Bonnie knew he was fighting the aversion spell she’d doubled on herself, but he was failing. He didn’t have much to say back to her, and that definitely wasn’t Bishop. He was finding it hard to care. His mind and heart would be in a battle that wouldn’t be won until she was out of the picture. This is the way it had to be.
Reaching up, she touched his cheek with a sad smile. “You’re a good man, Bishop.” Removing her hand, she continued to stare into his confused state. “Once this is over, you’ll agree this was for the best.”
Waving her arm, she disappeared, knowing exactly where she needed to go. She hated transporting with a passion, but it was convenient. It always felt she was out of control, tumbling toward something as she passed through colored fog. It was beautiful, but always scrambled her brain and zapped her energy. Closing her eyes, she focused on where she wanted to be, and soon the disoriented feeling stopped, and she opened her eyes. The field was exactly the way she remembered. The full moon sent light across the snow-covered ground. Everything looked crystallized, giving it a fairy-tale feel. This was where she found her peace. It grounded her for what was to come.
With a snap of her fingers, a book, candles, and a blanket appeared. She sat and picked up the book. It was her mother’s words to Bonnie and in her writing. This would be the third time she’d read the letter, and maybe the last. Tonight was devoted to reading between the lines of her mother’s story in hopes of finding a small glimpse of hope for her own future. She wasn’t afraid to face what needed to be taken care of, but as a vision of Bishop flittered through her mind, she was afraid never to know the love of a man.
With a shake of her head and a snort, she opened the book. Damn, her thoughts were so jumbled. She needed to suck it up and do what needed to be done. She didn’t have time for thoughts of love and a future that wasn’t written for her. It was time she faced that and stopped this nonsense. The words on the page blurred as a tear slipped from her eye, smearing the ink of the word love.
“Story of my life,” Bonnie whispered to the empty field.
Chapter 16
Bishop stood staring at the empty spot. He knew he would never get used to seeing someone disappear in front of his very eyes, and he had seen some weird fucking shit. Only powerful witches could transport.
“She needs you.”
Frowning, Bishop turned to see Daniel sitting on the steps and looking down at his iPad or whatever in the hell he always had with him. “What?”
“Bonnie,” Daniel said without looking up. “She needs you now more than ever, but she’s pushing everyone away.”
“And how do you know this?” Bishop headed toward Daniel, who continued to stare at the screen. Once Bishop made it over to him, and leaned against the railing, he was surprised to see the screen blank.
Daniel remained quiet until he looked up at Bishop, the color of his eyes clear and swirling. Everyone knew something special was going on with Daniel, but no answers had been forthcoming. Pam and Duncan had been trying to find someone like Daniel out there to get answers, but so far, nothing. He was growing quickly in body and mind. He looked to be a teenager, but his speech and knowledge said he was much older than that.
“I just know.” Daniel shrugged, then smiled. “You like her.”
Bishop nodded but felt unsure again. “Guess you wouldn’t by chance know where she disappeared to?”
“Nope,” Daniel replied, and Bishop felt a deep sense of disappointment. “But Ryker does.”
“Thanks,” Bishop said, then looked at the blank screen again. “What are you playing?”
Daniel looked down at the screen, then back up at Bishop. “Nothing, man. It’s off.” Daniel laughed, shaking his head as he stood. “You grown-ups sure do make stuff hard.”
“Tell me about it.” Bishop chuckled. “Maybe we should learn from you.”
“You’d all be better off,” Daniel said seriously, and then he grabbed Bishop’s arm, his hand tightening as he squeezed. “Then again, this stuff comes and goes. Don’t understand it yet, but sometimes I just need to let it out to the person who is meant to hear it.”
Bishop stuck out his hand to Daniel, who took it in a manly handshake. “I appreciate it, Daniel.”
“She doubled up on the aversion spell.” Daniel let go of his hand, then turned to head up the steps. “Don’t let her get away with it. She’s a sly one who thinks of everyone else other than herself. She shouldn’t be alone. Not tonight.”
“Daniel,” Bishop called out just before the kid disappeared upstairs. Daniel stopped and looked at him, shaking his head.
“I can’t answer that.” Daniel’s voice sounded distant. “All I can tell you is what I’ve already said. Death will happen; it always does. But whose death, I don’t know. Hey, tell my dad I’m going up, would ya?”
“Sure.” Bishop gave him a nod as Daniel turned and continued on his way. This kid was one of a kind. Once Daniel and the Warriors learned what he was capable of, he would be an asset to the team. His knowledge was undeniable, and he was in awe of the kid. That was definitely saying something because not much awed Bishop Valentino.
Heading back into Sloan’s office, he saw Ryker talking with Sid and Jared, but headed toward Duncan.
“Hey,” Duncan said, then looked behind him. “She okay?”
“No,” Bishop replied, then sighed. “But Daniel told me to tell you he was heading upstairs.”
“Thanks.” Duncan nodded, then frowned. “I promised to take him somewhere. He probably got tired of waiting. I better get going.”
Bishop stopped him. “Have you found out anything more about his abilities?”
“No, not really, other than they are getting stronger.” Duncan frowned. “Why, did he freak you out? He doesn’t mean to.”
“No, he didn’t,” Bishop said, then laughed. “Well, maybe a little bit. But damn, he makes you think and knows things he shouldn’t know.”
“Tell me about it.” Duncan frowned, then clapped Bishop on the shoulder. “Listen, you need anything, let me know.”
“Thanks.” Bishop nodded, then considered Daniel’s words. It wasn’t Bishop who actually needed anything. It was Bonnie. Anger hit him, instantly thinking of the aversion spell. With a curse, he headed toward Ryker.
“What’s up?” Jared said as soon as Bishop walked up. “You doing okay, man?”
“I’m good. It’s Bonnie who isn’t,” Bishop said, then looked at the blank faces of Jared and Sid before looking at Ryker, who wore a frown. “Is the aversion spell working on you?”
“So that’s what she’s done. I was wondering why there wasn’t more of an uproar about her single-handedly putting her life on the line. Sneaky.” Ryker replied, without answering the question.
“What do you mean? Spells don’t work on us.” Sid frowned, looking between Ryker and Bishop.
“It does if she puts the spell on herself,” Ryker said, then chuckled. “I can now see how she tricked that bastard for so long. Smart. Damn smart.”
“Yeah, you’ve said that,” Bishop growled, then realized he needed to keep his cool since he needed the guys' help. “Listen, she disappeared and—”
“What do you mean she disappeared?” Jared gave him a sideways look. “You mean, poof and she’s gone, or she walked out the front door? You know this witch and spell shit is making my ass uncomfortable.”
“So you’re telling me she put a spell on herself?” Sid asked, and rolled his eyes when Ryker only nodded, not explaining anything. “Can you tell me why, or is it some fucking big witch-secret thing?”
“She’s put an aversion spell on herself,” Ryker said, then frowned. “Witch-secret thing? What in the hell is that?”
“I don’t know.” Sid threw his hands up. “You tell me. And what the hell is an aversion spell?”
“Bonnie put an aversion spell on herself so no one cares what she does, or when she does it because they have no feelings for her one way or another,” Ryker said, his eyes going back to Bishop
. “But it hasn’t worked fully on you, has it?”
“No. At least not completely.” Bishop frowned, then sighed. “But I’m confused as fuck. She’s doubled the spell. Whatever in the hell that means. Can you get me to her?”
Ryker stared at him for a long minute before he closed his eyes and began mumbling something under his breath. His eyes slid open, showing only white, which was creepy as fuck, and his hands began jerking.
“Dude, give me a rogue vampire any fucking day. This shit is just weird,” Jared whispered, then cursed. “And why in the fuck am I whispering?”
“You ever transported before?” Ryker said as his eyes opened and looked normal.
“On wheels, yes.” Bishop had a feeling he was not going to like this.
“Don’t think that’s what he means,” Sid informed Bishop, as if he didn’t know that.
“No shit.” Bishop shot him the stink eye. “Guess she’s not somewhere I can GPS to on my bike.”
“Afraid not.” Ryker chuckled, as his smile grew. “I’m going to really enjoy this.”
“What in the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Bishop was second-guessing asking for this favor from a guy he didn’t know if he could fully trust.
“It means hold onto your nuts, man.” Ryker grinned, then lifted his hand grabbing onto to Bishop’s. “’Cause you are in for one hell of a ride.”
“Wait. What?” Bishop frowned, then everything went black. It felt as if his legs gave way, and he was spiraling out of control. Never in his life had he felt anything like this before, and was on the verge of losing it, but regained his control. Taking slower breaths, he let the feelings of disorientation flow through him as colors swirled around him. Almost as fast as it happened, it all stopped at once, and he stood in a field. It took him only a second to get his bearings, but he was aware of his surroundings immediately.
His eyes quickly scanned for danger before landing on Bonnie, who sat in the middle of the field on a blanket surrounded by candles. Her head was bent as the moon shined down on her, making her glow in a beautiful light. His footsteps were heavy on the snow-covered ground, and he knew the minute she realized she was no longer alone. Her shoulders stiffened slightly.
Slowly, her head turned toward the side. “How?”
“Ryker,” he answered as he walked around and stood before her. “I wasn’t finished talking to you.”
She looked up at him, the moonlight reflecting in her eyes, making them sparkle. “You transported here?”
“I would have walked through hell, Bonnie,” Bishop answered honestly. “Transporting was easy.”
She continued to stare up at him, her face emotionless until finally, a small smile tipped one corner of her full lips. “You hated transporting,” she stated, her words filled with truth.
“I said it was easy,” Bishop replied, a smile also forming across his lips. “I didn’t say I liked it.”
Closing the book on her lap, she slowly stood. “Why are you here?” She tilted her head, looking as confused as he had been feeling. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“You can triple your aversion spell, but it’s not going to work.” Bishop reached out and touched her cheek. “At least on me.”
“You’re not going to stop me from what I need to do,” she whispered, and pressed her face into his hand as if seeking his touch.
“Maybe not, but I refuse to let you face it alone.” Bishop opened himself up so she could see the truth in his eyes. He shielded nothing. “I will be honest with you. I have fought my feelings for you from the beginning. You say you’re rotten to the core, but you’re wrong. I see deeper than what you portray on the surface. I’ve seen the goodness in you. Maybe you’re right. You will have to bring out the evilness we all possess inside ourselves in order to do what it takes to win against your father. But I will be there once it’s over to help you find the good, which is all I see when I look at you.”
“Are you for real?” Bonnie whispered, then she reached out to touch him. “I have done everything to turn you away from me, but you keep coming back. I don’t know if I have the strength to resist you anymore. I don’t know if I even want to, and that scares me more than anything that I’m sure to face in the next few weeks.”
“Do you trust me, Bonnie?” Bishop cupped her face with both hands as he stared down at her. When she nodded, he leaned in and kissed her softly. “Drop the spell.”
He knew the exact moment the aversion spell was dropped. The intense feelings he had for this woman were far more powerful than anything he had ever felt in his life. His statement about walking through hell for her didn’t even come close to what he would do for this woman.
“Never again,” he whispered as he picked her up and held her close to him. “Because now I know my true feelings, and nothing you can do or say will change that.”
Chapter 17
Bonnie had known the moment Bishop entered her sanctuary. How she knew she wasn’t sure, but before he spoke, the identity of the intruder formed crystal clear in her mind. What did shock her was that he’d let Ryker transport him just so he could be with her.
When he’d asked her to completely drop the aversion spell, she did it because, honestly, she wanted to know for herself. Tomorrow she could die. It was as black and white as that. Tonight could be her last night. It was her reality. As she had sat alone in her private, beloved spot, reading her mother’s words, she’d felt lonelier than she had ever felt.
His appearance and approach were like a calling to her heart. For once, she was going to follow her heart instead of her instinct. It was time she finally thought of herself; it may be the last time she ever got the chance.
In his arms, she felt safe, something she had never in her life felt before. It was foreign and yet felt so very right. As they kissed—and this man could kiss—she let herself go and enjoyed whatever Bishop had to offer.
He broke off the kiss and set her back on her feet. Taking his jacket off, he wrapped it around her. “You’re shivering.”
“It’s not from the cold,” she said shyly, glancing up at him under lowered lashes. “So, what do you think of my field?”
Bishop didn’t even look around. He just stared at her. “Beautiful.” His deep voice sent more shivers down her body.
“You didn’t even look,” she scolded as she pulled him down on her blanket to sit with her. “This is where I come when I need to get myself together. I’ve spent a lot of time here alone. You’re the first person who’s ever been here with me.”
This time Bishop did look, but a frown formed on his lips. “How safe is it here?”
Bonnie rolled her eyes, then chuckled. “Perfectly safe.” Then she frowned. “Then again, I guess I need to block when I come here since Ryker found me so easily. Not sure how he did it. It’s rare, but I don’t know how powerful of a warlock he is.”
“Where exactly are we?” Bishop did another look around before eyeing her. “And am I going to have to be transported back?”
Laughing, Bonnie nodded. “Yes, but I promise to make your transport back more pleasurable.”
Bishop cocked his eyebrow. “Is that so?”
She nodded, feeling a blush color her cheeks. This was so unlike her, but she was enjoying the flirtation. Something about possible death changed one’s perception, that was for sure. She started to say something, but his frown stopped her.
“About tomorrow,” Bishop said, and her heart dropped.
“I don’t want to talk about tomorrow,” Bonnie said quickly, the walls she let down, flying back up at his words. “If you only came here to talk me out of it, then you’ve wasted your time.”
She held her breath, waiting for him to speak, but he remained quiet as he stared at her. She started to scoot back from him, but he quickly stopped her. “That is not the only reason I’m here, but if you think I’m okay with you putting yourself in danger, you definitely don’t know me very well. And that is the Warrior and man talking.”
Bonnie’s e
yes opened in surprise at him, throwing that last part back at her. “I understand that, but it’s happening, and I don’t really want to spend what’s possibly my last night talking or arguing about it.”
“Are you afraid?”
Bishop surprised her by his question. “I am, but not for why you think,” Bonnie replied, deciding to be honest with him. She was tired of the game—not that it was ever a game to her—but she didn’t want to be vague anymore. Her whole damn life had been vague. It was time to speak her mind and be damned the consequences. “I’m afraid tomorrow… if things don’t go as planned and I do die, I will die without ever knowing the touch of a man.”
The look on Bishop’s face was priceless, so much so she wished she’d kept her damn mouth shut. She was queen of too much information, dammit.
“You’ve never—”
She shook her head and started to look away, but he stopped her by cupping her cheek. “I’ve been kind of busy trying to stay alive, revenge, and stuff. Little hard to find time for Tinder.”
“Tinder?” Bishop frowned, his eyes narrowing.
“Never mind, not important.” Bonnie waved that away because obviously someone like Bishop would never ever have to use a dating app to find a willing woman. “Sorry, ignore what I just said. This place always makes me wish for things not within my reach.”
“First of all, never apologize to me for speaking your truth.” Bishop’s tone was low and serious. “And second… anything you wish for, I will see to it that it comes true if it is within my abilities.”
“Why couldn’t I have met you a long time ago? Why does my father have to be the spawn of the devil?” Bonnie whispered, her heart shattering, knowing this moment was fleeting. For as much as she wanted to live in the moment, she knew tomorrow or a few weeks from now could be the end for her. “And why would your refusal to make love to me shatter me to my very soul?”
“Because a long time ago, I hunted your kind. You aren’t responsible for picking your parents,” Bishop said as his eyes roamed from her face and down her body, then back again. “And I would be a fool to refuse you anything, especially something as special as what you are offering me. And I’m no fool.”
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