Aeromancist (SECOND EDITION): Art of Air (7 Forbidden Arts Book 3) Read online

  “What about plans, invitations, a dress, a venue?” Felicity glanced at her husband. “What about a budget? These things take time to arrange, and to save money for.”

  “I can assure you, money is not the issue.” Lann’s voice was assertive. “We don’t want that.”

  The cup rattled on Felicity’s saucer. “What do you want?”

  Lann looked her straight in the eye. “Katherine and I are going to elope.”

  Felicity gasped. She rested an accusing gaze on Kat. “You’re our only daughter.”

  Kat stared at her hands. She didn’t want to hurt her mom’s feelings. Lann touched her shoulder, giving a comforting squeeze. Sitting back, she allowed Lann to take charge of the situation.

  “I understand your sentiment,” Lann said, his tone not unreasonable, “but this is what we want.”

  Felicity addressed her daughter. “Is this true?”

  Kat nodded.

  Giving up on drinking her tea, her mom deposited the cup on the table. “Why?”

  “We want something private,” Lann said.

  “Where are you going to live after the wedding?” John asked with narrowed eyes.

  Lann looked at Kat. His voice didn’t falter when he said, “We haven’t decided yet if it’ll be in Santiago or New York.”

  “You have homes in both cities?” Felicity asked.

  “Yes.” Lann stroked Kat’s arm.

  “What about your studies, Kat?” Felicity asked. She faced Lann. “This is the most important thing in Kat’s life. This is what she always wanted.”

  “She won’t have to give it up,” Lann said.

  Kat cringed. She was yet to tell Lann she’d decided to drop out. Her parents would be so disappointed.

  “Couldn’t you wait until after she gets her doctorate?” Felicity asked. “Why the rush?”

  “Mom, we’ve made up our minds. Please, just accept our decision and let’s enjoy the day. We only have a few hours and I want to make the most of them.”

  Her mother was usually a reasonable person, and Kat had expected her resistance, but not this much. By now, her mom should’ve broken into her spontaneous self, bustling with joy and trying to force biscuits and cake on them.

  The front door opened and closed. A few seconds later, Gideon reentered the lounge.

  He rubbed his hands together. “Sure is cold out there.” He reached for the tea with a grateful expression.

  Felicity got up. “I’m going to check the roast. Lann, do you mind giving me a hand?”

  Lann shot Gideon a narrowed look as he got to his feet. “Sure, Felicity.” He gave Kat a lingering kiss that, in front of her parents, made her cheeks turn hot. “Call if you need me.”

  His words offered support, and so much more. She could always count on Lann, no matter what. She stared after his broad back, the golden braid dancing down his spine, as he left the room with her mom.

  Gideon cleared his throat, drawing her attention. He took the seat next to her, sitting down so close she could feel the heat radiating from his skin. “Kat, we don’t have a lot of time.”

  His statement made alarm bells go off in her mind. She looked at John. “Dad?”

  John leaned forward and tipped his fingers together. His brow was drawn into a concerned expression.

  “Kat,” Gideon said, “I’m not a friend of your dad’s. I never had a brother called Frederic. I’m a special agent with the FBI.”

  She stilled. Her heart stopped before starting with a wild rhythm again. Suddenly her parents’ uncharacteristic behavior made sense.

  “Why are you here?” she asked in a hoarse voice.

  His eyes told her he wasn’t falling for the ignorance she feigned, but his smile was indulgent. “Your fiancé is not who you think he is.”

  She moved away from him to the end of the sofa. “What are you talking about?”

  “He’s a criminal. A murderer.”

  She gaped at her dad. “You invited an agent to our house to question me about my fiancé?”

  John pulled his shoulders up to his ears. “He just showed up. We didn’t have a choice.” His voice was strained. “However, I’d like to know what’s going on.”

  “Lann isn’t a criminal,” Kat said.

  “Is that so?” Gideon left his cup on the coffee table. “What does he do for a living?”

  “He’s into property development and communications.”

  “Is that what he told you?”

  “I should know. I’m living with him.”

  Gideon regarded her with a skeptical look. “Where exactly have you been living for the past few days?”

  She thought quickly. She’d already slipped to her parents that they’d been in France. They could’ve told Gideon. “We went on a holiday.” She left out the destination, just in case her parents hadn’t mentioned it.

  Gideon turned to her dad. “John, do you mind giving us a moment?”

  John got to his feet. “I’ll go check if there’s mail.”

  When her dad had left, Kat stared at Gideon, allowing her anger to show. “Agent who, did you say?”

  “I didn’t,” he said. “Agent Richardson, but you can call me Gideon.”

  “Agent Richardson, go to hell.”

  In a flash, he was on her side of the sofa, his hand in her hair. She whimpered as he yanked. Sharp pain assaulted her scalp. She opened her mouth to scream for Lann, but Gideon put a finger on her lips.

  “Shh,” he said. “Or I’ll kiss you quiet, understand?”

  His threat worked. She kept her mouth shut, but she hoped he could see the disgust in her eyes.

  “That’s better.” He smiled. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m trying to protect you. He’s not what you think he is.” She tried to move away, but he kept her in place. “He’s evil. He’s involved in forbidden magic. No matter what he told you, you can’t believe him. He’s a user, a charmer, and a liar. He eats trusting, pretty women like you for breakfast.” His nostrils flared. “You’re nothing more to him than a means to an end.”

  “A means to what end?” she asked through clenched teeth.

  “A breeding machine.”

  Richardson, as she’d decided to call him, let her go. Her scalp ached, but she refused to rub away the sting and give him the satisfaction of knowing he’d hurt her.

  “Don’t touch me again,” she hissed.

  She could scream for Lann now, but she feared for him. What if Richardson carried a weapon? What if he was wired? Were reinforcements waiting outside? She looked at the waistband of his jeans. It fitted too snugly to conceal a gun.

  “I don’t want to hurt you,” he said, “not with my actions or words, but the man you think you love, is going to hurt you. Now, listen. We have little time. He’s a criminal involved in serious crimes. He has a price on his head. If you help us to nail him, I’ll offer you protection.”

  She almost laughed, but Richardson gripped her chin, applying too much pressure and preventing her from uttering a sound.

  “He’s trying to make you pregnant.”

  She went hot and cold, not sure if the pricks on her skin were from heat or ice. She gritted her teeth as Richardson’s dug his fingers painfully into her cheeks.

  Abruptly, he let go. “I put a mark on you. Sometimes I forget my strength.”

  She touched her sore jaw. If he had marked her, he was a dead man. Lann would have his head before they walked out the door.

  When he touched her cheek, she jerked back. “I said, don’t touch me.”

  His eyes turned hard. “Did you hear what I said?”

  “Which part?” she bit out.

  “The part about him fucking you to make you pregnant.”

  She flinched. “Why would you say something like that?”

  “Look, I know it’s hard to take in. If I had more time, I wouldn’t throw this at you. We’ve been after his ass for years. He’s an aeromancist. Do you know what that is?”

  “I study ancient scripts, Richardson
.”

  His nostrils flared at the use of his surname, but he ignored it. “His kind is hunted for a reason. They use dark magic to manipulate, kill, and take power. His nickname is Weatherman. He uses his businesses as a disguise for the illegal actions he’s involved in. He’s the worst kind of mafia there is. He needs to reproduce, and you’re the chosen one. He’s going to make you carry his bastard, and then kill you.”

  The insinuation made her tremble. “How did you find all of this out?” she asked in a thin voice.

  “I have my sources.”

  “None of it is true. Lann isn’t what you say he is.”

  He chuckled. “Son of a bitch. You love him, don’t you? He manipulated you into falling in love with him.”

  “I do love him.” She fixed Richardson with a cold stare. “He didn’t have to manipulate me into it.”

  Richardson shook his head. “Fuck, he must be good. I’m sorry to disillusion you, but it’s a farce, girl.”

  “It can’t be. We met by accident.”

  His laugh was cold. “Is that what you think? It was orchestrated.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “Your scholarship. Didn’t you find it strange that you were offered a full bursary for a doctorate on an exchange program to Chile?” When she didn’t reply, he continued, “Your medical records were accessed. Someone was very interested in you. The hacker’s trail was wiped out too well for our IT department to trace, but Lann Dréan found something in your blood, in your DNA, and he chose you. That’s why they sent you to Chile. Nothing was by chance.”

  It was too much to take in. Richardson took a business card from his pocket and slipped it into the opening of her shirt and under the elastic of her bra.

  “Call me. I can help you. Are you pregnant yet?”

  Instinct made her shake her head.

  “Good. Are you on the pill?”

  She nodded.

  “Tell him you’re not, but keep on using it,” he said, squeezing her shoulder.

  Richardson assumed she’d agreed to help him. She couldn’t process what he was telling her. She didn’t believe it.

  “Get your hands off her,” a voice said from the door.

  Kat looked up quickly. Lann’s tall figure filled the frame. His eyes were pale, narrowed on Richardson with deadly calm. His stance was relaxed, but Kat knew him well enough to know under that tranquility lurked a fighter who wouldn’t hesitate to attack.

  Richardson dropped his hand from her shoulder and shifted to the other end of the sofa. “She’s not feeling well.”

  The bastard lied effortlessly.

  Lann crossed the floor, his gaze trained on her. “Is that true?”

  She swallowed. The last thing she needed was a fight in her parents’ house. On the last day she’d ever see them in her life. She jumped up. “I need some air.”

  Hurrying to the French doors that opened onto the veranda, she pushed them open and escaped into the cold. Fog had settled over the lawn, covering the backyard in a humid cloud of opaque white.

  Lann exited behind her. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he pulled her back against his chest.

  He whispered in her ear, “Did he touch you? If he did, I’ll kill him.”

  It couldn’t be true. What Richardson had said was a cruel, sick joke.

  He turned her to face him. “Katherine?”

  His eyes shone with a dangerous glint. The situation was going to get out of hand.

  “It’s hard for me,” she said, burrowing her face in the fabric of his shirt. “I just want to enjoy the last hours with them.”

  He stilled. His heart sped up under her palm on his chest.

  “Of course,” he said. “You’re right.”

  Lifting her chin with a finger, he planted a kiss on her lips. It was a chaste kiss, but she parted her lips, silently asking for more. He didn’t hesitate. He took advantage of the invitation, tangling their tongues together and giving her what she needed. She leaned against him, letting his heat warm her and his strength make her feel safe. He slipped a hand to the small of her back and groaned as he pressed her harder against him. As if suddenly remembering his place, he brought the kiss to a slow halt before pulling away.

  “Kat?” Felicity called from inside. “Lunch is ready.”

  Lann took her hand and led her back inside. Richardson’s gaze slipped to their intertwined fingers when they entered the dining room.

  “You know, John, I’ve just had a call from an aunt I haven’t seen in years.” Richardson turned to Felicity. “Will you mind terribly if I skip lunch?”

  “Of course not,” she said, stammering over the words. “I understand.”

  Richardson thanked her for the tea, offered his apology, and saw himself out.

  Kat made a visible effort to relax during lunch. Her mom had cooked her favorite meal, beef roast with potatoes, green beans with bacon, and corn on the cob. Comfort food. Lann helped by managing the conversation for them all, involving and drawing out John and Felicity until they even managed a few jokes over coffee.

  Too soon, it was time to leave.

  Kat placed a hand on Lann’s arm. “May I please have a moment alone?”

  He thanked her parents for lunch and said his goodbyes before kissing her hand. “I’ll wait outside.”

  When he was gone, Kat hugged her mom and then her dad. “Nothing of what agent Richardson said is true. You have to believe me.”

  John didn’t look convinced. “Who is this man?”

  “He’s a good man, Dad.” Kat gave him a pleading look. “Just trust me when I tell you I’m happy.”

  “Are you safe?” Felicity asked, folding an arm around her stomach.

  “Agent Richardson had no right to come in here and make you worry like this,” Kat said, suddenly angry. “I don’t know where he got his facts, but they’re wrong. Come on, Mom, you’ve spent the afternoon with Lann. You’re not a bad judge of character.”

  Felicity seemed to consider her words. “But why make up such a terrific story?”

  “Lann is a powerful man. He’s wealthy. There are many people who’d like to see him go under.”

  Felicity relaxed a bit, but then her eyes turned wide. “That makes it dangerous for you to be with him.”

  “Lann can keep us both safe, Mom. Please, just say you’re happy for me, and no more talking to agent Richardson.”

  She looked expectantly at her dad.

  After a beat, he said, “I trust you, Kat. I’ve raised you well. If Lann is good enough for you, he’s good enough for us.”

  She hugged him. “Thank you.”

  He kept her at arm’s length. “Just promise me you’ll call us if you’re in trouble.”

  “I will. I promise. I love you. So much.” She loved them for giving her a happy childhood and for making her feel cherished, but she couldn’t say all of that, lest they worry. She tried to sound cheerful. “I’ve got to go or we’ll miss our plane.”

  “Are you going back to Santiago?” Felicity asked, her voice concerned again.

  “Not yet.”

  “Then where are you going?”

  Kat shrugged. “Oh, it’s a surprise.” She prayed for forgiveness for the lie. “We’re going to enjoy a few more days of holiday.”

  “Kat,” her mom said, “your studies—”

  “Don’t worry, Mom.” She crossed her fingers behind her back. “I’m studying.”

  This was it. She’d never see them again. Tears threatened to well up in her eyes, but she pushed them back. She wasn’t going to let the last image her parents had of her be one of her sobbing. Instead, she smiled for them.

  “I love you,” she said one last time.

  She couldn’t look back as she made her way down the garden path.

  Lann waited by the car, his expression concerned. When she reached him, he pulled her into an embrace and kissed the top of her head.

  “We have to go, sweetheart.”

  He helped her into the car and
secured her safety belt before taking the wheel. A few blocks down the road, he pulled over onto the curb.

  She looked at him in surprise. “What’s going on?”

  “Before we go anywhere, you’re going to tell me what Gideon said.”

  Chapter 12

  Kat looked at the time on the dashboard display. “We’re going to be late for the flight. The pilot said—”

  “Do you think I’m a fool? The only reason I didn’t take his head off was because you were with your parents. That doesn’t mean I won’t hunt him down.”

  She took a shaky breath. “Just drive. I’ll talk. Or do you want us to miss our flight?”

  He put the car into gear and pulled off. “Start talking, Katherine.”

  “His name is agent Richardson. He’s with the FBI.”

  “Go on,” he said tightly.

  “He said you’re a killer involved in dark magic.”

  He uttered a cold laugh. “Nothing new. What else?”

  “He knows your nickname is Weatherman.” At this, he frowned. “He also said you’re using me.”

  “How exactly am I using you?” he asked without taking his eyes off the road.

  She hesitated, biting her lip.

  He slammed the steering wheel, making her jump. “What lies did that bastard tell you? What am I using you for?”

  “For breeding,” she said softly.

  “What?” He glanced at her, his expression confused.

  “He said our meeting wasn’t by chance, but that you had it all planned, that my scholarship was only to get me to Santiago, that my medical records were accessed, and that something in them convinced you that I was good breeding material.”

  His knuckles turned white around the wheel. “Do you believe all of this?”

  “No.”

  She didn’t believe Lann could’ve done what Richardson had said. Lann would never have sought her out to make her pregnant, knowing her fate would be death.

  The tight set of his shoulders relaxed marginally. “I’m sorry you had to endure that. On the fucking day of your wish—” He paused. “On the day of visiting your parents.” He shot her a sideways glance. “What about them?”

  “My parents? I told them not to worry, that Richardson was mistaken.”