but Rourke himself.”
“You mean the one person who’s desperate for whatever suggestion of a miracle you throw at him? You’re batting average as bastard has become particularly high these days.”
“No reward without risk.”
I arched a brow. “You sound like Vane.”
“We’ve got a month before we lose several billion people. Do you have any better options? Rourke is dying.”
The laptop on the desk beeped. An incoming call sprang up on the screen.
Matt looked at the username. “It’s the Queen. I have to take this.”
It was a dismissal. I nearly screamed.
The Queen appeared on the laptop screen. “Merlin, we are making good progress. If this continues, we will have the rocks mined long before we anticipated. Your plan is unfolding perfectly.”
Matt beamed under her praise.
“Have you gotten the sword bearer to agree to her part?”
I stomped to the laptop and slammed the lid shut. “What part?”
The door burst open.
Grey flew inside with a wild look. “Emrys, come now.”
I hurried to him. “Grey, what is it?”
“Rourke,” he said. “He’s having another stroke.”
***
We ran upstairs. Colin, Deirdre, Sylvia, and five other gargoyles held Rourke’s shaking body still. Marilynn (minus the glamour) and a few other wizards muttered a chant as they tried to heal him. Fluctuating auras of light bounced off him. It wasn’t a good indication.
Rourke gave a violent jerk. The gargoyles drew back the layers covering him. His entire body was soaked with sweat. Blood spilled from his nose. His eyes flew open. The healers increased the amount of magic, their auras getting brighter.
Finally, he quieted and fell back against his pillow.
Deirdre, on the far side of the bed, put a hand to his forehead. “He’s sleeping.”
“For how long?” Grey said. Lying against his side, his hands shook. He fisted them. “He’s getting worse much more quickly than you said. I thought we had months.”
I went to Sylvia, who stood on the opposite side of the bed from Deirdre. She bit into her nails, her face pale. “Should we call an ambulance?”
“The Regulars have nothing that can help him.” Deirdre shook her head. As if unable to help herself, she glanced at Matt.
He said quietly, “It’s his choice.”
“We barely saved him—” Marilynn interjected.
“No.” I grabbed the vial from his hand. I held it up and shook it at each grim face in the room. “This is poison. Not a cure. We keep looking.”
“For what?” he muttered.
I gave him a pointed look. “For the right answer, not the desperate one.”
No one contradicted me.
The rest of the evening passed quickly. Despite the somber edge in the air, Grey and Sylvia surprised me with a huge cake—Bavarian vanilla decorated with purple roses. The young wizards cast a small spell that made the kitchen sparkle with twinkling lights and the floor mist to look like clouds. We walked on them for one evening. With all the people in the house, the entire sheet of cake disappeared before dinner. The Land Rover officially became mine. The best present, though, was an awkward hug from Gia and a moment to enjoy simply being with my family.
I didn’t see Matt.
He disappeared into the gym and I heard from Colin he spent the night training with the gargoyles. (“Getting beat up” was Colin’s exact phrase.) I kept the vial with me until bedtime. Bone tired, but happy, I found myself crawling into bed at eight o’clock.
I don’t know how long I slept.
A voice whispered at the edge of my dreams, prodding me to wake up.
“Dorothy.”
The door in my mind creaked open. A shadow slipped through to where I slept. A hand smoothed back my hair and traced the curve of one ear. I sighed contentedly and snuggled deeper into the bed. The hand slipped down over my shoulders, under my cami, and delved between my breasts. I moaned.
A chuckle washed over me. The all too real sound snapped me into consciousness.
My eyes flew open and I sat straight up in bed. I glanced around. No one. Only shadows danced in the darkened room.
The Dragon’s Eye was hot against my skin. Vane’s voice purred inside my head. “I knew that would get your attention.”
“What do you want?” I said irritably.
“Something is happening.”
It was then I noticed the sliver of harsh yellow light coming from the hallway. My door was slightly ajar. I knew I closed it before bed. Someone had been in my room. I glanced at my dresser and the empty spot that should not have existed.
Someone had stolen the vial of poison. And I knew who.
“Something wrong?” Vane said,