by Lola Gabriel
“You’ll stay here,” he rasped, his mind racing as he decided what to do. “I’ll hide you in the guest house for now, but you better not try to go anywhere before I straighten this out. This estate is crawling with dragons who will most certainly know you don’t belong here. If you take one step out of the house, you’ll be caught.”
He could see that she believed him.
“I need to get back to the festival and deal with this mess now.” Fear overcame her, but she only nodded without protest. “Come on,” Theo muttered, looking about to ensure they weren’t being observed. If Carlyle or the others found out he was harboring a fugitive, he would be punished as severely as she would.
But even that fact wasn’t enough to dissuade him from stealing her through the field, along the treeline, and stowing her away inside the rarely-used guest house near the woods. As they made their way inside, he noted Scarlet’s eyes widen in surprise.
“This is the guest house?” she murmured, impressed by the two-story, five-bedroom cottage. “I’d hate to see the main house.”
Theo scowled.
“This isn’t the time to gawk at the house,” he told her sternly, but secretly, he was glad she was comfortable in the house. You cannot let your attraction toward her cloud you from your duties.
“You’re right,” Scarlet said apologetically, looking at the ground. “I’m sorry.” She stood awkwardly in the living room, waiting for direction as Theo went through the house, closing all the drapes.
“You need to make yourself scarce,” he warned her when he returned to the main floor where Scarlet remained still, trying not to look overwhelmed. “Don’t look out the windows. Don’t answer the door if anyone should happen to come knocking.”
Her face paled to a near-translucent shade.
“Will someone come knocking?” she choked. “What should I do if they do? Should I hide? Should I—?”
Theo held up a hand, compassion seeping through him.
“No one is going to come knocking,” he told her firmly. “No one ever comes back here, except the cleaning staff every two weeks if we don’t have company. I am merely suggesting that on the off chance that someone comes…” Scarlet nodded, dropping her eyes.
“I’ll stay out of view,” she promised. “I won’t cause any trouble.”
Theo paused and cocked his head to look at her. It was clear she was genuinely distraught, but was that because she’d been caught or because she was being falsely accused?
One way or another, I’ll find out, he vowed.
“You are in a remote area,” he said. “Running won’t do you a lick of good.”
She shook her auburn hair quickly. “I swear, Theo, I won’t go anywhere, but you have to believe me. I didn’t do this!”
“We’ll see.” He tried to maintain his stoic, stern look, which was difficult when there was an overwhelming desire to wrap Scarlet in his arms and kiss away her fears.
Your loyalty is to the weyr, not some witch you only just met, he growled to himself. The warning did nothing to alleviate his feelings. He needed to go before he couldn’t.
“I do not know what’s here for you to eat,” he muttered, and she laughed shortly.
“I’m not hungry,” she assured him. “I might never eat again.”
“Just stay out of sight.” It was all he could say for the time, but as he reluctantly moved toward the door, he paused to cast her one last look. “Do you know who did this?” he asked. Scarlet refused to meet his eyes. “Scarlet?”
Slowly, she raised her head.
“I’m not certain,” she replied quietly, and Theo felt a flicker of dread. She was lying. She did know something.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he said gruffly, slipping from the house before he could change his mind.
With three leaps, he had morphed back into his elegant dragon form, soaring back into the cloudless sky toward the park, his heart thudding wildly. Suddenly, Theo was plagued with new problems. Had anyone seen him take Scarlet? If so, they would want to know where she was. It was a matter he would need to deal with when he arrived, and he forced himself to shove the concern aside.
If anything, the chaos had increased in the time since he’d left. Firefighters were on the scene, as well as police officers, and while Theo was able to land without notice among the fuss, he was quickly surrounded by his injured weyr.
“We must find that caterer!” Bran gasped at him. “She is the one who did this. I saw her myself!”
“What did you see?” Theo demanded. “Tell me exactly.”
“I caught her snooping about before it happened,” Bran rasped. “She pretended to be looking for me, but I knew something was wrong. Then, I saw her running from the arena. I’m not the only one!” Bran turned toward the others who ambled about, now fully back in their mortal forms.
“You are certain it was Scarlet?” Theo asked again, his brow raised. Even though he didn’t doubt Bran’s recollection of events, he couldn’t help but feel that there was something missing.
“She wore the chef’s jacket and everything. It was her. Trust me.”
“Could she have been running from the fire? Afraid?”
“She was running before the fire started,” Bran said firmly. “You sound doubtful.”
“I am merely trying to get the facts straight, Bran. It would be a shame to execute the wrong woman.” Theo almost choked on the word “execute,” but he couldn’t let his cousin suspect that he was somehow showing special treatment to the witch.
It is bad enough that she’s a witch, he thought. Father and Grandfather would have her executed on that fact alone.
“Ask any of them!” Bran insisted, waving his hand toward the disoriented weyr. “They will tell you the same.”
Begrudgingly, Theo nodded and shuffled toward the warriors who struggled to gather themselves in the aftermath of what had happened. They all told the same tale: the redheaded woman in a chef’s hat, scurrying from the arena just before the fire started.
“The fire was laced with brimstone and wolfsbane,” Colin told him, stepping out of earshot of his fellow firefighters. “Someone was targeting the dragons. It had to be a witch. Who else would know about our weaknesses?”
“Another dragon, perhaps,” Theo offered, but the explanation was pathetic. No dragon could handle those concoctions, not without outside help of sorts. Help from someone like a witch.
“What do you want us to do?” Bran demanded, his face twisted into a scowl. “We’re wasting time standing about when she could be halfway across the country by now!”
There was only one thing Theo could do.
“Round up the scouts,” he sighed. “Let’s find Scarlet Gale and bring her to justice.”
6
From the second she was sure Theo was gone, Scarlet was on the phone, calling her sister endlessly. She had not had time to grab her purse in all the excitement, but her cell had been in the pockets of her work pants. The battery was running low, and Scarlet knew she wouldn’t have much time to find out what had happened before Theo returned.
Each call went to voicemail, unanswered.
Don’t leave a message, she warned herself. She had no idea what the scope of the Tallants’ searching abilities might be, and she didn’t want to shed blame on her twin if they might look into her phone records.
A part of her didn’t want to believe that Beatrice had had anything to do with the terrible occurrence at the Festival, but it was hard to deny the evidence she was confronted with. In her mind’s eye, she saw the look on her sister’s face when she ran from the tent before the fire erupted. She thought of how strangely Beatrice had been speaking about the dragons in the past days.
God, Bea. What did you do? Innocent people could have been hurt, not just the dragons! Scarlet sank onto the suede sofa, tucking her feet underneath her, and curled her fingers around the cell, willing it to ring. The only comfort she got in those moments was knowing that Theo wasn’t aware she had a twin an
d that someone had seen Beatrice running away before the fire. She’s safe somewhere. She escaped. That’s something.
The question was, what was Scarlet going to do now? She didn’t doubt that Theo’s warning had merit, that she was on a remote estate, surrounded by incensed dragons who probably knew exactly who she was if she tried to run. But she wasn’t thinking about running, at least not yet.
Theo wouldn’t let anything happen to her without knowing the truth, would he? Judging by the way he looked at her, she found that highly improbable.
The phone rang in her hand, and Scarlet gasped, fumbling at the device in her haste to answer it.
“Bea?” she whispered.
“Oh, Scar! Thank God!” Scarlet blinked and pulled the phone back to take in the name on the screen.
“Cal?” she choked. “Is that you?”
“Yeah. I heard about the fire at the Festival, and I thought you were catering it. Are you okay?”
Tears welled in her eyes.
“No,” she whispered. “I’m not. I’m…”
“Did you get hurt?”
“No…” She inhaled. “I can’t find Bea.”
“Oh.” He was silent for a long moment. “Did you try her cell?”
Scarlet grimaced.
“Of course,” she snapped. “But it’s going through to voicemail. Can you… can you swing by the house and see if she’s there? If she is, can you—?”
“Oh… this isn’t really a good time, Scar,” Cal interrupted. “I’m… busy.”
“You’re busy?” she repeated. “Doing what?”
“I can go by a little later,” he rushed on without answering her question. “I’m sure she’s fine. Just keep looking for her.” Dumbfounded, Scarlet couldn’t muster words. “I’m glad you’re okay, Scar,” Cal said. “Maybe come by later. But call first.”
Why did he even call? Scarlet wondered, a combination of awe and disgust overcoming her. He really is a parasite.
“You’re wasting my phone battery,” she hissed. “Don’t call me again.” She didn’t wait for a response as she disconnected the call. He didn’t call back, but as she wrapped her arms herself, she realized she wasn’t surprised.
He only called to alleviate his guilty conscience. He doesn’t really give a rat’s ass what happens to me. Startlingly, she wasn’t as upset by the knowledge as she should have been. Cal had always been self-serving. Why should a disaster bring out any other side of him?
Cal, however, was really the least of her worries at that moment.
There was a throw, neatly folded on the back of the sofa, and Scarlet reached for it, wanting to hide away from the world.
Come on, Bea, she urged her sister silently. Call me. Please.
Scarlet choked and gasped, her hands around her throat as she struggled for air.
It was just a dream! Just a dream, she told herself as her eyes darted around the unfamiliar surroundings.
Theo’s angular face came into view, and she inhaled again, the memory of what had happened flooding her in a rush.
“You lied to me,” he said dully, and she sat upright on the sofa, where she’d inadvertently fallen asleep.
“No!” she protested. “I didn’t! I swear!”
“There are dozens of witnesses,” he growled, stalking closer. His eyes were glittering with anger. “They saw you and your chef’s jacket.”
“It wasn’t me!” Scarlet whimpered, but she willed herself to stop talking. If you don’t stop fighting this charge, you’ll only make things worse for Beatrice.
“Then why does everyone seem to think it is?”
She bit on her lower lip and forced herself to stop denying.
“I don’t know,” she whispered. “I don’t know what else to tell you, Theo.” She refused to meet his eyes, her gaze locking on the majestic bear rug beneath the coffee table. To her surprise, Theo joined her on the couch, and she cast him a sidelong look.
“I’m trying to help you, Scarlet,” he said gruffly. “I do not know why, but there’s something about you that makes me feel like you’re not a killer.”
She whipped her head around to look at him.
“I’m not.” Scarlet agreed. “I wouldn’t harm a fly.”
“Then help me figure this out. Why did you do this? Is it a grudge against an old lover? Did someone put you up to this? Your coven?”
What can I say to him? she thought miserably. What is there but the truth? She stared imploringly into his eyes, wanting to tell him everything she knew. How could she, though, when it meant selling out her sister? And you can’t be sure that Beatrice did this.
“If you know something, you need to tell me,” Theo growled. “I have every scout in the city looking for you.”
Scarlet balked at the information. If they were looking for her, they would find Beatrice, thinking it was her. Panic seized her heart.
“Call them off!” she begged. “Call them off and tell them you’ve found me! I’m here. I take responsibility for what happened.”
Theo recoiled as though she’d struck him.
“You’re accepting the blame?” he choked. “After all this denial?”
She nodded, jumping to her feet. “I did it. Take me to your father. I’ll stand trial for this.”
“Sit down!” Theo reached up and pulled her back onto the sofa. “What do you think will happen to me if I walk you into the estate right now? They’ll know I have been hiding you.”
Scarlet eyed him with contrition.
“You’re right,” she mumbled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think about that.” His expression was dubious.
“For someone who was trying to kill us a few hours ago, you are very apologetic,” he accused. “Why is it that I do not believe you’re giving me the entire tale?”
Scarlet closed her eyes and forced herself to think rationally. None of this made sense to Theo, and rightfully so. If she told him about Beatrice, would he protect her as well? She was running out of options. The scouts would certainly find her, even if they had to set the entire city on fire to do it. The truth was bound to come out one way or another.
But you can’t rat on your sister.
“Scarlet, look at me,” Theo muttered. Slowly, she opened her eyes, her lower lip quivering slightly. “I cannot help you if you do not tell me the truth about what happened in the park today.”
“If I tell you,” she murmured, “will you call off the scouts? Now?”
His brow furrowed. “I only enacted them to keep you safe. If they are out there looking for you, their attention is not on me.”
Scarlet nodded, exhaling.
“I know,” she replied. “And I am grateful that you’re giving me a chance to clear my name before bringing me to your father and grandfather, but you need to trust me on this—call off the scouts.”
“I don’t understand, Scarlet. They aren’t going to find you.”
She struggled with what to say to him, the truth or a fabricated story. If he betrays me and goes after Beatrice, I’ll never forgive myself. No matter what she’s done, she’s still my sister.
“I know what your scouts will do to the city when they’re on a mission,” Scarlet said, making her decision. “I won’t be responsible for a literal witch hunt.” Theo grimaced.
“That was a long time ago,” he muttered. “They do not do things like that anymore.”
“It’s not a chance I’m willing to take,” she said urgently. “Please. Just do it.”
Theo gave her a strange look, but to her relief, he reached for his cell phone in his inner pocket and made a call.
“Latham, call off the search for Scarlet Gale.” He frowned and scowled as he listened. “You don’t ask me questions. You obey my instructions.” He ended the call and turned back to Scarlet expectantly. “Well?”
Her mind racing, Scarlet began to concoct a story.
“You’re right,” she quickly began. “I was angry at a former lover and trying to seek my revenge. I didn’t mean for the ot
her dragons to get hurt.”
“Was it Bruno?” Theo asked.
“Yes,” Scarlet lied. “Bruno. He… broke my heart, and I knew that brimstone would hurt him. So…”
“He’s still incapacitated from your attack yesterday.” Theo paused, his brow creasing. “You’re still lying to me!” How could he know that? Was she that terrible at it?
“I’m not!”
“You’ve never been here before,” he said coldly, and before she could think about her answer, she responded.
“So what?”
“So…” His face was at hers, nostrils flaring. “You couldn’t have staged the attack on Bruno last night.”
Dammit!
“I meant I’ve never been here,” Scarlet countered weakly, showing her hands around the guest house. “I’ve been on the grounds.”
“Is that right? How did you get here?”
“I…” He’s too good. He’s too good; I can’t do this.
“You’re trembling,” Theo growled, reaching for her hands. The feel of his touch against her skin sent shivers of warmth through her body.
“I’m nervous,” Scarlet admitted breathlessly. She could feel the heat of his breath against her face, the scent of his pheromones flowing through her nose to cause goosebumps on her skin.
“You wouldn’t need to be nervous if you told me the truth,” Theo sighed, exasperation shading his words. He didn’t move away, and Scarlet knew he was fighting the urge to kiss her.
How can he mistrust me so much and yet want to kiss me? It was a question she shared with herself.
“Scarlet?” She wanted him to stop asking questions, to give her time to think.
Without warning, she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his, and he gasped with surprise. But he didn’t pull away, his mouth parting to fall deeper into her embrace. The heat between them was bubbling into lava, and Scarlet snaked her arms up to twine her long, pale fingers into his thick head of hair, drawing him nearer.