Page 42 of Magic's Rise

MUTTON FOR DINNER

Tension sweeps through me, followed by an overwhelming sense of unease as I stare at the man on the other side of the fence.

Shadows hide his face, and his black clothes blend into the tree line at his back, but there’s no mistaking it. He stares right at us with an intensity that sends a shiver down my spine.

I grip Tris’s arm tightly, my heart pounding. “We’re being watched.”

“What?” Tris pulls me to his chest, shielding me from view as he scans the pool for any sign of danger. “Where?”

“Behind you,” I whisper against his wet skin, the hot tub’s bubbles no longer fun. “On the other side of the fence.”

His golden-brown eyes narrow as he twists around to look, but when his body moves, the man is gone.

My hold on Tris tightens as I search the shadows. “He was there a second ago.”

“I believe you.” Jaw tight and face grim, Tris lifts me onto the ledge, and the cold air raises goose bumps on my overheated flesh. “Cover up. We’re going back inside.”

The freezing cement numbs my feet as I hurry over to the lounge chair where I tossed my robe and pull it on. Splashes come from behind me as Tris climbs out, and he rakes his hands down his body to whisk away as much water as possible.

Realizing we hadn’t brought any towels, I offer the edge of my bathrobe.

“Thanks, but I’m good.” He places a hand on my back, hustling me toward the door back into the hotel. “I’ll dry off when we’re back in our room.”

Nerves rattle through me, and I peer over my shoulder, suddenly conscious of how alone we are out here.

Our feet slap wetly on the ground as we enter the tiled hallway, and Tris keeps a protective arm around me as we make our way to the elevator, his eyes darting back and forth for any sign of danger.

Tension hums through every muscle in his body as we wait for the doors to open, and once we step on, he stabs at the door-close button until they slide shut. My stomach drops as we lift to the second floor, then rises when it comes to a stop seconds later.

In the carpet-lined hallway, Tris moves me to the side farthest from the stairwell entrance, and worry tightens his features as he jams the keycard into the lock on our door.

He practically throws me across the threshold and would have slammed the door, if not for the quiet-close hinges. The latch catches, and he slots the secondary deadbolt in place. I hover next to the bathroom door, shivering and dripping onto the floor.

Haut appears at the end of the short entryway, coming from the direction of Levi and Aspen’s room. When he sees our expressions, he rushes forward. “What’s wrong?”

Tris chafes my arms to warm me. “Rowe saw some guy perving on us from the bushes.”

Haut’s expression turns thunderous. “Who?”

“What’s going on?” Aspen steps up behind Haut, Levi beside him. “We expected you two to be gone longer. Our pizza hasn’t even arrived yet.”

Having heard Tris from the other room, Levi focuses on us. “Did you get a look at the man?”

“No.” Tris peers down at me. “You?”

I shake my head. “He was wearing all black, and he had his hood up.”

Haut’s hands ball into fists. “What was he doing?”

“He was standing there, staring at us.” A shiver wracks my body, and my teeth chatter. “He wasn’t trying to climb the fence or anything. Just standing still and watching.”

Levi and Haut exchange glances, some silent communication moving between them, and they brush past us to head for the door.

“Stay here with Aspen.” Haut points at us before they disappear through the door.

“Why don’t you go wash off the chlorine?” Tris nudges me into the bathroom. “I’ll grab you some pajamas to wear.”

“Thank you.” Grateful for the distraction, I close the door, strip off my robe and wet bathing suit, and step into the shower.

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