“You were trying to punish me,” he said.
“That’s not true. I could have done something much worse.”
“Like what?”
“Like give you an erection lasting an entire year. That would have been more painful. I wasn’t trying to hurt you.”
“Liar.”
She ignored his drawled accusation. “I was trying to teach you a lesson,” she repeated.
“I’ve been around over a thousand years. I don’t need a witch like you teaching me anything. I’ll tell you what I believe. I believe I can kill demons. What more is there?”
“A lot more.”
“Right. How could I forget? I believe I’m a vampire and you’re a witch.”
“Those are all facts.”
“What’s wrong with facts?” he demanded.
“Nothing as long as you believe there’s more.”
“More what?”
“Things you can’t see, only feel.”
“Do not give me that shit,” he growled. “Magic is your world, not mine.”
“You were turned by Merlin, so magic is part of your sire’s world.”
“I’m
“No, but you like to be just as mysterious. As for magic, you have the ability to fly. Some would call that magical.”
“Humans, you mean. Humans would call that magical.”
“And vampires. They can’t all fly. Only vampire Demon Hunters. Your line is responsible for the legends that vampires turn into bats and fly, you know.”
“That goes back to the Middle Ages, when people’s eyesight sucked,” he said.
“Your dagger is magical. It has the ability to destroy demons. I’ve heard that a lot of Demon Hunters use a curved sword. A katana.”
“I don’t like curves unless they’re on a woman … or a witch.” He gave her one of those head-to-toe-I- know-how-to-trigger-your-orgasm looks, which she could have totally ignored had he not in fact known exactly how to trigger her orgasms.
If he said anything about preferring the thrust of a sword or made any other sexual references, she’d have shut him down. Instead he simply initiated eye contact with her. She couldn’t look away.
He knew it. His trademark half smile indicated his confidence and gave her the strength to break off their visual connection.
“You were turned by Merlin,” she said. “I’m a witch in Morgan Le Fay’s line. Merlin and Morgan were hardly BFFs.”
“Some say they were. That she was his protege.”
“You were there,” she retorted. “What do you say?”
“I say that maybe Merlin and Morgan are pulling the strings,” Damon suggested as he entered the room. “Did you ever consider the possibility they’re matchmaking?”
“Never!” Simon went on to mutter a string of foreign words she suspected were all curses.
“Yeah, what he said.” Pru impatiently shoved her hair away from her face. “Why would they want the two of us to be together?”
“Because the two of
All this talk about Merlin only served to infuriate Simon. He’d failed on his first mission, and although he hadn’t failed since, it still haunted him that he hadn’t been able to save his liege, King Arthur. He should have been faster, tried harder, done better.
“Leave us, Damon,” he growled.
Damon hesitated.
“You may go,” Pru said.
Her approval increased Simon’s anger but did allow Damon to withdraw. Simon unclenched his fists. He’d gone about this all wrong. As soon as he found Excalibur, all his powers would expand. If the rumors were true, he only had forty-eight hours after his arrival to find it. He’d thought to have Damon help him in his quest, but now he knew he needed this witch.
“Who else is after Excalibur?” she asked.
“Who wouldn’t be?” he said. He had no intention of giving her unnecessary information. She was merely a means to an end.
“All you have to do is cast a locator spell,” Simon said.
“It’s not that easy.”
“Are you saying you don’t know how to do a locator spell?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“You are.”
“Meaning what? That you won’t help me?”
“Meaning locator spells work best on finding a person. If it’s an item then you can’t cast a locator spell for something you don’t own.”
“Why not?”
“Because it goes against the laws of nature.”
“Bollocks. Don’t give me that.”
“I don’t make the rules.”
“But you can break them. I’m sure it wouldn’t be the first time.”
“If you once owned and then lost Excalibur then I might be able to help. Emphasis on the ‘might.’ Did
He had in a manner of speaking. If he’d gotten to Mordred sooner, then he could have saved Arthur, and Excalibur wouldn’t have been thrown to the Lady of the Lake, aka Morgan. “Yes,” he said.
All her attempts at using a locator spell failed except for the last one, which had minimal success. “It’s definitely in Chicago,” she said.
“Tell me something I don’t know.”
“Not the North Side, not the South Side. Downtown Chicago. We need to look for a large collection of ice.” She appeared pale and swayed on her feet. “I’m feeling light-headed after all the magic I’ve performed. I’m done for tonight.”
Simon scooped her up and carried her to the huge bed at the opposite end of the loft. “Get some rest. We’ll start again tomorrow.”
Pru and Simon spent most of the next day checking various venues with no success. She’d tried several locator spells but again, no success. She did sense they were getting closer as they systematically made their way east, toward Lake Michigan, until they eventually reached the Millennium Park Ice Rink, which was closed and deserted. It was nearly eleven at night.
Pru stood still for a moment, struck by the illuminated beauty of Chicago’s world-famous skyline. The night air left a chill on her cheeks and the tip of her nose, but her goose bumps weren’t caused by the cold. “Talk about an outdoor rink with a view.”
“Stop sightseeing and start locating,” Simon ordered. “Stay focused.”
“I’m focusing,” she said.
Despite the fact that they were focused, or perhaps because of it, one second they were alone in the
