“Forever,” Erik interjected softly. “For the sisters never saw each other again.”
Eileen was startled that he knew what she had written. She met the conviction in his gaze and the hair prickled on the back of her neck.
She was itching to ask him what he knew and how, but for the moment, she read on.
Eileen’s story was close to the truth, but not entirely accurate. The differences gave Erik some distance from his own memories, some ability to review the facts with detachment.
Erik wondered who had been the grandmother of Eileen’s student. It must have been a descendant of Adelaide. Shadow was Louisa—he had heard her called that in her day—and Sunshine, Louisa’s sister, Adelaide. The sisters had been close and he regretted having severed that bond.
But he had had no choice, not then.
And when he had chosen otherwise, everything had gone awry. Erik moved restlessly, striving to focus on Eileen’s voice.
“ ‘When Sunshine was finally alone, she looked at the painting for the first time. She was shocked by its beauty. It depicted a dragon, magnificent and powerful. He was dark and glittered like a jewel, and was shown with his tail coiled and his wings unfurled. Fire emanated from his mouth and smoke filled the air surrounding him.’ ”
Erik considered his boots. He’d wondered what had happened to that painting. Where was it now?
“ ‘She thought she should have been afraid, but every stroke of the brush was loving. Every dab of paint had been applied with affection. Sunshine knew that her sister’s heart was full and that she loved the man she had chosen over her blood family.’ ”
Erik turned to look out the window and felt his eyes narrow. He’d thought his past banished from any power to influence him, but Eileen’s whimsical retelling of the story caught at his heart.
“ ‘Sunshine understood that her sister didn’t intend to reveal the identity of the man who had fathered the child she carried. She guessed that that man came from the great smelting factories of Coalbrookdale, which laid across the green of the land like a black dragon, spewing smoke and fire into the air.
“ ‘She also knew that Shadow chose not to be found. She hid the painting and kept her knowledge to herself, such as it was, and slowly their household returned to a routine, albeit one without Shadow’s laughter. The new minister began to court Sunshine. By the time spring unfurled its first leaf, they married.
“ ‘And so it was that the following August, when the sun was setting over the hills, Sunshine straightened from tending her own small garden beside the manse. She was rounding with a child and tired easily. She heard the beat of leathery wings and stared as a dragon, a dragon precisely like the one in her sister’s painting, spiraled out of the sky. She was too surprised to scream or run. She murmured a prayer and stood her ground.’ ”
Erik smiled despite himself. He remembered that meeting all too well, remembered the shock in Adelaide’s eyes. He wasn’t certain she could have run, she had been so terrified.
“What is it?” Eileen asked.
Erik arched a brow, choosing an easier truth than the one in his thoughts. “I like when the dragons are the good guys.”
Eileen laughed, then sobered as she read on. “ ‘The dragon was as real as anything else surrounding Sunshine—she could hear the beat of his wings and feel the air they moved. He stretched out one claw toward her and she saw that something small and golden was on his nail. He waited in silence for her to take it, and so, finally, she did.
“ ‘It was hair. A golden lock of hair, hair so soft that Sunshine knew it was baby hair.
“ ‘And then she knew who he was and from whence he had come.
“ ‘ “My son,” said the dragon, his pride clear.
“ ‘ “My sister?” Sunshine asked, fearing the worst.
“ ‘ “Sends her best wishes,” he said, much to Sunshine’s relief. “She is tired but well.”
“ ‘The notion warmed Sunshine’s heart, as did the dragon’s gallantry. She smiled and the dragon reared up, magnificent in his power. He inclined his head once to her, his eyes gleaming, then launched into the sky. His mission was complete.
“ ‘Sunshine watched the dragon until he disappeared into the darkening sky. When he was gone, she wondered whether her eyes had deceived her. She looked down at the little fair curl in her hand. It was as real as real could be. She knew then that she had not imagined him.
“ ‘She hid the lock of hair with the painting and kept her sister’s secret safe. She never saw the dragon or her sister again, though each night she remembered both in her prayers. In time, the villagers said the the sisters had been named the right way after all, for Sunshine had the radiance of a happy woman, while Shadow had disappeared and was assumed to have met a dark fate.
“ ‘It was only on her own deathbed that Sunshine surrendered the painting and the lock of hair to her own daughter, the daughter she had named Louisa. This was the child she had been carrying when the dragon came to visit. Sunshine told her the story of her namesake and then she died.’ ”
Eileen closed her book and ran her fingertips across the cover with satisfaction.
Erik studied her. “You like this story,” he murmured.
Eileen cleared her throat and nodded with enthusiasm. “Yes. I paraphrased it from my student’s version, of course. What’s interesting is that the story doesn’t have the usual formulaic ending of them living happily ever after—or the alternative, ‘as far as I know they are happy still’—but I guess there’s too much ambiguity about Shadow’s fate for that.”
When he didn’t say anything, she flicked him a bright look. “Does it match the version of the story you know?”
“There is truth in it,” he admitted. “But not all of the truth.”
She pursed her lips as she put her notebook away, then began to knit. Erik wondered what question she was intent on solving.
“I suspect the story is maybe a comment upon the changing role of women in the industrial society,” Eileen said. “How their movement to towns in search of jobs removed them from the control of their fathers, maybe gave them different choices than marriage.”
Suddenly Erik realized why he couldn’t sense Magnus’s presence at all.
It was a trick.
Magnus was trying to lure Erik into complacency. Probably Magnus was following the train at a sufficient distance that Erik was unaware of his presence. Boris had learned to disguise his scent, after all—quite possibly Magnus had been the one to teach Boris that feat.
Magnus would certainly know the train’s destination, and he might have discovered Eileen’s destination. She’d bought her ticket ahead of time, and Erik knew that Magnus had more than one technical whiz in his employ. Any system could be hacked.
It just took a bit of time.
If Magnus knew their destination, he could choose his moment.
Unless Erik changed the itinerary.
Coventry would have to do. They’d rent a car and drive. With any luck, they’d lose Magnus long enough for Erik to find a temporary lair and protect its perimeter with dragonsmoke.
Then seduce Eileen and steal the Dragon’s Teeth. It was unlikely that she would be of interest to the Slayers then.
It was not, however, out of the question.
Erik chose not to think about that problem for the moment.
“We have to go,” he said as the train pulled into the station.
Eileen’s expression turned to surprise.
He was on his feet, peering out the window as the train slowed. “We’re getting off here.”
“You’re welcome to do so.” Eileen settled into the depths of her coat and kept knitting. “I’m going to Birmingham New Street, which we won’t reach for”—she looked at her watch—“another twenty-five minutes. I should be able to finish a couple more rows.”
Erik knew how to change her mind quickly. He reached past Eileen and snatched the wooden chest. He paused to give her a steady look, as if he’d
compel her to follow his command. “We’re getting off here,” he repeated.
He took the wooden chest and strode for the exit.
“Hey! Stop!” Eileen leapt to her feet, but Erik didn’t even look back. He heard her swear with an earthiness that made him smile. That made him glance her way. He saw her jam her knitting back into her satchel. She shoved her arms into her coat sleeves and grabbed her satchel, then ran after him, furious but moving fast.
Perfect.
Eileen followed Erik, swearing under her breath. She wasn’t going to surrender that wooden chest easily. When the train stopped, he got off and offered his hand to her with his usual gallantry. Given that he was making decisions for both of them, without consultation with her, Eileen wasn’t charmed by the gesture. She jumped down by herself.
Once on the platform, she grabbed the handles of the trunk and was relieved when he released them.
If a bit surprised. The train began to move behind her.
“ ‘The course of true love never did run smooth.’ ” The conductor saluted them from the open door and there was no chance of jumping back onto the train.
When Eileen glanced at the conductor, Erik lifted her satchel from her shoulder instead. He marched toward the station with her knitting and her laptop and her notebook and her identification, compelling her to run after him as the train departed.
Eileen called him every name she knew.
Erik didn’t slow down. He cast a glance over his shoulder and she was surprised that his eyes were twinkling. Maybe he just liked being in control of their options.
Actually, she felt better about this option, too, but she’d never tell him as much.
At least there was no black sedan in sight. Eileen looked.
Erik moved into the station with purpose, targeted the car-rental counter, and rented the best car available at a discounted price. They were driving out of town in record time.
“Why don’t I ever have that kind of luck at the rental place?” Eileen complained. “Even when I have a reservation, they mess it up.”
“Just my natural charm,” Erik said tightly.
Eileen laughed. “Is that what it is?” He glanced at her, but she ribbed him. “Charm is one place you fall short, my friend. You may be effective and efficient, but charming?” She shook her head. “Nope. You missed the line when they were handing out charm.”
“Yet here you are with me,” Erik observed, his tone wry, “despite my lack of charm. I must have some appealing attribute.”
He was teasing her. He seemed to have discovered some sense of humor, after all. Eileen decided to dish him a bit of truth, especially as she was relieved to be off the train. She might not like his methods, but the results were fine. “Just between you and me, I’m a sucker for men who are more than they appear to be. I like the unpredictable ones, who tell the truth.”
Erik flicked her a glance, and she caught her breath at the sparkle in his eyes. “I shall keep that in mind.”
“I bet you will.”
“And I shall endeavor to remain both unpredictable and honest.” He winked at her then, looking so unexpectedly mischievous that Eileen caught her breath.
She wondered just how much more there was to learn about Erik.
Then he negotiated the last roundabout heading out of town and put his foot to the floor. The car whizzed forward, going far too fast on the admittedly empty road.
“Whoa!” Eileen cried, gripping the seat. They rocked around a curve, Erik slowing only an increment; then he accelerated even more. Was he intending to kill them both? “Are you crazy?”
“Not yet.”
“Then quit driving like a maniac.”
“I’m in complete control,” he said. He did appear to be. Erik drove with precision, his gaze fixed on the road. He was perfectly calm, despite their speed.
This kind of unpredictability Eileen could live without.
His next words were so low that they made her shiver. “I just want to see what this thing can do, before I need to know.”
That sounded ominous. Eileen glanced over her shoulder and found only empty road behind them. She faced the windshield just in time to see a black sedan emerge from a side street, its front bumper easing into their path.
“Look out!” she shouted.
But Erik had already swerved around the obstacle of the car, his moves smooth and confident. He had to move into the lane for the oncoming traffic and Eileen saw a truck quickly approaching. Erik slipped back into his own lane in the nick of time, changed gears, accelerated again.
Eileen tightened her seat belt and caught her breath as he calmly checked the mirrors.
“Here he comes,” he said softly.
Eileen turned to see that black sedan right behind them. Was it the same black sedan? “Is that Magnus?”
“Of course. He has your scent.” Erik accelerated slightly. “He can find you anywhere.”
Eileen stared at him. “That’s not the most reassuring thing you could have said.”
“But it’s the truth, nonetheless. I thought you preferred the truth.”
“Maybe I’m thinking I should be careful what I wish for.”
Erik cast her a crooked smile. “Magnus doesn’t want you. He wants this wooden box, and once he has it—or once you no longer have it—he will lose interest in you.”
“Is that true of you, as well?”
“No.” Erik negotiated a curve and spoke with force. “The firestorm means that I want you.”
His possessive tone sent a shiver through Eileen. “You traded me the story for the teeth,” she reminded him.
“It would have been vulgar to say otherwise.”
“You just did.”
“In privacy, anything goes.” He flicked her a glittering glance, one that made her heart leap with anticipation. “In public, I prefer to be more reserved.”
Eileen caught her breath at his intensity as he focused on his driving. Given the speed they were going, she wasn’t going to interfere with that. She held fast to the box as they ripped past the hedgerows and wished she could remember a few good prayers.
A bunny hopped across the road, appearing suddenly from the undergrowth, and she almost screamed at what had to be inevitable.
Erik didn’t hesitate. He geared down, changed into the other lane, avoided the bunny, missed an oncoming car, and raced onward.
Eileen caught her breath at how quickly that had happened.
She looked back to see the rabbit make the shoulder of the road, just before Magnus’s car passed the car going in the other direction.
She took a steadying breath and figured the bunny was doing the same. She heard thunder again and peered out the window at the clouds. It didn’t look ominous enough for a thunderstorm, but she was hardly an expert in local weather patterns.
Rain began to slant against the windshield. Erik turned on the wipers but didn’t slow down. He was even more taut, which she wouldn’t have believed possible just moments before. The road shone and looked slick in the rain. Eileen was sure they’d skid into a ditch, but didn’t want to say anything or interfere with his concentration.
“It handles better than I expected,” Erik said softly. “Not bad for a cheap car.”
Eileen poked at the dash. “It probably doesn’t have air bags, though.”
“Not on the passenger side, I’m sure.”
Eileen understood that he was teasing her. “Thank you for that upbeat note.”
“Least I can do.” He flicked a look her way. “Seeing as I have neither charm nor a sense of humor. Honesty and unpredictability will have to carry the day.”
Eileen would have said something witty, if she could have thought of it in time. As it was, she was completely distracted by Erik’s abrupt left turn. The road had been heading into a gentle left curve, but he took a sharp turn into a side lane. The back end of the car fishtailed as she hung on to the door handle.
The car rocketed down the lane Eileen hadn’t even seen
before they were in it. It was barely wider than the car, but that didn’t slow Erik down.
Eileen looked back and the big sedan zipped right past the lane. “Think you lost him?”
“No.” Erik’s tone left no room for doubt. “I think he’s playing with us, but that doesn’t mean that he’s in charge of all of the surprises.”
Eileen wasn’t sure she liked the sound of that. She shut up and hung on, trying to brace herself for the unexpected.
Brambles struck the car wetly and the rain settled to a steady drumming on the roof. The car bounced and jumped, splashing through puddles with manic speed. Eileen thought she saw a tiled roof and another chimney. She caught a glimpse of a wet garden and a stacked stone wall. The lane was probably a pretty walkway, taken at a slow enough speed to appreciate its charms.
Erik clearly wasn’t in the mood for that.
Just as abruptly as the first time, he turned the car wheel to the right, hard. The car bounced out of the lane and onto a large paved road, one much like the one they had left moments before. The tires skidded, but Erik didn’t hesitate. He floored the accelerator again, and the car skidded a bit before straightening its course.
“It could use ABS,” he muttered.
“What do you usually drive?”
“A black Lamborghini. It handles rather better than this.”
Eileen wasn’t surprised to hear that.
Maybe Erik had taken racing lessons.
If so, she hoped he’d passed.
This road curved gently to the right, the hedgerows ensuring that not much of the pavement ahead was visible. Erik drove with relentless speed and it took Eileen a moment to realize what was wrong.
He was driving on the right side of the road.
In England.
That was a mistake she would make. He hugged the inside of the curve, racing toward whatever they couldn’t see.
Uh-oh.
Chapter 11
“Aren’t you on the wrong side of the road?” Eileen asked, trying not to startle Erik.