He scoffed. “No. She could care less about being allies. We had an item she wanted. I didn’t think too much about it. My coven… Things aren’t easy over there. I needed your help, so I traded. You for it. And, one way or another, I need you there.”

One way or another? My nails dug into my palms as I fisted my hands. I wasn’t an object to be traded. I was a human being. “At least tell me what you traded me for.”

“Doesn’t matter. She can’t use it.”

He was so unbelievably wrong. When she wanted something that badly, she’d find a way to make it work. “If you really believe that, then you’re more naive than I thought.”

“You’re really not going back with me?”

Should I lie? Maybe. But I couldn’t. “No. I’m not.”

Matt stood and started for the door.

Where was he going? Panic tightened my chest.

No. I needed his help.

Damn it. Why had I pushed him so much?

I sat there watching him leave, wondering what I could say to get him back. What was I willing to agree to?

He paused in the exit. “You coming?”

That had been so much easier than I’d expected. And I hadn’t actually agreed to do anything for him. Why would he take me there?

I knew he’d ask for something later. He wasn’t the type to let me forget a favor, but I’d deal with that when the time came. I scrambled to put a tip on the table, and caught up with him. “We’re going now?”

“The sooner we get this taken care of, the sooner I can get home. I have to get back to New York. My coven is falling apart.”

I almost felt bad for him. Then I remembered that he’d tried to trade me for some magical object. He was going to push me to marry him just so I could fix whatever messed-up situation his coven was in.

Not your problem, Claudia. You can’t fix everything that’s wrong in this world. You can barely protect your own family.

I followed him out of the hotel, trailing behind as he walked down the narrow street to a parked car. He opened the driver’s side door for himself. “Get in.”

I didn’t wait for him to ask twice. I opened the door to his little blue Honda rental, and slid into the passenger seat. “You know where you’re going? We don’t need directions?”

“No.” He started the engine and drove down the street. I buckled my seatbelt as he nearly sideswiped a car.