Pyromancist (Seven Forbidden Arts 1)

Joss startled her by taking her hand when he steered the car down the dirt track over the hill. She pulled away.

“If I hadn’t chased you,” he said, “you wouldn’t have had to give all of this up.”

It was tempting to let him carry all the blame, but it wasn’t true. “I had to run either way.”

“Did you hate me?”

The question surprised her. Why would he care? “Not then.”

His expression hardened. “Only after.”

“What do you want me to say?”

He contemplated that for a moment before replying, “The truth is good.”

In that case, silence would be better.

Thankfully, the cottage came into view and he didn’t push the issue. He stopped the car and booted up his tablet. After studying it, he said, “I’ve connected to our satellite tracking. It’s safe.”

Wow. Satellite. Just as she’d thought. The property was being watched. Barely able to wait, she moved to the edge of the seat as he steered the car down the road again. A white canine stood in the distance.

“Snow!”

The wolfdog lifted his head and twitched his ears. Even before Joss had parked the car, he was at the house, standing guard with Thunder, Cloud, and Rain.

What used to be her normal life now felt like a dream. Snow approached with a wagging tail when she got out, his bark loud. The big animal jumped and almost knocked her off her feet. Going down on her haunches, she laughed as he licked her face. He nudged her with his snout as she scratched his ears.

Tears mixed with her laughter as she hugged one after the other of her dogs. Aware of Joss watching them and reluctant to show him more weakness than she already had, she blinked her tears away. Still, this moment merited gratitude.

“Thank you for bringing me here, Joss.”

He looked toward the distance, avoiding her eyes. “I’m going to check around. Don’t go inside until I tell you it’s clear.”

She stared after him when he walked off toward the cottage. Why was he blaming himself for how she’d left as if he actually gave a damn about her feelings? Instead of dissecting the thought, she turned her attention back to the dogs. Tomorrow was another day. Right now, she was here, and their time together was short.

Joss put his head around the frame of the front door. “You can come in now, Mrs. de Arradon.”

The title jarred her. Brushing off her dress, she straightened. “Come on, Snow.”

Joss waited in the door, tracking her steps with his eyes.

When she slipped past him, he brushed a hand over her hip. Memories of last night when his hands had been on her naked skin flooded her mind. Her body answered by heating. It wasn’t the reaction she wanted or should be having. Pushing her awareness of him aside, she escaped deeper into the kitchen.

The counters were dust-free and the floor was clean. It didn’t look like a house that had been abandoned for six months.

“I had it cleaned on a weekly basis,” Joss said behind her.

She didn’t turn to face him. “Why?”

“I didn’t want you to come back and find it neglected.”

She dragged a finger over the spotless tabletop. “That was thoughtful.”

“After all, this was your home once.”

She stilled. “What about my animals?”

“We’ll take them to New York. I’ll organize everything.”

She turned. “The whole pack of them? Dog, cats, rabbits, and turtles?”

He gave a crooked smile. “Maybe not the rabbits and turtles, but I can sacrifice my guest bedroom for a pack of dogs and a few cats. I’m sure we’ll find new owners who’ll take good care of the rest.”

His offer was sweet, but misplaced. She belonged here, just like her animals. They needed space. They weren’t used to apartment living. He hadn’t thought it through. Softly, she asked, “And Erwan?”

“If he wants to come with us, we’ll take him.”

She couldn’t accuse him of not being accommodating. “That’s very generous of you.” Only of being ignorant if he thought Erwan would leave his life here where his friends, boats, and memories were to live in a city.

“Your family is mine.”

The thought was noble, but didn’t he understand there wasn’t a future for them together? They grew up in the same village, but they were from different worlds now. They were on different sides, and those sides didn’t live in harmony.

“You’re quiet,” Joss said, his voice tight.

There was no point in fighting this battle. They’d never agree. Anyway, what was the point? He wasn’t giving her a choice. “You said I may not even see Erwan before we go.”

“We’ll come back for him.”

“He won’t be found if he doesn’t want to be found.”

“You really don’t know where he went?”

“He wouldn’t tell me. He could be anywhere.”

Joss’s expression was pensive. “If he finds out we got married, he’s sure to crawl out of the hole he’s hiding in.”