“I do,” he said. “You protected me. You vouched for Kova, and even now, you stood up for Armina. I can’t lie to make you feel better, but you’re a good woman, Scarlett. There is no doubt in my mind.”
“Thanks,” she murmured. He leaned over to kiss her cheek, and she instinctively turned to kiss his lips instead. He kissed her soft and sweet, then brushed his thumb over her lower lip.
“We’ll get through this. I see you, and nothing you’ve done scares me off,” he said.
She let out a weak laugh, then pulled down the visor mirror and winced. “God, I look terrible.”
“A little,” he said.
With a genuine laugh, she shook her head and scrubbed at her smeared mascara. “Any chance you have a makeup wipe and some concealer?”
“Compared to all the other messes we’ve got to deal with, that’s an easy one to solve,” he said.
Unfazed, Julian drove them to Midnight Springs and stopped at an all-night pharmacy, then handed over his wallet so she could pick up supplies. After buying some toiletries, she thanked him profusely and touched up her face.
Fifteen minutes later, they walkedup to the front door of the beautiful house in Midnight Springs. His hand slid into hers and gave her a warm squeeze.
The last time she’d visited, she’d kicked the door in, but it had already been replaced. Alistair opened the front door for them, and she was startled to see a black cat tucked under his arm, big yellow eyes looking up at Scarlett. “Come in,” he said. The cat let out a low growl, ears laid back against his skull. “Shush, you. They’re our guests.”
The cat hissed, and Scarlett realized with dismay he was hissing at her.
Just as before, the house was cozy and welcoming. The scent of cinnamon and vanilla perfumed the air, while warm lighting turned the open living room into an inviting space.
“Are you sure it’s safe to do this here?” Julian asked.
“Shoshanna likes to work in her own space,” Alistair replied. A smile flickered across his face when he said her name, his eyes briefly flicking up as if he saw her there. The cat let out a little mrow, but Alistair said, “You have to go to your castle when your mum is doing magic. Yes, that’s the rule, you spoiled little beast.” Then he shook his head and said, “Excuse me.”
He hurried down the hall, still telling the cat how spoiled it was.
“His castle?” Scarlett whispered.
Julian suppressed a smile. “Alistair likes the cat much more than he lets on. He plays the piano for him when Shoshanna’s away.”
“I can hear you!” Alistair called from down the hall. The broad-shouldered man returned, gave her a wary look, then headed to a liquor cabinet to take out a decanter filled with whiskey. He poured two glasses, then gestured to her. “Do you want a drink?”
She shook her head. “No, thank you.” The two men clinked their glasses, and she cleared her throat. “Alistair, I want to apologize for breaking into your home. I know you and Shoshanna must not trust me.”
Alistair’s eyes lifted to Julian, and he took a sip of his drink before setting it down. He regarded her calmly. “I’ll be honest with you. I don’t particularly trust you, but I…I don’t know that I would do differently in your situation. Life is complex. And if we all survive this, we’ll hopefully all live long enough to hash it out and get over ourselves.”
An engine rumbled outside, and Alistair went to the door to let in their final arrivals. Misha Volkov walked in first, a loaded backpack slung over one shoulder. Kova was behind him, with Sasha Morozov close behind.
“Kova,” she murmured, heading toward him.
“Be careful?—”
She went to embrace Kova, but he held up his hands to keep her away. Hurt sliced through her, but he shook his head. “Wait until the bindings are broken. I don’t want to risk hurting you,” he said.
Instead, she folded her arms and followed them upstairs and into the fragrant, brightly lit workshop on the second floor. Shoshanna York sat on a cushion on the floor, carefully sketching lines with a piece of white chalk. Before entering, Kova glanced back at her.“Thank you for caring enough to help me. I owe you.”
Scarlett shook her head. “You don’t owe me. I just hope it works.”
Shoshanna looked up and smiled. “Come in. We’re almost ready.”
Chapter 22
KOVA
The thick, dark potion Misha gave him smelled like his own blood mixed with grass clippings and fireplace ash. His nose wrinkled. “All of it?”
