| IN HER NAME |
EXCERPT:
Dove-gray eyes narrowed in smug glee as the woman stared into the flame-lit
surface of the obsidian mirror.
“It’s working,” she crowed in glee, to herself. This was too good! “Just as I
planned.”
“You might want to be watching that, Rachel. Talking to yourself leads to no end of
trouble.”
Black Widow’s head snapped up at that unexpected and unwelcome voice. Her eyes
narrowed at this intruder to her territory. “Who the hell let you in here?”
Joy O’Bannon, Europe’s Red Widow, crossed the room in a cocky stride that Black
Widow hated. What right did Joy have to be this arrogant? She was, by far, the
youngest Widow at a mere forty-nine years of age. And that condescending smile on
her face irked Rachel even more. Her eyes narrowed to slits and she considered
ramming Joy’s Jimmy Choos down her smug little throat.
“Don’t look at me like that, Rachel.” Red Widow’s Irish brogue dripped with
anger. “You’ve been playing on my turf. That has to stop.”
Black Widow laughed. Joy was too arrogant; that would be the tramp’s downfall.
No one in the Brotherhood knew just how much power Rachel had tapped into. Not a
one of them suspected what she could do.
Yes, she made a slight error twenty years ago when she let Matthew Raleigh slip
through her fingers. But the bond of blood kept him on a tether, and she’d taught him
lessons that would stick with any impressionable boy. He didn’t even realize the
power she had over him; nor did anyone else. Over the years, she saw how much his
escape had taught him to flee what he didn’t understand, which was precisely the effect
she wanted.
She licked her lips and tasted the shadow of familiar blood, tinged with fear and
pain. “You have no idea the power about to be unleashed.”
The other woman sneered as she stalked closer to plant her hands firmly on the table
where Rachel sat. “And you have no idea who you’re messing with. Ireland is mine
and so is Burn Cleary. Steer clear or you’ll regret it.”
Black Widow loosed a small, dark laugh. “Don’t threaten me, Joy. I’ve been doing
this far longer than you have.”
They glared at one another for a long moment before Red Widow pushed away from
the table with a low oath. “You’re supposed to stay off my turf.”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”
“You’ve got that brainless toad, Gordon McGuire, eating out of your hand. He’s
come unhinged, you know. Completely crackers. Now I’ll have to deal with him
before he mucks everything up.”
Apparently, Gordon was doing exactly what she intendeddistracting Joy. Only…
“So, what are you doing here?”
Red Widow’s eyes narrowed. “I hear tell you’re after the Philosopher’s Stone.”
Rachel sat back with a cold smile curving up her ruby-tinted lips. Joy had no idea.
“Now who’s crazy? I don’t chase myths. I’ll leave that to you.”
“We don’t work here. Brotherhood rules.”
“Which is where the Brotherhood fucked up,” Rachel shot back, getting bored with
Joy’s objections. “This is the source of all our power.”
“It’s too dangerous. You’ve put us all at risk.” Red Widow scowled as she paced
the room. “We made a bargain with the demoniacs of the region. Break that bargain
and our truce will be off.”
“It’s worth it.”
Red Widow turned, her gaze intense. “You have a reason to be here.”
She was right, of course, as much as it galled Rachel to admit that. She did have a
reason to be here and it was tied to the Philosopher’s Stone -- the magic that guarded
the Temple of the Stars. But her immediate reason was much more flesh-and-blood.
Matthew Raleigh.
surface of the obsidian mirror.
“It’s working,” she crowed in glee, to herself. This was too good! “Just as I
planned.”
“You might want to be watching that, Rachel. Talking to yourself leads to no end of
trouble.”
Black Widow’s head snapped up at that unexpected and unwelcome voice. Her eyes
narrowed at this intruder to her territory. “Who the hell let you in here?”
Joy O’Bannon, Europe’s Red Widow, crossed the room in a cocky stride that Black
Widow hated. What right did Joy have to be this arrogant? She was, by far, the
youngest Widow at a mere forty-nine years of age. And that condescending smile on
her face irked Rachel even more. Her eyes narrowed to slits and she considered
ramming Joy’s Jimmy Choos down her smug little throat.
“Don’t look at me like that, Rachel.” Red Widow’s Irish brogue dripped with
anger. “You’ve been playing on my turf. That has to stop.”
Black Widow laughed. Joy was too arrogant; that would be the tramp’s downfall.
No one in the Brotherhood knew just how much power Rachel had tapped into. Not a
one of them suspected what she could do.
Yes, she made a slight error twenty years ago when she let Matthew Raleigh slip
through her fingers. But the bond of blood kept him on a tether, and she’d taught him
lessons that would stick with any impressionable boy. He didn’t even realize the
power she had over him; nor did anyone else. Over the years, she saw how much his
escape had taught him to flee what he didn’t understand, which was precisely the effect
she wanted.
She licked her lips and tasted the shadow of familiar blood, tinged with fear and
pain. “You have no idea the power about to be unleashed.”
The other woman sneered as she stalked closer to plant her hands firmly on the table
where Rachel sat. “And you have no idea who you’re messing with. Ireland is mine
and so is Burn Cleary. Steer clear or you’ll regret it.”
Black Widow loosed a small, dark laugh. “Don’t threaten me, Joy. I’ve been doing
this far longer than you have.”
They glared at one another for a long moment before Red Widow pushed away from
the table with a low oath. “You’re supposed to stay off my turf.”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”
“You’ve got that brainless toad, Gordon McGuire, eating out of your hand. He’s
come unhinged, you know. Completely crackers. Now I’ll have to deal with him
before he mucks everything up.”
Apparently, Gordon was doing exactly what she intendeddistracting Joy. Only…
“So, what are you doing here?”
Red Widow’s eyes narrowed. “I hear tell you’re after the Philosopher’s Stone.”
Rachel sat back with a cold smile curving up her ruby-tinted lips. Joy had no idea.
“Now who’s crazy? I don’t chase myths. I’ll leave that to you.”
“We don’t work here. Brotherhood rules.”
“Which is where the Brotherhood fucked up,” Rachel shot back, getting bored with
Joy’s objections. “This is the source of all our power.”
“It’s too dangerous. You’ve put us all at risk.” Red Widow scowled as she paced
the room. “We made a bargain with the demoniacs of the region. Break that bargain
and our truce will be off.”
“It’s worth it.”
Red Widow turned, her gaze intense. “You have a reason to be here.”
She was right, of course, as much as it galled Rachel to admit that. She did have a
reason to be here and it was tied to the Philosopher’s Stone -- the magic that guarded
the Temple of the Stars. But her immediate reason was much more flesh-and-blood.
Matthew Raleigh.
| All Contents of this Page Copyright 2001 by Esther Mitchell |
