by Char Webster
Chapter Thirteen
Everything was working out just as he had planned. It had been almost too easy, and some of the anticipated thrill wasn’t there. Disappointment was something he hadn’t dealt with often, so he wasn’t sure how to handle it. Cracking his neck, he moved away from the sand dunes and made his way back to the street.
The sun had not yet risen, but it was only a few hours away. He had plenty of time to find a diversion.
He spent an hour watching Aria and Damian stroll along the beach before they had gone inside her ocean front condo. He could have carefully opened a portal inside her home to continue to watch them, but his energy and magic were depleted. He could feel his mystic magic rolling through him in search of more power.
The Florida beach town would offer half naked distractions for him, but it was not teeming with magic or supernaturals. He’d used too much magic to escape from the trap Aria and Damian had set for him in New Orleans that night. They were foolish if they thought a simple crystal fire circle would hold one of the greatest supernaturals to ever exist. And one of the deadliest.
Reaching out with his powers, he could feel his magic pulsing. He needed to replenish it, or he couldn’t put the second half of his plan into action. The street was deserted, but he knew the bar a couple of blocks away would have a better selection of people. It happened to stay open late. He hoped a mystic was there so he didn’t have to go looking somewhere else.
Manipulating people had always been a specialty of his, and he was attractive to both men and women, so finding someone to leave a bar with him would not be a problem. He had spent time with both genders but much preferred the company of a beautiful woman. If they annoyed him, he would simply drain their magic and toss them away. There was always someone else willing to hang off his arm.
He entered the bar, and several heads turned in his direction. He ran a hand through his pale blond hair and smiled at a few human women who shifted in their seats to view him better. If humans weren’t so lacking in any kind of magic, he would offer to buy both of them a drink.
He continued to the bar and smiled at the young woman pouring beer. Her tight white tank showed off her goods better than some of the bikinis worn today. He preferred his woman with a little mystery and not having all of their goods on such display.
He scanned the crowd, spotting a couple of vampires and a few lower-level shifters. Sadly, there were no mystics, but he managed to catch the eye of a sexy siren. She would be entertainment and a recharge on his magic. It would be a good night.
He made eye contact with her and knew she wouldn’t be able to resist the pull of his magic. He was quite good at masking the darkness of his magic, but it would still call to the siren. They were always attracted to power. He counted to fifteen in his head and wasn’t disappointed.
“It looks like you need a drink,” the siren purred.
He arched a brow. “Are you offering to buy me one?”
“That’s not all I’m offering.” She ran her hand down his arm. “What’s your name handsome?”
“Pravus.”
~*~*~
Aria Renault didn’t want to open her eyes and face reality. Snuggling closer into Damian’s side on her comfy couch was so much better than waking up and figuring out what they were going to do now. She had no idea how they could possibly make their relationship work even though she wanted nothing more. He was her soulmate, but they had hated each other for longer than anything. Those types of feeling were difficult to overcome.
She had been a Guardian for centuries, protecting supernaturals from all kinds of dangers. Damian had been an Enforcer for just as long and hunted down rogue killers who abused their magic and power. Even though they both worked for Legacy, the high council that governed and protected supernaturals, they had successfully avoided each other for the most part. When their paths had crossed, no one was safe from their tempers.
Before the last few days, they had not been able to be in the same town let alone sleep next to each other. For hundreds of years, she tried to convince herself that she no longer loved Damian, but it was a total lie. He was in every fiber of her soul and all of the molecules that made up her essence. He would always be a part of her. She just didn’t know if that was enough.
Relationships that come about from dangerous and intense situations don’t last and they had gotten together in one heck of a tense battle. Last night, they had managed to stop and kill one of the most deadly dark mystics that had lived. Legacy Council had forced them to work together to catch the murderer, and Aria had serious doubts they would be able to complete their assignment.
At least they had both managed to work out some of their issues, but there was still so much unknown and unsaid. Aria hoped that the morning light would not bring additional problems.
Breathing deeply, she sensed his scent filling her with such a feeling of completeness that she didn’t think she would survive apart from him. Her magic and his swirled together happily. It was as if their magic had already decided they were together and that was it.
Aria’s cheek rested on the soft material of his T-shirt that stretched across his muscular chest. Her neck was a little stiff from sleeping at such an odd angle, so she muttered a healing spell to allow her to stay where she was. Aria couldn’t resist rubbing her hand over his chest and hugging him closer.
He began to stir, so she froze in place, not wanting their time to end. “Stop thinking so much,” he mumbled. “Everything will work out.”
Aria didn’t answer but couldn’t prevent a frustrated sigh from escaping. How could he look so handsome first thing in the morning. His dark chocolate hair was rumpled from sleep, and that just made him look sexier.
He slid his hand up her arm to lift her chin toward him. “I just got you back, and I’ll do everything I can to make sure we stay together. We lost out on too much time. I’m not going to waste another second without you.”
“Another second, huh?” she teased.
“You’re not going to be able to get rid of me,” Damian smirked.
Falling right back into their banter seemed so natural. “Who said I want you around that much?”
Damian lifted up slightly, watching her the whole time. “Since you don’t want me around that much, I better head out.”
Aria knew what he was up to, so she tried to sit up and pull away from him, but he tightened his hold on her and flopped back onto the sofa. “I thought you were leaving,” she teased.
“I can’t leave. You haven’t made me breakfast yet.” Damian stretched lazily without relinquishing his hold on her. “We should stop at that little café in New Orleans to get take-out because I know you still can’t cook.”
“Hey!” She pinched him with a mischievous grin. “You don’t know if I can cook or not.” She pretended to pout. “It’s been a really long time, and we don’t know anything about each other now.” She started off joking with him, but the truth in what she had said hit her hard. They were almost like strangers, knowing only what they had been like when they’d been in love centuries before.
Damian instinctively held her tighter. “Don’t. Don’t pull away from me.” His magic was clinging to hers.
Aria stiffened but didn’t move. “I’m still lying right here.”
“You know that’s not what I’m talking about.” He cupped her face gently and shifted to look at her. “We have all the time in the world to get to know each other again.”
He hated the uncertainty in her eyes, but he vowed to turn that into love and trust.
“Yeah.” She wanted to believe that, but she was too fearful to hope.
Damian sat up and pulled her with him, keeping her anchored to his side. He was afraid she would run if he let her go. “Let’s begin with a breakfast date. It’s your choice. We can make it here together, or we can go out and get something. I’ll take you anywhere in the world.” He paused, getting into the idea. “We could go to this place in Italy that has amazing pastries. I love the chocolate caram
el cream puffs.”
Aria brushed some of her long strawberry blond hair out of her eyes and thought about it. She didn’t want to admit he was right and that her morning cooking skills centered on spreading honey-walnut cream cheese on a chocolate chip bagel or opening a container of blueberry yogurt. Those were the only things in her fridge besides several takeout containers. “You’re so sure I’ll say we should go out?”
Damian scooped her up in a flash and sprinted to the kitchen with her in his arms. She didn’t even have time to screech her surprise. He jostled her to his one arm so he could open the refrigerator door, but she tried shifting her body to block him. They both fell against the door laughing.
“Ari, why don’t you want me to see what’s in here?” he asked slyly.
She threw her arms around Damian’s neck and smashed her lips against his. She would distract him with a mind blowing kiss.
His laughter died as soon as she deepened it. Damian quickly locked his knees to keep them both upright. She is amazing, he thought.
Aria started off with plans to distract him, but she ended up forgetting everything except for him.
“Told you we would find them like this.” Aedan nudged Julie with his shoulder. “Pay up!”
Aria pulled back from Damian, but his lips followed her, clearly not concerned about the interruption. “Go away,” he murmured against her mouth.
“Awww. Seriously, girl! Although, I really can’t blame you.” Julie frowned at her friend as Aria jumped out of Damian’s arms.
Aedan happened to be Damian’s partner at Legacy and his best friend. He had been hanging out with Julie, and Aria was going to have to get the details about that from her best friend. Aria had to admit they would make a cute couple with their similar shade hair color and atrocious eating habits.
“Juls. I didn’t expect to see you so early.” Aria began pulling on her clothes to straighten out the wrinkles from the night she just spent on the couch.
Aedan snorted. “It’s 2 o’clock in the afternoon Florida time. What were you two doing that you were too busy to notice the time?”
“Leave them alone. We didn’t leave New Orleans until very late.” Julie mouthed “sorry” to Aria.
Aria looked to Damian to help her out of the embarrassing situation, but he was grinning and seemed to be enjoying her discomfort.
Damian winked at her but decided not to push her any more. “What’s going on? We took care of Pravus.”
Markos, Aria’s older brother, swept into the room. “The Legacy High Council wanted him captured or at least to see a body. He disappeared into the flames. They want to do a full investigation to make sure he won’t be making another appearance.”
“I’m so glad you all just come into my place without announcing yourselves first,” Aria grumbled, leaning against the counter with her arms crossed. She was going to have to ward her house from unwanted portals.
Damian slid next to her and bumped her hip with his. He leaned down and whispered loud enough for everyone to hear. “Good thing they didn’t come a few minutes earlier.” He straightened up and winked at her outraged expression. Fun time was over, so he turned a serious expression to Markos. “What do they want us to do?”
“They sent a crew to sweep the area for any traces of his magical signature or any swells in magic, but what they found was inconclusive. There should have been a massive outpouring of magic when he was destroyed, and that didn’t happen,” Markos explained.
Aria’s forehead scrunched up. “I didn’t feel any kind of magical surge. Did any of you?”
They all shook their heads no.
Aedan shrugged. “I was too busy dealing with evil supernaturals and revenants to notice anything.”
Julie shivered. “I can’t believe Pravus had reanimated those dead bodies. That is so gross.” She had never seen revenants before, but she had heard that some other Enforcers had a run-in with them recently. She had thought it was just Ethan and the Westons exaggerating about their escapades. Julie never thought she would actually see them herself.
“Gross?” Aedan repeated. “They’re seriously difficult to kill since they’re already dead. And smell! I feel like their black ooze is still on me.” He gave his head a toss, messing up his light brown hair.
Markos sulked. “I can’t believe I missed all the fun.”
Aria rolled her eyes at her brother. “Next time we’re in a life and death situation with a crazy supernatural who wants to steal our life force and magic, we’ll make sure to wait for you.”
Markos cocked his head arrogantly. “You’re just lucky it all worked out without me.”
Aria groaned. “Anyway. Why are you here exactly?” She pushed off the counter, stepped toward the fridge, and opened it to get a bottle of water. She didn’t realize that Damian had followed closely behind her.
“I knew you didn’t have anything in there,” Damian said with a chuckle.
She slammed the door closed. “I have some food.”
He reached around her, looping his arm across her stomach to hold her out of the way, and pulled the handle to peek inside. “Water bottles, a pitcher of iced tea, three things of hot sauce, yogurt and six takeout containers.”
“There are other things in there too.”
Julie laughed. “I bet she has carrots and hummus in the crisper drawer.”
Aria glared at Julie. “Juls!”
She shrugged one shoulder. “She dips the carrots in the hummus.”
Aedan scrunched up his nose. “Ewww.”
“Have you ever tried it?” Aria challenged.
“Do you put hot sauce on that, too?” Damian asked.
She gave him on a thoughtful expression. “No, but I bet the Tabasco would be really good on Roasted Red Pepper Hummus.”
Markos leaned against the kitchen door frame and watched his sister. She seemed so much happier than she had been in years. If he had known that Aria and Damian could have patched things up, he would have forced the situation centuries ago. He just hoped they would be able to make it through what was coming.
“We’ve been called before the Legacy Council.” Markos faced Damian and Aedan. “All of us.”
Aedan cocked his head to the side with his eyebrow raised in disbelief. “That’s never good. You could always tell them you couldn’t find us.”
“No one would believe him.” Derrek strutted into the room, his long leather coat moving in a swirl of determination.
Aria faced the newcomer. “What are you doing here?” she mumbled under her breath. “Doesn’t anyone ever knock or something before they just barge into my house?”
“Always so pleasant, Aria,” Derrek retorted as he glared at her. “I may not be your boss, but I know Maxine wouldn’t be too happy with you if I had to call her over here to make you listen.”
Derrek turned to Damian. “I don’t remember giving you any time off to screw around with an old girlfriend.”
Aria considered throwing something at him. He was always beyond arrogant. As one of the oldest Enforcers in Legacy, he probably deserved to be.
Her magic began swirling inside of her in her annoyance. Aria pushed it down, wondering where that had come from.
Damian knew what Aria was up to and blocked her path to Derrek. He leaned toward her ear and whispered softly. “He’s trying to provoke you, and it’s working. Ignore him.”
Aria’s eyes bore into him with mutinous contempt, but he didn’t back down. “Come on babe. Please, let it go.”
It was the love she saw in his eyes that broke her out of her outrage. The tender way he was regarding her made her heart ache. She hadn’t felt that kind of love in way too long.
Damian watched the change in Aria and wanted to take her in his arms and escape their unwanted visitors. His plans for a romantic day seemed to be ruined. He turned back toward Derrek who was now leaning against the kitchen table with his arms folded across his chest, watching them with amusement. “Why are we being called to the Legacy Hi
gh Council?”
Derrek looked bored. “Because you messed up your assignment. You were supposed to capture him. You didn’t. They want to know why, and I was forced to track you down. So come on. Let’s go.”
Aria and Julie shared a worried look. Julie stepped over to the Keurig to stall for some time. “I’m not going anywhere until I have some coffee. Aria, you might want to get a shower. You look like you slept in those clothes.”
Aria moved away from Damian and headed for the stairs. “I’m not going anywhere without a shower.” She muttered a speed spell and ran to her room within seconds. She loved moving quickly.
Markos called up to her. “Hurry up!”
Damian made a portal on her living room wall. “I need to stop at my place to get changed.”
“We don’t have time for that,” Derrek growled.
Damian ignored him. “I’ve been in these clothes for way too long. I’m getting changed.”
Derrek grabbed Aedan and followed after Damian. “We’re coming with you.”
Damian frowned but continued to his townhouse in Charlestown. “I’m not going to disappear.”
“I’m not worried about that. I’m going to make sure you’re quick,” Derrek muttered. He nodded to Markos. “We’ll be back in a few.”
Markos waited for Julie to finish pouring creamer into her coffee and return it to the refrigerator. As soon as she turned away from the mug, he swooped in to steal the caffeinated brew.
He took a big sip and grinned widely.
“No you didn’t!” Julie screeched, trying to grab the mug away from him.
Markos laughed loudly. “Thanks for making my coffee, Juls.” He gulped down another huge mouthful, burning his throat, but got the satisfaction of drinking almost the whole cup right away.
Julie stormed back to the Keurig but changed her mind. “I’ll be right back.” She quickly drew a large rectangle on the wall with her portal knife and created a step-through to her favorite coffee place, Wawa. A few minutes later, she walked back into the kitchen with two large cups.
“Awwww. You are the best. Love ya, girl!” Aria rushed over, grabbed a coffee from Julie, and hugged her friend.