Forbidden Lovers Boxed Set

by Jennifer Blake

  “That’s it, my heart. You’re doing it perfectly.”

  Maddie felt the force of Lyon’s own focus, locked with hers. It helped, no mistake about it. But instinct told her not to rely on him or anything else.

  This was her task, hers alone. She stared at the painting, letting her vision relax. She could see the outline of her hands now, ghostly and substantial. And yes, there was definitely a shadowed outline of something else inside the painting.

  But she couldn’t take a chance on exploring further. The acrid smell was getting heavier.

  She took a very slow breath and drew her focus into her hands, using the power and the balance from the floor—and finally taking more energy from Lyon’s hard body, locked against hers.

  Her hands slipped free.

  Maddie fell backward, into Lyon’s hard grip.

  Shaking, she gasped his name, dizzy with relief. His hands locked on her waist and she heard him whisper rough words in a language she couldn’t understand, a language that sounded much older than Anglo-Saxon or Norman English. Then as her legs still trembled, Maddie tilted up her face and brought him down to meet her mouth, quick and hard and hungry, desperate to feel that they were both alive and the world still had order and rules and balance.

  But there was no balance or order in the heat that slammed through her when Lyon’s tongue brushed hers and he whispered her name in harsh desire. There was no sanity when his hand opened, skimming lower, sliding under her shirt to find her breast.

  She made a broken sound, pressing closer, needing more, wanting the mindless oblivion that Lyon would bring her.

  Wanting to love and be loved. Every instinct told Maddie that this man would never fail her, would never betray her.

  “Maddie, no. We should not.”

  “Yes, we should. Touch me, Lyon. I never knew how it could feel. I’ve never wanted like this.”

  She felt him shudder and remembered what Aeryx had told her. When Maddie looked down, her rosemarks twisted in a mad dance, shooting along her arms and then out to circle Lyon’s body.

  They must be burning him. No matter how much she wanted their touch, Maddie could not bear to give him pain.

  There was only one answer.

  “Bind us, Lyon. I want you. I want to be linked with you.”

  “No, Maddie.” His throat was raw, thick with his desire. “It can’t be reversed and you can’t go back.”

  “I can’t go back anyway. My life will never be the way it was. And that’s probably a very good thing. I trust you, Lyon. Bind us. I heard what Aeryx said. I may not understand all of it, but I understand enough. You told me I have the right to choose, and I’m choosing now.”

  Hunger filled his eyes. He cupped her breast and drew a harsh breath.

  Maddie never knew what he would have said next, because an icy voice cut through the silence of the gallery.

  “Let her go. Move away from her. Do it now.”

  Maddie’s heart fell. She knew that voice. She knew its anger and harsh command.

  Izzy Teague had arrived, and talk about a really lousy sense of timing. “Izzy, you don’t understand. He’s just—”

  “Step away from her.” Maddie looked up. Izzy was holding a weapon of some kind leveled on Lyon’s chest.

  And the cold look in his eyes warned that he was about to use it.

  19

  “Izzy, put that away.” Maddie moved protectively in front of Lyon, her heart pounding. “You’re being ridiculous. He’s a friend.”

  “A friend? It didn’t look that way to me. It looked as if you two were arguing—and he was going to take something you didn’t want to give him.” Izzy’s eyes were very hard, very cold. “Would one of you mind telling me who he is?”

  In a smooth movement Lyon moved around Maddie and slid his hand around her waist, steadying her. Reassuring her. “I am Lyon of Greyhaven. I am a friend to Maddie—and if she wills it, a friend to you. You have no need of firearms here, I assure you”

  Izzy’s hard expression did not waver. “I’ll be the judge of whether I need firearms, pal. So where exactly did you meet Maddie, since she’s only been in London a matter of hours? Something tells me this story is going to be a show stopper.”

  “She was accosted in the cemetery. I gave her shelter.”

  Izzy’s head tilted as he considered this information. “Do you have some kind of ID? I plan to run a deep search on you, Mister Lyon.”

  “Just Lyon. And I do have identification, but it is not on my person. Nor will I leave to find it while you are holding that weapon. Put it away.” Lyon’s voice had turned icy, just as distant and hard as Izzy’s.

  “Like hell I will. Maddie, I meant what I said. Come over here next to me.”

  “At first I didn’t trust him either. But…what he says is true. And he did save my life, Izzy. Several times in fact.”

  “Come over here. Do it now.”

  Maddie glared at him. Her anger grew when Lyon gently pushed her behind him and stood rigidly, hands at his sides as if ready to charge Izzy despite his loaded weapon.

  She shook her head in disgust. “Would you two mind? I’m not big on testosterone moments.” Although, the truth was, Maddie had a secret, guilty tingle of pleasure at the thought of two tough, handsome men fighting over her to protect her.

  When was the last time that had happened?

  The far side of never.

  But she continued to glare at the two of them. “I’ve got a serious headache and right now my hands feel like they’re melting. Both of you need to cool off. Right now.”

  Her words had not the slightest effect.

  Lyon took a slow, measured step forward. Then another. Izzy’s eyes narrowed and the gun rose higher. If Maddie didn’t do something fast, someone was probably going to get shot.

  “If you two idiots want to shoot each other and tear each other into pieces, be my guest. But I’m not hanging around. I’ve got better things to do with my time. I’m going to find myself a cup of tea. I assume there must be a kitchen somewhere downstairs.”

  “Maddie, wait.” Izzy turned, scowling at her.

  Lyon’s face was just as hard.

  “My heart, we need to resolve this now.”

  “My heart? Try that again. You said you two just met, Maddie. What’s going on here?” Izzy looked angry and baffled.

  She shook her head, suddenly tired and with no tolerance for this macho display. The headache was getting worse. Her hands, numb before, had begun to tingle and burn as sensation returned. “Like I said, I’m leaving. Do whatever you want. I’ll be downstairs in the kitchen, assuming that I can find it. There’s a cup of Earl Grey somewhere calling my name.”

  “Damn it, Maddie, you can’t—”

  She shrugged and strode right past Izzy, giving a little wave. “Roll with it, Teague. Whenever you want to work, let me know. I seem to recall there’s a code you wanted me to break. That might be a more productive way to spend your time.”

  She was very satisfied to hear nothing but stunned, angry silence as she stalked out of the room.

  Lyon’s eyes snapped with anger. He crossed his arms, glaring at the man Maddie called her boss. “You are wrong. I am here to guard her, not hurt her.”

  “Yeah, is that right? Well you’re going to have to prove it to me, pal.”

  “If anyone failed in his duty, it was you. She is young and inexperienced, a stranger to this country. You should have protected her.”

  Izzy’s eyes flashed with impatience—and more than a little guilt. “That’s between Maddie and me. I’m not about to explain my actions to you. Because this whole thing seems a little too convenient. One moment she’s wandering around in London and then you just happen to find her and rescue her? That’s crap.”

  “But it is also true. I followed her to the museum where you were making your illegal entry. The police came and she might have been picked up if I had not gotten her away. I also saved her in the cemetery. By my reckoning, that makes twic
e that I have saved her life.” Lyon did not mention the other two times. Once when the Fallen ones had sensed her presence and again when Maddie had begun her Change, caught helpless, unable to breathe.

  Izzy frowned and then slowly lowered the weapon. “I was wondering how she got away. We didn’t expect the police or that fire across the street. But I’m still going to need some papers and identification. Maddie is a valuable government asset.”

  Lyon’s eyes hardened. “She is a most rare and wonderful spirit, not an asset,” he said coldly.

  “Well.” Izzy gave him a new, assessing look. “Sounds like this just got personal between you two.”

  “Oh, it has been personal for a long while. Understand me—I would protect her with my life.”

  Izzy considered this for a few moments and then blew out a frustrated breath. “There’s no need to worry. Maddie’s in my protection. I’m not going to let anything happen to her.”

  “I am glad that you have her interests at heart. But if you are truly fixed on protecting her, understand this. A much older danger waits out in the darkness. And it is not human.”

  “Not human…” Izzy said slowly. “I’m afraid you lost me there.”

  “I am not surprised. It is a difficult concept for many. But I think Maddie’s suggestion was best. We will discuss this over tea.” Lyon shot Izzy a hard glance. “And if you ever harm her or threaten her again, you will soon regret it. Mark my promise well.”

  And for a second time Izzy was left staring in frustrated silence.

  Lyon strode away after Maddie.

  “I found the tea. I’m not sure I know how to use that old fashioned stove, but I think I managed to boil the water okay. I’m not much of a cook. Lyon, why don’t you find some cups? Any idea where there’s some food around here, Izzy?”

  Lyon though she seemed calm, controlled, as if her anger had been put aside. And she seemed to enjoy ordering them around the kitchen.

  “There’s a pantry over to the left.” Izzy pointed to a recess beyond a cabinet full of priceless glassware. “Usually the butler, Marston, handles that kind of thing, but he’s up north with Viscount Draycott and his family. I’ll have a look.”

  “Something chocolate would be nice, too. Chocolate with a whole lot of calories and heavy cream. You British are big on heavy cream, aren’t you, Lyon? Just don’t slip in any of that nasty stuff.”

  Lyon raised an eyebrow. “I do not understand you.”

  “Oh yes you do. I’m talking about the kidneys. The brains. That stuff the Scots eat too, Haggis.” Maddie grimaced.

  Lyon simply shrugged. “Food is food. In difficult times there may not be a great deal of choice. I think that people of this century do not understand how lucky they are.”

  “Of this century?” Izzy turned slowly, studying Lyon with fresh suspicion. “You’re not trying to imply that—”

  “Don’t get him started.” Maddie waved her hands. “Go find us some chocolate. We have work to do, remember?” She strode past the two men and attacked a drawer, searching for a teapot and tea bags.

  There were no bags. Somehow she expected that. But she found a big box of loose tea that looked expensive.

  “Let’s get to work, shall we?”

  Izzy set a box of truffles on the table.

  “First your pal Lyon here is going to explain what he meant about not human. After that, I want to know what he meant by not of this century.”

  Maddie shook her head. “You’re not going to like it. You’re probably not going to understand it either. I know I didn’t.” She shot a glance at Lyon, whose face was expressionless. “You’d better tell him everything he needs to hear. At least, coming from you, he might believe it.” She cradled her cup of steaming tea and savored the rich, smoky smell. “After that, I’d really like to get to work.”

  “That depends on your friend Lyon here—and how good his explanation is,” Izzy said grimly.

  Maddie forced herself not to interrupt Lyon’s calm, methodical explanation. She wondered if Izzy was buying his story.

  She really hoped so. If these creatures—or things—that Lyon mentioned came calling at Draycott Abbey, Maddie was going to need Izzy’s help. He would be a lot more effective if he believed the threat was real.

  When Lyon finished, she rested her elbows on the table and studied the man who had arrested her five years before. “He’s telling the truth, Izzy. I don’t care if you believe it or not. There’s too much weird stuff going on for it to be a lie. And since we don’t have too much time, let’s simply agree to disagree, shall we? I see you’ve got your laptop and briefcase in the corner and I hope that means you’ve got an update on my assignment. What happened at the museum?”

  Izzy looked at Lyon, “This doesn’t leave the room, understood?”

  Lyon nodded.

  “Okay,” Izzy rubbed his neck.

  We found what we went in for. I’m hoping you can help me understand what it means, Maddie.”

  “So it’s some kind of artifact?”

  “Not exactly.” Izzy hesitated, and then opened his briefcase, pulling out a heavy canvas bag, which he rested carefully on the table between Lyon and Maddie. “No discussion about this outside this room. Not now. Not ever,” he said roughly. He looked at Maddie, who nodded slowly. When he looked at Lyon, his eyes held a glint of challenge.

  But Lyon simply nodded.

  “Here it is. Tell me what you make of it. If there’s a pattern or a message in it, I sure as heck don’t see it.”

  Maddie’s breath caught as he opened the brown canvas sack and pulled out a circle that burned and shone in the kitchen light. It appeared to be finely hammered gold worked in thin concentric lines. But it was too clean, too pristine, for an artifact, Maddie thought. “It’s a replica, I take it? Not the original.”

  Izzy nodded, his mouth hard. “The original is far too precious for me to get transport clearance from the museum.”

  There was something else he wasn’t telling her, Maddie sensed. She leaned down, running her finger carefully along the surface of the metal replica. “I’m assuming you don’t want an archeological or historical assessment here. I couldn’t do either one. There’s a message or information you want me to find, is that it?”

  Izzy nodded, but said nothing.

  Maddie took a better look at the fine circles, assessing the rows and the numbers and the spacing of the designs. She let the designs flow through her consciousness and waited for a pattern to emerge.

  It was the way she always worked. It didn’t matter if she was working with computer code or a mathematical formula or any other kind of data.

  She saw patterns in things, patterns that other people did not. It was just a gift she had, something in the way her brain had been wired. The real work came later, when she had to figure out what the pattern was supposed to mean.

  The way Maddie had had to figure out what the paintings meant up in the Long Gallery.

  There was something going on with this piece all right. The circles were all slightly off, not perfectly symmetrical. Since the design was so carefully crafted, Maddie didn’t think that asymmetry was a mistake.

  She pushed out her chair and stood up, walking slowly around the table, studying the exquisite golden replica from every angle. She didn’t bother to ask Izzy questions about date or location or method of manufacture. All that was irrelevant. All that was what people thought it should mean.

  Maddie dealt with the raw fact of what it did mean.

  “What does it—”

  Lyon made a low warning sound and cut off Izzy’s question. He probably could feel Maddie’s force of concentration. They were definitely linked somehow. Even the slightest emotion would race between them instantly, Maddie realized.

  She kept walking around the table slowly.

  And then she saw it.

  Right there.

  Right in the center.

  Or where the center should have been but wasn’t.

  20
/>
  “What’s that symbol?” Maddie looked at Izzy. “The one that looks like two small X’s on top of each other.”

  “It’s an Anglo-Saxon sign. These are called runes.” Izzy started to say more, but Maddie held up a hand and shook her head. She didn’t want details. She needed to work cold and observe the data objectively.

  That symbol—or rune—appeared in six spots on the artifact. They were equally arranged around the piece, but off center.

  She was betting there was a meaning in that placement. Also in the frequency of the runes. She studied the placement of the symbols as if it was a code, looking for repetition or meaning and a pattern to the frequency of occurrences.

  The double X symbol occurred in the sixth position in every sequence of symbols.

  It could be some kind of an ending marker. Maddie focused on the other symbols.

  “I need a pencil and paper.” She kept walking around the design and barely noticed when Izzy held out a notepad. She felt Lyon’s hands curve around hers as he slid a pencil against her palm. She smiled at him, feeling his encouragement. When his fingers curved, sliding over hers.

  No words were needed.

  Maddie shook away all distractions and sat down. Writing quickly, she noted every symbol except the double X in the order of their occurrence. Then she made a quick calculation of how many times they occurred.

  Two symbols were used most.

  One of them looked like a B. The other one looked like a vertical line with a little triangle on the top, like a flag.

  Each of these occurred six times, always together.

  It wasn’t a simple substitution cipher. Nor was it the slightly more complicated technique of a Caesar cipher or shift cipher, in which each letter of a message was replaced with another letter that shifted by a fixed number of spots in the relevant alphabet. History recorded that Julius Caesar had used this cipher to protect the security of his private letters. It could possibly be a poly alphabetic cipher, Maddie thought. A man named Vigenere had designed the first one with shifts of letters or symbols as indicated by a keyword.