Moonglow: Blood Magic Book 2

by L.H. Cosway

  He didn’t smirk or make some annoying innuendo. Instead, he was unexpectedly subdued. “Any time, Tegan.” It seemed my brush with near death had taken the wind out of his sails. Fancy that.

  “You wouldn’t by any chance want to help me look for my dad in Freemont Park, would you?” I asked him.

  He scratched his jaw. “That’s a big place. It’d be like searching for a needle in a haystack.”

  I frowned, and Finn’s expression seemed to soften. “Look, I can’t do it tonight. I have to report back to Pamphrock in an hour to help with the preparations for tomorrow, but I promise I’ll bring you in the morning and we’ll scope the place out.”

  Tomorrow morning could be too late to find him, and I was eager to get searching right away. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I stepped away to check it.

  I need to see you tonight. Come to the club. Ethan. x

  Memories of last night flitted through my head, and a pleasant shiver trickled down to my toes. An idea sprang to mind. I could get Ethan to help me look for Dad. It was a much safer option since I now knew he was being held on vampire territory.

  Alvie and Rita quickly packed away their things, as well as those infernal dowsing rods, and we started making our way down from the roof. We were approaching the door when it burst open and a security guard emerged holding a gun.

  “Hands in the air, all of you,” he commanded.

  “Now might be a good time for that confusion spell,” I whispered to Rita.

  15.

  Everything happened so fast, if I blinked, I might’ve missed it. Rita handed her bag to Alvie, while Wolf stepped forward and began growling low in his throat. The guard eyed Finn’s dog warily as Alvie rummaged in the bag, whipping out a small bundle of fabric that was tied in a knot. He handed it to Rita, and she took it absently, her intense dark eyes focused on the security guard.

  He lifted his gun higher and shouted, “I said put your hands in the fucking air, now!”

  Rita ignored him and held the bundle in her outspread palms, whispering something quietly in Latin. The only word I could make out was turbatio.

  Next, she pulled the knot loose and blew out the contents, which appeared to be a handful of white powder. It latched onto the guard’s face, and his eyes turned back in his skull before he dropped to floor as his body spasmed.

  “What the hell did you do to him?” I gasped.

  “He’ll be fine in an hour. Come on, we have to get out of here. He probably called for backup before coming up here.”

  Finn grabbed my hand and dragged me down the stairs. I felt like I might explode from adrenaline when we reached the elevator and Rita hit the button for the ground floor. As soon as the doors pinged open, we ran like our lives depended on it until we were back at Finn’s van.

  “Get in,” he urged, but I stayed on the street.

  “I actually have to go see Ethan. I’ll meet you back at the house later.”

  A flicker of irritation crossed his features. “Why? I told you we’re going in for Rebecca tomorrow. Your job is done.”

  “If you must know, I’m going to get him to help me search for Dad. He’s on vampire territory. It makes sense.”

  Finn still didn’t look happy. “Fine, but call me if you run into any trouble.”

  “I will,” I said before heading down the street to flag a taxi.

  When I arrived outside Crimson, there was only a handful of people waiting to get in. Dru was on bouncer duty. She nodded to me when she saw me approach.

  “So, you’re working for Ethan now,” I said. “How are you finding it?”

  She shrugged. “It’s a living.”

  “You don’t prefer this to your previous post?”

  “Well, yeah, Ethan’s less of a slave driver than the Herringtons were, I guess,” she replied, pausing to eye me. “You look a little frazzled. Everything okay?”

  I ran my hand through my windswept hair. “It’s been a busy night,” I answered, looking away from her and down the street. A part of me was jumpy that a police car was going to suddenly show up and arrest me for breaking and entering.

  “You want to talk about it?” she asked with a flicker of concern.

  “Not really.”

  “Okay, well, Ethan’s in his office if that’s who you’re looking for. Oh, and I’ll warn you that the she-bitch is around, so watch your back. She’s got a hard-on for you. Or whatever the female equivalent is.”

  At this, I deflated a little because I really wasn’t in the mood to deal with Eliza. Did that woman ever leave Ethan’s side?

  “Thanks for the heads up,” I said, swallowing tightly as I walked past her into the darkness of the club. Taking a peek at the VIP section, I noticed there weren’t many vampires around. I also couldn’t see Eliza anywhere. Perhaps she’d left already.

  I took off my coat and draped it over my arm as I headed to Ethan’s office. Nearing it, I frowned, because I could hear voices arguing. I paused and tried to be as quiet as possible while I eavesdropped.

  “I can smell her all over you, Ethan,” Eliza wailed. Oh shit, was she talking about me?

  “Who or what I smell like is really none of your business,” Ethan replied sternly. He sounded a little exasperated.

  “None of my business? Are you fucking serious? Ever since that bitch walked into the club it’s like I don’t even exist to you anymore. Do you expect me to just take this? I’m the daughter of the governor for crying out loud!”

  “There was never anything between us,” Ethan said. “I’ve told you this time and again. In fact, I’ve made it clear from the very beginning, but you simply refused to listen to me.”

  “You’re a snake. You kept me around just to get in good with my father,” she accused.

  “If simply not telling you to leave is keeping you around, then yes, perhaps I’m guilty of that, but make no mistake, Jeremy and I have been friends for a very long time. I do not need to romance his daughter to get into his good graces. And I have never been the kind of man to sleep with a woman to further my professional status if that’s what you are implying. Don’t get me wrong, you’re a very attractive woman. I’m just not interested.”

  “You’re exactly like your father, going around sleeping with human whores, diluting the pure bloodline of our species, birthing more of those vile half-breeds.” Eliza’s voice dripped with venom.

  “My sister is one of those half-breeds, Eliza, so don’t ever refer to the dhampirs in that way in my presence again. I will not tolerate it.”

  “Oh, and what will you do about it?” Eliza challenged.

  “I’ll inform Jeremy of how you have been trying to lure me into your bed for months. You know he frowns upon you having relations with those who work for him. You need to go and find yourself a nice young gentleman from a respectable vampire family. That’s what would make your father happy.”

  “You think that just because you run your own business that you aren’t as highly born as I? You can slum it all you want, Ethan Cristescu, but you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth just like me.”

  “Be that as it may, I have always made my own way in the world. I’ve never relied upon my father’s wealth or influence to get where I am.”

  Eliza fell silent, and I thought it might be a good time for me to leave before I got caught eavesdropping. Just as I was about to turn on my heel, Ethan zoomed out of his office and stood before me. I jerked back in fright.

  “I thought I could smell you,” he said tenderly, dipping his head to press his lips to my cheek. He pulled back to gaze at me, and something touched lightly at my mental shield.

  Suddenly, I was transported back to last night when Ethan had held me in his arms. For a moment, he’d made me feel like the most beautiful thing in the world. Another image came into view, of Ethan kissing his way down the side of my ribs, nuzzling my hip, and pressing his mouth to my sex. Yeah, I didn’t need a visual reminder of how good that felt.

  He was using his special t
alent for planting images in people’s minds to remind me of all the things we did together. Cheeks aflame, I pushed at his chest. “Don’t do that.” Ugh, why was my voice so breathy?

  “Don’t go shy on me now,” Ethan whispered, trailing a finger down my neck.

  He planted several more memories that sent tingles down my spine, but with mental force I pushed him out. I shocked even myself because I hadn’t known I was capable of such a thing. Ethan’s eyes widened and a small smile lifted the corners of his mouth.

  “You continue to surprise me, Sunshine,” he chuckled.

  I was about to respond when I heard the click of an expensive high heel and Eliza appeared, not bothering to disguise the absolute disgust and hatred on her face.

  “You have such tender words for her, Ethan. It makes me wonder if perhaps your little pet is more to you than a bed warmer and a food source.” Eliza’s voice cut through me.

  Ethan took hold of my hand, his thumb brushing over my wrist. “Our relationship is none of your concern,” he replied in a frightening monotone.

  Eliza glanced down and made a show of admiring her long, manicured fingernails. “Perhaps not, but I’m sure my father would be interested to know why you are so strangely attached to her.”

  My anxiety leapt into action at the thought of Whitfield discovering the truth about me and I started to sweat. Ethan stepped forward, still holding my hand firmly in his. On the surface, his words were calm, but there was no mistaking the threat that lay beneath. “Bringing your father into this would be a very bad idea, Eliza. Remember that and remember who you are dealing with. I am not the kind of enemy you want to gain. Now, I believe you have overstayed your welcome on my premises.”

  Eliza visibly paled at Ethan’s threat. Then, with a hate-filled flick of her honey blonde hair over her shoulder, she strode down the corridor and out into the main area of the club.

  “You don’t need to fight with her on my behalf,” I whispered.

  Ethan turned to me. “She’s trying to interfere in our relationship, Tegan. Of course I will fight with her. You don’t need to worry though. Eliza likes to spout threats. In essence, she is a spoiled pampered baby who has spent her entire life hiding behind her father. So, forget about her. She is of little consequence to us.” He pulled me into his office and closed the door, then picked me up and placed me on his desk. Butterflies filled my stomach as my coat fell out of my arms and onto the floor. Ethan used his knee to push my legs apart before placing himself between them and taking hold of my hips.

  “Have you been running? You’re all sweaty,” he breathed. “Do you know how good you smell when you sweat?”

  I had no answer because I was too distracted by his hand slipping under my T-shirt, his palm meeting my skin. I tried to form a coherent thought, but all I could focus on was his touch and how it made every part of me come alive.

  “I was sad when I woke up and you were gone,” he continued.

  “Well,” I said breathily. “We operate on different clocks. Unlike you, I don’t sleep all day.”

  “If you’d stayed, I definitely wouldn’t have slept all day. I might have woken and given you a repeat performance of last night.” His hands wandered to my jeans where he released the top button and pulled down the fly. “Perhaps I’ll do that now. I don’t think I’ve ever had a woman on this desk before.”

  I trembled down to my toes, but I knew I had to stop him. I didn’t have time for desk sex. I had to go find my dad. I placed my hands on his shoulders and gently tried to push him away.

  “We can’t,” I protested weakly as he bent his mouth to my neck. He was the most distracting man in the universe, I swear.

  “I can’t wait to sink inside of you,” he murmured before pressing his mouth to the sensitive spot below my ear. “I’m going to fuck you so hard.”

  “As p-pleasant as that sounds,” I managed, seeing his lips curve into a smile. “I need your help with something important.”

  At this, he paused his seduction to look at me. “What do you need? Say the word and it’s done.”

  I shifted back, trying to gain some composure after his underwear melting sexy talk. “I had a, um, a friend of mine do a little digging around. She found out that my dad is being kept somewhere in Freemont Park. I was wondering if you could help me search for him.”

  Ethan’s eyes consumed me, his expression turning suspicious. “A friend? Who is this friend and how could she have discovered where your father is when I have been unable to do so even with the best contacts in the city?”

  “She might have used magic,” I replied, unable to meet his gaze. Ethan knowing Rita was the one who helped me locate Dad was just one step away from him discovering I’d been working with Finn.

  He gripped my thighs, pulling me forward just a little. “You’ve been associating with your witch friend? What was her name again?”

  “Her name is Rita, but she isn’t one of your enemies, so relax. She doesn’t belong to a magical family.” Technically. “In fact, the magical families burned down her house, so she’d probably side with the vampires if it came down to it.”

  Some of his tenseness faded, but it was replaced with curiosity. “How does she practice magic if she doesn’t belong to a magical family?”

  “She was sort of the result of a one-night stand, so she doesn’t know who her father is,” I lied.

  “Interesting. Is she the friend you’ve been staying with?”

  “No,” I said. “I’ve been staying with my friend, Nicki,” I lied again. “She’s human and doesn’t know anything about the supernatural world.”

  My answer seemed to satisfy him. “This witch friend of yours, do you think she would consider coming to work for me? I’d pay her handsomely, and it would be a huge advantage to have a witch on my staff. I saw how she defeated Theodore. She has formidable power.”

  “I’m not sure about that. Rita isn’t interested in the politics of this city. She likes being her own woman.”

  “Even so, mention it to her the next time you see her. I’d be interested to hear what she says.”

  “Okay, if it makes you happy, I’ll ask her. Now, are you going to help me find my dad or what?”

  “Of course, I’ll help you. Come, we’ll take my car. It’s too cold to walk.”

  Ethan lifted me down from the desk, his hand brushing my hips in the process. He led me outside, and we drove directly to Freemont Park. It was a residential area, very scenic and leafy with lots of oak trees lining the streets. I had no clue how I was going to figure out which house my dad was in.

  Ethan reached over and took my hand, stroking my inner wrist with his thumb again. I leaned into him, needing comfort from my racing thoughts.

  “I forgot to mention,” Ethan said, breaking the silence. “Jeremy has organised for his party to take place tomorrow night. The dress code is formal, so I can send you something to wear. Text me your friend’s address, and I’ll have something sent over.”

  I’d been so consumed thinking about my dad that I almost forgot about Whitfield’s party.

  “You don’t need to do that. I have a dress.” I didn’t, but I’d have to splash out and buy one because I couldn’t have Ethan sending anything to Finn’s place.

  “Good.” He glanced down at me then. “I can’t wait to dance with you. Would you like to stay at my house after the party?”

  “I’m not sure that’s a wise idea.”

  He frowned. “Why not?”

  I shot him a meaningful look. “You know why.”

  Ethan sighed. “If this is about me almost biting you, you can rest assured that I have that particular instinct under control. I was simply taken off guard by the power of my attraction to you.”

  The heater in the car was going full blast, but I still shivered at his words. Don’t get me wrong, my libido would’ve been more than happy to spend the night with Ethan again. Unfortunately, I wasn’t sure I’d even make it to Whitfield’s party. Especially not since Pamphrock w
as planning his rescue mission for the very same night.

  “Just … let me think about it, okay?”

  I met his gaze for a moment, and there was marked hunger in his eyes. I suspected his hunger didn’t merely pertain to my blood though.

  I was distracted when a fizzing sensation ran through my body, a sensation wholly separate from the arousal Ethan made me feel. It reminded me of the time when I’d made the fork levitate in Finn’s kitchen. Had something awakened my magic? The farther the car moved down the street, the stronger the sensation became, almost to the point where I felt like I was physically vibrating with it.

  Ethan gave me a concerned look. “Tegan, are you alright?”

  “I … I feel sort of funny,” I answered, placing a hand to my stomach because the fizzing was now culminating in that area.

  Ethan stopped the car, parking on the side of the street before turning to survey me. The fizzing continued to pop and crackle inside of me. It vibrated through my skin and organs like invisible bubbles. Ethan pulled me into his arms, holding me in place.

  I was vaguely aware of a red van parked on the other side of the street. I couldn’t concentrate on it too much because the fizzing was so overwhelming. In my peripheral, the van casually pulled away from the kerb and drove off. Ethan had his hand pressed to my forehead, checking my temperature.

  “You’re burning up,” he observed.

  I swallowed and tried to find my bearings. The fizzing began to subside, and relief swept over me. My magic both confused and frightened me, and I just wasn’t ready to contemplate what it all meant.

  My head foggy, I wondered if the fizzing sensation going away had anything to do with the departure of that red van. No, it must have been a coincidence. What could a red van have to do with awakening the magic inside of me? Although I supposed that all depended on who had been inside the van.

  Frantically, I thought, we have to follow it, but my realisation came too late. The vehicle was already long gone.

  “I’m okay,” I said as I sat up straighter. “I’m just a little faint. I haven’t had much to eat today.” Surely, that excuse would suffice. I mean, Ethan did live through the days when delicate young women swooned and fainted at anything even remotely discomforting.