by A. L. Larsen
I turned and started down the stairs, my heavy-handed guilt trip hanging in the air. Tyler sighed and called out, “You suck at that. That was one of the most obvious guilt trips ever.”
“Did it work? Will you come to Vegas with us?” I asked, glancing over my shoulder at him.
Tyler knit his brows and said, “I might meet you there this weekend. And Jimmy’s in one of the high roller suites at the Bellagio, by the way. The reason I’m telling you that is because I want to right some of the wrong me and my brothers caused. And maybe there is some way to get through to Jimmy, who knows. He used to be a good kid, so maybe he’ll actually listen to what you have to say.”
“Thanks, Tyler. Give me your phone number, ok?” He rattled off the number, and I pulled out my cell phone and sent him a quick message. “You have my number too now. So if and when you come to Las Vegas, text me and we can all try to talk to your brother together.”
“I’m still just thinking about going.”
“Yeah, but I’m hoping you’ll do the right thing.” I gave him a little wave and took off after Alastair and Joey.
Chapter Six
When we returned to our home away from home, I went to check on Bryn and found Augustine reading a Kindle while sitting outside the closed guestroom door. “Hey,” I said. “Whatcha reading?’
“The Art of War.”
“Um, ok. Is Bryn in there?” I asked, indicating the closed door as I sat on the floor across the hall from Augustine.
“He went in about an hour ago, and I’m pretty sure he hasn’t popped himself out. His magic’s been kind of iffy since he’s been so upset, so I’m not sure he could transport himself right now even if he wanted to. But if he does, all we have to do is go and get him out of the wine cellar, since that’s about the only place he’d go.”
“What was he looking at earlier – that scene out the window with the big house in the snow?”
Augustine sighed and said, “That’s where Philippe is. Bryn was watching his family’s house in France in real time. Stalking, warlock style. It’s so unhealthy.”
“Did he eat any of his dinner?”
“He did eat a little. Thank you for bring him the Chinese food. I think that’s what I need to do from now on, get him restaurant food to tempt his appetite. It’s hard enough to get him to eat without repulsing him with my cooking.”
“It’s nice that you’re taking care of him.”
Augustine grinned at me. “You can’t even say that without frowning.”
“Sorry. I just don’t really know what to make of kind and helpful Augustine.”
“No one does.”
“So listen,” I said. “I want to get your opinion on something. Alastair, Joey and I are planning to go to Las Vegas to track down Jin. You’re more aware than anyone how Bryn’s doing. So I want to ask if you think it’s a good idea or a terrible idea to take him to Vegas with us.”
The door to the guestroom flung open abruptly, and Bryn declared, “It’s brilliant! Can we leave now?”
“Well, not quite. We’re planning to leave tomorrow evening. I have something to do first, but we should be able to get on the road by seven,” I said.
“Oh, we’re not driving,” Bryn declared. “I’ll charter us a plane. It’s so much more civilized.” He grinned and clapped his hands. “This is such a good idea. It’s just what I need. Why didn’t I think of it myself?” He ducked into his room, then stuck his head back out a moment later. “By the way, Augie is reading People Magazine, not The Art of War.” He rolled his eyes and ducked back into the bedroom.
“Eavesdropping is such an unappealing habit,” Augustine called.
“Joey will probably kill me for asking this, but do you want to come along, Augustine?”
He grinned a little and turned the Kindle end over end in his hands as he considered the question. Finally he said, “I think that’s probably a bad idea.”
“It’s not. We’re going there to try to get a surly, powerful warlock to cooperate – who, by the way, you’ve gotten to cooperate in the past.”
“He could be bought before,” he said, “but surely he’s figured out plenty of ways to make money by now, so my approach of dangling a check in front of him is bound to be unsuccessful.”
“We could use your help though. If we tick Jin off, he’s probably going to try to obliterate us, and having someone lethal on our side might come in handy.”
“Luna, you’re already travelling with Team Lethal. Every one of the men you’re going with, including Alastair and Joey and even sweet Brynnie when he’s sober, is absolutely deadly. I’d just be redundant.”
“I’m plenty lethal drunk!” Bryn yelled from the other room. “I’m like a cobra. Riding a shark. Stuffed in a tank!” He was quiet for a beat, and then he amended, “The Army kind of tank! Not a fish tank. With a fish tank, the cobra would just drown.”
I was chuckling as I got up from the floor and said, “You could keep an eye on Bryn, too. So think about it, Augustine.”
“Don’t need a damn babysitter!” Bryn yelled as I went down the hall.
I started to head to the kitchen, but when I got to the second floor, Alastair intercepted me and grabbed me around the waist, lifting me playfully off the ground and hurrying into the nearest room. He closed the door behind us and said with a grin as he put me down, “Alone at last.”
I grinned too. “Why yes, we are. And why is that?”
“Because we haven’t had a moment alone all day, and I’ve missed doing this.” He kissed me gently, then wrapped his arms around me. I hugged him tightly and buried my face in his shoulder, breathing him in. He smelled like soap and clean cotton and Alastair.
After a while he took my hand and led me over to a window seat. We were in a large moonlit library brimming with books, some of which appeared to be quite ancient. I would have to come back to this room, it looked fascinating.
But for now, my attention was drawn to something far more fascinating: the gorgeous guy sitting on the little bench seat with me, our legs intertwined, his eyes sparkling mischievously. The room was fairly dark, but his skin was bathed in moonlight and looked like pale silk. And I thought this was exactly how Alastair was meant to be seen, because moonlight suited him somehow. He was luminous in it, as if it radiated from within, a part of him. “You’re beautiful,” I murmured, and he laughed and ducked his head.
“I was about to say that to you,” he said shyly. And then he reached into his shirt pocket for something, and held it concealed in his palm. “So, I got you something today when we were in Chinatown.”
“You did?”
He nodded and met my gaze with a playful smirk. “I couldn’t let Joey hog all the glory, thoughtfully sniffing out cookies and soaps and, what was the other thing?”
“A bean bun.”
“Ah yes, bean buns for you.” He rolled his eyes. “Bean buns are no way to show someone you care.”
“So what did you sniff out for me?” I asked, smiling ear to ear.
“Oh no, I didn’t play his game. I didn’t go looking for olfactory delights. I wanted to get you something real. Something lasting. Something…well, something me.”
“I’m intrigued.”
He took my right hand in his and said, “The necklace I gave you for Christmas was meant to be a token of my affection. But after hearing its far less than romantic history, I guess I wanted a do-over.” He took my hand in both of his now and rested it across his palms. “And here it is.”
Without my noticing, he’d slipped a beautiful silver ring onto my finger, several slim bands interlacing artfully and holding a round dark stone in place. “Alastair, it’s beautiful,” I gasped.
“You really like it?”
“I love it.” I turned my hand slightly, and the dark gem sparkled in the moonlight. “What color is the stone?”
“Let me show you.” He hesitated for a moment before saying, “Ok, don’t freak out. But I realized I could do this a couple days ago.�
� He took my right hand in his, and held his left hand a few inches above it. And after a pause, a pure white light shone from his palm.
“Oh my God,” I murmured. “How are you doing that?”
“No clue. I stumbled on it by accident. It’s pretty weird, right?”
“It’s amazing. Thank you for showing me. And thank you for the ring. Oh, the stone is indigo blue.” I grinned at that. “It’s the color of your eyes.”
This flustered him a bit. “Ugh, that’s weird, I hadn’t made that connection. When I said I was giving you something that was ‘me’ I just meant something I liked. I didn’t intend it to be so literal, like I was giving you a scale model of my eyeball to wear on your hand. And God, that sounds disgusting! I should really just stop talking.”
“Mmhmm, you should,” I grinned. “And kiss me instead.”
He smiled and leaned forward, kissing me until I thought I was going to go into cardiac arrest. And when he pulled back he was smiling broadly, and looked down at his hands (which, by the way, were no longer serving as built-in lanterns).
“What’s that smile for?” I asked.
“It just makes me happy, knowing you like me.”
“Oh man. Are you saying that because you can hear my heart racing? Because that’s kind of embarrassing.”
“It’s not embarrassing. It’s wonderful, knowing the girl I fancy fancies me in return.” I bit back a snort of laughter, and he raised an eyebrow at me. “What?”
“Fancy. That’s hilarious,” I said with a big smile.
“Don’t people say that?”
“People do. Just not people here.”
“Alraaaaht,” he drawled, putting on a thick southern accent, “Guess ah should try to sound more ‘merican. Ah thank yer real purdy, and I’m kinda sweet on ya.”
I laughed at that. “Needs work.” He pulled me into his arms and kissed me again, and when we broke apart I said, my voice a bit rough, “And that doesn’t need work. It’s perfect.”
“We’d better keep practicing anyway,” he said, and kissed me again. And afterwards I scooted around so I was leaning back against his chest, and he wrapped his arms around me as we looked out at the night.
“So, when did you figure out you’re a living glow stick?” I asked.
“Night before Christmas, when Joey and I were putting up the tree. I’d had some random thought about illumination, and next thing I knew, my fingertip was glowing. Joey fell on the floor laughing. Said I looked like E.T. He had to explain to me what that was.” I could practically hear Allie rolling his eyes. “So after that, I experimented with it, just a bit. I’m kind of afraid to go full human torch, though I think I could. I’m worried I might not figure out how to shut it off again.”
“That’s quite the random superpower. Stronger! Faster! Never needs a flashlight!”
“I think…I think it’s the first stage in going full angel,” Allie said. “Apparently they seem to burn with white light.”
“Yeah, that’s what Joey says.” I tilted my head back onto his shoulder and looked up at him. “Have you tried to figure out what else you can do?”
“A little. It’s all been quite lame. I tried to see if I could move objects with my mind, and spent several minutes staring at an orange. It fell off the table, just on accident, and scared the hell out of me.” I laughed at that, and he added, “And I was doing that because Joey seems to think I must have some innate magical ability, since magic flows through my veins. Not that he’s ever seen me do anything of the sort. But he’s still convinced it’s in there and I just have to tap into it.”
“Well hey, it’s a theory.”
“I suppose I could ask Bryn about it…only, I don’t want to pester him with my issues, not when he’s going through so much.”
“He’s coming with us to Las Vegas, by the way. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.”
“Why would it be bad?”
“Because,” I said, “he’s already trying to drink away his problems. And you know what Vegas isn’t short of? Booze.”
“You have a point. So we’ll just have to keep an eye on him. The change of scenery will do him good, though. He’s been cooped up in this house too long, it’s probably starting to feel like a prison.”
“That reminds me. Tomorrow night, I’m going to be doing something I swore I’d never do: I’m visiting my mother in jail. I figure, as long as I’m in the bay area…and, I mean, it is the holiday season and all….” I fidgeted with my new ring, turning it in circles around my finger.
“Wow. I know what a big deal that is for you.”
“I’m not ready to forgive her or anything. She was a terrible parent. The best thing she ever did for me was accidentally getting arrested so I could go live with her sister. But,” I added, “I keep thinking about something Joey said a while back. He misses his family, and thinks I’m lucky because I still have a mom. I mean, she’s no prize. But…well, I guess she’s all the family I have. I mean, there’s my cousin Bonnie in Chicago, who’s my legal guardian, but she could care less about me. So anyway…yeah. I’m going to go see my mom.”
“Your father could still be out there somewhere, you know.”
“Sure, but what does it matter? He took off when I was a toddler, and never contacted me after that. It’s clear he wants nothing to do with me, or else he would have gotten in touch a long time ago.”
“Why do you think he left?”
“I can only assume my mother’s substance abuse drove him away. God knows that by the time I was a toddler, I was ready to run away, too.”
He kissed the top of my head and hugged me to him. “Want me to go with you to see your mum?”
“No thanks. Joey was planning to go with me, but I’m kind of rethinking that. This might be something I have to do on my own.”
“If you change your mind, let me know.”
“Ok. I should be done by seven, by the way, and Bryn wants to charter a plane and take off shortly after that. He’s eager to get to Vegas.”
“I’ve never been on a plane,” Allie said. “Well, let me rephrase that: I don’t remember ever being on a plane…obviously, because I don’t actually remember anything. But my point is, the idea of flying makes me really nervous.”
I turned partway around in his arms and looked at him. “Allie, somewhere in here,” I rested my hand on his chest, “you’re part angel. It’s in your DNA to fly.”
“What are you getting at?”
“Only that I never would have expected to hear that from you. It’s like a fish being afraid of water.”
“It isn’t!” He chuckled, and I could feel the rumble in his broad chest. “It’s nothing like that.”
“Ok maybe not. But look, it’s fine. I’ll be there with you. I’ll hold your hand.” I tried to look serious.
“Well, now you think I’m a total – what’s that word Joey’s so fond of? Ah yes, wuss.”
“You’re not a wuss. You’re a big, tough vampire hunter.”
“Not these days.”
I turned around so I was facing him and gave him a hug. “I like the vulnerable side of you, Allie. I’m teasing you a bit, but I actually love that you don’t try to act like you’re invincible. I’m actually–” I cut myself off abruptly.
“What were you going to say, Lu?” he asked, his cheek resting against mine.
“I almost said I was going to miss this side of you once you remember who you are,” I said quietly.
“You don’t think I’ll be like this?”
“From everything I’ve heard, you were a warrior. Joey described you once as a soldier, always serious, tirelessly doing your job. I just…I can’t imagine you’ll show this side of yourself very often, once you remember.”
He pulled back to look at me, his dark eyes troubled. “I don’t want that. I don’t want to become some other person.”
“You won’t be becoming another person, you’ll be becoming yourself. Who you really are.”
> “Then maybe I don’t want my memories back.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because of what it might cost me. I don’t want to turn into that person you described. A man like that can’t be what you want.” He took my face in his hands. “I don’t want to lose you, Luna.”
“Allie, you’re not going to lose me. Remembering your past, even if it changes how you behave, isn’t going to affect how I feel about you.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Sure I do. And you know what? When your memories return, you don’t actually have to go back to what you were like before, not if you don’t want to. If you want to keep being the person you are now, why couldn’t you do that?”
“I…guess I could.”
“You have nothing to worry about, Allie. The past is just the past. We get to choose our future.”
“The future I choose is you, Luna Harper,” he said softly.
I ran my hand over his cheek and said with a grin, “Right back at you, Alastair Davies.”
Chapter Seven
At six p.m. the following evening, I was fidgeting nervously in the back seat of a big black town car. The car had been Bryn’s idea. He’d leased one for Allie and Joey and himself as well, to take all of us to the airport for our flight to Las Vegas. I was going to meet them there in about an hour, after visiting my mother.
I’d decided to do this alone. It was already weird and awkward, and having someone else along to witness the weirdness and awkwardness would only have amplified it.
The car entered the parking lot of Addelson Women’s Prison, and I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans. We pulled up to the curb and Juan, the young Latino driver, put the car in park and started to get out to open my door. “Hang on, Juan,” I said, meeting his dark eyes in the rear view mirror. “I’m just going to sit here a minute. Is that ok?”
“Of course, Miss Harper. No hurry.” He picked up a newspaper and began reading.