I frowned. “But the reservation hasn’t had an official witch in over a year, so how did he know I was here, let alone what I was? It’s not like the charms we sell would have told him that—it’s only minor magic.”
“Another statement that is somewhat at odds with what you claim you are,” Aiden said softly. “So why do you continue this farce?”
“Because it’s not a farce,” I said. “I may be capable of magic, Ranger, but trust me when I say I am not—and never have been—capable of the sort of magic bluebloods can bring into being.”
His gaze held mine for several seconds, and then he nodded, just once. Whether that meant he finally believed me or not, I couldn’t say. Those insights I’d been getting were decidedly—and rather annoyingly—absent right now.
“Call me Aiden,” he said. “The ranger thing is getting annoying.”
“And you can call me Belle,” Belle said.
The ghost of a smile played about his lips, but didn’t quite reach full bloom. Which was a shame, but not unexpected given the grief and distrust he still carried in his aura.
“Did you find anything else in that room?” he asked.
“No.” I hesitated. “What are the chances of regaining my knife? I know silver is banned, but it’s a great conductor of magic and I might yet need it.”
“That’s a council decision, not mine,” he said.
“So I talk to them?”
“I’ll mention it when I make my progress report tomorrow.” He pushed to his feet. “I want to be present when you attempt to read that pendant.”
“As long as you keep your hatred of magic under control,” I said. “Because emotion that strong can often have detrimental effects on spells, and that’s not really what we need when we’re dealing with whatever has been placed on the pendant.”
“I don’t hate magic—”
“No, just those of us capable of using it,” I said. “But that’s unfair, Aiden, and you know it.”
He didn’t say anything. He just turned and walked out.
“That man is going to be a challenge,” Belle said.
“Just as well I’m not up for one, then, isn’t it?” I touched her hand lightly. “You’d better go home and get some rest.”
“Rest? When I have a hot date with an even hotter werewolf planned? Unlikely.”
I grinned. “Then have a good time, but not at our place, just in case the vampire does come calling.”
“I doubt he’d be capable of that tonight, even if he didn’t have his hands full with his vampling. The creation of that spell would have drained him.” She rose and dropped a kiss on my cheek. “Try to get some sleep rather than stressing over what’s going on.”
“Easier said than done.”
“I know, but try anyway.” She collected her coat from the back of the chair. “I’ll bring in a change of clothes for you tomorrow. There’s nothing much left of your dress, I’m afraid.”
Which wasn’t a surprise, given the force of the blast. At least I hadn’t lost the shoes as well. “Thanks.”
She nodded and left. I reached for the water sitting on the nearby table, then grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. Time, as ever when stuck in a place you didn’t want to be, crawled by.
A ward doctor doing his rounds woke me the following morning. He checked the observation chart, gave me a once-over, wrote out a prescription for stronger painkillers if I needed them, and declared me fit enough to leave.
Belle appeared on cue a few minutes later, looking too well rested given her previous hot date declarations.
“Said hot date was a blast, but he had a job booked for seven, so we didn’t have a whole lot of time together.”
“Sometimes the best times don’t take a whole lot of time.”
She grinned, handed me a bag, and then pulled the curtains around so that I could change. “Indeed. But all we did this time was talk.”