Frozen Desires (Asylums for Magical Threats 2)

“That sounds lovely. The crowds in some of these places have really started to get to my girlfriend.”

“Give me a second, and I’ll write it down for you.” The woman took out a piece of paper and a pen from her purse, wrote something down, and handed it to Marco. He glanced down and saw the message was written in the old language: If you need a guide to see the San Rafael Waterfall, go to D&D Tours in Quito, and ask for Diego to take you via the scenic route.

When he looked up, the woman was gone.

He read it one more time to memorize it, and then tore the paper into little pieces and put it into the pocket of his jeans. He’d burn it the first chance he got.

He’d heard of the San Rafael Waterfall somewhere before, but he couldn’t quite place it. All he knew was that it wasn’t in Mexico.

Cam would need a day or two more to recover before they left anyway, which suited him fine because they had much to discuss. It was going to take a combination of charm and stubbornness to prevent Camilla from shutting him out again. It’d taken him days of being constantly around her, and a lot of arguing, before she’d started to trust him. He just hoped that his delay to rescue her hadn’t broken what fragile trust still existed between them.

Marco picked up his pace, anxious to find out.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Cam finished drying her hair with a towel and tossed the long nightshirt she’d found inside the duffel bag over her head. Normally, she’d arm herself with something before heading out of the bathroom, but Richard had taken the gun and knife she’d loved. Her latent abilities would do until she acquired some new weapons. Hopefully, that would be soon, because she was anxious to not only get out of Mexico, but also to continue her mission.

Had Marco found the clue they needed? Judging by the dark sky she saw through the small window in the bathroom, enough time had passed that he might have come back.

She put her hand on the doorknob, and her heart started to pound. What if he was on the other side of the door? The last thing she wanted to do was open the door and see hatred in his eyes.

Cam straightened her shoulders. Standing here, wondering this or that was ridiculous. If Marco were on the other side of the door, she’d buck up and talk to him. She might have poisoned him, but they were still both fighting on the same side.

She twisted the knob and opened the door, but the sight of the empty room filled her with disappointment. She’d never voice it aloud, but after being alone and locked up for nearly two days, she’d missed the company of Marco and her team.

While she had no way to contact him, she could at least find out about Zalika. She moved over to her bed and picked up the phone, but before she could dial, a key turned in the lock of her door. Her soldier instincts kicked in.

Cam moved silently to the left side of the door and extended her claws.

The handle turned, and the door opened inch by inch until she could see a crouching Marco on the ground. She sighed. “Couldn’t you have knocked?”

As she sheathed her claws, his eyes met hers and he smiled. “Trying to poison me again, Camilla?”

At his teasing tone, all of her apprehension seemed to disappear. She couldn’t resist extending a claw at him. “If I were, you’d already be unconscious.”

He snorted. “So does that mean I can come in?” He raised a bag. “I brought dinner.”

She lowered her claw. “I thought Zalika was getting dinner.”

Marco stood and shrugged a shoulder. “I knew a great place, and it wasn’t that hard to convince her to let me get you dinner and take over the next shift.”

She straightened her shoulders. “I don’t need anyone to watch over me. Now that I’m on dry land, I’m strong as ever.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You might not be puking your guts out, but you’re weak. If I need to restrain you and force feed you, I’ll do it.”

So this was what it felt like to have someone want to take care of you.

Cam wasn’t good at mushy feelings, so instead, she fell back on challenging him. “I’d like to see you try.”

His gazed raked over h

er and back up to her face. “Are you sure about that, beauty?”

Her cheeks heated, and she cleared her throat. If she wasn’t careful, she might end up naked before she’d learned about the latest clue. “Maybe later. Right now, I want to know if you met Rosa Elena or not.”

Marco walked past her, and she closed and locked the door. Since there wasn’t a table, he sat down on the bed and patted the space beside him. “I’m not going to tell you anything until you eat something.”

A week ago, she would’ve barked some reply and dismissed him. Now, after everything he’d done to help rescue her, she decided that she would stop fighting his common sense suggestions.