The Eye of the Wolf (15 page)

Mikayla returned his frown and patted one of his
hands. “I’m sure it was just horrible for you!” Then, she let out a lusty
laugh. Will returned her laugh with one of his own and relaxed in the chair
beside her.

Mikayla sighed and ran a hand through her hair, sending
it shimmering down her back in a cascade of auburn silk. Will’s hand snaked out
and twirled a strand around a finger, watching it corkscrew back into place. He
toyed with the ends of the strands. He watched it play in his hand, fascinated.
Mikayla looked at him out of the corner of her eye, but she said nothing. It
was comforting to allow someone to play with her hair just as her mother had
done when she was a child. It was soothing to raw nerves. He was soothing to
her raw nerves created by Kankaredes.

“What did Mr. Kankaredes want?” Will’s voice was
soft in the twilight, breaking the peace, the comfort. Although his voice was
soft, Mikayla noted a sword’s edge hidden deep within his words. She was
afraid, if she wasn’t careful, he would cut her with it. That cut would go
deep. She wondered at the intensity of his voice and the dislike evident in his
demeanor. What type of run-ins had there been Kankaredes?

Mikayla sighed at the mention of the man she had
begun to call “The Evil One” in her mind. Just as she opened her mouth, Stephen
appeared bearing a tray filled with delectable food. He set Will’s plate down
in front of him, and then a large pasta dish in front of Mikayla. Mikayla
smiled brightly up at Stephen. “Stephen, how do you always know what to bring
me and when to bring it?”

The waiter returned her smile, stars shining in his
eyes. He took Mikayla’s hand in his and brushed a sweet, tender kiss over the
back of her hand. “Why,
cara
, I know because you and I are joined as one
in our hearts. I shall always know what you need, all you have to do is think
it.” He smiled at her and picked up his tray to leave.

Will rolled his eyes and took Mikayla’s hand from
Stephen’s. “All right, all right. Enough with the smooth Italian moves.”

Stephen laughed and moved on to help the lovers in
the corner clear their table before leaving.

Will frowned at Stephen’s retreating back. Once he
was sure Stephen wasn’t coming back to their table anytime soon, he turned his
attention back to his table. He found Mikayla leaning on her hand and grinning
at him, waiting for something, waiting for him, he was sure. He scowled at her
and dove into the lasagna Stephen had placed in front of him. The Patio served
the best lasagna outside of Italy that he had ever eaten. It was fragrant and
spicy. Perfect!

“What are you smirking at?” Will asked through a
huge bite of noodles, cheese, sauce, and pepperoni.

Mikayla smiled larger and tapped a finger on his
nose. “You.” She picked up her own fork and dove into the pasta set before her.
It was plain, with olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Exactly like she liked her
pasta. Will thought it was disgraceful, but she enjoyed the combination along
with the spicy garlic bread that accompanied the dish. She expertly wrapped the
noodles around her fork using her spoon as Stephen had shown her the first
night she had been in Amor. She looked at Will before she took the bite. He was
glowering at her and waiting for an explanation. “Are you jealous of Stephen,
Will?” She arched an eyebrow and waited a heartbeat before calmly slipping the
fork in her mouth and sliding the pasta off of the fork. Her eyes closed and a
small moan of pleasure escaped her lips.

Will licked his lips as he wished for just one
moment that he was a fork. What pleasure it would be to be a fork. He swallowed
stiffly and focused his own attention on the plate in front of her. “No, of
course not.”

Mikayla smiled as she chewed the pasta. She
continued to eat her food and watched Will out of the corner of her eye as he
worked his way through the lasagna. A piece of her wanted him to suffer, wanted
him to feel that stab of desire that she felt every time he smiled at her or he
entered her mind. Another piece of her wanted him to disappear. She couldn’t
afford to have entanglements of the romantic nature. She didn’t understand the
emotions she suffered through every time she thought of him. It had never
happened before, not with Alex, and not with any of the boyfriends who had come
before him. These emotions had to be stopped, but there was a fear that if she
stopped them, they would never return.

Will stared at his plate, refusing to look at her
again, refusing to be party to her small games. “So, what did Kankaredes want?”

Mikayla glanced over at him and continued to twirl
her pasta around her fork. She shrugged self-consciously. “He wanted to tell me
that I was to be escorted around the Secluded City the day after tomorrow.”

Will’s eyes remained focused on his plate. He calmly
cut noodles and pushed them around his plate. His calm demeanor betrayed the
raw nerves within him. His voice was smooth as silk. “What time is the tour,
maybe I can join you. Remember, I’ve got that shoot off island tomorrow, but
maybe I’ll be back in time.”

Mikayla looked at his hand  playing with his
food. His head bent, sandy strands of hair playing innocently in the breeze.
Disappointment filled her, but she smiled as if it were no big deal. After all,
where had that sudden desire for him to be there all the time come from. She
was on Amor to do a job: a job Will wasn’t really a part of. She glanced up as
his warm fingers wrapped around her own. His eyes were warm and a smile filled
his face.

“Hey, don’t be sad. You can tell me all about it
when I get back.” He winked. “Maybe over dinner?”

Mikayla grinned and tugged her hand free.
Disappointment remained but warmth spread through her. Her fingers tingled from
where he had touched her. She grinned. “Are you asking me out?”

Will’s grin grew. “Heavens no! Wouldn’t that be some
sort of harassment? You are after all my superior.”

Mikayla blushed and nervously moved her wine glass
around the table. She felt the heat on her neck spread upwards, warming her
cheeks and the tips of her ears. She couldn’t explain her reaction to him.

Will laughed and gave her hand a friendly kiss. He
then picked up his fork and gestured towards her food. “Please, Mikayla, eat
your dinner. I know you didn’t eat any lunch today.” He shoved his own fork in
his mouth and talked around the food. “You were too busy deciphering Malachi’s
diary to eat, apparently.”

Mikayla began to eat again, willing her heart to
beat normally. She wished for just a moment that she was back in Washington and
there were no diversions from her professional goals. After a few bites, she
smiled coyly in his direction. “Will, what can you tell me about the Secluded
City?”

Will groaned and set his fork carefully in his dish.
He leaned back in his chair and looked out at the ocean. He sighed heavily.
“Mikayla, I have a hard time believing they are actually going to allow you to
tour the Secluded City. It isn’t a friendly place.” He looked back at Mikayla
who only watched him over the rim of her wine glass with a raised eyebrow.
“Okay, fine, I’ll tell you what I know.” He ran a hand through his hair,
mussing it.

Mikayla smiled to herself. He was completely
adorable with his perfect tawny hair mussed in the fading daylight. “Tell me.”

Will watched Stephen clear their plates and then
ordered tiramisu for both of them. Then, he leaned back in his chair and rested
his feet on the railing so he was watching the ocean roll in and out on the
sandy beach beyond. He was silent for a moment before he spoke. “I went to
school with the Dauphin in Britain, Mikayla. I know the family very well. When
I said the Secluded City wasn’t a very friendly place, I meant it.” He glanced
over at her. She was listening closely. He returned to the ocean.

“The City was built by Henry’s son, Richard. There
is a lot of mythology and folk lore that surrounds the Secluded City. Most of
the folk lore surrounds the death of King Henry.” Will looked at Stephen as he
set down their dessert. Will smiled slightly, but waited until Stephen had
disappeared back into the main part of the restaurant. “The Secluded City was
originally built as a fortress to protect the royal family and the families of
the knights who traveled with Henry from England on the Crusades. What they
were being protected from, we really aren’t sure. Some say the curse of the Eye
of the Wolf was the reason for the fortress, but that’s if you believe in
curses.”

Mikayla listened carefully to Will’s description.
She had read something similar to his narrative in the book on Mediterranean
history that had been given to her when she began her research. “What else can
you tell me? Maybe about the royal family since you know them so well.”

Will licked his fork in reflection. “Hmm, well, I
can tell you that you will never meet the King nor will you ever meet the Crown
Prince.”

Mikayla arched an eyebrow. “Why is that?”

“Well, the King is very ill. He’s been to all sorts
of doctors both here and the mainland. No one seems to know what is wrong with
him.” Will wiped his mouth delicately with a napkin and sipped from his wine
glass. “The Crown Prince lived in London and in Athens. He’s never here.” When
Mikayla nodded, Will shrugged.  “Did you also know that his birth name is
William, just like mine?” Mikayla’s grin was returned. “Of course, he has
absolutely no responsibilities until his grandfather passes away, his father
becomes king, and he becomes the Dauphin. Some say he is a wastral, but I think
he is just misguided.”

“Hmm…must be a nice life.”

Will shrugged again and dipped his fork into
Mikayla’s tiramisu. He smirked at her as he slipped the fork between his lips.
“Momma’s boy, they say. I never thought so, but some say he’s a real wimp and
spoiled too.”

“Okay, what about the rest of the family.” Mikayla
defended her tiramisu from Will’s fork. A minor joust occurred between their
forks as Will tried to get his fork into the dessert, and Mikayla attempted to
prevent him. In the end, Will prevailed. Mikayla pushed the plate over to him
with a mild look of disdain, but there was laughter behind the look.

Will sneered at her as he bit into the dessert. Pure
pleasure passed over his face. “The Dauphin is a brilliant man who works very
hard. He was educated in Europe where he met the Princess Royale. He’s been
groomed his entire life to be King of Amor. Everything he does has the best of
Amor at heart.” Will nodded his head. “The Dauphin is a good man. His actual
name is Andrew, in case you were wondering.”

“What about the Princess Royale?”

“Her real name is Elizabeth Chambers. She met the
Dauphin in Vienna, Austria where she was playing the violin in the Viennese
Orchestra. Rumor has it, the Dauphin attended a performance where she had a
solo. It was love at first sight, supposedly.” He smiled across at her. “I
suppose someone as practical as yourself doesn’t believe in love at first
sight.”

Mikayla tapped her fork on the tablecloth and
avoided his eyes. “Just because I haven’t seen it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t
exist.” Mikayla met his eyes. “I’m Irish by descent, but I’ve never seen a
leprechaun. Just because I haven’t seen a leprechaun doesn’t mean I don’t
believe in them.”

“Interesting.” Will ran his fingers over his chin
and pretended to twirl a non-existent mustache. When Mikayla laughed, he smiled
at her and pushed a tendril of hair behind her ear. “I like the sound of your
laugh. You should do it more often.” His voice was soft, and the lilt in it was
music to Mikayla’s ears.

She swallowed with difficulty but fought the spell
he was casting. She sat back in her seat and looked away to the sea. “What
about the Crown Princess?”

Mikayla’s voice broke the spell Will was falling
under. He blinked twice and realized he had been lost in the clear blue of her
eyes and the atmosphere created by the softly playing Mozart from the patio’s
speakers and the ocean crashing in the distance. He leaned back in his chair
and contemplated the waves rolling in and out. His mouth was dry. “Well, her
real name is Victoria. She is the twin sister of the Crown Prince. Where the
Crown Prince is intelligent, the Crown Princess is a twit.”

Mikayla smirked. “Really.”

“Oh heavens, yes. She’s is probably the stupidest
person I have ever met. She’s sweet and very talented, but there just isn’t a
lot of brain power in her head.”

Mikayla nodded. “I saw a piece of her work at the
museum. She is very talented. It was reminiscent of Da Vinci.”

Will nodded in agreement. “She is very talented, but
she just isn’t very bright.” He reached onto the table and refilled both
Mikayla’s wine glass and his own. “Of all of the family members, she is
probably the one you will have the best opportunity to speak with. She loves to
meet new people and to talk to the press.”

Mikayla frowned. “I’m not exactly the press.”

Will shrugged. “Close enough for her.” He stood from
his chair and pulled Mikayla from hers. “Come, I’ll walk you home.”

Mikayla smiled. “All right, but tonight, we walk
through the sand.”

Will grinned and began pulling off his shoes. “Ah, a
woman after my own heart.” He rolled up the cuffs of his pants and stepped off
of the patio into the sand that was still warm from the day’s sun. He held out
a hand and moved his finger to beckon Mikayla to join him. “Come, Luv, let us
frolic in the sand.”

Mikayla slipped her sandals off of her feet and
stepped from the hard, sun-baked brick into the welcoming squish of sand
between her toes. It was warm and wrapped itself around her feet like a warm blanket.
Mikayla sighed with contentment. “Now, this is heavenly.”

Will grinned and walked towards the surf, away from
the lights of the restaurant. As he neared the water, the light around him
faded into shadows. He was a tall, broad-shouldered silhouette against the
black sea. His voice was wistful as he took Mikayla’s hand in his own. The fit
was perfect. Her slim fingers and palm were wrapped comfortably in his large,
capable hands with the rough calluses created by the chemicals used in
developing photographs. It was soothing and comforting to walk hand-in-hand, in
the moonlight with a friend. For that was what Will had become, Mikayla mused,
a friend, something she hadn’t had in a very long time. Although her heart beat
faster at his touch and a tension gathered in her abdomen at the sound of his
name, Mikayla knew that Will was her friend, and that there could never be
anything but friendship between them.