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“By killing lunatics like you.”
A blast of energy wrenched his soul, then battered him inside out. Screams ensued. Belatedly, it dawned that the pain was dimming and his vision was returning. Then it registered that he knew that energy deep in his heart, and that was enough to kickstart his fighting spirit and rouse him back to awareness. There was so much brightness at first, making it hard to determine which way was up, but a hand clasped his and Erin drew closer.
“Heads up, Rickavior,” she ordered.
Bronco stumbled into view, face purple and eyes bulging red. Before the man could reach them, Erin lifted their joined hands—and instinct drove into Rick, prompting him to do the rest as he swung their hands forward. Their energy formed to ice, sharp and brilliant…slicing straight through Bronco’s neck until the man’s head detached from his body and rolled to the ground. The body followed, crumpling with a heavy thud, and a stone clattered beside the bleeding form.
Erin bent over to examine the body while Rick was already whirling, desperate to locate the source of the new energy. The smoke cleared and a woman with brown hair, white-gray eyes, and a voluptuous figure sashayed forward to snatch the stone from the floor.
“That gemstone’s ours, by the way,” the woman’s throaty voice crooned. “And you’re nothing but a thief, a liar, and a murderer—at least, that’s what I’m getting from my sister and that ridiculous speech.”
Sister. Sutton.
“I don’t think he can hear you, but go on,” Erin said.
“Oh, I’m done.” The woman cleared her throat. “Em?”
Like the smoke had any bearing in making this even more dramatic, it parted like a curtain, and Emerald padded through. Her blonde hair was in a tight braid and her body language told him she was still reining in her magic, but those green eyes were watchful.
The other woman was impatient and bold. Emerald was restrained and poised. He waited until her magic was tucked in, then stepped forward. So did she. Her lips parted uncertainly, and to his surprise, she developed a shy tint to her cheeks. There was silence, then…
“I completed my mission.”
That wasn’t what he expected. He tilted his head. “That’s good.”
“My island’s Council was pleased.”
“That’s good too.”
The short, voluptuous woman cleared her throat while Emerald threw her a warning look. Then Emerald’s attention was on him again, her shoulders straightening.
“I convinced them that I needed to help your court with one more thing, and doing so would mean you can do us a favor back when we—when our folks—need it. It’s not written in stone, of course, and you can reject the idea—”
“You have my word,” he said quickly. “Anything you want.”
“Oh.”
“She put two and two together, by the way,” the woman called out. “The gemstone from your guy named Tru was dangerous and meant to target you. It led us back here to hunt him down—and just in time, too, it seems, because we didn’t even know this other gemstone existed.”
“Billicent has Tru. You can interrogate him later,” Emerald added. “My sister and I can help with that.”
“Hmm.” He stepped forward again, ignoring all of that. It was like he was currently wired for one thought only. “Em, what are you really here for?”
More silence.
“Sex,” the woman offered. Erin raised a brow while Emerald hissed, then took a deep breath.
“I have unfinished business,” she said.
“Oh.” Hope withered. “What—”
“You.”
He blinked.
“I beg your pardon?”
“You’re my unfinished business. I left thinking I was done with this, but I’m not.”
