Hunter shook his head. "A very sad tradition."
Sylvia's breath came raggedly for another minuteor so, then she looked up slowly at the tall man in the center of the room, "You don't have to worryabout my loyalty," she said quietly. "I want a placein the new order after the millennium. I'm through with the witches."
Hunter smiled.
"I know it," he said, lightly and approvingly, andthen he started pacing the room. He got what hewanted out of her, Maggie thought.
Almost casually, he added, "Just be sure thatDelos's power is kept in check until everything's decided."
Sylvia bent and lifted the basket, which Maggiehad forgotten about.
"The new binding spells will hold," she said. "Ibrought special ingredients from one of the oldestMidnight witches. And he won't suspect anything."
"And nobody but you can take them off?"
"Nobody but me," Sylvia said firmly. "Not eventhe Crone of all the witches. Or the Maiden, forthat matter."
"Good girl," Hunter said, and smiled again. "Ihave every confidence in you. After all, you havelamia blood in you to balance the witch taint.You're my own eighth-great-granddaughter."
Maggie wanted to punch him.
She was confused and frightened and indignantand furious, all at once. As faras she could tell,Hunter Redfern seemed to be manipulating everybody. And Delos, Delos the prince and Wild Power,was just another of his puppets.
I wonder what they plan to do if he won't join their new order? she thought bleakly.
After a few minutes, Hunter turned in his pacingand walked by the door. He paused brieflyasiflistening, then glanced at Sylvia.
"You don't know how happy it makes me just to think about it," he said, in a voice that wasn't strained, or overly cheerful, or too loud, or anything that rang false. "To finally have a true heir.A male heir of my own line, and untainted by witchblood. I would never have married that witchMaeve Harman if I had known my son was still alive. And not only alive, but out having sons! Theonly true Redferns left in the world, you mightsay.
Maggie, with her teeth set in her lower lip, didn'tneed to guess who was on the other side of thedoor. She watched tensely.
And Delos came in, right on cue.
Chapter 16
I'msorry. Was I interrupting something?" he said, Maggie had to struggle not to draw in her breath sharply.
It was always a little bit of a shock seeing him. And even in a room with Hunter Redfern and thepale and dazzling Sylvia, he stood out. Like a coldwind blowing through the door, he seemed to bringcoiled energy in with him, to slap everyone awakewith the chilly smell of snow.
And of course he was gorgeous, too.
And not awed by Hunter, Maggie thought. Hefaced his greatgrandfather with those fearless yellow eyes level, and a measuring look on his fineboned face.
"Nothing at all," Hunter Redfern said amiably."We were waiting for you. And planningthecelebrations."
"Celebrations?"
"To honor our agreement. I'm so pleased that we've come to an understanding at last. Aren'tyou?"
"Of course," Delos said, pulling off his gloveswithout any change in expression. "When we docome to an understanding, I'll be very pleased."
Maggie had to bite her lip on a snicker. At thatmoment, looking at Hunter's facile smile and Sylvia's pinned-on simper, she had never liked Delos'sdour, cold grimness better.
Idiot, she told herself. When did you ever like itat all? The guy's an icicle.
But there was something clean and sharp-edgedabout his iciness, and she couldn't help admiring the way he faced Hunter. There was a little aching knot in her chest as she watched himstandingthere, tense and elegant, with his dark hair tousled from riding.
Which wasn't to say she wasn't scared. That auraof power Delos carried along with him was veryreal. He had sensed her before, even with Aradiablockingthe signs of her lifeforce. And now here he was, maybe twelve feet away, with only a pieceof linen between them.
There was nothing Maggie could do but sit asstillas possible.
"Sylvia has taken the liberty of beginning thepreparations," Hunter said. "I hope you don't mind.I think we can work out any little details that areleft before tomorrow, don't you?"
Suddenly Delos looked tired. He tossed his gloveson the bed and nodded, conceding a point. "Yes."
"Essentially," Hunter Redfern said,"we are agreed.
This time Delos just nodded without speaking.
"I can't wait to show you off to the world outside," Hunter said, and this time Maggie thought the note of pride and eagerness in his voice was sincere. "My great-grandson. And to think that ayear ago I didn't know of your existence." Hecrossed to slap Delos on the back. It was a gestureso much like the old king's that Maggie's eyeswidened.
"I'm going to make some preparations of myown," he said. "I think the last hunt before youleave should be special, don't you?"
He was smilingashe left.
Delos stared moodily at the fur coverlet.
"Well," Sylvia said, sounding almost chirpy."How's the arm?"
Delos glanced down at it. He was still wearingthe complicated brace thing Maggie had seen him in yesterday.
"It's allriot."
"Hurts?"
"A little."
Sylvia sighed and shook her head. "That's because you used it for practice. I did warn you,you know."
"Can you make it better or not?" Delos saidbrusquely.
Sylvia was already opening the basket. "I toldyou, it'll take time. But it should improve with each treatment as longas you don't use it."
She was fiddling with the brace, doing thingsthat Maggie couldn't see. And Maggie's heart wasbeating hard with anger and an unreasonableprotectiveness.