Friends without Benefits (Rise of the Discordant Book 4)

by McMullen, Christina

  “This ain’t you, Seth. And I ain’t gonna be responsible for any kind of a nasty hangover. Tomorrow’s a work day, remember?”

  As a matter of fact, I did remember and Bogie was right, this type of behavior wasn’t me.

  “Sorry,” I muttered sheepishly and drained half the glass of water, ignoring the brain freeze as a stray ice cube hit the roof of my mouth. I took it as a sign and drained the glass, hoping I could at least sober up enough to get home without embarrassing myself further.

  * * *

  “Seth? Are you even in there? Have you heard anything I just said?”

  “Hm?” I snapped to attention and immediately felt bad. Donna had come by because she had something on her mind. I knew it was likely related to the struggles with her incubus and the impending battle, but I’d been so wrapped up in my own problems that I hadn’t truly heard a word she said.

  “I’m sorry,” I said sheepishly. “I’ve just got a lot on my mind and I’m afraid it’s pretty distracting. But that’s no excuse. You were saying?”

  She looked like she was going to rail me, but instead a brief look of concern that I didn’t care for crossed her face.

  “Are you sure?” she began, but I waved her to continue. I’d spent the last two days on eggshells worrying about my own problems. For the most part, Desmond kept his distance. Though I was grateful for the potion he’d left after I’d had too much to drink, it didn’t seem as though he was trying to make amends and I was at a loss as to what to do. I needed a distraction, even if it was simply someone else’s problems.

  “I’m here for you,” I said and made myself shut down the other part of my brain.

  “Okay, but um, just so you know. Louise told me what happened.”

  “And what was that?” I asked, suddenly concerned. Last time I’d seen Louise was Thursday when she came to check on me at work. If something had happened since, I would have hoped someone would have told me.

  “You know,” Donna said with a strange look. “About Desmond telling you who you were.”

  “Oh.”

  That, I was not expecting. Apparently, everyone in Blackbird did know more of my past than I did.

  “And, uh… How exactly did Louise know this?”

  “If I understood right, she figured it out before Des did. There’s something weird about that though.” Donna frowned and started to reach for a lock of her hair but hesitated, hand hovering awkwardly for a moment, as she was now mindful of some of her nervous habits.

  “You don’t say,” I muttered. “How did Louise find out who I was?”

  “A vision, apparently. She’s been having more of them lately and I have to say, I’m impressed with how accurate they’ve been, but Seth, that’s not the weird part.”

  “It isn’t?”

  Of all of the witches, Louise was the least magically attuned. She’d had visions in the past, but more often than not, she had a vague notion that something might happen and would overreact and create a lot of unnecessary drama. Though, I couldn’t deny that her vision about me and the angel was accurate.

  “Well, okay sure, but Seth, Louise was sitting on the juiciest gossip of Blackbird and she didn’t share it with any of us!”

  “Well, I certainly appreciate that,” I snapped.

  “Oh come on!” Donna put her hands on her hips and glared at me. “I understand why you might be a little shocked, but you gotta admit that this is big news and it is seriously out of character for Louise to keep a secret, any secret, let alone one this big.”

  Okay, sure. Louise was a huge gossip. All of the witches were and Donna was no exception. If she did indeed know that I’d been Sarah in Desmond’s lifetime, the fact that she’d said nothing was quite impressive. However, the fact that she’d said nothing to me was upsetting. Come to think of it, it was right after the incident with the angel that Louise had stopped aggressively coming on to me. Despite the fact that her attentions had always made me slightly uncomfortable, I found myself bristling at the thought that she stopped because I was somehow different now that she knew I’d been a woman.

  Despite not wanting to think about it, I couldn’t help but notice that in addition to Louise’s visions, I was having more and more gut feelings that I couldn’t ignore. And then there was the Creator’s cryptic message when I’d mentioned them. On top of all of that, there was the vision at the mill. Donna was still insisting that it was Desmond’s vision and from their very different descriptions, I was inclined to believe her and wondered how, if at all, this was tied into the impending war.

  “Okay, sure,” I said, not wanting to get too far into my own thoughts. “I’ve been a little… distracted since finding that out, but you didn’t come over here to talk about my past. I’m guessing you have something on your mind?”

  Now it was Donna’s turn to appear uncomfortable. My worries about my own situation vanished, only to be replaced by worries about Donna. Louise had told me how their staged intervention had gone, including the fact that they’d been a little blunt about some of her habits. I expected she might have asked to come over in hopes that I would find fault in the coven’s assessment.

  It was a sticky situation and one that I’d hoped to avoid, but if I was being honest, yes, the poor girl was a bit careless with certain aspects of her appearance. Still, I did have to disagree with Louise that this alone might keep her from getting dates. I just didn’t want to have to say anything and start our own mini-war between the witches.

  “I’ve got to wonder,” she said, gazing out the window in a way that made me think she was deliberately avoiding looking me in the eye. “How often do you think the universe makes a huge mistake?”

  “Is that a rhetorical question or are we going to get philosophical?” I asked, keeping most of the sarcasm out of my voice. That certainly wasn’t the direction I’d expected her to take and I wasn’t sure where it was headed.

  Donna shook her head and bit her lip. “What I mean is… Take a look at Bogie. He was never truly a Discordant and through some fluke, he became one of us… I think. I actually can’t figure out what happened, but that’s not the point…”

  Donna was rambling. That in itself was enough to know she was nervous, but she was also pacing and had, despite her best efforts to remain mindful, already chewed her thumbnail down to the quick. I was starting to see the point she was trying to make

  “…and then there’s Mort,” she continued, oblivious to my worry. “No one can accuse him of being a good guy, that’s for sure, but he’s got so much invested in this world that I don’t think he’s in good standing with the demons at the moment. Weird how that works out.”

  “What are you getting at, Donna?” I asked at last. Not that I had to ask. The next words out of her mouth were about what I was expecting.

  “Clyde is being punished for speaking to me. Apparently since I can’t give him a child, dad sees his time with me as a waste.”

  “Donna,” I began, measuring my words carefully. “You haven’t had meaningful sleep in some time. I don’t think the incubus is lying, necessarily…”

  From everything that I knew about the incubi, it made perfect sense for the house head to expect his underlings to use their time siring heirs.

  “I know!” she said with a frustrated sigh. “That’s just it. I’ve tried explaining that he’s just causing me trouble and he acts like that’s all my fault for not being a virgin. I accused him of just trying to get me to open the portal and he claims that even if I did, he can’t come through.”

  I hadn’t really thought of it, but she was right. The incubi have no physical form and are incapable of possession. They would have to have a body built and as far as I knew, the spell required to bring them over was in advance of anything even Donna was capable of, which was only slightly reassuring.

  “Okay, but Donna, what makes you think that this guy is acting like an anomaly? He is still siring heirs even if he’s coming into your dreams. You’re correct that he can’t come t
hrough the portal, but he certainly isn’t acting in a way that makes me think he has anyone’s best interest in mind but his own.”

  “That’s just it,” she said, falling heavily onto the sofa. “I think… I think he’s infatuated with me and he can’t move on. I also think… I also think he’s the reason for my… You know he and I can’t actually…”

  As she stammered, Donna’s cheeks turned beet red. I’m not sure mine were different. I cared for Donna, certainly. I’d helped raise her, which is the exact reason why I wasn’t comfortable with where the conversation was going.

  “The reason you’re having trouble getting dates?” I prompted, hoping she’d keep the conversation PG.

  “Yeah,” she said at last, reaching to scratch at a blemish on her cheek before catching herself. “Please don’t get me wrong. It’s not like I want the attention. I mean, I want some attention, but I’m hoping for human attention from a guy who-”

  “I got it,” I said, cutting her off with a voice pitched slightly higher than usual. “Donna, I’m not going to lie to you. I know what Louise and Betty think.”

  “And you agree,” she said, shoulders slumping.

  “Actually, no,” I said, surprising her. “I mean, without saying anything rude, Donna, you’re a bartender at the Five Penny. You’ve seen the best and worst Blackbird has to offer and there are, forgive me for saying, some people who seem to have a disregard for certain things… hygienic things… that would be considered social norms…”

  I cringed. I didn’t like the judgmental words coming out of my mouth, but if I was being honest, it was true.

  “See! That’s what I’m saying. I’m cursed.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t go that far,” I began, but she cut me off by jumping up. I didn’t like the smug smile she wore.

  “No, you’re absolutely right,” she said, leaning down to briefly squeeze me in a half hug before heading for the door. “I’m going to find a way to do something about it.”

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” I asked, scrambling to follow.

  “Don’t worry, Seth,” she said with a smile that was anything but reassuring. “I’m going to figure this out, one way or another.”

  She was in her car and speeding away before I had a chance to form any kind of a warning. I had a sinking feeling that I’d only made the situation worse.

  Chapter 6

  Incubus-ted

  Donna sat in the driver’s seat of the custom-built Formula One racecar, hands gripping the wheel in intense concentration as she inched closer to the car in front of her. This was it. This was the moment she lived for. With her adrenaline in overdrive, she feinted left, but the other driver anticipated her move and went right.

  “Sneaky bastard,” she muttered, switching gears and easing onto the brake. After putting some distance between her and the other car, she recalculated her next move, keeping an eye on its movements for just a fraction of a second more. When she felt she had confused the other driver enough, she brought her foot down hard on the gas, throwing the car into a lower gear to speed past. She laughed, drinking in the confusion that she felt would be present on the other driver’s face were it not for the darkened helmet, but as she did, she let her guard down and lost control of the vehicle. Suddenly, the world became a dizzying blur as she began to spin out of control.

  Time slowed down the closer Donna’s car got to the concrete wall that surrounded the track. This was bad. This was very bad. She tried everything she’d learned about racing. She steered into the skid. She slowly applied pressure to the brakes. Nothing worked. Just as the bumper reached the wall, time sped back up and Donna’s car crashed through the concrete barrier, sending chunks of cinder block flying in all directions as she continued to spin, her momentum uninterrupted by the crash.

  “Well now! It is about time! I was beginning to think that you weren’t even trying to bring me back in.”

  Clyde stood, naked as ever, holding two checkered flags amid the dust and debris that used to be Donna’s personal dream racetrack.

  “I… What?” She shook her head as the scene dissolved and a picturesque park appeared. “How did you get in here?”

  “That’s a good question, isn’t it? You need to be more careful!”

  “Me?”

  “Yes, Donna, you! Someone has been slipping you a sleeping draught. A strong one at that! I’ve not been able to come visit you for two full sleep cycles.”

  Donna’s fingers went reflexively to her temples. Apparently, she noted with some dismay, just because she was dreaming, didn’t mean she was immune to headaches.

  “No one has been slipping me anything, Clyde. I took the sleeping draught to keep you away.”

  The look of absolute horror and hurt that Clyde wore nearly broke Donna’s defenses, but she remained strong.

  “You don’t wish to see me anymore?”

  “I miss sleeping, Clyde,” she replied, but discovered, much to her dismay, that her words had difficulty coming out around the lump that was forming in her throat.

  “Did you not miss me?”

  “Not fair,” she said with a sharp glare, though the emotional thickness of her voice betrayed her intent.

  “So you did miss me!” The utter glee in the incubus’ voice was too much.

  “Clyde, please,” she begged, turning away before the incubus could see the truth written all over her face. “Your being here is not doing either of us any favors. Why don’t you leave?”

  For several heartbeats, Donna heard nothing. When the scenery disappeared, she was shocked. Clyde had actually done what she’d asked. So why did she feel awful? She sniffed, wiping away the tear that leaked despite her stoic thoughts.

  “I knew it!”

  She whipped around fast. The incubus stood staring at her, relief and something else painted across his finely chiseled features.

  “Knew… w-what?” she asked, blinking away the remaining tears and taking a deep breath.

  “I knew that you cared about me as much as I care about you. You don’t really want me to go away.”

  “Clyde,” Donna said with a sigh, but he silenced her by coming forward to sweep her into his embrace.

  “No, don’t say it Donna,” he hushed her with a finger to the lips. “Nothing is impossible. If we were meant to be together, nothing will stop us. True love will find a way.”

  “Wait, are you saying that you lo-uh-whoa!”

  Before Donna could finish her question, the floor fell out from under her and she tumbled from Clyde’s arms. As she fell, Clyde was pulled further away until a portal opened, bathing their void in a blinding white light. As he was sucked away, she caught a glimpse of the last man she expected to see in her dreams.

  Her father.

  Fa Be’yoh was just as formidable as ever and he was not happy.

  * * *

  “Gah!”

  I found myself on the floor. Not just on the floor, but tangled up so tightly in my sheets that I managed to creep myself out by imagining a giant spider coming to snack on me. I was really getting sick of these violent awakenings. Somehow, I had managed to not only fall out of my bed (something I’m sure most people over the age of five have no difficulty with), but I also managed to do so in a way that pulled down the blackout curtains, so my room was flooded with midday sun. Well, that explained the bright light and the falling. At least no one was around to witness my spectacular display of coordination.

  “Donna? Are you okay?”

  Or not…

  Betty’s blurry form entered my line of site.

  “What are you doing home?”

  “I’m headed to an anti-fracking rally this afternoon and figured showing up covered in flour and icing was probably a bad idea.” She picked up the curtain rod and placed it back on the hooks, for which I was extremely grateful. “So what happened?”

  “I fell out of bed.”

  “Obviously,” she said and rolled her eyes. “I mean why? I thought Arkady super-powered
my sleeping draught.”

  “Yeah, he did,” I said, wriggling my way out of the sheets to sit up slowly. I had a nasty lump on my forehead where the curtain rod brained me. “It worked for all of two days. One minute I’m back in my favorite Formula One dream and the next, Clyde shows up and goes all Rhett Butler on me.”

  “He what?”

  “He was all like, how could I keep him out? And don’t I care?”

  Betty narrowed her eyes at me.

  “You’ve never seen Gone with the Wind, have you?”

  “No,” I admitted, rolling my eyes. “But I’ve seen the movie poster and that’s what he did, he was all dramatic and then just as he was telling me that he loved me, the floor fell out and I woke up.”

  “He what?” Betty shrieked.

  “Shush!” I groaned as the sound pierced through my already abused brain and reignited the flames of my raging headache.

  “Sorry,” Betty whispered. “But seriously, what is this about love?”

  “It’s no big deal,” I said. This was not a conversation I wanted to be having at the moment. Or ever, really.

  “Donna, this guy managed to get through a powerful potion and now he’s manipulating you! I’d call that a pretty big deal.”

  “He’s not manipulating me!”

  “Really.” Betty’s voice was as flat as the look she gave me. “What would you call it then?”

  “He’s… I don’t know… obsessed? Maybe he thinks it’s love or maybe he’s really in love, but I know that he’s not trying to manipulate me because he’s been forbidden from seeing me. He was caught tonight, by my dad. I have no idea if he’ll even be back.”

  I didn’t mean for the disappointment to come through, but it was as plain as the bright red color that now covered my cheeks.

  “Oh my goddess! Donna! Please tell me you are not seriously falling for this guy.”

  “What? No!” I said automatically and cringed because it totally sounded like I was trying to hide something by answering too quickly. From the look she gave me, it was clear Betty thought so as well. “Betty, I’m serious! And besides, not that I am, but what would it matter? It’s not like I’d be the first to have it bad for a Discordant,” I said, looking pointedly at her.