He started walking back down the alley. Since they were now linked, she had to walk, too. He paused just a moment and bent to pick up her suitcase. Was that supposed to be kind of him? She was so angry that Amber was pretty sure steam was rising from her skin.
Oh, no, wait, that wasn’t steam. It was smoke coming from that weird handcuff. “It…hurts.” Burns.
“That’s because it’s locking you down. It’s linking us. In just a few minutes, it will disappear, and after that, you won’t be able to move more than five feet away from me.”
What?
She grabbed his arm. “Where does it disappear to, exactly?”
Sighing, he looked back at her. “They’re magic cuffs. They lock around us both, and they link us both. Right now, they’re linking—that’s why you feel as if you’re burning. The cuffs are creating a special tie between us. You won’t be able to escape me.”
Not good. “That tie can’t last forever. I mean, once you deliver me to Luke, how do you get rid of the link, then?”
He leaned toward her. His lips brushed against her ear as he said, “Magic.” He gave a low laugh. “Did you miss that part?”
Asshole. He was such an—
“Where is she?” The deep bellow seemed to shake the alley itself. It was a rough rumble of sound and one that was heartbreakingly familiar to her.
A man had appeared—seemingly falling right out of the sky to land a few feet in front of the Reaper. The man had midnight black hair and golden eyes. Power radiated from him.
Power. Danger.
Magic.
Maybe a touch of madness.
Amber immediately slid behind the Reaper.
“Where is my angel?” the man demanded.
Not a man, not really. She’d recognized the fellow on sight, even though it had been a very long time since she’d had the displeasure of his company. Amber was staring at none other than Leo, the so-called Lord of the Light.
Luke and Leo were the all-powerful twins who thought they ruled the world.
Leo was supposed to be on the side of the good.
Luke was on the side of the bad. The very, very bad.
In her book, they were both trouble.
“You came rushing to the Big Easy. I know you were tracking her.” Leo’s voice boomed out again. “Where is the angel?”
“Yeah, about that…” the Reaper drawled. “I’m not working that case any longer. Better find yourself a new hunter.”
Wait, hold up. The Reaper was supposed to track an angel for Leo? How had Leo lost an angel? She almost smiled. Oh, she bet that loss hurt him.
“Cass…” Leo’s voice had grown cold. “You won’t want to play with me.”
So the Reaper had a regular name. Cass. Amber kind of liked it. Right then, she kind of liked him—because he stood between her and Leo. Leo hadn’t focused on her, not yet, and she knew it was because the spell she’d put in place to protect herself was still working. A spell specifically designed to shield her from Luke…and Leo.
How much distance remained between them? Ten feet? Had to be…but if he came closer…
The spell was designed so that neither Luke nor Leo would ever be able to find me. The wizard promised me they couldn’t get within ten feet of me.
Like, literally. Luke and Leo could not even see her…unless they happened to be within ten feet of her. But if they passed that ten-foot mark, if they came close enough, if they actually stumbled upon her…all bets are off.
She crouched down, hunching her body so that she could totally disappear behind the Reaper—um, Cass.
But then she heard the soft rustle of Leo’s footsteps coming closer. “You’ve got a bounty behind you.”
“She’s of no concern to you.”
Amber tugged on the stupid, magical handcuff. Still visible. Still slightly burning her. When she tugged, she automatically jerked Cass’s hand back toward her.
“Are you hiding my angel?” Now Leo’s voice roughened even more. Odd, the normally polished Leo didn’t usually sound as if he were biting nails. But it had been a few decades since she’d seen him. Maybe he’d changed.
Doubtful.
“She’s not yours. This bounty has nothing to do with you so step out of my way. I told you…you need to find someone else for your angel job. I’m not working for you.”
The rustle came again. Leo—moving closer. Eliminating that all-important ten-foot rule that had kept her protected for so long.
She heard Leo’s sharp inhale. Now that he was closer and past that magical barrier, he’d be able catch her scent. And when Cass moved, Leo would see her.
I’m done.
“Please,” she whispered to Cass, so desperate that she would have tried anything. “Don’t let him take me.”
Cass swung back toward her in surprise. “Why would Leo want you?”
“Amber.”
The instant Cass had moved, she’d fallen into Leo’s line of sight. He raced forward, his arms outstretched.
He was coming for her. He was—
A couple of things happened very, very fast.
First…Cass yanked off the glove that covered his right hand. The hand that was not cuffed to hers.
Second…the glove hit the ground.
Third…Cass lifted his uncovered hand toward Leo.
“Ready to die?” Cass asked the Lord of the Light.