not be so. Pascal was unshakable, a man to be relied on regardless of his dramatic outbursts declaring that he was tired of the burdens he had never sought.
Jude drifted back a little. He was mistaken. What he was picking up merely reflected Pascal’s deep worry as he anticipated the return of the Embran and worried about where they would strike.
The instant before he passed into the attic again, Jude paused. He gazed downward and brought Pascal’s face into focus. The man had shaved his fine head of thick, dark red hair in protest of its helping make him eligible to take the place that should eventually have belonged to Sykes. Fine, jade green eyes stared ahead just as they had since Jude started to look into the showroom. Those eyes were deeply worried.
Jude raised his chin and attempted to follow the muddle of thoughts in Pascal’s mind.
Something was coming? That much Jude knew. Pascal was afraid of it. That was not like the Pascal Jude knew.
Perhaps this was the reassurance he needed that the experiment he was encouraging had been a wise decision.
Paranormal powers, magic and voodoo.
They would all see.
7
L iam beamed at Poppy and gave her a hug. He didn’t seem to notice that throwing his arms around a sticker bush might be more comfortable.
Laughing this off would be the best thing, Sykes decided, only he didn’t feel like laughing.
“Ben and Ethan and I have always thought you two would make a great couple,” Liam said. “There’s that old thing about love and hate being real close together. Or feeding off each other or whatever. You two have argued forever, but we knew there was a spark there, somewhere.”
Sykes looked at Poppy and the shadow of sadness he saw in her eyes gave him a jolt of guilt—and confusion. She was probably just sorry the two of them couldn’t seem to get along, and that she had made things hard for Ben and Willow when they had never wanted anything but good for her.
Or…no, Poppy didn’t wish the two of them were together the way Liam thought they were.
Did she?
Did he want her to want him? An urge to touch her caught him off guard, not that it was the first time he had felt physically drawn to her.
“Sykes has been very kind to me,” Poppy said.
“I guess we just had to give the pair of you time,” Liam said, smiling. He rocked from his heels up on to the balls of his sneakers. “Ethan will be back shortly.”
“Oh, for …” Poppy threw herself into a blue leather chair. “Just stop it, Liam. You of all people. Dr. Cold when it comes to women. Why would you jump to such a stupid, embarrassing conclusion?”
Now Sykes felt embarrassed for Liam. “Poppy’s uptight,” he said. “Hearing the terrible news when she and Ward are so close—”
“Shut up,” Poppy said, pressing her palms to her cheeks. “Both of you, please be quiet. You don’t know what you’re talking about, either of you. We don’t know exactly what’s supposed to have gone down at Ward’s.”
“Nothing good,” Liam said quietly. “Sorry if I said the wrong thing. It was just that you looked so…together. Um, how come you were together this morning?” He clasped his hands behind his back and glanced around at patrons sitting in groups or alone. None of them looked in their direction.
Sykes held the peace a moment and Poppy jumped in. “I went looking for Sykes,” she said flatly. “And I found him.”
“Tell us what you’ve heard, Liam,” Sykes said.
“Not a lot, except that a woman died and it sounds like she had help doing it.”
“You mean she was murdered,” Poppy said coldly. “If it was Sonia Gardner. She performed at the party last night. She’s so—was so alive. It’s unbelievable. This has got to be a mistake.”
They were quiet a few moments before Liam said, “You sure you don’t want a drink? By the way, nice of you to bring Poppy over, Sykes.”
“Nothing for me,” Sykes said. “I’m glad to be with Poppy.” Oh, hell, nothing came
Jude drifted back a little. He was mistaken. What he was picking up merely reflected Pascal’s deep worry as he anticipated the return of the Embran and worried about where they would strike.
The instant before he passed into the attic again, Jude paused. He gazed downward and brought Pascal’s face into focus. The man had shaved his fine head of thick, dark red hair in protest of its helping make him eligible to take the place that should eventually have belonged to Sykes. Fine, jade green eyes stared ahead just as they had since Jude started to look into the showroom. Those eyes were deeply worried.
Jude raised his chin and attempted to follow the muddle of thoughts in Pascal’s mind.
Something was coming? That much Jude knew. Pascal was afraid of it. That was not like the Pascal Jude knew.
Perhaps this was the reassurance he needed that the experiment he was encouraging had been a wise decision.
Paranormal powers, magic and voodoo.
They would all see.
7
L iam beamed at Poppy and gave her a hug. He didn’t seem to notice that throwing his arms around a sticker bush might be more comfortable.
Laughing this off would be the best thing, Sykes decided, only he didn’t feel like laughing.
“Ben and Ethan and I have always thought you two would make a great couple,” Liam said. “There’s that old thing about love and hate being real close together. Or feeding off each other or whatever. You two have argued forever, but we knew there was a spark there, somewhere.”
Sykes looked at Poppy and the shadow of sadness he saw in her eyes gave him a jolt of guilt—and confusion. She was probably just sorry the two of them couldn’t seem to get along, and that she had made things hard for Ben and Willow when they had never wanted anything but good for her.
Or…no, Poppy didn’t wish the two of them were together the way Liam thought they were.
Did she?
Did he want her to want him? An urge to touch her caught him off guard, not that it was the first time he had felt physically drawn to her.
“Sykes has been very kind to me,” Poppy said.
“I guess we just had to give the pair of you time,” Liam said, smiling. He rocked from his heels up on to the balls of his sneakers. “Ethan will be back shortly.”
“Oh, for …” Poppy threw herself into a blue leather chair. “Just stop it, Liam. You of all people. Dr. Cold when it comes to women. Why would you jump to such a stupid, embarrassing conclusion?”
Now Sykes felt embarrassed for Liam. “Poppy’s uptight,” he said. “Hearing the terrible news when she and Ward are so close—”
“Shut up,” Poppy said, pressing her palms to her cheeks. “Both of you, please be quiet. You don’t know what you’re talking about, either of you. We don’t know exactly what’s supposed to have gone down at Ward’s.”
“Nothing good,” Liam said quietly. “Sorry if I said the wrong thing. It was just that you looked so…together. Um, how come you were together this morning?” He clasped his hands behind his back and glanced around at patrons sitting in groups or alone. None of them looked in their direction.
Sykes held the peace a moment and Poppy jumped in. “I went looking for Sykes,” she said flatly. “And I found him.”
“Tell us what you’ve heard, Liam,” Sykes said.
“Not a lot, except that a woman died and it sounds like she had help doing it.”
“You mean she was murdered,” Poppy said coldly. “If it was Sonia Gardner. She performed at the party last night. She’s so—was so alive. It’s unbelievable. This has got to be a mistake.”
They were quiet a few moments before Liam said, “You sure you don’t want a drink? By the way, nice of you to bring Poppy over, Sykes.”
“Nothing for me,” Sykes said. “I’m glad to be with Poppy.” Oh, hell, nothing came
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