Soul of the Dragon (25 page)

* * *
 

Alexa flew alone to D.C. that weekend. Cyrgyn had stayed in St. Paul, saying Washington was too densely populated for him to hide easily. She had a feeling she wouldn’t remain alone, but Ryc didn’t appear in the terminal, at the rental car stand, or at her hotel. He was still unaccounted for when she drove to the church the next day.
 

She met Marilee and Kurt in the vestibule. They looked smashing in their Sunday finery, and the babies wore adorable white lacey gowns. The only way to tell them apart was the pink and blue sashes they wore.
 

“How can you put this guy in a dress?” Alexa asked, taking him from his father. She cooed and tickled until he giggled at her.
 

“Alexa.” Kurt’s expression was solemn when she looked up at him. Marilee looked expectant. Alexa’s body tensed automatically. Luke quieted in response and stared at her, as if aware something important was about to happen.
 

“We wanted to ask this sooner, but not on the phone, and you got in so late yesterday we didn’t get to see you…”
 

He curled his hand around Marilee’s, and Alexa relaxed a little. It couldn’t be anything huge. They probably wanted a babysitter or something. “Just ask it, Kurt.” She let Luke grip her finger, and silently cooed at him.
 

“We’d like you to be the babies’ godmother.”
 

Alexa froze. As soon as she processed the words, her breath caught and her eyes stung. Honored beyond belief, she cuddled Luke closer to her and watched Savannah suck on her tiny fist. How could she say yes? Being a godmother meant responsibility. It meant being available whenever they had questions or fears they couldn’t express to their parents. It meant being counted on for the rest of their lives.
 

She might not even be around next week.
 

But Kurt and Marilee looked so hopeful. She couldn’t tell them why she had reservations. They didn’t need the worry—and she didn’t need them to institutionalize her if she told them everything.
 

“I can’t believe you’d ask me,” she said huskily.
 

Marilee gave her a one-armed hug. “There’s no one else we’d want.”
 

“What about a godfather?”
 

Kurt motioned to a young man near the front of the church. “My brother.”
 

“You guys understand my job.” She swiped a finger under each eye. “You know my life expectancy is a bit shorter than the average.”
 

“We know,” Kurt assured her. “Will you do it?”
 

What else could she say? “Of course.”
 

After thank-yous and more hugs, Alexa began to follow them to the front of the church. A long, low whistle from behind stopped her. She began to turn, a witty put-down on her lips, but halfway around the tingle in her nerve endings alerted her.
 

Ryc had arrived.
 

* * *
 

Ryc was surprised he’d been able to whistle, his mouth had gone so dry. He’d walked into
the church and spotted Alexa immediately. She was wearing a long, floaty white dress that swirled as she walked. It made the sway of her hips less cocky, more feminine. More enticing. The whistle had been out before he knew he was going to do it. It wasn’t something he made a habit of.
 

He was braced for her put-down as she turned, and even had a response ready. But when she faced him, he couldn’t speak. He couldn’t breathe, and his heart thundered so fast and hard he couldn’t differentiate the beats.
 

The dress wasn
’t the only thing different about Alexa today. She wore her hair down. It was pulled back off her forehead by her sunglasses, and the makeup—yes, makeup—she’d put on gave her a new glow.
 

But it was the baby in her arms that really hit him hard. She smiled, and Ryc had a fleeting instant of fantasy that her smile was delight at seeing her husband, and the baby was theirs. Fantasy was all it could ever be, of course. It was Cyrgyn’s fantasy, too.
 

Ryc stepped closer and inhaled the scent of jasmine and baby powder. Before he could open his mouth, Alexa showed it was still her under all the female trappings.
 

“How the hell do you find me, anyway?”
 

Ryc quirked half a smile. “I just do.”
 

Alexa glowered. “You say that a lot.” Ryc heard the hard tone of her voice, but could tell it was grudging. Underneath, she was glad to see him. That fact warmed the ice in his soul even as it scared him. He shouldn’t be here. But Cyrgyn had been convinced…
 

He shut off his conscience and stepped forward. “Am I presentable enough to escort you to this?”
 

Alexa scanned his black silk t-shirt and black dress pants. “Does it always have to be black?”
 

Ryc shrugged. Black didn’t have to be matched. All these years, and he had never developed any fashion sense. Not that he’d ever cared.
 

“Come on.” Alexa took him by the elbow and led him to a front pew. “I’m warning you, though, Marilee will have a field day with you.”
 

Even if he hadn’t seen her before, Ryc would know immediately which one was Marilee by the delight that lit up her eyes when she saw Alexa holding his arm. She would have handed off the baby in her arms to the man next to her—Kurt Tucker, Ryc presumed—if the minister hadn’t required her attention at that moment. He’d have to leave before she could attack. People like her didn’t allow evasion, and he didn’t want to be rude to Alexa’s friends. He couldn’t hang around long, anyway. But he hadn’t been able to resist the time with Alexa.
 

The ceremony began, and he watched her at the baptismal font, full of grace and beauty. Nothing of her profession or her quest showed on her face. All of her focus was on the babies, her friends, and the words of the minister.
 

The ever-present longing grew in Ryc’s chest. He cursed silently. He should never have started this. The deception had seemed necessary considering the facts, and Cyrgyn had insisted Alexa needed protection. Neither had anticipated the passion that had flared between them. Ryc had known how he would feel, but had expected it to be easier to keep his needs contained in the face of Alexa’s commitment to Cyrgyn.
 

They’d been wrong on so many counts. Ryc had no control when it came to Alexa. Cyrgyn was hurting his own cause by putting Ryc in Alexa’s path, because her obvious feelings
for him clouded her judgment and weakened her motivation for success. Perhaps most important, however, was that Alexa clearly did not need Ryc’s help.
 

He was preparing to leave with every intention of not returning when he heard it. A faint hiss, a sizzle, so low most wouldn’t even notice it. But he’d heard it before.
 

He stood and turned in time to see the fireball racing up the aisle.
 

* * *
 

Alexa never knew what alerted her. The minister was just making the sign of the cross over the babies when something in her brain screamed of danger. She whirled. Tars stood at the back of the church. A small fireball was only feet away. Ryc stood at the end of his pew, but he must have been too late to do anything. The fireball was already past him by the time Alexa turned.
 

She’d automatically scoped out the building when she’d entered and immediately snagged a coil of energy from the floor beneath the font. She flung out her hands and it flew up to meet the fireball, extinguishing it just two feet from the group at the font. She heard Marilee gasp in delayed reaction, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Kurt draw his gun. But she didn’t pay them any attention.
 

Immediately behind the blocking water she threw another stream of energy, but Tars dodged and it splashed harmlessly against the back wall of the church. A wooden chair sitting next to the entrance flew up at Tars’ head, but he didn’t even look at it to make it splinter in midair and fall at his feet. The mage offered a sardonic smile, then spun and strode out the door.
 

Alexa ran down the aisle at Ryc’s side, cursing the heels she wore but not allowing them to slow her down. She heard Kurt’s footsteps behind them and the murmurs and cries of the congregation.
 

They paused on the steps and watched a BMW roadster streak down the street.
 

“Shit!” Alexa turned on Kurt. “You said he was in Scotland!”
 

Kurt looked confused before his eyebrows went up. “That was Suinn?” He frowned down the street, then looked back at Alexa. His frown grew darker. “He was here to attack you?”
 

Alexa backed off, realizing what could have happened if she hadn’t been able to block the fireball. “Unfortunately, yes. If I had had any idea he’d come here, Kurt,
I
wouldn’t have. I swear, I’d never endanger Marilee or the babies.”
 

Kurt’s anger eased perceptibly. “I know you wouldn’t.” He holstered his weapon, then slung an arm over Alexa’s shoulders and eyed Ryc. “You wanna fill me in?”
 

“Not at the moment.” She knew she wouldn’t get away with that for long, so she introduced him to Ryc. “He’s kind of my self-named protector.”
 

Kurt and Ryc shook hands. “The chair. You?” Kurt jerked his head toward Alexa. “Or her?”
 

Alexa did
not
want to discuss magic, so she grabbed both their arms. “Let’s go check on the babies.”
 

They strode together up the aisle, Alexa aware of the incongruous image they made. Ryc and Kurt vied for the Most Dangerous label, both dressed in black and wearing their tough-guy attitudes. She, between them in a pure white fluttery dress, wearing the same attitude. They probably looked like avengers in some movie. She felt like they should be striding in slow motion.
 

She could feel the weight of all eyes watching them pass, but few people had even gotten
up, everything had happened so fast. At the altar, Marilee stood serenely, holding two sleeping babies. Next to her, the minister looked like something had lodged in his throat.
 

Ryc moved to the side aisle where he could watch both the main and side doors. Alexa and Kurt climbed the steps.
 

“Are you all right?” Kurt murmured to his wife, who nodded and rested her head briefly on his shoulder.
 

“I prefer it when you don’t bring your work along,” she scolded mildly, but didn’t look angry, only relieved that they’d all come back okay.
 

Alexa soothed the minister, apologizing and praising him for his bravery. It seemed to work. He swallowed hard and straightened, then concluded the service as if nothing had happened.
 

Guests milled about after the dismissal, some murmuring in groups about the excitement, others crowding around the babies to say how well they had done.
 

Alexa followed Ryc to the side hall and stepped out with him.
 

“It was a test, wasn’t it?” she said.
 

Ryc nodded. “An obvious one. I’d say we learned as much as he did.”
 

“And can expect more.” She looked over her shoulder. “I’m going to have to make my excuses and stay away. I can’t let the Tuckers be involved in this.” Kurt was already watching her, and she didn’t think he was going to let it drop. Not now.
 

“Alexa.” Ryc’s fingers closed around her elbow. “I have to go. I wasn’t going to return to you, but now I have to.”
 

She snorted a laugh. “What do you mean, you have to? I can handle this.” But her chest ached, easing only when he shook his head.
 

“I can’t allow you to. I believe you can,” he hastened to add, no doubt due to the redness of her face at his statement. “Cyrgyn wouldn’t want you to handle this alone. He will rarely be able to be by your side. Someone should be. Don’t argue.” He pressed a finger to her lips and the urge to do just that drained away. She should make him stay away, but she didn’t know how, and deep down—hell, all over—she didn’t want to.
 

Apparently satisfied, Ryc nodded once, then headed out the side door.
 

“He’s not sticking around?”
 

Alexa didn’t look at Kurt behind her. She was too busy watching Ryc’s behind. “He couldn’t.”
 

“Why not?”
 

“You know better than to ask that,” she chided.
 

“So he’s an operative?”
 

Alexa glanced back into the church, but no one was near. “I don’t know what he is,” she sighed, leaning against the wall. “I just know he keeps showing up.”
 

“Want to tell me what’s going on?”
 

“No.”
 

Kurt leaned against the wall on the other side of the doorway, mirroring her pose. Except with his arms and ankles crossed, he seemed a lot less moveable than she felt.
 

“Okay,” she relented. “Not now.”
 

“I can accept that. Marilee insists you come back to the house, anyway. We can talk after the party.”
 

Alarm swept over Alexa. “I can’t go back with you. What if he returns?”
 

“He won’t. He learned what he needed to this time. He’ll wait until you’re less alert for his next test.”
 

Alexa didn’t bother to ask how he thought he knew that. He’d been doing this a lot of years and knew how to read the enemy. She allowed him to nudge her from the side hall into the church and back out the front door. She figured she’d go along until she got in her car, then take off as far away as she could get.