Page 30 of Kiss of Magic

“Tired of my sob story already?”

“I asked you a question. Are you still hungry?”

“No, master. Thank you, master.”

“Cut it out, Blue.”

“Whatever you say, master.”

“You’re annoying, you know that?” He stood up. “I need to make a call. Stay here.”

She stiffened.

“Wait, where are you going? People might notice if I start screaming and frothing at the mouth.”

“Chill. We’re good for twenty metres or so.”

Dani filed that away silently. Twenty metres. Less than the length of a tennis court. The distance between her and agonizing pain. She watched as Blake walked out of the fast-food joint with his phone.

She looked down at the dampener on her wrist. It felt strange to be cut off from her magic. All her life, she’d been able to reach out and touch it even without thinking about it. It was almost like a living thing, a constant companion that she could call on whenever she wanted. As natural as breathing. And now it was gone.

But… she bit her lip. There was an unexpected side effect too.

The demon voices Lenore had spoken of, the blackness at the edges of her mind, the persistent malevolence that had been getting worse – they were also gone. The dampener had muted them as well.

And however much she hated Blake for putting the damned thing on her wrist, it was a relief.

Still. There was no way she was letting a mercenary drag her to England to face her death. She cursed him viciously under her breath.

Come on, Dani. You might not have your magic, but you still have your brains. How can you get the big ape to like you?

Maybe it was time to show off her attributes. She shrugged off her denim jacket and adjusted the neck of her vest T-shirt to reveal a little more cleavage. Not the sexiest outfit, but it would have to do.

Outside, Blake ended the call and gave a low whistle. Tala had been right. Her fixer, Denny, was a miracle worker. He’d found a way to get both the hunter and his bounty to England under the radar.

He closed his eyes for a moment. England would be the end of the line for Dani.

He didn’t blame her for her anger. And he didn’t think she was a coward for not wanting to sacrifice herself. Hell, he’d probably feel the same way if it was him.

But sympathy was pointless. He couldn’t afford to think of her as a person. She was business, pure and simple. Shoving the phone into his pocket, he went back into the restaurant.

“I’ve found us some transport. Not cheap, but it’s private. Won’t be ready till tomorrow so we can get a good night’s sleep.” He glanced at Dani. She’d arranged her features into the most winsome expression she could manage and he was immediately suspicious. “What are you up to?”

“Nothing. But I’m a bit cold. Can I wear your coat?”

She wriggled her shoulders and he found his eyes drawn to her chest.

“Sorry, princess. No-one touches the leather. Here. Put your jacket on.”

He lifted her denim from the back of her chair and handed it to her.Damn.She tried a different tack.

“I was just thinking. This might be my last night on earth.”

“And?”

“And don’t condemned prisoners get a final request?”

“What do you want, Blue?”

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