Page 89 of Dark Victory

But so was he.

And then she saw herself.

Tabby went still as her heart lurched with absolute dread.

The woman and Macleod stood on one side of the fire wall and she was on the other. And now, the fire raced toward her, encircling her.

And she went up in flames.

“Tabitha!”

It took Tabby a moment to realize that Macleod had seized her, was shaking her. And then she realized she was staring at a simple fire in the hearth, and that the woman was gone. Macleod held her arm, his eyes wide with concern. Tabby felt the evil receding the way a wave rolled from the beach, vanishing into the ocean.

The fire blazed furiously now, and the open shutters were rocking on the walls.

But she was gone.

“Sit down,” he said, putting his arm around her.

She reached for him. “It was the evil from the other night,” she began. “The bitch from An Tùir-Tara. She’s trying to manifest.” She realized she was shaking wildly in his arms.

“I saw her, too, Tabitha.”

Tabby started.

“’Twas Criosaidh.”

Tabby was surprised—or was she?

“Tabitha?”

She just looked at him, still shocked by what she’d seen, and let him read her mind.

Macleod cried out.

“OUR LOVELY FRIEND is not at home,” Nick said.

Sam stood with Nick outside the apartment Kristin Lafarge shared with her roommate, Elizabeth Adler. Neither one had bothered to draw a gun, because they could both sense that evil was not present. A bullet would work well on the bitch—unless she could cast a spell to deflect it. Sam would not be surprised. Kristin’s power was dangerous. She would still love to see what a bullet or another weapon could do to the witch. Sam believed in grudges, revenge and payback.

She wasn’t surprised that Kristin was gone. “GTB,” she said grimly. Gone to Blayde. She didn’t bother translating, because she damn well knew Nick could read her mind.

Which was why she was so carefully controlling her thoughts. He was taking that dumb bimbo Jan back in time, when Tabby was in so much trouble. Her plans were none of his damned business now.

“Let’s see if anyone has read the mayor’s Home Safety Code.” Nick reached for the doorknob, and it turned.

They saw Elizabeth Adler at the same time. She lay on the floor, not far from the front door, her eyes wide and sightless. Sam hurried over to her, already knowing her neck was broken and that there would not be a pulse. Nick beelined for the laptop he saw on the coffee table, sitting down with it. Sam knelt. She was careful not to feel anything for the victim. Feeling only got in the way of war. She had learned how to shut out and shut off her feelings a long time ago. Compassion was always a bad idea.

She now noticed how pristine Adler’s throat was. Sam closed Adler’s eyes, aware that Adler was about her own age and too young to die. They were always too young to die, she thought without emotion. Then she checked her arms, wrists, hands and nails. “Not a scratch, much less a bruise. Doesn’t look like there was a fight.”

But of course there hadn’t been a struggle. Kristin had killed her with her black magic.

She stood and walked over to Nick. “I thought you’d be GTB by now, too.” She guarded her thoughts really tightly, but she let her anger seethe. She’d never forgive Nick for this.

“This is Lafarge’s,” he said cheerfully, seated on the sofa. His blue eyes gleamed as he looked up. “School calendar. Looks like she’s missing a day.”

“What did you find?” Sam asked, instantly interested. As far as she was concerned, Kristin was her quarry, not Nick’s—and certainly not Jan’s.

“Look at her screen saver,” he said.