by Elisa Adams
She frowned and hugged her arms tighter around her body. “I had a good reason to.”
“I’m sure you did. That doesn’t change what happened.”
“And what, exactly is that? You told me we’d talk about it when you got here. You’re here. Start talking.”
“Inside,” he told her. She swung the door open and Sam followed her into the house.
“Where’s Cardoso? Sleeping, I assume?”
“He’s packing. He and Wil will be down in a few minutes.” She didn’t tell Sam that she’d asked them to give her a few minutes alone with Sam before the real work started. She wanted to find out what problems the mark had caused her, and she didn’t want Royce in the room to hear what Sam had to say.
“Why, if you knew there was a huge problem going on here, did you not call for help sooner?” Sam asked.
“I didn’t realize it was this big. I thought Royce and I could handle it.”
Sam looked around the room before his gaze came back to her. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to spend too much time with the vampire.”
“Why?”
“Vampires are unpredictable. Panthicenos are not. We are by nature careful and methodical… Well, at least most of us are,” he added with a meaningful glance at her. “The two of you aren’t a good match.”
She fought the urge to yell and scream—exactly what he wanted her to do, to make his point for him. Instead, she bit back her snappish reply. “Point duly noted. So what’s going to be our best course of action here?”
Sam said nothing, but she knew from his expression that she’d made him curious with her behavior. She used that to her advantage when she asked her next question. “What’s going to happen to me now that I’ve been marked?”
Sam surprised her—and worried her—by pulling her into a hug. “I’ve been worried about you this past year,” he told her before he let her go.
“What’s wrong with me? Am I going to die or something?” she asked him, her eyes wide.
Sam stared at her for a long time before he finally spoke. “No. You’re not going to die. You won’t be able to serve as a Balance Keeper, either, though.”
She knew she shouldn’t be happy about that, but she couldn’t help the smile that came to her face. “Why not?”
“The High Council that governs the Balance Keepers sticks pretty rigidly to the old traditions. It used to be believed that being marked by a purely evil being tainted one’s blood, making them evil. We know differently now, at least most of us do. But the High Council is still stuck in the dark ages. Any being marked by evil is not allowed to serve the Council in any purpose. But, I’m sure you’re perfectly fine with this new twist.”
“Oh, I’m devastated.”
He actually laughed. “You know you can come back to work for me any time, right? My business isn’t governed by the High Council.”
“No thanks. I’m going to take more time to sit back and enjoy life. I’ve liked my freedom a little too much.”
Sam nodded, his friendly expression shifting back to the professional one. “I think you should pack up and go home. Take Cardoso with you. I’ll take care of it from here.”
“No. Not again. You are not going to take this away from me. It’s my job. Mine. I got here first. Don’t make me sorry I called you for help.”
“I don’t mean to upset you, honey, but you haven’t exactly had the best history for doing as told, or getting rid of demons.”
“I got rid of Aiala.”
“After I specifically asked you not to try.”
“To avoid an argument, I’m going to go and see what’s keeping Royce and Wil. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” She turned and rushed out of the room before she said a whole bunch of things she’d later regret.
When she knocked on Royce’s door, it swung open. She stepped inside the room to see him lying flat on his back on the mattress, snoring softly. “Of all the times to take a nap.”
She walked over to the bed and kicked his shin. No response. She leaned close to his ear. “Hey Royce?”
Still nothing. She blew out a sharp breath and sunk her teeth into the side of his neck, figuring a little biting would be a good way to wake up a vampire.
Bad idea. Before she could even back away, he had her pinned to the mattress beneath her. “What the fuck was that all about?”
She drew a shaky breath. “Sorry. I didn’t think you’d react so strongly.”
“Well, I did. Now you’ve got to deal with it.” He leaned in and kissed her hard, but she pushed him away.
“Not now, Royce. We’ve got to talk.”
He rolled off her with a groan. “What is it?”
“Sam is here. He’s insisting on taking over.”
Royce’s expression darkened, his eyes the color of thunderclouds. “What the hell is he doing here?”
“I kind of called him.” She jumped off the bed and walked toward the door. “Meet me downstairs in five, okay?”
“Stop right there.” He pointed a finger at her, his eyes narrowed. “You kind of called him? Either you did, or you didn’t.”
“Okay, I did, but I only thought he’d come in here to help. I didn’t think he’d take over and send me home.”
Royce sighed and shook his head. “Shit. Any suggestions, genius? You’re the one who brought him into this. I wish you’d talked to me about it first.”
“Sorry. I didn’t know this would happen.”
“How could you not? You know what kind of a man Sam is.”
“I know he helped Eric raise me. He’s the closest thing to a father I have.”
Royce laughed humorlessly. “Then I won’t upset you by telling you what a ruthless bastard the guy really is. I guess you wouldn’t want to know that.”
She snorted. “Shut up. He’s not as bad as you think.”
“And he’s not as good as you seem to think, either.”
She’d give him that. She’d seen Sam at work, and she knew Royce spoke the truth. Still, she didn’t like anyone insulting her family. “Okay. We can disagree on this later. Right now, we have an Aparasei to stop—who can only be destroyed by psychic fire, by the way, which I can’t use on him since I’ve been marked. Sam can do it, so I think we need to let him stay. I’m staying, too. I want to see this through to the end.”
“Me, too.” Royce walked over to her and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Plus, I’m not leaving you until I know you’re safe.”
Merida’s heart thudded to a stop in her chest and she felt a tear well in her eye. He planned to leave her once she was safe? I wish I’d known that sooner, Big Guy, she said to herself. I never would have let myself fall in love with you.
She batted the tear away as she left the room. She’d known to expect it. She’d survive, somehow. She always did.
* * * * *
Sam pulled his car to a stop in front of the house where they hoped to find Calusius, and Merida climbed out of the passenger seat. She’d been fighting hard to keep the tears at bay since her conversation with Royce, and so far she’d done okay. When Sam had asked her what was wrong, she’d told him Calusius’s promise to take her back with him upset her. Sam bought it—or, at least she thought he did. If he doubted her, he didn’t tell her.
Royce pulled up behind Sam, with Wil driving up last. He parked across the street and met the rest of them in front of the house. A gray gloom hung in the damp, humid air, appropriate weather for what they were about to do. “I hope you know what you’re doing,” she said to Sam.
“Of course I do.”
She glanced up at him. He didn’t look even the least bit nervous. Well, someone out of the bunch of them had to be confident.
Royce came up next to her and took her hand, squeezing gently. The tears she’d been holding back started to flow then, and she tried to pull away. She shook her head when he wouldn’t let her go, but he pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. “It’ll be okay. I promise.”
&n
bsp; Anger spiked in her at his tender words. Her tears drying up, she yanked herself out of his grasp. “No shit. Sam knows what he’s doing.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Save it for someone who gives a damn, vampire.” She walked toward the house, not wanting to prolong the inevitable any longer. The sooner they finished this, the sooner she could have Sam drive her to the airport so she could go back home and soak in the sun—and forget about an annoying vampire who said he loved her but didn’t really mean it.
Sam brushed past her as soon as she opened the front door. Royce and Wil followed. To her surprise, Calusius stood in the center of the living room, his eyes glowing, waiting for her. “Are you ready, little cat?” He cackled, a sound that made her want to cover her ears.
“Did you kill the woman who lived next door?” Merida asked, stepping further into the room.
“Of course.” He made a sweeping gesture with his hand. “I did what I had to do. She belonged to me. Her father promised me his firstborn child years ago, even though he’d planned to have no children. I made sure that the child was conceived. I don’t abide by anyone breaking their bargains.”
“Why did you kill her?” Wil asked, his hands balled into fists at his side.
“She refused to accept her fate.” Calusius glanced at Merida. “You will not be given the opportunity. I see you’ve brought another cat, my dear. How fun.”
“Shut up,” she told him, her blood pounding with her anger. Why did he treat this all like some big joke? “You’re going to die today.”
“Funny,” Calusius said softly. “I was going to say the same to you.”
He ambled toward her, his gait surprisingly fast given the round, odd shape of his body. When he got a few feet from her, he reached out his hand. Sam waved a hand in the air in his direction and sent him spiraling back against the wall. “The lady is right, Aparasei.”
Sam raised his hands in the air to shoulder height and made a sweeping motion. Balls of fire burst from his palms, shooting out in all directions. The flames hit the walls, the furniture, and the curtains. Merida blinked as the flames licked up the white walls, charring them black. The curtains disappeared and the fire began to spread across the floor toward them. Soon flames engulfed the far side of the room.
Calusius screamed, a long, high-pitched sound that made Merida’s head ache. Royce grabbed her arm and tried to pull her behind him, but she pulled out of his grasp just as Calusius jumped in the air and launched himself toward her. She felt Royce’s hand on her arm, heard him call her name, but she could only focus on Calusius moving toward her, as if in slow motion. Just as he came close enough to touch, Sam reached out and grabbed him by the hood of his cloak and threw him back into the flames.
The fire engulfed him, melting his grayed flesh, charring the clothes, turning his glowing eyes to a dull pale gray. He exploded, the ash from his body spraying all over the room—and all over them. Royce cleared his throat, Wil coughed, and Sam grabbed her arm. “We need to get out of here before the flames reach us.”
They hurried out the door and stumbled to the front yard just as the entire house burst into flames. They all stood there gaping at the mess, no one saying anything. Merida shook her head, still in shock from how close she’d come to being a part of some evil being’s collection.
Royce broke the silence when he turned to Wil. “What are the chances no one in town is going to notice this?”
Wil barked a laugh. “None.”
“Then let’s get out of here.” Royce turned to Merida. “Are you riding with me?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
She got into Sam’s car without even glancing his way. Sam got behind the wheel a few seconds later and they sped away from the house, following Wil’s car through the back roads out of town.
“Are you okay?” Sam asked once they’d left the limits of Caswell.
“I’ll survive.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
She shrugged and leaned back against the soft leather seat. She should feel happy, exhilarated that she’d made it out alive—that they all had—but she couldn’t quite muster up the emotion. She felt empty, flat. Deserted by the man she loved with all her heart. The only man she’d ever loved. It would be a long time before she recovered from this.
A half hour into the silent drive, Wil pulled his car into the parking lot of a tiny roadside inn. Royce, in between them, followed, with Sam bringing up the rear. “What are we doing?” she asked him. “They’re day sleepers. We’re not.”
“Just give me a few minutes. I want to go inside and see if I can get you a cup of coffee and something to eat. You look like you need it.”
Sam got out of the car and followed Royce into the little cottage that served as the motel’s office. Merida unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car, stretching her arms over her head. She smiled weakly when she saw Wil approach.
“Thanks for everything. I appreciate it.”
“Thanks for what? I ruined everyone’s lives.”
He shook his head and pulled her close for a hug. “Don’t even start. It’s over. Be happy that you’re alive. Where did Sam go?”
“To get us something to eat. I guess this is goodbye.”
Wil frowned at her and dropped his arms from around her. “Where are you going? You’re not going to go with Royce?”
“I can’t. He doesn’t want me.”
“That’s bull and you know it.” Wil put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed lightly. “If you leave, it’s going to kill him.”
“It’ll kill me if I stay, only to have him walk away now that he knows I’m safe.”
She glanced toward the office and saw Sam start toward the door. “I’d better get back in the car. Sam doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
“Merida.”
“I’ve made up my mind. Deal with it.”
“Fine. Just take care of yourself, okay.” Wil leaned in and kissed her, hard and fast. “Just for the record, Merida, I think you’re making a huge mistake.”
She shook her head as she got back into the car to wait for Sam. Walking away was the only thing in this whole mess she’d done right.
Chapter Sixteen
She’d walked away from him. Again. And it had damned near torn his heart out. Royce might have done his best to try to forget her again—as if that might have happened—if Ellie hadn’t called. She’d cursed a blue streak, calling him every name in the book for not going after Merida. It seemed that, as far as commitment went, Merida might even be more screwed up than he was.
So he’d packed a bag and chased her. Again. This would be the last time. But he had a trump card to play now. He knew how she felt about him, and he had no problem using it to his advantage.
He sat in her living room—in the middle of the day, of all times—waiting for her to get home. The male who claimed to be her housekeeper had been easy to get rid of. One flash of his fangs and the wimp had taken off. That worked out well for both of them, because Royce would have had to kill the guy if he hadn’t left. He didn’t like the thought of Merida being alone, day after day, with him. Young guys like that only caused trouble.
The sound of the front door opening and closing echoed through the room, followed by the clack of high-heeled shoes on the shiny tile floor. A second later, Merida rounded the corner. “I thought I smelled vampire.”
She looked better than he’d ever seen her, and he ached all over again. He was a goner, plain and simple. If she didn’t see things his way, he didn’t know what he’d do. It wouldn’t be pretty, that much he could guarantee. “Nice to see you, too,” he murmured.
“What do you want?” Her voice held a little too much edge, her glare a little too much fire. He didn’t buy the act for a second. But he didn’t try to stop her, either. Not yet.
“Can’t I check up on an old friend?”
“I’ve heard a similar line before. Didn’t work that time, either.” S
he turned and started back across the room. “You know the way out.”
He let her get almost all the way to the door leading out of the room before he spoke. “If you love me, you won’t walk away from me again.”
She froze. He didn’t need to see her face to know the internal dilemma going on inside her. If she kept walking, she’d lose. If she stayed, she’d be admitting weakness. For a second he expected her to go for broke and walk away, but she turned slowly back to him, one hand on her hip and the other balled into a fist at her side. “How dare you throw that in my face?”
He stood and walked to her, stopping a few feet from where she stood. “How dare you walk away from me without a goodbye again?”
She blinked, her gulp audible in the big room. “I did what was right for both of us.”
“Bullshit.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” He shook his head and gave a humorless laugh. “You know how I feel about you. I told you. But you’re so closed off you can’t even see what a good thing we could have if you’d just let it happen.”
“No strings. No labels. Remember?”
He remembered. Now he wished she’d forget. “I don’t want that.”
“Well, I do.”
He didn’t think so. He just stared at her, searching her gaze, and a tear slipped down her cheek. “Don’t do this, Royce. Please. I’m safe now. You don’t have to protect me any more.”
Protect her? What was she talking about? “I’m not following you, sweetheart.”
“You said to me that you’d stay with me until you knew I was safe.”
He closed his eyes briefly, fighting the equally strong urges to pull her into his arms and shake some sense into her. He drew a deep breath and opened his eyes, not moving from where he stood. “I didn’t think you’d take it so literally. I never meant to push you away.”
“You didn’t?”