The Royal Hunter Part 21

"Not that. There are other things. I have to brief you on what to expect in my

time and who the players are. It will be a crash course on Dalwyn's court, but it must be done if you are to help yourself stay afloat. I probably should have done this sooner."

She felt the tremors run through her. It was finally happening. It's all a fairy tale like the ones Mummy told you. Blink hard once or twice and you'll find yourself waking up in your hammock, all this a nasty dream. If she were anywhere else, she might have convinced herself that was true. But when she looked at Archer... she knew. She knew she'd always known. Somewhere. Somehow. And she still wasn't ready.

"The dogs won't wait. So you're going to have to." She went to push past him, but he stopped her with his hand on her arm. There was such solid strength, such conviction in his touch, she didn't know whether to shrink from it... or lean into it. Things were going to change, she'd known it, felt it. Archer was the one constant. The one thing she knew she could count on. The one person she could trust.

That thought alone should have sent her screaming into the house, behind any number of locked doors. Instead she looked into his eyes. Eyes that held hers with reliably steady strength. Eyes that looked at her and saw her for who she really was... and didn't turn away. Eyes that often looked at her with frustration and irritation, as well as desire. How had she come to trust him? Maybe it was because there was so much at stake for him, too, she knew he'd never risk failure. But that wasn't it. What she really thought was foolish. And dangerous. What she really thought was that he'd keep her safe because somewhere in that mercenary heart of his, he cared for her. She'd seen it in that moment he'd come out of the woods.

She blinked at a sudden moisture in her eyes, wishing she could laugh instead. Because it really was a ridiculous notion. "I know we have to deal with this. Please just let me handle the dogs and get Stella done and out of here. Surely we can wait that long."

He finally bent somewhat and nodded curtly. "By full dark, no later. And you

don't leave my sight."

She wanted to argue, if for no other reason than it would give her a vent for all the screaming tension and fear building inside her. But time was moving on and she wasn't. So she nodded and went to work.

True to his word, for the next two and a half hours Archer never let her out of his sight, to the point where she swore his gaze alone felt like physical contact.

But then it had always been that way around him. She'd thought the presence of the animals and Stella would act like a shield of sorts, but of course they hadn't.

In all honesty, as much as she dreaded what was to come later tonight, right now she was thankful for all his hovering. She might have been able to ignore the threat Jimmy had been to her... but there was no denying or forgetting the look in Anteri's eyes as he'd lunged for her. The idea that Anteri had been stalking her at the fair while she'd been blithely finding homes for her animals... She didn't want to think about what could have happened if Archer hadn't acted so quickly.

"They're all tucked in for the night," Stella announced, coming around the

corner. "I checked the water and put the horses in."

Talia nodded. She finished administering medication to one of the strays she was still working with, then handed a tube of ointment to Stella. "Put this on the little spot where we had to pull the hair off that pom mix, okay?"

Stella's eyes lit up. "Sure." Then a furrow creased her brow and Talia knew

she was working up her courage.

Not up to dealing with this tonight, she cut her off before she could speak. "I know how you feel about the little guy, Stella. But we'll talk about it later.

Okay?"

Stella's face threatened to split from the force of her grin. An instant later Talia was enveloped in a hug. "You won't be sorry, Talia, I promise."

"Awful sure of yourself, aren't you?" she said, but there was no censure in it.

Stella beamed. "I'm meant for him, Tal. And he for me. You know how

sometimes you just know it?"

Talia's smile faltered as Archer came into view at the far end of the kennel.

Ringer came to sit beside his feet. A man and his dog. If only it were that simple.

"Yeah, I know," she said quietly. "Go on home and get some good rest.

Tomorrow's going to be busy." This last she said with her eye on Archer.

Somehow she had to convince him to let her stay another couple days. She had to see these guys safely away from here. Stella and her two part-time employees could deal with the horses and hold down the fort for the rest. She refused to think about the strays that could be turned away in her absence.

G.o.d, she thought. Was she really going to go? It wasn't as if she were going on a brief weekend jaunt to the sh.o.r.e, either. She couldn't truly wrap her mind around it. She smiled at Stella who nuzzled the sleepy little pom before shutting him back in his run for the night. "Good night, Stella."

She smiled, her eyes dreamy. "Night, Talia. And thank you so much. You won't be sorry."

"Tomorrow," Talia said. "We'll talk tomorrow."

And then she was alone with Archer and wondering why she'd been in such a hurry to see her young employee go. She walked to the kennel door that Stella had just floated through and scratched Ringer's scruffy head while Archer made sure it was locked and secure for the night.

"Now what?" she asked, knowing she sounded a bit snakey, as he would say.

"We talk. Care for a walk?"

"Do you really think that's wise?"

Archer stared at her for a long moment, as if debating an entirely different

meaning than she'd intended. A shiver stole over her skin that had nothing to do with the sun setting. She was thinking about the last time they'd been down by the pond... and knew he was, too.

But then his expression changed, turned harder, and she knew he was in bodyguard mode again. Not that she wanted to reprise their little scene on that flat rock. Well, she wanted to, but she knew it would be better if they stayed in bodyguard mode from here on out. Dammit.

"Baleweg told me that moving through time isn't a precise thing. He can get the time right, but location is approximate. It's obvious Emrys is more skilled in that area. He moved Anteri in and out today and had the location pretty d.a.m.n precise."

"Did you tell him? What did he say?"

"I haven't talked to him yet. I've been watching you.

"So, what do we do next? Where is Baleweg?" She'd been surprised that he

hadn't appeared since they'd returned. "Don't you think we should all be together when you give your briefing, or whatever you call it?"

"Baleweg knows nothing about the court."

"On the contrary."

Both Talia and Archer turned to find Baleweg standing just on the other side of the fence. Talia smiled. Something about Baleweg had always made her feel safe. Not in the way that Archer did. More in the way that, well, she

supposed the way a child felt around a parent. That because they were older and acted wiser, somehow everything would always be okay if they were around. Another foolish notion. She, better than anyone, knew that having a parent guaranteed nothing.

"Why do you wish to discuss the House of Dalwyn, young Archer?"

"She must be told how it works, if she's to find her way through."

"You'll be there with me, won't you?" Talia asked Baleweg.

"I've taught you how to focus your mind in order to expand your connective

feelings. There is not much more I can do." He paused, looking slightly troubled.

"What is it?"

"I had hoped your other inherited abilities would have surfaced by now.

Not for the first time, Talia wondered if Baleweg shared her doubts about her ability to be a healer. "I don't feel I know anything yet. And what I do know I'm not controlling very well."

"It will take practice," Baleweg said. "But I think you control things better than you a.s.sume. You've had years of experience in controlling your gifts so others don't surmise your hidden talents. In fact, I'd say you will fare far better when you learn to loosen your formidable control. Perhaps that will provide a path to awakening those other talents you were born to possess."

Talia glanced surrept.i.tiously at Archer. The one time she'd loosened her control was the time she had connected with him. She hadn't attempted that again. "I'm still not sure I can help the queen." She looked to Baleweg and gave voice to the one thing they hadn't discussed. "What happens if I can't help her?"

Baleweg stepped closer and put his hand on her arm. She realized then that he

rarely actually touched her. She wondered just what powers this man truly

held.

"I'm afraid there is not much of a choice for you now, Talia. At least in terms of your safety."

"You knew about Anteri, didn't you?" The accusation came from Archer.

Baleweg held Archer's gaze steadily. "I sensed our time was dwindling. I believe you knew that, as well."

Archer stared. "Why didn't you warn me?"

Baleweg held up his hand. "Talia needed to place her animals. You were there

with her and you felt the disturbance, as well, did you not?" He waited until