lively after only a
few hours of uncomfortable sleep, she had no idea. But he was
right. Tinth, perched on a stout branch of a nearby pecan tree,
opened her mouth and screeched again.

Carly rubbed her eyes. “Does she have to make
so much noise? My head’s pounding so badly, if I didn’t know better
I’d think I had a hangover.”

“Lack of sleep,” he said cheerfully.

She winced as the hawk cried out again. “You
don’t seem to have suffered much.”

He shrugged. “I’m used to going without
sleep. And the Fae don’t seem to need as much as you humans.” With
these last words, he grinned.

Instead of swatting him, Carly yawned and
looked at the bird. “No more screeching.” Tinth lifted a talon as
if she understood, and unfolded her wings. Her wingspan was nearly
as wide as Carly was tall.

Because she’d never seen a hawk up close and
personal, she moved closer. “Do you think she bites?”

“She could, if she wanted to. Hawks are
carnivores. The Mage wears his glove and carries her around on his
arm, without her hood, and she seems content. When she hunts, she’s
fierce. And fast. She eats small rodents and snakes.”

Again Tinth lifted her talon. Long, curved,
and sharp, she seemed to be showing how she killed her prey. Her
rust colored feathers were interspersed with white, black and
gold.

“Pretty girl,” Carly crooned. She kept her
movements slow and unhurried, not wanting to startle the giant
bird. “I read somewhere their eyesight was eight times more
powerful than humans.”

“It must be, to be able to see mice so far
below on the ground.”

Shifting her weight from side to side, Tinth
screeched again.

Alrick frowned. “I wonder what she’s trying
to tell us. Usually red-tailed hawks only call out when soaring or
defending their nest.”

“Defending their…” Carly looked over her
shoulder. “I wonder if she’s trying to warn us.”

Standing, he turned a slow circle, scanning
the perimeter. “Damn Warlord. His attacks have been getting closer
and closer together.”

“Great.” Out of reflex, she scratched at her
arms. “I wonder what kind of bug or reptile he’s going to use
next.”

“Look.” Alrick pointed skyward. “I don’t
think the next menace will be insects.” To the north the morning
sky looked black. To the east, the sunrise was obliterated by
flocks of birds. Black birds, crows, and mockingbirds flew towards
them from all directions, settling in every treetop. Their
screeches and chirps and cries filled the air, becoming a deafening
roar as their numbers continued to multiply.

“Oh God, he’s been watching Alfred
Hitchcock!” Carly groaned. “If those things attack all at once,
we’re goners.”

From her perch, Tinth watched the sky,
lifting first one talon and then the other.

“Normally, other birds fear her. But she’s
only one hawk against so many. She won’t be able to help us much.”
Moving fast, Alrick began to gather sticks. “Help me. We have a
minute before they get here. We’ll build a fire. We can use flaming
torches to try and keep them away.”

She scrambled to assist, all the while
keeping an eye on the fearful, darkening sky.

Together, they dumped their bounty into a
pile.

“Enough?”

Alrick nodded. Producing a flint from inside
his pack, he produced a spark. The wood didn’t catch.

The cacophony of birds grew louder.

“Hurry.”

He tried again. Another spark. This time the
dry sticks caught immediately. A small fire flared and began to
burn. Feeding it twigs, Alrick quickly had a healthy blaze going.
He’d kept out a few larger branches for them to use as torches.

The flock drew closer.

“Here, take this, just in case.” He handed
her one. “I want you underneath me. In case some of them make it
past my torch, my body will shield you.”

The flock was only seconds away.

Still perched on the branch, Tinth lifted
herself to her full height and once again unfolded her wings.

The sky above them was full of birds.
Wheeling, diving, circling. None approached. Yet.