Page 53 of Prince of Tides
I frowned. “Can I see?” I asked somewhat sharply.
Mark looked at me, then shrugged. “Sure.”
I took the tablet, staring hard at the image on the screen. It was black and white, and with the snow coming down as hard as it was, it was difficult to make out the driver.
A gust of wind cleared the screen for a brief moment. The driver was obscured, but I noted something and sighed.
“Here,” I said, handing the tablet back. “No need to be alarmed. We’re not under attack. You can all relax.”
“We’re not?” Mark asked.
His two armed guards continued to watch the front warily. I upped my estimation of the quality of bodyguards the Stiller patriarch had hired.
“No. That is my, ah, assistant, I guess. You aren’t under any threat,” I said.
“Then why did he break through the gate?” Mark asked.
“That,” I said cautiously, “is a very good question. We will, of course, pay for the damages. But I can only imagine the reason is a good one. I will meet him. You all can stay here.”
I strode to the front door, but it wouldn’t open. I glanced back at Mark, who was still evaluating me. I could tell he expected me to explain, but I had no intention of doing so. Whatever had brought Eb there was related to dragons, which was not a topic I would broach with any of them yet. Not even Laurie.
“Very well,” Mark said after a minute, gesturing at one of his men. “Open the door.”
One of them marched to a cleverly concealed keypad and entered a code. Several heavythudscould be heard within the doors, and then the man nodded at me.
I swung the door open and slipped outside, closing it swiftly, so a minimal amount of snow and cold wind blew inside. Then I started jogging through the snow that was already halfway up my shins, hitting my knee. It reallywascoming down hard.
The cold didn’t bother me, but it was irritating to have to slog through the snow. It would have been much easier to walk on top of it, but that sort of trick was out of the question, given Mark’s video cameras.
It didn’t take long for the car to come into view.
“Hello, Eb,” I said, sliding into the passenger seat after he’d seen me in the headlights. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“Fetching you, sir,” Eb said, starting to turn the SUV around, its tires crunching through the snow.
“Stop the vehicle,” I ordered. “And let me know where the hell we’re going and why?”
“To the Tidal Estates, sir. The Rift back to the realm. They need you there immediately. They struck again. It’s bad. Lord Crest is seriously wounded, sir, and the Bastion is under imminent attack.”
I swore mightily. That was bad. Very bad.
Glancing over my shoulder, I stared at the house, the front of it only vaguely visible through the snowstorm, and that was only because of the lights. I couldn’t just leave. Not without telling Laurie I was going. Nor did I want to leave her.
Shit.
“Take me to the house,” I said.
“Sir …” Eb protested.
“Now,” I ordered.
The SUV reversed course and resumed its trudge up the driveway to the house, Eb sullenly at the wheel, making his thoughts on the matter clear.
We arrived at the front door, and I dashed up the stairs. The door opened, and I slipped inside.
“I do apologize for this,” I said with a smile, taking Laurie by the elbow and pulling her away from everyone.
“What is going on, Rip?”
