Page 36 of To Hunt the Hunter

She made a heroic effort to calm herself and settled against him, sniffling a little. It was so lovely to be here, with her head on his chest, hearing his heartbeat thud at a steady pace, strong and even. The sound was reassuring and wonderful after seeing him brought so low. With a sigh of relief, she listened to it and closed her eyes.

***

Lucian looked up, stiffening as the bedroom door opened. Matilda had fallen asleep next to him and he’d had neither the heart nor the will to wake her. She was exhausted, dark shadows beneath her beautiful eyes, and she fit beside him so perfectly. He never wanted her to be anywhere else. Yet, she was an unmarried woman with a damaged reputation and something like this, if it got out… it would ruin her utterly. No amount of influence from her brother or her friends could save her.

With relief, he saw Pippin come in. She paused for a moment, surveying the scene without comment, though Lucian was certain that was a gleam of approval in her eyes. Hardly surprising that she’d approve of Matilda. He’d known she would. They were alike in an odd way, braver and more resilient than anyone could ever imagine.

“Well, you’re awake, then,” Pippin said, moving to the bed and giving him a critical once over.

“You make it sound as if I’ve been malingering,” he replied a touch reproachfully.

Pippin snorted.

“Don’t be daft, but you’ve had us all sat upon thorns and no mistake.” She nodded at Matilda. “She’s a Trojan, that one. Wouldn’t have left your side for a moment, had I not thrown her out a time or two.”

Lucian felt his throat grow tight.

“She can’t stay, Pippin. You know she can’t.”

To his surprise, Pippin scowled at him. “You tell her that, for I shan’t. She’s no child to be protected, but a woman grown with a strong heart and a mind of her own.”

“But Theo—”

“Damn that man,” Pippin said, shocking him. “We shan’t let him ruin any more lives.”

Lucian laughed, a bitter sound he was well used to. “I tried, Pippin. I thought I’d built the monster a cage that would hold him. I thought we might be safe.”

“No, you didn’t,” Pippin said, not unkindly. “You know as well as I do some evil has to be vanquished absolutely. You can’t turn your back on it. Not for a moment. Even Phoebe knew it, and that’s because you taught her. I don’t know what you were thinking, taking your eyes off that Burton creature.”

He snorted. “I wasn’t thinking. I was looking at Matilda.”

She smiled at him and shook her head. “Men. Too easily distracted.”

“You think I ought to have killed him. Theo, I mean, not that pathetic excuse for a man who came here to do his bidding.”

It wasn’t a question and Pippin looked at him, one of those penetrating stares that made you wonder if she could read your mind. Her expression remained thoughtful.

“No. No, I don’t think that. You don’t need such a stain on your soul. You’ve dealt with enough for one lifetime. I do believe he needs to die, though.”

“Then who?” he demanded. “Who else will deal with him, if not me?”

Pippin shrugged. “Sometimes the world sets things to rights by itself, and I think it’s past time he paid for his sins. His game isn’t over just yet, but we’ve not finished playing either. Don’t you trouble your head about it, though. Not yet. It will become clear. The goddess will provide. She always does.”

Despite himself, a prickle ran up the back of his neck. Not that Lucian was about to ask her what she meant by that. To begin with, he was too tired to figure her out, not that there was any figuring Pippin out when she got all mystical.

“If you’re going to invoke the goddess and cast spells, you can just do it elsewhere, you mad old witch,” he murmured, though with such obvious affection she only smiled at him.

“Ah, one day I’ll convince you.”

“Not today,” he said with a sigh, closing his eyes.

“That’s all right,” Pippin said, her voice soothing now. “She looks after you all the same, whether or not you believe. She always has.”

“That’s nice.”

He was exhausted, and Matilda was a warm weight by his side. In some far off place, he could hear Pippin speaking still, the words too far away and sounding oddly foreign, but it sounded like a blessing. Lord, but she was a curious old sorceress, with her heathen ways. His father would have dismissed her on the spot had he known. Luckily for Pippin his father paid his staff little mind. Lucian loved her dearly for all she had done for him, though. He didn’t give a damn if she practised magic in the kitchen after dark or wanted to dance naked around a bonfire, so long as he didn’t have to watch it. She had protected him when no one else would, she had seen what everyone else refused to see, but she was simply a flesh and blood woman with a good heart, and a knowledge of herbs, no witch. He chuckled at the idea of Pippin in flowing white robes, worshiping her pagan idols under his father’s nose, and drifted into sleep, pleased with the image.

Chapter 11