Page 51 of Killing Time

“The only person who could probably tell us about it is Adam,” Seth said. “And we don’t even know when he’s going to contact us next.”

Devynn frowned slightly, arched brows pulling together. “No, we don’t. But at least we know where Ruby is now. Does it sound like they’re going to move her again?”

“She doesn’t think so, but it’s hard to say for sure.” Seth paused and looked up at the hotel, standing serene and somehow homey and elegant at the same time a few yards behind them. “It’s a good hiding place — it’s not associated with any Wilcox properties, and although Ruby’s not allowed to come and go, I doubt anyone here is going to ask too many questions if the money keeps coming.”

“Oh, it will,” Devynn said grimly. “Those are two things the Wilcox clan has plenty of — money and magic. And even if Jasper probably doubts that any McAllisters would be brave enough to come into his territory to openly confront him, I’m sure he thinks that having Ruby hidden out here in Winslow rather than right in Flagstaff adds an extra layer of security to the situation.”

True. He and Devynn could come and go, thanks to the way her gift and the boost from the amulet kept them both hidden, but no one else in his clan had that kind of advantage. Theycertainly wouldn’t be driving even deeper into Wilcox territory to find their stolenprima-in-waiting.

“So…what next?”

“I think we need to head back to Flagstaff,” she said. “We can’t do anything to get Ruby out of here right now, not until we have a better idea of what kind of spells those Wilcox warlocks put on her hotel room to keep her in there. But maybe we’ll have a note from Adam when we get to the hotel.”

Seth doubted they’d be that lucky, but he decided not to argue. The longer they loitered at La Posada without any real clear reason for staying, the greater the chance that someone might take note of them.

Unless….

“Do you think we should get a room here?” he asked, and Devynn stared back at him as if he’d suggested they board a train for the Yukon Territories.

“We don’t have our luggage,” she blurted out, and he grinned.

“Well, we could go back and get it. But it just seems smarter to be close in case they move Ruby again.”

Devynn appeared to think that suggestion over for a moment. “I’m not so sure,” she said, speaking a little more slowly than usual, as though she was mulling each word before she allowed it to leave her lips. “That is, it just seems as if we’d have a much bigger chance of tripping over one of the Wilcoxes if we’re here. Sure, there’s more of them in Flagstaff, but it’s a much bigger place, so the probability is still lower.”

Maybe she had a point there. However, he hated the thought of leaving Ruby trapped here, not when they’d actually managed to stumble onto the place where the Wilcoxes had been keeping her.

Stepping closer, Devynn laid a hand on his arm. “It’s not as if we’re abandoning Ruby,” she said, keeping her voice pitchedlow even though no one else was around. “We’re just making a strategic retreat so we can come up with a plan. Getting caught by one of her jailers isn’t going to help anything.”

No, it wouldn’t. Also, there was the matter of Adam Wilcox. While Seth didn’t know for sure when they’d hear from the warlock, it probably wasn’t a very good idea to up and disappear before they’d had a chance to speak with him again.

“All right,” he said, knowing how reluctant he sounded.

She went on her toes so she could press a kiss against his cheek…and immediately chuckled and reached up to wipe off the red lipstick she’d left behind.

“Sorry about that.”

He couldn’t help smiling. Something about merely being around Devynn always made him feel better, even though there wasn’t much else about their situation that gave him a reason to smile.

But she was right, though. It didn’t sound as if Ruby was going anywhere soon, and advertising their presence to the Wilcoxes who were guarding her was a recipe for disaster.

No, they’d go back to Flagstaff and regroup…and then do their best to decide where they could go from here.

To Seth’s relief, a note was waiting for them when they got back to the Weatherford.

“A gentleman dropped his off for you, sir,” the clerk said, and handed over a sealed envelope that only said “Mr. and Mrs. Richards” on the outside.

“Thank you,” Seth replied, tucking the envelope into his breast pocket. As much as he wanted to look at its contents, heknew it wouldn’t be a very good idea to do such a thing until they were safely inside their hotel room.

Once there, however, he quickly pulled it out and slid a finger under the flap, loosening the adhesive. The note inside was terse, to say the least.

Mars Hill, first overlook.

6:00 p.m.

He showed it to Devynn, who’d been hovering at his elbow the whole time.

“Do you know what that means?”

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