“Maybe Hazel has something to do with it,” I said. “She could be giving Ivette pointers.”
“If Ivette is cookin’, Hazel has to be the one tellin’ her what to do for it to smell this good.” Benji’s hand found the small of my back as he stepped behind me, allowing me entrance into the kitchen before him.
Ivette and Hazel stood at the stove when we entered the kitchen. Ivette noticed us before Hazel did, and I wondered if she’d heard what Benji and I had been talking about. If she had, she didn’t let on. I was glad, because I didn’t want to hurt her feelings.
“Oh, good. You’re up. Come sit,” Ivette insisted. “We have coffee and tea if you want either.”
While I rarely drank coffee—I was more of a tea person, thanks to Aunt Rowena—the added caffeine sounded nice considering how sluggish I felt.
“Coffee,” Hazel answered for me. “No offense, Ridley, but you look like shit.”
“Gee, thanks.” I flashed her a half-hearted smile as I slipped onto one of the stools along the island. “You seem to be doing okay this morning—evening—whatever.”
It was still hard to swallow I’d slept an entire day.
“Grab yourself a muffin while I make you a cup of my famous coffee.” Hazel pointed to a container in front of me crammed full of muffins. My mouth watered at the sight, and I knew right away that had to be where the smell was coming from. “And, I’m okay. I guess. I mean, I didn’t get drained dry while I slept, so there’s that.” She cast a quick glance between Ivette and Benji. I could tell from the smirk twisting the corners of her lips that she was joking, even though a tad bit of nervousness did reflect in her eyes.
No one should fault her for it. It was natural. At least I thought it was. Heck, I still felt nervous around some of the Montevallos.
I pulled the lid off the container in front of me, sending the scent of banana floating to my nose, and grabbed a muffin. It was still warm. Yum.
“Being in the kitchen helps ground me,” Hazel said as she pressed buttons on the fancy-looking coffee machine in the corner. She glanced at me from over her shoulder when she grabbed a mug from the cabinet by the sink. “Be prepared for muffins and pastries galore while I’m here. Speaking of, how long do I need to be here?”
It was a good question.
“I’m not sure. I’d say until we get rid of Bram, but who knows when that will be.” I knew I sounded vague, and it probably wasn’t the answer she wanted, but it was the best I could give. “I’m hoping it won’t be long. I know you have a life to get back to.”
Hazel made a noise in the back of her throat. I stared at her as I tore a piece of muffin off and popped it in my mouth. Exactly as I’d suspected, the muffin tasted amazing.
“Actually, I didn’t have much of a life going on in Helen,” Hazel muttered. “As you probably guessed from the amount of stuff I took with me when I left, I’ve been living a nomadic lifestyle for a while. I wasn’t even there long. A month maybe.”
Part of me thought a nomadic lifestyle sounded fun and exciting, but from the way Hazel’s shoulders drooped when she talked about it, I didn’t get the impression she felt the same. Maybe she wanted to plant roots somewhere. I wondered if Mirror Lake would be that place.
“Where did you get this recipe from?” I asked, changing the subject.
“It was my grandma’s,” Hazel said. “When I was little—and she and my mom were still speaking—I went to her house every weekend while my mom worked and we’d bake together. Banana nut muffins were her favorite. Every time I make them, I feel like I’m close to her again, as strange as that sounds.”
I watched as she added a few spoonfuls of sugar, a dash of something I couldn’t see, and a splash of coconut milk into the coffee she was making me before stirring it.
“It doesn’t sound strange at all,” I insisted. “I understand. Trust me. And, I can tell you she probably does watch over you when you make them. It’s when we think of our lost loved ones they’re drawn to us again.”
While I wasn’t one hundred percent sure about that, it felt right. Also, it brought a smile to Hazel’s face, and that was what mattered.
Hazel handed me the coffee she’d made, the smile never leaving her face. “Try this and tell me what you think,” she said. “Be honest. Nobody benefits when people sugarcoat shit. Especially not when it comes to food and drinks.”
Her words were bold and straightforward. They made me like her even more.
I took the mug from her and blew on the coffee to cool it before taking a sip. The scent of something sweet, yet spicy, floated to my nose. It was familiar, but I couldn’t name it. The first taste had my muscles melting and my body becoming limp because it tasted like heaven. I took another sip, curious as to what all the flavors I tasted were. Cinnamon. That was the spice I hadn’t been able to label before.
“Well?” Hazel prompted. “Good or bad?”
“Good. Fantastic, really. I’m not a big coffee drinker, but this is amazing.” I beamed. “It tastes like a cinnamon roll.”
Ivette clapped her hands together. “Yes! That’s what I said too.”
“Which is what I was going for.” Hazel cocked her hip to the side, showing a little smugness that was well deserved. “I’m glad you like it.”
“Where did you learn to make this?” I asked.
“I worked at a cafe for a little while when I lived in Oregon. The lady who owned the place created amazing pastries and dessert items for her menu, but she didn’t do much by way of coffee and teas. So, I focused on creating something that would fit with her menu. One day, my cinnamon swirl cappuccino was born. It ended up being one of her best sellers. Before I left, she bought the recipe from me. Which I still think is cool.”
“Oh, that is cool.” I took another sip.
“Could you make another? I’d love to try it,” Benji said.
“Oh, sure.” Hazel moved to grab another mug from the cabinet. “So, tell me what your plans are when it comes to this Bram guy. I assume I’m safe from him for the time being, right? I mean, you wouldn’t be here sipping coffee and eating muffins otherwise.”
I noticed her fingers tremble when she pushed the buttons on the coffee machine. She was scared. Which meant, I couldn’t tell her about the cloak being down for an hour or so earlier. She needed reassurance from me, not added fear.
“Yeah, I set a cloaking spell in place last night. Well, a double-layered one anyway. It’s on you and the house. I didn’t want to take any chances.” I took another sip of my coffee. “It won’t last forever, but it will give us a little time. I think our next step needs to be putting one in place that will last longer and maybe even be stronger than the current one. My aunt should know of one we could use. I was thinking of heading home to ask and gather ingredients for it.”
Hazel grabbed a muffin from the container in front of me after she passed Benji the coffee she’d made for him. “Then what?”
Of course she would ask that.
“I’m not sure. Find the amulet, I guess.” I shrugged.
Julian entered the kitchen then and Hazel’s attention shifted to him. She licked her lips and set her muffin on the counter without taking a bite. Her back straightened as she folded her arms over her chest.
Did having another vampire in the kitchen make her uneasy?
If so, Hazel didn’t have anything to worry about. Not with Julian. He was one of the easy-going, nicer Montevallo vampires. Ivette was the other. Octavia and Roman were who she should be cautious around. Even if everyone said Roman was better, I would always be careful around him because of his past.
“Hello, everyone.” Julian stepped to the fridge. He grabbed a bag of what was undoubtedly blood from inside. A tiny gasp came from Hazel at the sight of it. I didn’t blame her. It hadn’t made me feel all warm and fuzzy seeing it either. “Oh. Where is my head? I’m sorry. I’ve had a rough day—I lost a patient—and wasn’t thinking. Let me take this to my room.” His eyes bounced between Hazel and me.
“N-no,” Hazel stammered. “It’s okay. I mean, if I’m going to be staying here for an undetermined length of time, I can’t expect you to not feel comfortable eating in your own kitchen. Any of you.” Her gaze drifted around the kitchen before coming back to Julian. Her cheeks tinted to a rosy color as she held his gaze. “Are you a doctor?”
Julian licked his lips before flashing her a smile anyone would have deemed sexy. I arched a brow. Was there chemistry sparking between the two of them? Was that why her demeanor had suddenly changed when he entered the kitchen?
A wide grin spread across my face. I hid it by taking another sip from my coffee. This was the first time I’d ever witnessed Julian attracted to someone.
Heck, I’d never even seen him flirt before.
“I’ll only stay if you’re sure,” Julian insisted, his eyes still on Hazel. “And, no I’m not a doctor. I’m a vet.”
“A very good vet,” Ivette insisted as she checked rinsed a mixing bowl in the sink. “No one takes better care of their animal patients than Julian.”
“Please, stay,” Hazel said, her eyes still on Julian. “A vet? I figured you wouldn’t be able to work in a profession with animals.” She tucked some stray hairs behind her ear and leaned against the island in a way that had her hip jutting out.
Oh, yeah. They were flirting.
“Actually, I find working with animals to be easier than working with people,” Julian insisted.
Hazel picked up her muffin, but didn’t take a bite. “They don’t try to bite you or anything?”
“Not anymore than they do my human assistants.”
“Who did you lose?” Benji asked.
Julian shifted his gaze to him. “Excuse me?”
“You said you lost a patient today,” Benji reminded him. A grin sprang onto his face. I’d be lying if I said one didn’t twist at my lips too. Seeing Julian so off his usual game was comical. “Who was it?”
“Oh. Right.” Julian ran his fingers through his hair. “Pistachio, the Webers’ pug.”
Benji’s head dipped, making it clear he knew exactly who Julian was talking about. “Oh, no. He was like their kid. I’m sure my mama will be makin’ them a casserole.”
“They were heartbroken,” Julian said. His voice was soft and his expression contorted into one of sadness as though his heart physically ached for them.
“I’m sure. They’ve had that dog since I was like five.”
“There’s a card circulating the clinic for them. The girls plan to send it with some flowers. You should sign it,” Julian insisted. “While you’re there, you could check in with Smokey.”
“Who’s Smokey?” I asked, noticing how Benji smiled at the mention of the name.
Julian shifted to look at me as he tore open the bag of blood he’d been holding and poured it into a glass. “He’s a cat someone found in their backyard who suffered from a serious infection of his right eye. When he was brought to us, there was nothing we could do to save his eye. He was scared and kept to himself after surgery. We had a difficult time getting him to eat as well. Benji was the only person he let close to him. Benji was also the only one able to get him to eat.”
“Oh! That was the one-eyed cat you mentioned!” I’d completely forgotten about him. There had been too much going on.
“Yeah.” Benji grinned. “It’s been a while since I’ve checked on him. Maybe I should swing by sometime, once all this is sorted out, and say hello.”
“I’m sure Smokey would like that,” Julian said as he placed his glass of blood in the microwave.
My cell chimed with a new text, startling me. I pulled it from my back pocket. It was from Rose.
Things are going crazy here. Seriously. You should probably come home. Like now.
I rolled my eyes. More than likely, Rose was trying to avoid having to do more chores. Something probably happened with the toilet in Mr. Senova’s room again. It seemed to be on the fritz lately.
What’s going on? – Ridley
It didn’t take her but a second to reply.
Something happened when Ellen tried to use the smoothie maker and the power went out. I think my mom is about to lose it. Seriously. I’ve never seen her this stressed.
I pursed my lips together.
Be there soon. – Ridley
“Who is it?” Benji asked.
“Rose. Again. I’ll have to go in a second.”
He nodded. “Okay. Finish your muffin at least.”
I smirked at him as I tore another bite off. It was cute he wanted to make sure I was taken care of.
“I overheard mention of a more powerful cloaking spell being added to Hazel and the house,” Julian said before the microwave beeped. “I think that’s a good idea. Let me know how I can help.”
“Thanks,” I said.
“What I’d like to know is how he found me in the first place,” Hazel insisted. She shifted when Julian came to stand beside her, creating added space between her and him. I wondered if it was because he held a glass of blood, or if she felt uneasy being so close to him because of something else entirely. “I mean, I know y’all said he probably used a locator spell like Ridley did to find me, but what I mean is—how did he know to find me at all? When my grandma trapped him in the amulet, I wasn’t even born yet. How did he know about me?”
I blinked. It was a good question. One I didn’t have an answer to.
Julian took a sip from his glass. While it still grossed me out, I found I was slowly getting used to the sight of them all drinking blood. “He might have the ability to track bloodlines. Which could be why he seems to seek out witches of the same bloodline or coven.”
“Bloodline I can see, but coven?” Benji asked. “What’s the connection there besides them all practicin’ magic at the same time?”
“Coven magic is close to bloodline magic,” Julian insisted. “Once witches have practiced together for long enough, their magic melds to form a familiar vibration. Of course, bloodline magic is much stronger though.”
My brows furrowed. “I didn’t know tracking magic in that way was possible.”
“Me either,” Benji insisted. “No need for one of them ancestry DNA kits if you’re lookin’ to figure out where your bloodline of magic comes from. Looks like all any witch needs to do is have a moment with Bram, and he’ll figure it out for them.” He chuckled.
“Good grief,” I said while rolling my eyes. His personality was definitely on its way back. “Well, I should head home and see about getting a stronger cloaking spell. Hazel, are you going to be okay while I’m gone? I would take you with me, but with you and the house being cloaked I think this is the safest place for you right now.” At least I hoped.
“Yeah. I think I’ll be fine.” She popped a piece of muffin in her mouth and then lowered her hand to her side, but not before I caught sight of her trembling fingers.
“She’ll be fine,” Julian insisted. “With both cloaks up along with all of us being here nothing will happen to her while you’re gone.”
“I can attest to that too,” Ivette said as she dried her hands on a dishtowel.
“Thanks,” I said, knowing they were right. There was no safer place for her. She was cloaked in two ways and surrounded by vampires. Bram didn’t stand a chance. “I’ll be back soon. Want to walk me to my car?” I asked Benji as I slipped off my stool.
“What? I’m comin’ with you,” he insisted.
“No, I’ll be fine.” I waved his words away. “Just walk me to my car.”
“Sure thing.” Tension worked its way into his jaw making him look pissed as he grabbed the bag I’d carried downstairs and slung it over his shoulder.
What did he have to be pissed about?
I grabbed my coffee from the counter. “I’ll bring the mug back. Promise.”
Julian grinned as I made my way out of the kitchen with it in hand. Benji followed me, but his movements were stiff and I could feel a sense of hostility rippling off him.
“You felt that back there, right?” I asked him once we were at the front door. I handed him my coffee so I could put my coat on and flashed him a smile. “The chemistry between Julian and Hazel?”
“Yep.”
“Good. Glad I didn’t imagine it. They’d be cute together, don’t you think?”
“They would, but don’t go meddlin’ and tryin’ to set them up. Let it happen naturally, if it’s gonna.” He handed me my coffee, his eyes refusing to meet with mine.
“Um, when have I ever meddled in anyone’s love life?”
“I’m just sayin’.”
“What’s wrong with you? Why are you acting so pissy?” I asked unable to ignore his sudden shift in mood.
He opened the door and both of us slipped outside into the cold. “I don’t get why you don’t want me to come with you. You said you were scared Bram might have been able to locate Hazel when the cloak went down. Don’t you think it would be a good idea if I went with you just in case he’s in town now?”
“I’m not the one Bram is after though. Hazel is. It would make sense for you to stay here with the others and watch her for me,” I said. “Besides, Rose said things have been crazy at the inn, which means I’ll probably have to do a few chores before I leave.”
“I could help,” he insisted. “I just don’t feel right lettin’ you leave without me. Without anyone goin’ with you.”
“I’ll be fine. Really.”
I lifted to the tips of my toes and kissed him. I’d intended for it to be a chaste kiss, but he gripped my hips and held me in place as his mouth worked over mine, taking control. I let him, enjoying the moment. His cool fingertips pushed their way beneath my coat and the fabric of my sweater to brush against my skin. A shiver slipped along my spine at the feel of his touch and a soft moan escaped me. Something sharp nicked my bottom lip and Benji pulled away, putting so much distance between us in the span of a single heartbeat it was jarring.
“I’m sorry,” he said, covering his mouth. I knew what he was hiding—his fangs. “Seein’ Julian’s dinner made me hungry and then kissin’ you—touchin’ you—made me lose control.”
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