Free Spirited Legacy (Lost Library) by Kate Baray Page B

sheepishly. She wasn’t at her best. An international flight, her first successful interaction with the pack book, meeting the woman whose illness she was at least partially responsible for, and learning that she wasn’t a ticking time bomb of wild, uncontrollable magic. She’d had a big day. Harry needed to cut her some slack. “I’ll talk to Harrington about digging through the Library just as soon as I arrive. But I would have guessed they’d already done that, right?”
    “Ask Harrington, but I don’t think they’ve had enough time to make good progress. Even if IPPC is actively working on it, another set of eyes won’t hurt. Has any magic-user ever stolen energy, magic, life force from another? Is there any record of a magically induced coma? What’s the best recipe for lemon cake?” Harry winked at her. “You know the sort of questions.”
    “I do. Thanks, Harry. It’s been…interesting. And informative.” Lizzie flashed him a grateful smile.

Chapter 10
     
     
    A fter her chat with Harry, Lizzie had said a quick good-bye to Sarah, reiterating her promise to fix the mess that Worth had created, then made it outside just as John was pulling up in a cab.
    A yummy-smelling John, clearly showered and shaved, leaned over to kiss her in greeting. Great. He’s the one with an amazing nose, and I’m the one who hasn’t showered. Not cool.
    As his lips brushed against hers in a PG version of a typical kiss, she thought—what if they couldn’t work out their differences? What if it was all too hard? What if she couldn’t do whatever it was a mate did? And then he was helping her into the cab, and the moment passed.
    John climbed in after her. “How is she?”
    “She’s the same, still stable. I did get a chance to meet her healer.” She settled herself more comfortably into the cushions and watched the confusion of wrong-sided traffic outside the car window. It was mildly disorienting. Tuning out the rush of traffic, she turned back to John. Her voice firm with a strong sense of purpose, she said, “We have to figure out what’s going on with Sarah.”
    John shifted in his seat. When he spoke, his voice was wary. “I assume that’s what her healer is doing.”
    Anything even hinting at Worth’s involvement was guaranteed to put John on guard. Lizzie knew he didn’t want her near anything dangerous, and that was doubly true for Worth. Her brain stuttered to a halt, finally catching the contradiction she’d overlooked the last two days.
    “You didn’t want me to go to Prague.” She spoke slowly and deliberately as her brain did the math.
    John looked at her like she’d lost her mind. “No,” he agreed.
    “Not because it would split us up—because you’re here.” She looked at him as she slowly put the pieces together.
    He didn’t say anything. He just waited for her to finish sorting through her thoughts.
    “I thought you were mad because I didn’t discuss it with you first.” She narrowed her eyes at him.
    “I was, and you should have.”
    She snorted. When he raised his eyebrows and gave her an impatient look, she conceded. “We should have discussed it.” After a brief hesitation, she added in a small, slightly sheepish voice, “Thank you for coming with me. I know it’s hard for you to get away. Although—”
    She’d been about to comment that he’d barreled ahead with his plans to join without ever discussing that with her. But she wanted him here, and at some point, she needed to learn to pick her battles more wisely.
    He waited for her to finish her thought. It was incredibly annoying. It was like he knew she’d fill the silence. If she were a skeptical soul, she’d say it was a deliberate tactic to get more information out of her without disclosing anything himself. Hmm. She eyed him suspiciously.
    He returned her look with a calm expression.
    Her eyes narrowed. “I’m on to you.”
    “I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about,” he replied