Too many people seemed to know all about this. And believe it. “How did you recognize Jimmy?”
“Dideon. His name is Dideon. I knew he worked for Chamberlain. Or he did.”
Talia’s eyes widened. “What does that mean?”
“It means he’s no longer a threat to you.”
“You—” She couldn’t say it. All of a sudden this was no longer a joke or an elaborate charade. The man
was
a mercenary, after all. No matter what title he gave it. Didn’t mercenaries kill people? “Is he …?”
“Gone.”
Talia swallowed hard. So that was the business he’d been taking care of. A shudder crawled down her spine.
“But trust me,” Archer said, “there will be others. Better for you to come with us. We can get you to the queen, put you under her direct protection.”
“Wait a minute. If Jimmy wanted me dead, why am I still alive? He certainly had ample opportunity.” She thought of the long hours they’d spent alone in the kennels when she’d first trained him and shuddered again.
“We questioned him on that. Apparently, Dideon was originally sent here to observe you, find out if there was a way to subvert your powers, use them for their good against the queen. He was as much your warden as your hangman.”
Talia was trying to sort it all out in her mind, but it was such an impossible thing to truly comprehend. One indisputable fact was that Jimmy
had
threatened her. “So if they send someone else, can you recognize him?”
“I know most of the players, but I don’t intend to stick around here and find them all out. It is best if we move quickly. The faster we get you back, the faster this will come to an end, and you can return to your life here, safe and sound.”
He was wrong. Safe was no longer an option. Her life was suddenly filled with insanity that she was supposed to accept. And she simply couldn’t stand there one second longer. She’d hit maximum stress level. Without another word, she turned and began marching back to the house.
Archer immediately caught up to her and grabbed her arm. “We don’t have time for this.”
Talia yanked her arm free and poked a finger at his chest. “Correction,
you
don’t have time for this.
I
, on the other hand, have as much time as I want. So why don’t you just let me go and return to wherever you slithered out from.”
His eyes widened with real surprise. “Slithered?”
“Isn’t that what kidnapping mercenary snakes do? Slither?”
His jaw clenched. “I’m not a mercenary or a kidnapper. And I’m not a snake.”
She almost laughed. “That offends you? Tough guy like yourself? I imagine you’ve been called much worse.”
It didn’t help matters that this close up, she noticed he had a tiny cleft in his chin. And that when he got angry, his accent was stronger, flatter. No, she shouldn’t be noticing stuff like that. She had an escape to make.
“Oh, I’ve been called many things, sweetheart.But snake? Slithered?” He shook his head. “I really must be losing my touch.”
Now she cocked a hand on her hip. “You have a touch?”
His eyebrows lifted.
Talia caught herself wanting to smile. Adrenaline was pumping through her, along with something else that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. She wasn’t actually enjoying this little heated interchange. Was she? It was just some sort of weird stress transfer that suddenly had her hyperaware of him. “Did you really think you’d just pop into my life, drop this amazing little fairy tale of yours in my lap, and expect me to go dancing off behind you, all because you twinkled those eyes and showed off that little cleft in your chin?”
Oops. She’d been doing fine up to that last part. What had been the vaguest suspicion of a smile became a blinding grin. As it turned out, the man had touch. In spades.
“You noticed the cleft, huh?” Gone completely was the impatient, frustrated mercenary. In the short time she’d known him, she’d never have guessed him capable of
“Dideon. His name is Dideon. I knew he worked for Chamberlain. Or he did.”
Talia’s eyes widened. “What does that mean?”
“It means he’s no longer a threat to you.”
“You—” She couldn’t say it. All of a sudden this was no longer a joke or an elaborate charade. The man
was
a mercenary, after all. No matter what title he gave it. Didn’t mercenaries kill people? “Is he …?”
“Gone.”
Talia swallowed hard. So that was the business he’d been taking care of. A shudder crawled down her spine.
“But trust me,” Archer said, “there will be others. Better for you to come with us. We can get you to the queen, put you under her direct protection.”
“Wait a minute. If Jimmy wanted me dead, why am I still alive? He certainly had ample opportunity.” She thought of the long hours they’d spent alone in the kennels when she’d first trained him and shuddered again.
“We questioned him on that. Apparently, Dideon was originally sent here to observe you, find out if there was a way to subvert your powers, use them for their good against the queen. He was as much your warden as your hangman.”
Talia was trying to sort it all out in her mind, but it was such an impossible thing to truly comprehend. One indisputable fact was that Jimmy
had
threatened her. “So if they send someone else, can you recognize him?”
“I know most of the players, but I don’t intend to stick around here and find them all out. It is best if we move quickly. The faster we get you back, the faster this will come to an end, and you can return to your life here, safe and sound.”
He was wrong. Safe was no longer an option. Her life was suddenly filled with insanity that she was supposed to accept. And she simply couldn’t stand there one second longer. She’d hit maximum stress level. Without another word, she turned and began marching back to the house.
Archer immediately caught up to her and grabbed her arm. “We don’t have time for this.”
Talia yanked her arm free and poked a finger at his chest. “Correction,
you
don’t have time for this.
I
, on the other hand, have as much time as I want. So why don’t you just let me go and return to wherever you slithered out from.”
His eyes widened with real surprise. “Slithered?”
“Isn’t that what kidnapping mercenary snakes do? Slither?”
His jaw clenched. “I’m not a mercenary or a kidnapper. And I’m not a snake.”
She almost laughed. “That offends you? Tough guy like yourself? I imagine you’ve been called much worse.”
It didn’t help matters that this close up, she noticed he had a tiny cleft in his chin. And that when he got angry, his accent was stronger, flatter. No, she shouldn’t be noticing stuff like that. She had an escape to make.
“Oh, I’ve been called many things, sweetheart.But snake? Slithered?” He shook his head. “I really must be losing my touch.”
Now she cocked a hand on her hip. “You have a touch?”
His eyebrows lifted.
Talia caught herself wanting to smile. Adrenaline was pumping through her, along with something else that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. She wasn’t actually enjoying this little heated interchange. Was she? It was just some sort of weird stress transfer that suddenly had her hyperaware of him. “Did you really think you’d just pop into my life, drop this amazing little fairy tale of yours in my lap, and expect me to go dancing off behind you, all because you twinkled those eyes and showed off that little cleft in your chin?”
Oops. She’d been doing fine up to that last part. What had been the vaguest suspicion of a smile became a blinding grin. As it turned out, the man had touch. In spades.
“You noticed the cleft, huh?” Gone completely was the impatient, frustrated mercenary. In the short time she’d known him, she’d never have guessed him capable of
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