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Aiden glanced at me. “Is he still here?”
I wrapped my fingers around the silk bag and listened to the secrets being whispered. “Yes.”
“Good.” Aiden returned his gaze to Mac. “Keep sharp. Let me know if anyone tries to run the barrier.”
“Will do.” He tapped the edge of the windowsill and stepped back.
Aiden drove on. Kingstone’s layout wasn’t that of a typical small country town. Rather than having one main road that ran straight through the center, Kingstone’s main street was T-shaped, which meant there’d been more room to spread out as the town grew. As a consequence of that, many of the grand old buildings had survived rather than being torn down to build bigger and better.
I gripped the bag tighter as we neared the intersection of the main shopping precinct, my gaze sweeping the surrounding area as the pull of magic grew stronger.
As we crawled past the showgrounds, Aiden said, “Are we going right or straight through at the junction?”
I hesitated. “Right, and then slow down. We’re close.”
He turned, then pulled to one side, allowing several cars to go past before he continued on. This part of Main Street was a mix of weatherboard, brick, and stone buildings, some of them no doubt heritage listed given they looked to have been built in the gold rush days. But as the burn of magic against my skin grew stronger, my gaze was drawn to a beautiful double-story bluestone building with a cream-painted balustrade and brown tin roof.
“He’s in the Royal Hotel,” I said. “How do you want to play this?”
“What I’d really like to do is simply go in there and bust the bastard.” He continued on until he found a parking spot farther up the road. “But I’ve no doubt they’ve researched who the rangers are in the reservation and—given the youngest brother has already shown a willingness to shoot—I don’t want to risk either you or the public getting hurt. And the last thing we need is a hostage situation.”
“Then I’ll go in, see what’s happening and where he is.”
He hesitated, his expression decidedly unhappy. “It’s probably our best—”
“It’s your only option if they have researched.”
He didn’t bother denying that. “I haven’t got any bugs on me—”
“You’d be in trouble if you did,” I cut in, voice bland.
A smile tugged his lips as he continued, “So call me and then leave the line open. That way, if shit hits the proverbial fan, I’ll know.”
“Once I’ve located him, I’ll lock him in an immobilizing spell so fast he won’t know what hit him.”
“Good.” He hesitated. “Be careful.”
“Always.”
He raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything as I climbed out of the truck. I swung my purse over my shoulder, then got out my phone and dialed him. Once he’d answered, I tucked it into my back pocket. I wasn’t sure if the closeness to my butt would mute the sound in any way, but it was either that or my full-of-crap purse.
I waited until several cars had passed and then ran across the road to the hotel. The lights both within the building and without gave it a warm amber glow and added to the feeling of old-world charm—one that continued once I’d stepped inside. The ceilings were pressed silver tin and the paper on the walls an old-fashioned flower print. The dark wood bar ran the length of one side, and was lined with old stools and patrons. There were a number of tables scattered around the rest of this room, most of which were occupied. The man we were hunting wasn’t here, but he was close. The pulse coming from the silk-wrapped bracelet told me that. I continued on into the dining area. Again, the room was filled with warmth and noise, and most of the tables were taken.
A young woman approached and said, “Welcome to the Royal—are you after a table?”
I hesitated, and then said, “I’m supposed to be meeting a friend here, but I’m not sure whether he’s booked a table or not.”
“I can check our bookings, if you’d like.” She stepped behind the nearby desk. “His name?”
“Hale. Hale Browning.”
She ran her finger down the book and then shook her head. “He’s not listed, I’m afraid. Do you want to grab a table and wait?”
I shook my head. “I might look around first, just in case I missed him coming in.”
“You could try the beer garden—we do serve food out there.”
“How do I get there?”
