“Willow, don’t be scared,” Ben said, so close behind her she reached back convulsively and grabbed at him.
He held her hand firmly, and for what seemed a long time they stood there, both facing the same direction, the skin on her palm and fingers pulsing at his touch.
“I’ve known there was a presence in this courtyard,” he said, keeping his voice low. “You’re feeling it, too. What do you see when you look at them?”
She knew he meant the statues. “Nothing. Just…just what they are.”
“Ah.”
“What does that mean?”
“I’ll explain later,” he said. “We should go where we can have some privacy.”
“I can’t leave yet,” she told him.
“Because you’re trying to find a statue that looks like the woman you saw in your Mentor’s book?”
She nodded, moving on to a figure so small she had to crouch to get a close look. This one had the round- cheeked face of a girl child.
Ben steadied her as she stood up again. He slid his free hand under her chin, then wrapped his forearm across her upper chest and pulled her back against him. “We’re going to work it out. We were made for this. It’s our destiny.”
“I’ve never felt it was mine,” she told him. “I’m not strong like you. Whatever these things are that happen to me are shadows beside what you can do.” She must be careful not to say too much.
“When people like us work together, we complement each other, Willow. You are a member of an extraordinary family.”
“Extraordinarily weird,” she muttered.
He chuckled. “We have to work on your attitude, my love.”
If she had the willpower, she would separate herself from him. She couldn’t do it, didn’t want to do it. “Why did you really come back to New Orleans?”
“You needed me,” he said promptly. “No other reason.”
She eased away and moved on, much more quickly than before, searching out the statues, even checking gargoyles on lintels although she knew their faces from memory and they could never be beautiful.
“Why would that man think the woman was so important? Ben, she did look as if she could be one of our angels.”
“I’m sure she did.”
“Do you know if Nat’s been looking for me?” she said, her heart slamming against her ribs. “Have you heard anything about Chris?”
She heard the shop doors open and slam shut. Uncertain steps approached, and Willow looked over her shoulder at Marley, who gave them a distracted smile.
“Hey, Marley,” Ben said.
She nodded to him.
“Did you hear from Nat again?” Willow asked her sister.
“No. But now you’re supposed to be on the run.” She smiled impishly, but didn’t seem as lively as usual.
“Meaning?” Ben said.
“Willow was sprung from her office by two accomplices and has disappeared. That’s the word around, anyway.”
He made a face and said, “But Nat didn’t call or come here?”
“Nope,” Marley said. “I think the media’s getting carried away—with a little help from someone called, Rock U.? Tattoo parlor owner with a place near your offices, Willow?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Guess I should have gotten over there to see what kind of place you were hanging out in. But I will today, anyway.”
Willow frowned but wouldn’t allow herself to ask any questions.
“I work for you now,” Marley said. “I’m the new indoor plant expert—until Chris gets back. I also plan extraordinary buffet tables and mix one-of-a-kind drinks. That means no two drinks are ever the same. I’m going to be so useful, you’ll wonder how you managed without me.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Willow said.
“No,” Ben said. “How many people have to tell you to keep yourself safe? Even the cab driver warned you.”
Willow snorted. “He didn’t mean what you mean. He… How do you know what the cab driver said?” She shook her head fiercely. “Don’t bother to say anything. You were there, weren’t you? I’m going to have to go over the Millet rules with you.”
“She’s all
“Don’t argue about having me with you,” Marley said, her dark green eyes skewering Willow. “You would do the same for me. Without you it could have taken forever to find out what Gray had been through—but you could tell, you could actually
Willow put her hands on her hips and stepped too far away from Ben for him to touch her. “You’ve been talking about me,” she said. “Discussing me. All of you. I don’t like it.”
“She doesn’t like a lot of things,” Ben said. “Especially me.”
“I never said that,” she snapped back at him. She felt herself blush and added, “You can be a bit pushy, though, Ben.”
Marley raised her face to the sky. She watched the cloudless, haze-tinged blue intently, and Willow thought her sister was listening for something. She turned toward the shop and went in.
“I’ve got a bunch of questions I’d like to ask you,” Ben said when they were alone again.
This was the one person she knew who wouldn’t push her too hard. He never had. Ben treated her differently from anyone else in their circle—which had made her feel special for a long time, until Poppy pointed out that his deference only meant he didn’t think of her as one of them, not completely.
Trying to learn more about the courtyard—if there was more—would wait. “I’ve got something to tell you, too,” she said. “Let’s go up.”
Without waiting for a response, she started up the steps but turned back when she remembered Mario. He was already running behind her.
Ben stood right where he’d been, staring at her. That stare stopped her. “What is it?” she said.
“Just wondering what it’s going to take to get my way with you,” he said with a crooked smile. “I mean, to get you to do what I want you to do, of course,” he added. Suddenly, he looked exasperated. “I just want you to be sensible.”
She set her lips together and carried on to her flat.
On the threshold, she paused.
Ben crowded behind her, moving them both inside, and shut the door again.
“Did you have breakfast?” she asked for something to say.
“It’s lunchtime, but I’m not hungry,” he said. “I am tired. We haven’t had much sleep in the last couple of days.”
“I don’t think that’s going to get better soon,” she told him. “I mustn’t forget my appointment.”
He frowned heavily. “Yeah, you mentioned that. When is it?”
She didn’t want to lie to him. “Seven this evening.”
His face cleared immediately, and he might as well have come out and told her how relieved he was that seven o’clock was hours away.
“Excuse me,” he said and passed her.
Willow followed Ben and didn’t say a word when he unplugged the phone in her living room before moving on to the bedroom. Once more he disconnected the phone. “Make sure your cell’s off,” he said and dealt with his own. He threw it down on her bedside table.
