Roan didn’t say anything. Everyone in the tavern was watching, and he didn’t want to clue them in. The less they knew, the better. He didn’t want them sniffing around Abigail and discovering her secret.
“I think you’d better leave,” he said.
But then the kitchen door opened, and Abigail walked in.
Roan’s heart just stopped as the sorcerer turned, his expression changing when he saw Abigail, glaring at her.
“I don’t need to leave,” he said, “because that’s my daughter.”
Chapter fourteen
Abigail
Abigail’sstomachtwistedasshe looked at her father.
How had he found her?
And how dare he think that she would be willing to let him stay?
And more importantly, was he the man who had cursed Roan? How had her father gotten so tangled up in time magic?
“I am no longer your daughter,” she said as firmly as she could, hoping her voice would not tremble and betray her nerves. She stepped up next to Roan—perhaps standing with him would give her strength. “You lost the right toclaim me when you tried to force me to marry a man who didn’t want me.”
He gave her a sickly-sweet smile. “Now sweetheart, you know I was only trying to provide for you.”
Abigail began trembling. This is what he always did, and what she’d let him get away with for most of her life. She’d stopped letting him use her magic, but she’d never been able to stand up to the rest of his abuse.
“Abigail is under my protection, and I won’t have you intimidating her, no matter what you think you’re allowed to do.” Roan’s voice was strong and sure, even as he stared down the man who had cursed him.
If only she had that strength.
She couldn’t believe this was real. How had her father gotten to the point of cursing people?
He didn’t look well. His hair was unkempt, his beard looked as if he hadn’t trimmed it since her would-be wedding, and there were holes in his cloak.
Holes that she would have mended for him.
“She’s my daughter, and she’s going to help me.” Milton Lohndrey’s eyes grew wild, and Roan stepped between the two of them. “She’s always helped me.”
She should have known that he was the man behind the curse. She hadn’t known anyone else who was strongenough to cast something like this…but she never would have guessed that he’d turn to dark magic. Where was he getting the power? The dragon eggs that he pilfered were not strong enough to cast such a spell.
She poked her head around Roan’s shoulder to watch as the man who’d raised her grinned at her.
Maybe she shouldn’t have looked around Roan.
She reached for Roan’s hand, but he flinched away from her, and Abigail suddenly felt as if she might vomit. Did he think she had something to do with this?
She’d had no idea that it was her father. Perhaps she could have guessed, but she’d had no reason to assume he’d appear after so long and curse Roan.
Did he even know she was here when he cast the spell? Probably not, or he would have been more calculated.
She sighed, pain slicing through her chest. If only she could have guessed that it was him before this had become an issue.
Before Roan assumed she was in cahoots with her father.
“Now, my precious little Abigail, you’re going to help me,” Milton said.
“Help you?” she scoffed. “I would sooner help anyone in the world than I would help you do anything ever again.”
