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No one ignored him. Especially when he was in an icy rage. There were men he had never met who whispered stories about him like threats. There were no fewer than three bounties on his head.

And the little witch who lived in the pink cottage ignored him.

It made him want to kiss her senseless.

“Lord Coventry,” she said again, Ethan’s arm across her waist when she tried to step too far away from him. He wasn’t having it. His every instinct was seething to toss her over his shoulder and hide her away. “Is your tracking spell causing me to glow?”

“Yes.”

“Get it the hell off her,” Ethan ordered him darkly.

“I can’t.”

“Wrong answer.”

A dagger hit the ground between Aidan’s shoes, digging into the sand. Ethan had another ready before it landed.

“Ethan!” Briar said. “That’s a bit dramatic.”

“Just wait,” he promised.

“You’ll leave my sister alone,” Petal added, “or I’ll eat your spleen.”

She looked perfectly ready, willing, and able to do it. It made Ethan like her a bit more. He wasn’t feeling forgiving about the trouble she had brought to her sister’s doorstep—anything that brought the Dragon to your door was not a good thing—but he did appreciate a good threat.

“I’m afraid it’s too late for that,” Aidan said. “May I come aboard? I don’t think you want me shouting this for all and sundry to hear, and we haven’t much time.”

The wind tore at the roses, sending petals drifting down like snow. For some reason it made Briar frown. Her magic curled like vines up her arms. “Please, Ethan.”

Ethan nodded once. “Fine. One wrong move and you’ll get an arrow to the throat, Coventry.”

“I am aware.”

He was a calm one—Ethan would give him that. Spending all of his time cooped up with dusty artifacts had not dulled him.

But it would not save him, either.

“Miss Foxglove, I assume you have found the amulet.” His calm, dry gaze settled on Petal briefly. “And the thief.”

Briar scowled at him ferociously even as she held on to the rail to steady herself as the ship rolled. “You’re not taking her.”

“She broke several laws.”

Briar sniffed. “I don’t care.”

Aidan sighed, clearly aware of every weapon currently trained on him, both obvious and camouflaged. “Yes, I gathered as much. That’s not what I wanted to talk about, although I’d like to come back to that, Miss Petal. You should not have been able to do what you did.”

Petal only shrugged.

“Get on with it,” Ethan said. “Reverse your damned spell.”

Aidan winced. “I’m afraid I cannot.”

“Then I don’t see what’s keeping me from murdering you. That might do it.”

Briar pinched the bridge of her nose, before pointing at him and her sister. “Both of you are not helping.” She pointed at Aidan next. Rose vines crawled across the sand behind him, thorns gleaming in the moonlight. “Why can’t you remove the spell?”

“I should be able to,” he admitted. “I made it so it would lead me to any stolen amulet, preferably within a few feet of the museum, and with the thief conveniently asleep.”