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“Judah wasn’t my—” Before Mercy could finish her sentence, Judah slipped his arm around her waist. She went stiff as a board.
As if on cue, Eve cuddled up to Judah’s other side.
“Well, it looks as if our little Eve likes you, Mr. Blackstone,” Hugh said. “It’s always a good sign when a woman’s child likes you.”
“Hugh is grilling trout tonight, and I’m making homemade ice cream,” Brenna said. “Why don’t all of you come to my cabin for dinner?”
“Thank you, but I’m afraid—”
Once again, Judah cut Mercy off mid-sentence. “We’d love to, wouldn’t we?”
“Yippee!” Eve shouted. “Brenna makes the best ice cream in the world.”
Mercy forced a smile. After the search party went their separate ways and Mercy sent Eve back to the house with Sidonia, she confronted Judah.
“What did you think you were doing, agreeing to have dinner with my guests?”
“I was making an effort to be polite so they wouldn’t suspect there was a wolf among the sheep. Wasn’t that what you wanted me to do?”
“What I want you to do is disappear from my life and never return.”
“If I left, you’d miss me.”
“Like I’d miss the plague.”
“I’ll be leaving soon enough.” Going home to Terrebonne to fight and kill my brother, he added silently.
“Once you’ve taken care of Cael, please don’t come back here. Leave us alone. You’re bad for Eve. You must know that.”
“As a Raintree princess, you may be accustomed to issuing orders and having them obeyed, but I’m not one of your loyal subjects. Between us, I?
?m the master. And you’re my willing slave.”
“When hell freezes over!”
THIRTEEN
Friday Afternoon,
Cael Ansara’s Compound in North Carolina
Cael had tried unsuccessfully to crack the shield surrounding Eve Raintree’s mind. All protective devices, no matter how strong, could be breached. It was simply a matter of finding the key. Every spell had a reversal spell. Every charm could be destroyed. Every power could be deflected. Given enough time, he could find a way into Eve’s thoughts so he could influence her thinking, but time was one thing he didn’t have. In two days he would lead his troops against the Raintree sanctuary. In two days he would kill his brother and become the Ansara Dranir. Only one thing stood in his way: little Princess Eve. She, too, had to die—along with her parents.
But the child was an unknown. Half Ansara, half Raintree. Such children possessed the talents of each parent. With Eve’s parents both royals, the girl’s capabilities could be uniquely powerful.
Cael laughed at his own foolishness. Eve was six. No matter what abilities she had inherited, they would be immature and untutored. Her supernatural skills couldn’t possibly be a threat to him. But her being Judah’s daughter could.
Projecting his thoughts, Cael directed his message to one recipient. Can you hear me, little Eve? Are you listening? I’m your uncle Cael. Don’t you want to talk to me?
Silence.
Talk to me, child. Tell me why I shouldn’t kill your father. I’ll listen to whatever you have to say. Perhaps you can change my mind.
No response.
You want to help Judah, don’t you? If you’ll talk to me, I’ll listen.
A boom of psychic energy thundered inside Cael’s head, the sound deafening in its intensity as it radiated through his body and brought him to his knees. As he doubled over in pain there on the rough wooden floor of his private compound quarters, an outraged voice issued a warning.
