Circle of Fire (Damask Circle 1)

Eleanor and Hank dragged something out of the trunk before slamming it shut. The second kid. The certainty made her stomach turn. She’d been so worried about Evan that the safety of the second teenager had slipped her mind entirely. She bit her lip, then slowly levered up on her elbows.

Hank and Eleanor were about twenty feet away, carrying a bundle wrapped in blankets down a steep incline. Now was the time to run. She sat fully upright and studied the area. The dark outline of trees met her gaze. A small dirt road disappeared past the pines on her left, and on her right, past the huge old Christmas tree, the land rose sharply. If there was anything else to be seen, it had disappeared into the rain.

It would be stupid to run when she had no idea where she was—or if there was even help nearby. Running might not achieve anything but making Eleanor angrier—and Maddie had a feeling that was something she might not survive.

She lay back down on the seat and, after several minutes, heard Eleanor and Hank returning. But only one door opened. The front seat squeaked as Hank climbed in, then the engine started.

“Now remember.” Eleanor’s usually mellow voice was sharp and cold. “Dump our hostage at the warehouse and make sure she can’t escape, then find where they’ve got the kid. I doubt if Barnett will agree to an exchange, no matter what his feelings are for the woman, but she’ll at least still ensure his good behavior. Once you snatch the kid back, we can kill them both.”

“I’ve seen the two of them together. He won’t risk her life.”

“Maybe.” Eleanor’s tone made it obvious she didn’t agree. “Just find the kid, Hank. Remember, if you want your life extended again, you need that kid.”

The door slammed shut and Maddie kept her eyes squeezed closed. The wheels spun as Hank took off, and for several seconds the car did nothing but drift sideways. Hank cursed fluently and, as if suddenly fearful, the car surged forward. She didn’t know whether to feel relieved or not. Granted, she was free from Eleanor’s sharp gaze, but she still had Hank to contend with.

She frowned and wondered what Eleanor had meant by her last statement. Life extended again? Did that mean this was not the first time she’d extended their lives through magic? Sure, sixteen kids had disappeared, but would Eleanor need a blood sacrifice every month to extend her life and Hank’s?

She didn’t know, but she had a feeling Jon would. She rubbed her thumb against the cold metal ring on her finger. Its presence was oddly comforting, if only because she knew he’d come back for it.

The car bumped along, the rhythm hypnotic. After what seemed like ages, it slowed and turned, then stopped.

Her stomach rolled. She closed her eyes and listened to Hank getting out. After a few minutes the back door opened. Hands grabbed her shoulders and hauled her out. She kept her eyes shut and forced herself to relax. Her only chance of escape might lie in convincing Hank she was still out.

“Christ, how can a little thing like you be so damn heavy?”

His mutter was almost a curse as he hauled her up and over his shoulder. The rain and the cold hit her immediately, and the air was ripe with the smell of sea and fish, suggesting they were down near the docks somewhere. Moisture ran down her back and around her throat as he hurried across wet asphalt. She risked shifting her head slightly and saw the old wooden wharf posts and, beyond that, the shadows of boats. They were definitely back in Taurin Bay and, as she’d guessed, at the docks.

The scream of a hawk suddenly cut across the rain-swept silence. Hank yelled, letting go of her legs as he dove out of the way. Air swooped past her, and Maddie had a brief glimpse of brown-gold wings as she tumbled from Hank’s shoulder. She hit the ground hard and grunted in pain, struggling to breathe and briefly seeing stars. Hank cursed and reached for her. She kicked out at him and heard the hawk scream again. As Hank’s gaze jumped skyward, she rolled away from him, then scrambled to her feet and ran, desperate to get as far away from him as possible.

The hawk swooped, and Hank’s scream of terror filled the air. Maddie jerked around, but she was still dizzy from being dropped and the movement was far too quick. She ended up on her knees, battling the urge to puke.

Another scream rent the air, and this time it wasn’t from any human throat. Her heart leaped into her mouth as she raised her gaze and watched the hawk sweep around for another attack.

Hank ran. The hawk circled around, then with a flick of its wings, came back to her. As it neared, a gold haze crawled over its form, and the hawk became Jon.

“I didn’t think you’d find me so quickly,” she said, blinking back tears of relief and pain.

He knelt beside her and quickly undid the rope binding her hands. “Neither did I.” He touched her face, momentarily brushing his fingers over her bruised and swollen cheek. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”

Everywhere, she wanted to say, but bit the words back. You’re not going to be a burden, remember? Life rushed back into her fingers, fast and furious. She swore and blinked back the tears still threatening to embarrass her. Jon took her hands in his, rubbing them gently.

“Maddie, look at me.”

She took a deep breath and glanced up. His eyes were a deep blue ocean in which she could so easily drown.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?” he repeated slowly.

She shook her head. Her head ached almost as fiercely as her arms, but not enough to mention. And that wasn’t the question he was really asking, anyway. She swallowed and gave him a shaky smile. “He didn’t touch me.”

She saw the flash of relief in his eyes before he smothered it. She shivered—and knew it was more of a reaction to the warmth of his hands against hers than the cold rain dribbling down her back. Still, he took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. “Can you stand? We have to get out of this weather.”

“If you help me.”

He rose to his feet and gently guided her upright. Then he pulled her against him, holding her tightly. She leaned her cheek against his chest and listened to the thunder of his heart. It felt so good, so right—as if she belonged right there in his arms, and nowhere else.

“Next time I tell you to stay behind, will you kindly listen?” he whispered into her hair. “I think I’ve aged ten years in the last few hours.”

His breath brushed past her cheek, and something deep inside shivered in reaction. She swallowed and forced a smile as she pulled away slightly. “I’ll consider it.”