But it was real life, and we were hunting bad guys.
I shook away the silly thought and grabbed his hand. His touch sent an electric frisson up my arm as he swung me up. I gripped the rail of the streetcar and clung on.
The streetcar zipped through the bustling streets, cutting through the rain. Lights from the shops whipped by, and the day was darker than ever. It was early winter, and the sun was setting.
I shivered in my coat.
A few more people jumped on, hanging to the rails. Lachlan was forced closer to me, the warm length of his body pressed against my back. He towered over me, and I squeezed my eyes shut. I was intensely aware of every inch of him, this near stranger who seemed so cold but sometimes looked at me with heat in his eyes.
Eventually, the Eiffel Tower appeared on the horizon, spearing up through the sky.
“We’ll get off here.” Lachlan leapt down, and I followed.
He looked at his watch. “We need to kill an hour until the tower closes and it becomes dark. Are you hungry?”
My stomach growled. “Always.”
We found a small, warm cafe and hustled inside. It was bustling and busy, but we managed to snag a table near the window. One with a perfect view of the Eiffel Tower.
We ordered tiny coffees and impressive sandwiches on beautiful baguettes. My first bite tasted like heaven. Lachlan ate his while watching me.
“Why are you looking at me like I’m a bug under glass?”
“I’m trying to figure out what you are. What’s so special about you.”
Great. “I’m a trainee at the Academy.”
“They don’t take just anyone.”
“True enough. But I’m not keen on sharing the details with you.”
“Playing it close to the vest?”
“A woman’s got to have some secrets.” I wasn’t about to spill my secrets to a guy I hardly knew. Until I knew what pantheon I was—until I had control of my magic—I’d be keeping that info to myself.
Interest flashed in his eyes. He reached for a napkin, and his hand brushed mine. Heat flashed up my arm, and my gaze darted to his.
Fire burned in his eyes. He drew his hand back and cleared his throat, clearly trying to get back on track. “Why did your shield falter back at the entrance to the cemetery? I can sense that you’re strong. It shouldn’t have died so quickly.”
Damn. He had noticed. I shrugged. “Sometimes it’s finicky.”
Lie.
“Hmmm.” He finished off his sandwich.
“Well, what about you? You’re super special. How’d you get so many magical gifts?” Most mages had one. A few were born with as many as four. Twelve? It was unheard of.
“Just lucky, I guess.”
I was beginning to hate that word—special. We were both being cagey, though, and it just made me want to learn more about him. He clearly wasn’t used to sharing, and neither was I.
I’d never met a guy who had me so interested and so on edge all at the same time. I forced myself back on topic. “Your friend was abducted along with the spell.”
Pain flashed briefly in his eyes, then shuttered. “We’ll get him back. Decker doesn’t deserve this for helping me.”
I was intrigued by him. By the pain he tried to hide, and the cold front he presented to the world. But he wasn’t cold at all. He wouldn’t let people see what he felt, but he did feel. “No one deserves to be abducted for any reason.”
“No, they don’t.”
“Do you regret making the spell?”
“I will if we don’t get it back.” His shoulders were tight. “Otherwise, it’s my job. I’m one of the few mages powerful enough to create such magic, and in the right hands, it can make the world a better place.”
“We’ll get it back.” I polished off the last bite of my sandwich.
He stood and put some money on the table, and I followed him out into the night. It was still early, but the continuing storm made it as dark as midnight and emptied the streets. We hurried across the road to the lawn that surrounded the tower.
Magic pricked against my skin as we stepped onto the grass. “Another protective spell?”
“Aye. It’ll alert the guards.”
“What kind of guards?”
He pointed into the distance. Three massive figures galloped toward us. I squinted through the gloom, trying to see what they were. Red eyes blazed at us. Through the mist, giant dogs appeared, a hundred yards away.
“Oh crap! Hellhounds?”
“The very same.”
I shuddered. No way I wanted to mess with them. “They must be hell on the tourists.”
“Tourists can’t see them. Only supernaturals. Because the tower is so magical, all sorts of our kind want to use it for various purposes. The city council put the guards on it to minimize use.”
“How do we get past them?”
They were picking up speed, only fifty yards away now.
“Try to outrun them.” He started to run.
“Great.” I followed, heart thundering as I neared the dogs.
The smell of brimstone preceded them, rolling across the ground, and their fangs gleamed in the light. Not all hellhounds were evil or mean—but they sure did make great guard dogs when they put their mind to it.
And these three hulking beasts were determined.
Two of them went for Lachlan, which really was smart, since he was so big and so fast, and one headed straight for me. One was about all I was prepared to handle, anyway.
No lie, I liked to be the toughest one in a fight, but I had nothing to prove to Lachlan or the hellhounds. Especially if it meant making it out of here alive.
I darted left as the hellhound neared, barely dodging his fangs. His growl sent a shiver through me, and I picked up the pace, racing toward the tower. I could feel the thunder of his footsteps through the ground, and my skin chilled.
I looked behind me, catching sight of his gleaming red eyes just feet away.
Shit!
I raced ahead, darting left and right, trying to stay just out of reach of his fangs. This was not going well. The tower was still thirty yards way.
Something heavy slammed into my back, and I plowed into the grass, skidding on my hands and knees. My panic flared, then died under the cold calm that came when instinct kicked in. I flipped over, kicking up with my legs, throwing the hellhound off of me.
It took all my strength, but the beast flew through the air, landed against the ground, and scrambled upright.
I drew my sword from the ether, but hated the idea of hurting the hellhound. He might be a hell beast, but he was still a dog. Killing him would be awful—if I even could. It was nearly impossible to kill the monsters.
I held out the blade. “You watch it, doggy, or I’ll send you back to hell.”
The beast growled and lunged. I held out my blade. If he wanted to run into it, he could.
A flash appeared from the corner of my vision. Three tiny blurs raced at the hellhound, slamming into his side.
The Cats of Catastrophe!
They hissed like demons, a frenzy of claws and fangs. Even Bojangles, the goofy one, had his act together. And Princess Snowflake III! She went for the eyes, of course.
“Thanks, guys!” I spun and ran, leaving them to take care of the hellhound. He was a big beast, but the Cats of Catastrophe were some seriously tough felines.
Wind tore at my hair as I sprinted for the tower, joining Lachlan, who now ran without any beasts on his tail. I glanced behind to see the two hellhounds lying on the grass.
“Knocked their heads together.” He panted, moving so fast I could hardly keep up. “They’ll be all right.”
“I can’t say the same for mine.” I looked behind to see the hellhound racing off, the Cats of Catastrophe hot on his heels.
“What the heck are they?”
“No idea.” I didn’t know how to explain them, so I’d go with avoidance.
We sprinted up to the base of the tower, and he leapt onto it without stopping.
I stumbled to a halt, panting. “You have got to be kidding me. We can’t just take the elevator and stairs?”