Read Online The Cursed (League of the Black Swan) by Alyssa Day - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Alyssa Day
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walked out.
“It’s the man who has Elisabeth,” he told her. “He wants to meet.”
She immediately sat on the floor and started putting on her shoes. “When and where?”
Luke repeated her question into the phone.
“My offices. Eighty-three West Hyde. Thirty minutes.”
“Let me talk to the girl,” Luke said. “Now.”
“She’s fine. I believe she’s eating breakfast. Either come now, or I’ll put her in a taxi to the Silver Palace and they can deal with her.”
Dalriata hung up, and Luke slammed the phone down.
“We’re leaving now?” Rio jumped up and pushed her hair back from her face. “Where is she?”
“No,
we’re
not leaving now,” Luke snapped. “
I’m
leaving now. I have no idea what kind of muscle this Dalriata has, but the kind of person who has Grendels
on staff
is not somebody I’m willing to let get anywhere near you.”
Rio’s eyes narrowed and she planted her fists on her hips. “Did you just say—wait. Dalriata? He’s really taking this Pictish king thing seriously, isn’t he?”
Luke shook his head, baffled.
“Dalriata? Dal Riata? Irish colony in Scotland way back when?”
He raised an eyebrow. “You’re a Gaelic scholar, too?”
“Hey, I read, all right? Just because I’m a bike messenger who never made it through college doesn’t mean I’m stupid,” she said, flushing a hot red. “It was too hard to be in classrooms with all of those minds shouting at me.”
“I never accused you of being stupid,” he protested, wondering how and when the conversation had gone to hell in a hand-carved basket. “I’m not good at talking to women when they’re awake.”
She raised her eyebrows, and he mentally replayed what he’d just said.
Oh, shit.
“That’s not what I meant. We need to—I’m not—oh, hell. I need coffee, and we need to go.” He threw up his hands and stalked out of the room. This was why he was better off alone, no matter how good Rio looked in his shirt.
Luke was a wizard and a warrior. Not—
ever
—a ladies’ man, and he was pretty sure that if Rio hadn’t figured that out a long time ago, he was cluing her in really well right now. His mood tanked in a split second, and he pushed everything out of his mind but the mission at hand.
Dalriata had picked the wrong child, the wrong town, and the wrong wizard.
Rio waited at least five seconds after Luke stormed out before she let the laugh she’d been holding in escape. He wasn’t good at talking to women when they were awake. Oh, boy. Luke might be scary and powerful and dangerous, but
smooth
he was not. Oddly enough, the realization lifted her spirits in spite of the fact she was on her way to confront the man who’d sent mythological monsters after her only the night before.
She took a deep breath and thought brave thoughts. After all, she had a thing or two to say to Mr. Dalriata that would blister his ears. Pictish king or not, he was in trouble. There were
laws
.
She involuntarily glanced after Luke. There were laws, yes, but without a sheriff, the outlaws ran Bordertown.
“I’ll just have to find a cowboy hat,” she told the empty room.
“Do you want coffee or not?” Luke called out, sounding surly.
She smiled, almost in spite of herself. Yeah. He was smooth.
“Yes, if you have a to-go cup. Let’s go get that little girl,” she said, heading down the hallway toward him.
When she reached the kitchen, he was standing by the door to his office, holding two travel mugs.
“Way ahead of you,” he said grimly.
“If he has hurt one hair on that child’s head—”
“If he took any hair, he plans to use it for a spell or ritual,” Luke interrupted, a feral cast to his stark features. “I’ve never killed a wannabe king before, but I’m willing to try new things.”
Out on the street, the cold autumn morning threatened rain. Luke gestured to a ratty old Jeep that was parked on the street next to a RESERVED sign that leaned drunkenly to the left, as if
“It’s the man who has Elisabeth,” he told her. “He wants to meet.”
She immediately sat on the floor and started putting on her shoes. “When and where?”
Luke repeated her question into the phone.
“My offices. Eighty-three West Hyde. Thirty minutes.”
“Let me talk to the girl,” Luke said. “Now.”
“She’s fine. I believe she’s eating breakfast. Either come now, or I’ll put her in a taxi to the Silver Palace and they can deal with her.”
Dalriata hung up, and Luke slammed the phone down.
“We’re leaving now?” Rio jumped up and pushed her hair back from her face. “Where is she?”
“No,
we’re
not leaving now,” Luke snapped. “
I’m
leaving now. I have no idea what kind of muscle this Dalriata has, but the kind of person who has Grendels
on staff
is not somebody I’m willing to let get anywhere near you.”
Rio’s eyes narrowed and she planted her fists on her hips. “Did you just say—wait. Dalriata? He’s really taking this Pictish king thing seriously, isn’t he?”
Luke shook his head, baffled.
“Dalriata? Dal Riata? Irish colony in Scotland way back when?”
He raised an eyebrow. “You’re a Gaelic scholar, too?”
“Hey, I read, all right? Just because I’m a bike messenger who never made it through college doesn’t mean I’m stupid,” she said, flushing a hot red. “It was too hard to be in classrooms with all of those minds shouting at me.”
“I never accused you of being stupid,” he protested, wondering how and when the conversation had gone to hell in a hand-carved basket. “I’m not good at talking to women when they’re awake.”
She raised her eyebrows, and he mentally replayed what he’d just said.
Oh, shit.
“That’s not what I meant. We need to—I’m not—oh, hell. I need coffee, and we need to go.” He threw up his hands and stalked out of the room. This was why he was better off alone, no matter how good Rio looked in his shirt.
Luke was a wizard and a warrior. Not—
ever
—a ladies’ man, and he was pretty sure that if Rio hadn’t figured that out a long time ago, he was cluing her in really well right now. His mood tanked in a split second, and he pushed everything out of his mind but the mission at hand.
Dalriata had picked the wrong child, the wrong town, and the wrong wizard.
Rio waited at least five seconds after Luke stormed out before she let the laugh she’d been holding in escape. He wasn’t good at talking to women when they were awake. Oh, boy. Luke might be scary and powerful and dangerous, but
smooth
he was not. Oddly enough, the realization lifted her spirits in spite of the fact she was on her way to confront the man who’d sent mythological monsters after her only the night before.
She took a deep breath and thought brave thoughts. After all, she had a thing or two to say to Mr. Dalriata that would blister his ears. Pictish king or not, he was in trouble. There were
laws
.
She involuntarily glanced after Luke. There were laws, yes, but without a sheriff, the outlaws ran Bordertown.
“I’ll just have to find a cowboy hat,” she told the empty room.
“Do you want coffee or not?” Luke called out, sounding surly.
She smiled, almost in spite of herself. Yeah. He was smooth.
“Yes, if you have a to-go cup. Let’s go get that little girl,” she said, heading down the hallway toward him.
When she reached the kitchen, he was standing by the door to his office, holding two travel mugs.
“Way ahead of you,” he said grimly.
“If he has hurt one hair on that child’s head—”
“If he took any hair, he plans to use it for a spell or ritual,” Luke interrupted, a feral cast to his stark features. “I’ve never killed a wannabe king before, but I’m willing to try new things.”
Out on the street, the cold autumn morning threatened rain. Luke gestured to a ratty old Jeep that was parked on the street next to a RESERVED sign that leaned drunkenly to the left, as if
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