CHAPTER 5

C HAPTER 5

T he next day’s travel was long but uneventful. Tamsyn continued shadowing Cade’s mind so that their joined abilities could sense possible trouble. She had the itchy sense that the Scorpion was watching them, biding his time. Waiting for Calais, perhaps?

It was early evening when they stopped at another inn much like the one they’d stayed in the night before. Lord Whitworth climbed from the carriage, turning to help out first his wife, then Tamsyn. He smiled as she took his hand and stepped to the ground. “You’re having a rather boring journey, Lady Tamsyn.”

“That’s the way we like it!” she said with a chuckle as she stretched her tired muscles. Then she felt a sharp sense of danger and snapped her gaze toward the woodland on the other side of the road. In the trees was a flicker that looked like light reflecting on a metal barrel....

She threw herself at Lord Whitworth, knocking him to the ground as the rifle blasted, shattering the peaceful evening air. The bullet slammed into the side of the carriage above Tamsyn’s head.

As another shot was fired, Captain Hansen and two of his men who were still mounted kicked their horses into a gallop and headed, shouting, across the road toward the place in the trees where the shots had originated.

Cade moved equally fast, swinging his horse crossways into the line of fire between the shooter and Lord Whitworth. He vaulted from the saddle and caught Tamsyn’s hand, pulling her off the ambassador. His gaze burned into hers as he asked, “Are you all right, Tam?”

“I’m fine,” she assured him. Bruises didn’t count.

Cade turned to Whitworth and offered him a hand up. “Sir, were you injured?”

“No,” Whitworth said as he rose to his feet. “But look to my wife!”

Ignoring her bruises, Tamsyn did exactly that, guiding the shocked duchess behind the barrier of the carriage so they were out of the line of fire. “No one was hurt,” Tamsyn said as they entered the inn.

Once they were inside, the duchess folded into a chair in the entryway and buried her face in her hands. “I can’t wait to leave this damnable country!” she said in a shaking voice.

Tamsyn rested a comforting hand on the other woman’s shoulder. “You have every reason to be upset. But no one was hurt and the extra security precautions worked. You and the ambassador have very good protectors.”

“You’re sure my husband is all right?” the other woman said as she uncovered her face and looked toward the door.

“I’m fine, Arabella,” the ambassador said as he entered. “Lady Tamsyn, you’re very good at knocking down larger men!”

“I learned that playing with my brothers,” she replied as the duchess stood and went into her husband’s arms.

“We’ll be home soon, my dear girl,” he said softly.

The caring between them was palpable. Tamsyn turned away and motioned for Cade to follow her outside again. “Let’s take a look at the carriage,” she suggested.

They walked around to the stable yard where the carriage stood and the horses were being unhitched so they could be fed and groomed. She looked up at the side of the carriage. “I wasn’t sure at the time, but both bullets struck very high.”

Cade immediately understood. “So either the Scorpion is a bad shot or he wasn’t really trying to hit anyone.”

“Just as he placed the gunpowder by the embassy but seems to have made no attempt to set it off.” Tamsyn considered the bullet holes thoughtfully. “Do you suppose he might just want to harass and intimidate our party but doesn’t intend to kill Lord Whitworth?”

“That’s possible, though I wouldn’t bet anyone’s life on it,” Cade said. “Or perhaps because he’s gifted himself, he’s testing us to learn how strong we are.”

“He might want to prove himself superior to gifted British people.”

“Perhaps,” Cade said. “Though rather contrary given that our kind are usually very cooperative with each other even if we’re of different nations.”

Tamsyn grinned. “Well, French, you know. Many of them glory in being contrary.”

As Cade chuckled, Captain Hansen rode into the yard, saying tersely, “The devil got away. My men are pursuing in the direction he probably went, but I’m not optimistic. He was prepared to gallop away as soon as he fired his rifle. He also timed his shots for a break in traffic on the road and just before a string of heavy wagons came along, which slowed us down.”

“Did the Scorpion leave any traces behind?” Cade asked.

“The Scorpion is a good name for him,” the captain said. “I didn’t see anything, but perhaps a closer look might turn something up.”

“Then let’s go across the road to see if we can find anything. Where was he exactly, Captain Hansen?” Tamsyn asked.

“I’ll show you myself.” The captain handed his horse over to an ostler, then led the way from the stables to the edge of the road.

This late in the day, traffic was light, so they were able to cross quickly. Hansen guided them to a thick clump of trees directly opposite the inn. “We think he shot from this tree. His horse was tethered out of sight a little farther back and must have been saddled and ready to run.”

There was crushed grass around the foot of the tree and faint prints from large boots. Cade went down on one knee to study the prints, taking a pinch of earth from the edge of one and rolling it thoughtfully between his fingers. Then he stood and surveyed the tree. “He’d have to be fairly tall to jump to the lowest branch.”

Hansen eyed the height doubtfully. “It would be difficult. Maybe he had help?”

“Let’s see if one man can do it alone.” Cade took a couple of long steps and then leaped powerfully upward. He caught the broad branch with both hands, then pulled himself up to a sitting position. “So it’s possible. Likely he’s about my height if not taller.”

Tamsyn sucked in her breath, experiencing another of those moments of intense awareness. She’d seen Cade grow from a skinny urchin to a powerful athlete, but hadn’t consciously noticed his sheer lithe power, rather like one of the lions at the Tower of London zoo. No wonder female gazes followed him whenever they were out together.

“So your Scorpion is very tall and a good jumper, as there are no signs that he had a companion to boost him up,” Hansen said. “I don’t think a man could jump that high holding a rifle, so he must have tied a rope to his weapon and pulled it up when he was in position.”

Cade raised his arms and mimicked the action of aiming a rifle. “It’s a well-chosen spot with a good, clear view to the area in front of the inn.”

Tamsyn had been studying the rough ground below the tree. “He was smoking a pipe, I think. There’s a scattering of pipe ashes here.”

She turned and moved slowly through the scruffy grass toward where the horse had been tethered. There was only one set of footprints.

She caught a glimpse of something white on her right and looked closer. Yes, there, a slender white shape was half concealed in the grass. “Here’s a clay pipe with a broken stem.”

Cade had moved to join her. “A pipe stem that long means the Scorpion prefers to have a smooth smoke, but they break easily.”

“It surprises me that a careful criminal would leave anything behind, but perhaps he tossed it aside without thinking.” Tamsyn leaned over, picked up the pipe, and received such an intense jolt of energy that she cried out and dropped it. She would have fallen if Cade hadn’t caught her around the waist and pulled her against him.

“Tam, what happened?” he asked urgently.

She shook her head to clear it, grateful for his support. “Touching the pipe was rather like the jolt from one of those demonstrations of electricity you’ve taken me to, but . . . personal. It was charged with Scorpion energy.”

“I wonder if he left the pipe as some kind of deliberate taunt,” Cade said as he bent to pick it up.

“Don’t!” Tamsyn grabbed his wrist, stopping him. “I think it was meant for you and might hit you harder than it did me.”

“I’ll pick it up,” Hansen said. “Since I’m not gifted, it shouldn’t affect me.”

He leaned to pick up the pipe, then swore, almost dropping it. “The bowl is still a little warm, as if tobacco was still burning when he dropped it.”

“Do you feel only the heat, or something more?” Tamsyn asked.

The captain hesitated. “Something more? A feeling like the one you described of a cold, evil man. But surely that’s impossible because I’m not gifted.”

“You are, though,” she said gently. “Not as strongly as we are, but you definitely have some talent. It’s probably helped you survive as a soldier.”

Hansen looked unnerved. “I don’t think I wanted to know that.”

“Gifts often run in families, so it’s good to know because your children might inherit some abilities,” she observed.

“Did your brother tell you that my wife is with child?” he asked, startled.

“No. It just seemed like something that would happen sooner or later.” She smiled. “Sooner, obviously! Congratulations.”

“As you see, Tamsyn and I are surviving on our gifts very well,” Cade said. “A lot of people have subtle gifts that they don’t recognize. They may just think they’re lucky, or have good judgment, or some such.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad,” Hansen admitted.

Cade reached for the pipe. “I want to see just what kind of vicious energy the Scorpion put into this.”

“Let me see it first, Cade,” Tamsyn said. “Since I’m a healer, maybe I can reduce whatever wicked energy was infused in it by the Scorpion.”

“If you’re sure,” Cade said doubtfully.

Tamsyn carefully took the pipe from Hansen. She flinched, but it affected her less this time. She concentrated on sending calming power into the raw, jagged energy that was in the white clay.

After several minutes, she said, “I think it’s safe now, but the harm was definitely aimed at you, Cade. It has the feeling of you.”

Her brother took the pipe, rolling it around in his hands as he studied it. “I can feel the malice. I don’t think it would be possible to make an object like this kill a person, but it might have affected my mind or my abilities if you hadn’t defused it.”

Tamsyn frowned as she contemplated the pipe, and hoped they would reach Calais without any more interference from the Scorpion.