“One of several reasons. I couldn’t lie to my family, but neither could I keep to myself if I saw bad things coming for them.”
Warrick felt the uncontrollable need to pull her into his arms. It wasn’t something he did. Ever. Showing affection was something he saw people do, but never did himself. “I’m sorry.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he heard how meaningless they were.
Darcy met his gaze and attempted a smile. “Thank you.”
“You carry a great burden, and yet you face it every day by having this shop. Why?”
She took a deep breath, some of the tension releasing from her shoulders. “Because I help people. Sure I see their deaths or their significant others cheating. I can nudge them in the right direction without coming straight out and telling them.”
He’d seen proof of that earlier. “Mortals come here for answers.”
“No, they don’t,” she said with a laugh. “They think they want them, but trust me, they really don’t. If I told my first client today that her husband was cheating on her and she would walk in on him in a week’s time, she would be outraged.”
“But she asked you specifically if her husband was faithful.”
“The fact she’s asking means that she already suspects, but she’s hoping she’s wrong. She doesn’t want to be right, and she was praying I tell her differently.”
Now Warrick understood. “So you don’t tell her definitively either way.”
“Exactly. With enough clues, she’ll figure it out and find him with her neighbor. So it all works out in the end.”
“Amazing.”
A pleased smile pulled at her lips. It wasn’t every day that he caused someone to smile, so Warrick enjoyed the moment.
There was a nudge against his mind from Thorn. Warrick immediately opened the link. “Aye?”
“We’ve trouble. The Dark kind.”
Damn. Warrick was hoping they would stay away for good. “Where? How many?”
“I’m moving around to the back now, hang on.” A moment later, Thorn said, “Shite. The bastards have a plan this time. There are ten of them, War. They’ve surrounded the shop.”
“We can take ten.”
Thorn’s grunt was loud. “And who is going to watch Darcy? We’re no’ at her flat. Our spells are strong, but between Darcy and trying to keep the humans from discovering our battle in the middle of the streets—”
“I know,” Warrick interrupted. “Our spells should keep the Dark out of the shop. Do you think we could get Darcy to the flat?”
There was another pause before Thorn let loose a string of curses. “No’ likely. It looks as if they’ve set up on the route she uses to walk home. Just in case we get past the ones at the shop, we’ll have more waiting for us.”
“Which means they’re probably at the flat as well.”
“That’s my guess. I can call more Kings.”
“No’ a good idea. If the Dark see that many of us, they could possibly start a war right on the streets of Edinburgh.”
Thorn growled low in his throat. “We should’ve ran those assholes out when we had the chance. If we doona want to make a run for it or call more Kings, then our only other option is to remain here.”
“And hope they doona try to test our spells.”
“I’ll keep watch out here.”
Warrick frowned, because he knew Thorn too well. “Doona be an idiot and try to fight them on your own.”
“I wouldna dream of it,” came the sarcastic reply.
“Thorn!”
“I’m no’ daft, War. I’ll curb my need to spill Dark blood and watch the fuckers tonight.”
In other words, Thorn couldn’t guarantee the same once dawn came. Warrick closed the link and focused on Darcy.
“Where did you go?” she asked. “You looked by turns concerned then angry, and I know you weren’t listening to me because I called your name twice.”
Warrick walked past her to the conservatory and clicked off the lights. He checked the spells, making sure they were all still in place.
“You’re freaking me out,” Darcy said from behind him.
He faced her then. “Have you slept here before?”
One auburn brow rose. “No. Why are you asking?”
“We have a wee bit of a problem.”
“A wee bit?” she repeated. “It can’t be wee if it means I can’t leave the shop, and that’s exactly what you’re implying, isn’t it?”
Warrick walked to her and gently grasped her arm to guide her back into her office area. Once there, he reluctantly released her. “The Dark are here.”
“Here?” she asked in a voice that wobbled slightly. “We put up spells.”
“Aye, and it should keep them out.”
“But I can’t get home, to the one place I know they can’t reach me.”
“I’m afraid so.”
“How many are there?”
Warrick knew where she was headed with the question. “Too many. There are ten surrounding this building, and there are more on the way to your flat. We’d never make it.”
“They are persistent.”