Blaze of Secrets (Asylums for Magical Threats)

by Donovan, Jessie

  “You’re going to trust me with your brother?”

  “I don’t have a choice, so don’t fuck up.”

  Adrenaline filled Kiarra with a sense of bravado. For the first time in her adult life, someone was relying on her. She had a task.

  Once Jaxton was gone, Kiarra eased out of the car, crouched down, and inched her way to the rear of the vehicle. Maybe she was being overly dramatic, but she couldn’t stay in the car. She’d be trapped if anyone attacked.

  She had to give Jaxton credit—sound traveled well inside the parking garage. When she heard someone sneeze in the distance, she released the safety on her gun, but kept her finger off the trigger, just like Cam had instructed.

  The footsteps drew nearer. A middle-aged woman appeared and headed toward the elevator before disappearing behind a wall. Kiarra released the breath she’d been holding, only to feel something solid poke into her back. She shifted her foot ever so slightly, but the solid object pressed harder. She felt someone’s breath near her ear.

  “I told you to stay in the car.”

  Jaxton. As she turned, Jaxton moved his gun away from her back. She wanted to yell, but she kept her voice a whisper. “Why, so someone could trap me inside the car? I think not.”

  He pushed her behind him before whispering, “A man and a woman are snooping around a few rows down. Here’s what we’re going to do.”

  Kiarra listened and nodded. Jaxton went in front of her and looked both ways before waving her on. Kiarra ran across to the other side, squeezed between two cars, and hunkered down, keeping Jaxton’s car in view.

  Her heart pounded as she waited. She wouldn’t screw up. She could do this.

  The sound of footsteps came nearer, and Kiarra looked at Jaxton, waiting for the signal.

  He gave it. Kiarra took out her clip and slid the gun across the ground. As expected, the pair walked toward Kiarra’s direction with their guns raised. She took a deep breath and said in her best terrified voice, “I’m Kiarra Melini. I surrender. Please don’t hurt me.”

  A woman’s voice started to sing. “Come with us, child. Your pain will ease, you’ll be safe. Most of all, you’ll go home, back to where you belong.”

  Kiarra wanted to stand up and walk over to the woman. But just as she was about to do it, she caught herself. What am I doing? She crouched back down just as she heard a few grunts, followed by the sounds of objects hitting the ground.

  She stayed put until Jaxton came into view and offered her a hand. She took it and let him pull her along, toward the car. She noticed that there weren’t any bodies lying on the ground. “Where’d they go?”

  He patted the trunk of the car. “Don’t worry, they won’t be troubling us. When they wake up and start making a fuss, someone will find them.”

  Part of her was relieved that Jaxton hadn’t killed them. He let go of her hand and reached inside the car to honk the horn twice. Garrett remained unconscious, but a car slowly turned the corner and stopped right behind them. A pretty black woman about her age, wearing jeans and a black t-shirt, stepped out of the car.

  Jaxton opened the rear door and maneuvered Garrett out of the back seat. The woman came over to help, took one of Garrett’s arms around her neck, and said, “How much longer will he be unconscious?”

  “Maybe an hour, possibly two. Hopefully that’s long enough to get him somewhere safe?”

  The woman nodded. “I can move him again later. My only other patient right now is nearly recovered and can help me take care of Garrett.”

  Kiarra watched as they got Garrett inside the other car before the woman buckled him into harness straps in the back seat. She wanted to say something, but hesitated. Garrett wasn’t related to her, but in a way, he’d been a patient of hers, if only briefly. Finally Kiarra took a step forward. “Make sure not to touch him when he’s awake or he won’t stop screaming. If you hum the tune of Holst’s Jupiter, it’ll eventually lull him to sleep.”

  The woman shut the car door and turned with a smile on her face. “I’ll make sure to follow your advice. I’m Amma, by the way.”

  The woman put out her hand and Kiarra forced herself to take it and shake; touching others was becoming easier. “I’m Kiarra. And thank you for taking my advice under consideration.”

  Amma’s smile turned sad. “All that matters to me is getting him well. Too many don’t recover, and your advice might be the extra bit of help he needs. Thank you.”

  Kiarra didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had thanked her for anything. She’d never get used to feeling needed, either.

  Jaxton touched her lower back. “We need to go. The two in the boot have probably missed a check-in call, and their associates might try to track their car’s location.” He put out a hand to Amma to shake. “Thanks, Amma. I’ll try to visit him as soon as I can.”

  “I understand, no worries.” Amma opened the driver’s door of her car. “Nice to meet you, Kiarra. If you ever need a place to stay, come find me.”

  Jaxton’s hand moved from her back to her waist and he pulled her closer against his side. She should’ve been alarmed, but for some reason the heat of his touch, the familiarity of his scent, it just felt…right.

  As soon as Amma was gone, Jaxton released his hold and handed Kiarra her gun. He took her hand and led her out of the parking garage.

  Kiarra was passed out on Jaxton’s shoulder. Not that he could blame her; after all the changes and stops they’d made, it was late. But he was confident no one was following them, at least for the moment.

  They’d crossed the US-Canada border without incident not that long ago—thankfully Kiarra’s fake passport had worked—and they’d soon be in Vancouver. From there, they would take a taxi to Squamish Airport and then a private plane to Toronto, change to an international flight to Glasgow, and a bus to Edinburgh. Some might say he was being paranoid, but he wasn’t going to risk Kiarra’s safety.

  He looked at her sleeping face, gently brushed her bangs to the side, and smiled. She’d done well in the parking garage in Seattle, playing her part and not losing her nerve. Every day outside of the AMT allowed Kiarra to find out more of who she was and what she could be. If it weren’t for the physical training she still needed, or her continued hesitation with strangers, she would probably challenge Jaxton for his leadership role the first chance she could.

  Unable to resist the softness of her skin, he traced the line of her cheek and it hit him that he wanted to see Kiarra healed and ready to take on the world.

  The thought of letting her go was becoming harder and harder to accept. When Amma had offered Kiarra to stay with her if she ever needed it, Jaxton had felt something flicker inside of him and he had pulled her close. At that moment, he had wanted Kiarra to stay with him.

  He still did.

  Jaxton let out a sigh and took his hand from Kiarra’s jaw. As he stared at his reflection in the window, he cataloged all of the more important things to worry about than a growing attachment to his trainee. If he didn’t help find the Four Talents, and manage to keep them out of Sinclair’s radar, there may not be much of a world left to enjoy, regardless of who he had at his side.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Kiarra was in love with Scotland. The old brick and stone buildings had charm and history, a sharp contrast to the box houses and shopping centers back in the US. Her brief view of the scenery outside the cities, between Glasgow and Edinburgh, made her want to see the wildness of the north. But she didn’t have the freedom to explore anywhere yet, so for now, she stared out the window of the bus and devoured everything in sight.

  The reality of being in a foreign country was still strange to her, but with each new sight, Kiarra was glad that she hadn’t died the day she’d met Jaxton.

  Jaxton’s thigh brushed against hers and awareness coursed through her body, reminding her of what had happened on the plane.

  She’d been asleep most of the time between Seattle and Glasgow. Jaxton had forced her
to eat something every once in a while, but mostly she’d slept; her body was still adjusting to the shock of being free of the AMT.

  When the lights had come on during the flight to Glasgow, signaling their proximity to landing, she’d slowly woken up, feeling all warm and toasty. She’d snuggled into the delicious warmth, and a hand had started to rub her back. She’d groaned before opening her eyes to find herself asleep on Jaxton’s chest.

  Her brain had been foggy, not really caring what or who she was lying against; she’d felt safe and had wanted to go back to sleep.

  As she’d rubbed against his chest, Jaxton had shaken her gently and said something about needing to wake up. She’d tightened the arm thrown across his chest, fisted his shirt, and said no. Eventually he’d managed to get her upright, but at the loss of his heat, she’d felt cold, alone, and not quite right.

  When he’d tried to lower the armrest between them, she must’ve made a face because he’d sighed before lifting the armrest back up and tucking her against his side. The instant their bodies had touched again, Kiarra had wanted more—in particular to feel the heat of his skin against her cheek.

  Looking over at Jaxton, she realized that she still did.

  But Jaxton had been quiet since then, only speaking when absolutely necessary, and pretending as if nothing had happened. Was he really that indifferent to her? Granted, she’d been half asleep, but she vaguely remembered him caressing her cheek during their escape from Seattle.

  Kiarra, on the other hand, had thought of nothing else but wanting to sleep on his warm chest again. At least until they’d exited Glasgow Airport and she was introduced to Scotland for the first time.

  She studied Jaxton’s profile and decided that he was pretending to sleep. Whether it was because of what had happened on the plane or not, she didn’t know, but she was determined to get him talking. Kiarra poked his arm. “You don’t seem excited about seeing your sister.”

  Jaxton opened one eye. “I saw her a month ago. She knows a lot of the same people I do, and they’ve looked after her.” He shrugged. “Besides, she’s pretty good at looking after herself.”

  He closed his eye, signaling the end of the conversation. He’d been reluctant to share much about Millie on their way here, and Kiarra wondered if that had more to do with his mistrust of her than nonchalance about his sister’s safety.

  Kiarra no longer denied to herself that she was curious about the man who’d rescued her from the AMT. She needed to work hard at getting his sister Millie on her side; no doubt Millie could tell her stories that would help Kiarra better understand Jaxton’s overcautious nature. His guilty feelings about Garrett were only the tip of the iceberg, and if they were going to work together, she needed to know more about him.

  The views outside of her window became more and more crowded with houses and shops, meaning that they’d entered Edinburgh proper. Fifteen minutes later, the bus arrived at Waverley Bridge and they disembarked.

  If not for Jaxton’s guiding hand, Kiarra would’ve gone to investigate the clock tower in the distance, Edinburgh Castle up above, or any of the cute little shops across the street. Instead, Jaxton herded her toward a vast expanse of green that, according to the tourist guidebook Jaxton had bought at the airport, could only be Princes Street Gardens.

  Kiarra ignored the feel of Jaxton’s hand on her back and tried to inconspicuously scan her surroundings, just like Jaxton had taught her to do during the train ride to Vancouver. People were either relaxing in the park or shopping across the street. No one suspicious approached or bumped into them. Maybe they had made it to Edinburgh without being followed.

  But after the attack in Garrett’s room and the scuffle inside the parking garage in Seattle, it all seemed a little too easy.

  As they approached a dirty structure with a spire, Kiarra noticed a girl standing near it, staring down at her phone. The girl had the same dark blond hair and deep-set eyes as Jaxton. She’d bet her life that the woman standing under the monument was Millie Ward.

  But even when they stopped a short distance away from the woman, she didn’t pay them any attention. Jaxton turned toward Kiarra and said, “What’s for dinner?”

  Kiarra opened her mouth and Jaxton gave a nearly imperceptible shake of his head. A few seconds later, the woman said, “Shepherd’s pie.”

  “Good,” Jaxton said. “Let’s head home to make some.”

  Kiarra grabbed Jaxton’s arm and stood on her tip-toes to put her mouth near his ear. “Is that your sister?”

  He gave a nod. “Be patient, pet. Let’s head home first.”

  Kiarra’s cheeks turned pink, aware that any passerby could interpret that a million different ways. She just wanted to stop with all the nonsense and actually talk to Jaxton’s sister. Kiarra turned on her heel and started walking. “Let’s go, then.”

  She got a few feet before Jaxton grabbed her hand and pulled her in a different direction. Once they reached a patch of green, with no person closer than ten feet away, Jaxton stopped and Kiarra bumped into his back. Kiarra snatched her hand out of his and glared. “Go, stay, go. Make up your damn mind.”

  A woman laughed and Kiarra noticed Millie standing at her side. Millie put out her hand. “I’ve been waiting to meet you, and I’m not disappointed. Any woman who stands up to my brother is a friend of mine.” Millie flashed a grin at Jaxton. “He can be a bit of an arsehole at times.”

  Kiarra instantly liked the woman and shook Millie’s hand. “I won’t disagree with that.”

  Jaxton made a noise in the back of his throat. “If you’re quite done forming a coalition against me, can we get going? I’d rather not stand out in the open.”

  Millie put out an arm and motioned for Kiarra to link hers through. “We have plenty of time to conspire. Shall we?”

  Kiarra gingerly put her arm through Millie’s and wondered if this was how female friends acted with one another.

  She gave one last glance at Jaxton before Millie started moving. As they went along the street, Millie pointed out the various sights, telling stories like an amateur tour guide. They went down a couple of streets until they reached a section of houses, went up some stairs, and entered a two-story apartment.

  Once they were inside, Millie tossed aside her keys and walked into the kitchen. Not knowing what else to do, she followed, and Millie motioned for Kiarra to take a seat at the table. “I’ll just put the kettle on and we can talk properly.”

  Jaxton came in and leaned against a counter. “Make something for Kiarra to eat too.”

  For some reason, making sure she ate something in private was acceptable, but treating her like someone unable to make decisions for herself in front of Millie was too much. “Most people would ask if I was hungry rather than just ordering something for me to eat.”

  Jaxton raised an eyebrow. “But I know you’re hungry, right? So why bother with the extra step?”

  “Because maybe I’m not hungry, maybe I only want something to drink. It is too much to ask that I want to control my own eating and drinking habits? Fifteen years of having it all decided for me was quite enough.”

  “You bloody well know this isn’t the AMT and I won’t see you hungry again.”

  Part of her realized the importance of that last statement, but she was too irritated to care. “That is not the issue. You need to stop ordering me around like a lackey. Or treating me like a child. If I need your help, I’ll ask for it.”

  Jaxton remained silent, but continued to stare at her until someone slid a cup of tea and a plate of cookies in front of Kiarra. She’d forgotten that Millie was still in the room.

  Millie patted Kiarra on the shoulder. “You are bloody brilliant.” Millie turned and pointed a finger at her brother. “And you need to calm the hell down and become the clever DEFEND commander my brother used to be.”

  Jaxton took a cookie from the plate Millie had placed on the table. “Stop meddling, Millicent. This has nothing to do with you.”

  Millie made a
face. “Call me that again and see what happens.”

  “Millicent.”

  A blade whizzed through the air and the point embedded into the cabinet to the left of Jaxton’s head. But Jaxton acted as if nothing had happened and took a bite of his cookie. “You missed.”

  Millie turned away from her brother and said, “Kiarra, how would you like a little girl time? If you want, we can get your hair cut, buy some clothes, and have some fun.” Millie waved her hand towards Jaxton. “I know you haven’t had any fun with him, so it’s up to me to show you a good time. Think of it as a Welcome Back to the Outside World celebration. What do you say?”

  Jaxton brushed the cookie crumbs off of his hands. “You are not taking her out on the town, Millicent.”

  Millie turned and scowled. “I have three more blades and I won’t miss next time.”

  Jaxton pulled out the blade near his head. “I only need one to stop you.”

  As the siblings continued to squabble, Kiarra felt a pang of jealousy. Millie and Jaxton knew each other well enough to threaten each other with knives, whereas Kiarra had lacked the courage to even hug her own sister.

  For now, her tender thoughts about Jaxton on the bus had vanished and she wanted nothing more than to piss him off, and Millie had given her the perfect way to do it. She stood up from her chair and moved toward the door. Millie and Jaxton noticed and stopped bickering.

  Jaxton took a step toward her. “You want to see your room?”

  Kiarra raised her chin, ignored him, and looked straight at Millie. “I’d love to go out with you.”

  Millie grinned. “Brilliant!” She gave Jaxton a shove. “You need to go over the recon on the desk in the office, anyway.”