Page 48 of Strange Familiar

“You were right there. You saw exactly what happened. I did nothing.” Since his hand was still on the sweet curve of her back, he stroked her there, savoring that he could.

“It wasn’t poison.”

“It wasn’t poison,” he agreed. “Just my sweet little old grandmother’s ERS oil. Do you know how it got its name? When we were kids,” he continued without pausing, “my grandmother made a batch of her usual spicy red sauce. Partway through the simmering process, she became distracted.” Looking back, it occurred to him that likely Lady Harahel had been distracted by house business. “She served it at dinner that night to add some fire to a fairly bland meal of potatoes and white fish. And every one of us spent the night in the loo.”

He laughed at her horrified expression. “Oh, we were fine. Eventually, but those hours of extremity.” He mock shuddered. “Well, I only wish them on my worst enemy.”

“My father is—”

“Is your father,” he interrupted firmly. “I won’t tell you how to feel about him, but neither can you direct how I think and feel.” She was quiet a moment, the great doors to the outer courtyard looming. Cillian began to worry that he should’ve kept his big mouth shut until he had her in the carriage. Though what would he do if she’d changed her mind even then—restrain her?

She paused, and he braced himself, ready for the argument where she’d changed her mind and would refuse to go with him. But she reached behind a podium holding a suit of armor and pulled out her bag, which she’d clearly hidden with excellent forethought. She resumed their purposeful stroll into the courtyard and his carriage waiting there.

“Cillian?” She said his name as a question, and he kicked himself. You only had to wait a few more minutes. “You didn’t say why you called it ERS.”

He nearly laughed in relief, taking her bag, and holding the carriage door open for her. “E.R.S,” he spelled out, “for evil red sauce.”

~ 23 ~

Alise laughed at the joke, maintaining a poised exterior, but inside she was a churning mess. When she’d been in Cillian’s arms, safe inside that bubble of intimacy that he somehow created so effortlessly, as if by magic, she’d been able to see her way clear to this crazy plan of his, that she could just walk away from House Elal and her father. That somehow everything would be all right.

But it wouldn’t be all right. Nothing could be, and her jangling heart knew the truth. Even as they passed under the portcullis and crossed the drawbridge, she knew the illusion of escape was exactly that. She might be out of House Elal proper, but it was a long way out of Elal and the umbrella of her father’s power. Bria might be safe, but she was not.

“He’ll come after us,” she said into the silence of the carriage, realizing only then that Cillian had been waiting for her to speak.

“He’ll be occupied for a while yet,” Cillian said calmly. “Hours.”

“Long enough for us to get out of Elal?”

He didn’t reply, only cocked his head slightly, as if expecting her to say more.

Yeah, that’s what she’d thought. “What will we do?” she fretted.

“If he comes after you,” Cillian said, moving to sit beside her on the carriage bench, “he’ll use his wizardry against you. He’ll send spirits.”

“Exactly!” she agreed, imagining the power of what he could send, what she’d seen him do in the arcanium, powered by Brinda’s white hot magic.

“And you’ll use your wizardry to combat him,” Cillian continued evenly, as if discussing what route they’d take.

Alise goggled at him. “You’re not serious.”

“Of course I am.”

“This is your plan?” her voice rose to a squeak and she began sweating in anxiety. Oh, she should not have left her father.

“It’s a working plan,” he admitted. “Mostly I wanted to get you out of House Elal—which you have to admit has worked admirably—and I had and have confidence that you will be able to fend off anything your father throws at us.”

“Over-confidence has killed many a wizard,” she noted darkly. “And you have no idea what my father has been up to.”

“Besides summoning demons? Has he gone beyond that in his hubris, attempting to harness djinn?”

Alise gave him a long, considering look. “What do you know?”

He took her hand, holding it in both of his, enfolded like something precious he needed to protect. “I’m well-read enough to recognize from the descriptions what your father intended to attach to Bria.”

“Nobody else but me knew that was a demon.”

Cillian shrugged a little. “I asked Han and Iliana to describe what they noticed and that was the obvious conclusion.”

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