She sighed. “In that case, I think we need to expect he will come here and sooner rather than later. He’s not going to find Robin otherwise, which means he will retrace his steps and look everywhere more thoroughly.”
As she spoke, the monkey climbed into her lap, and she put her arms around him, hugging him tight.
“We need to consider our choices,” Nikolas said, looking at Gawain.
Gawain blew out a breath. “One choice is, we scatter more widely again. We don’t converge here, like we had planned. We take Robin with us, like we had originally planned, and Sophie denies everything.”
Nikolas shook his head. “Unacceptable. Our scents are all over this property, and there’s no telling what Isabeau might order Morgan to do once she finds out about Sophie.”
“Yeah, I didn’t like that one either,” Sophie muttered. She put her face in the monkey’s fur while Robin slipped a skinny arm around her neck.
“Second choice,” Gawain said, giving her and the puck a troubled look. “We scatter, we don’t converge, and we take both Sophie and Robin with us. Lass, I’m sorry, but I think we’re past the point where separating will be of any benefit to you. I think you would be in more danger if we left you alone.”
“That’s okay,” she said. “I knew that the moment Morgan showed up and called me by name.”
“Taking both Sophie and Robin is a better option,” Nikolas said. “But it’s still not good enough. That won’t allow us to explore what the house might have to offer. If it can give us a way to access Lyonesse, we need to take that choice, no matter what the risk.”
“Agreed,” Gawain said.
Nikolas looked at Sophie. He told her, “I can still bargain with a Djinn, and Gawain can take you and Robin somewhere safe.”
She straightened. “Not acceptable. You don’t know what the Djinn might demand of you in return, whereas the worst thing that will happen with me is a bill for services, and you already agreed to pay that.”
That wasn’t the worst thing that could happen. She could be hurt. She could die. The better man he had used to be was trying to resurrect himself. He rubbed his eyes. “I don’t like the danger for you.”
She told him in a gentle, firm voice, “Nik, I’m not your pet. I’m not your property. I can assess the relative dangers for myself and make my own decisions.”
He looked over his hand at her. He said, “That doesn’t make it easier for us old-timey folk.”
Her expression lit with smiling warmth. Was that approval? Wonders never ceased. “I have faith in you,” she said. “I know you can handle it.”
She had more faith in him than he had in himself, because he knew if something happened to her, he wouldn’t handle it. Turning his back, he scowled at the view out the kitchen window.
That house. That ugly, monstrous, broken-down house. He was going to throw everything at it in the most insane gamble of his life. “We go in the house,” he said. “And we barricade ourselves in. Morgan can’t get inside, and we have reason to hope he can’t damage it either.”
“If he can do some damage,” Gawain said, “you and the lass are going to need help. We call the others in, and we converge, like we had planned—only we don’t space it out. They need to get here as quickly as possible, tonight.”
“Yes.” Nikolas turned back to them. He said to Sophie, “Thank you.”
“It’ll be the dirtiest, most unhygienic sleepover ever,” she told them with a lopsided grin. “It’ll be fun.”
Out of nowhere, humor bubbled up. It felt good to let it out in a laugh. “When we get inside, the first order of business will be to locate the privy chambers and hope there’s an internal water source, like a well. Chances are, it will have dried out long ago, so we’ll have to dig to hit water again. Failing that, pray there’s a courtyard. With the lake situated so close, I’m going to bet we can hit water somehow.”
Gawain dug out his phone. “I’ll contact the others and tell them to get here as soon as possible and prepare for a siege.”
“Tell Gareth and Cael to focus on weapons,” Nikolas said. “We need longbows and crossbows, and a good supply of arrows. We won’t be able to fire guns from the house.”
“Will do,” Gawain said. “Braden was going to gather camping gear. The rest can concentrate on food and fuel. We need as many supplies as they can lay their hands on. And firewood. Stacks and stacks of firewood.”
Nikolas moved to kneel by Sophie’s side. He looked into the monkey’s eyes. “Robin, do you think you’ve recovered enough that you can create a storm tonight to cover our scents?”
Braiding a long strand of Sophie’s hair, the monkey nodded.
“Good.”
“There’s a shed behind the cottage with a riding lawn mower, wheelbarrow, gardening tools, and an axe,” Gawain told them. “I’m going to start tackling that firewood issue.”
“There’s gardening tools and a lawn mower,” Sophie breathed as Gawain strode out. “I never thought to walk all the way around the cottage.”
After Gawain had left, the puck slipped off Sophie’s lap to go to the kitchen counter, wrap his arms around the cake box, and leap to the floor again. He tottered toward the sitting room.
That left Nikolas and Sophie alone. He still knelt by her side, and instead of rising to his feet, he took one of her hands in his.
She shifted to face him. “You wanted me to do a reading when I got back. What is it you want to find out?”
“I don’t know that it’s relevant any longer.” Absently he rubbed her fingers against his lips. He only grew aware of what he was doing when her hand tightened on his, and she pulled her hand down. But she didn’t try to release his fingers. Instead, she held his hand in her lap. He said telepathically, I still want to try to find out more about the Hounds that attacked me, if I can—whose magic was in play, besides yours. Someone called the fog in. Robin’s a nature sprite. He could have done it. But now I believe he would have been forced.
Could that be the reason Isabeau wants her “pet” back so much? she asked.
Maybe. He looked at her broodingly. I’d also like to know how they knew how to find me. I’ve run through everything multiple times, and I don’t see how I made a mistake, or left a trail, so it bothers me.
No, you wouldn’t have made a mistake like that. She gave him a lopsided smile. You’re too careful. Aloud, she said, “For what it’s worth, it wouldn’t take long to cast the runes for a reading.”
He nodded. “Let’s do it. The men won’t show up before nightfall anyway. After you’re through, we can pack everything that needs to be moved into the great hall.”
“I’m going to start a load of laundry, then I’ll get my runes.” Squeezing his fingers, she let go of his hand and stood. “If we’re going to get caught in a siege, I can at least start out with clean clothes.”
Nikolas rose as well and watched her leave. Then he walked back to his glass of brandy to take another hefty swallow. He held it in his mouth for a moment, focusing on the subtle, warming flavor. For good or for ill, they were throwing everything they had at this venture. Everything they had on Sophie’s abilities.
As she stepped back into the kitchen, he turned. She carried a small bundle of richly colored cloth, which she set on the table while she took a seat. He joined her at the table, sitting opposite her and watching with fascination as she unfolded a dark blue, embroidered cloth. Magic unfurled in the air.