Wine, leggings, and my laptop were what I needed to keep away the buzzing thoughts from the night and to calm down. After my second glass, and a few funny YouTube videos of people falling, I felt much better.
I opened my email, and checked to see if any new orders for covers or inquiries had come through. Once I finished scrolling through, tallying up the next month’s worth of covers, I replied to their emails and then logged out. My mind wasn’t in a creative mode; it was stuck on the picture that had obviously been taken by Randal’s crazy ex and Avalon Bay. Deciding learning about the little town Lexy was hiding in was a much better way to spend my time rather than stewing about an ex of Randal’s, I typed the town name into my search engine and waited. Pictures of historical houses, churches, and various other places in the town popped up. I clicked on a few, drawn in by the unique architectural features. The city site caught my attention next. Lexy had found herself a cozy little place to hide. I loved so many things about the place.
She had gone through such lengths to disappear; suddenly, I wasn’t sure I wanted to ruin that for her.
The wraith swam through my center, reminding me of its presence. Whether it realized it or not, the wraith had done me a favor by jogging my memory as to why it was important I did find her.
After taking a sip of my wine, I decided to Google her. I typed in Lexy Bloom and was surprised by the number of hits that popped up. Scrolling through, none of them seemed to be her though. Finally, on page three of the search, there was an article from the Avalon Bay Post from a few years ago about a young female entrepreneur who had opened a shop on Sandbar Drive called Bloom’s Garden. I stared at the picture of the young woman who resembled Luke, cutting the ribbon in the grand opening ceremony for the store. She was beautiful, happy. Again, my reluctance to track her down got the best of me. I would be tarnishing the little happy bubble she had created for herself.
I pressed the palm of my right hand to the center of my chest where the wraith seemed to enjoy congregating.
Tracking Lexy down was a must.
I erased her name from my search engine and typed in Bloom’s Garden. Loads of images popped up. It was a cute little shop filled with handmade soaps, lotions, teas, and essential oils. I clicked on her website and browsed through. It didn’t take me long to realize that Lexy hadn’t left magic behind; she’d found a new version and embraced it.
My eyes scanned through the list of things she had available for purchase. It seemed as though there was a concoction of oils or teas for almost every ailment known to man. I clicked on one of the videos along the sidebar of her blog. It was for how to apply the oils she made topically. Once I hit play, her sweet voice filled my apartment, taking my breath away. I stared at her, paying close attention to how animated she became when talking about her oils. It was clear they were her passion. Her eyes brightened and her lips fused into a half smile that never seemed to dim or fade as she talked.
Luke was right. Lexy should have been the twin to harness the power of casting love spells and giving things to others, because she was an angel. There was no reason for Luke to worry about me forcing her to do anything, because now that I had seen her, if she were to tell me no, I wouldn’t be able to press the issue. She deserved the happiness she had worked so hard to create. I just hoped that, if no was her answer, she could point me in the direction that would free me from the wraith.
Chapter 11
Hours ticked away as I sat on my couch with my laptop, watching video after video about oils, diffusing, topical use, and whether it was safe to take them internally. There were step-by-step recipes on how to make a few of her favorite body scrubs and lip balms for holiday gifts, and testimonials she gushed over.
Lexy Bloom became a friend through her videos.
After watching them, I felt as though I knew her. She was bubbly and full of life. Her smile was infections, and she was definitely a person I wanted in my life. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that she would help me when I finally got the chance to ask her. I didn’t think she was the type of person who could turn away anyone. Part of me wondered if that was why she had chosen to leave Newvale behind.
My eyes drifted closed as I thought this. I’d finished my third glass of wine an hour ago and was still feeling the sleepy affects from it.
With a yawn, I opened the last project I had been working on. It was an author logo for one of my clients. I promised I would get it to her by this week, but all I had done so far was nail down the shape I planned to use. My eyes burned from lack of sleep as I stared at the cream-colored oval on my screen, wondering what symbol I should use in the center. I opened the folder on my desktop where I kept various little images I gathered over time that I thought were cute. Scrolling through, a classic typewriter caught my attention. It was vintage and classy, just like the author. Dragging and dropping it into my photo manipulation program, I tweaked the size a little and played with the placement. Another yawn overtook me, and I found myself struggling to stay awake. A few minutes later, my eyes fluttered closed.
Darkness encased me. My fingertips searched through it for something, anything that would root me in place and give me a sense of where I was. The strange sensation I was somehow suspended in midair barreled through me, causing me to feel off-centered and uneasy. I continued moving my limbs, hoping to encounter anything besides the air around me. Something hard and cool met the tips of my fingers. The second I touched it, I fell, landing on something hard and cold.
A floor.
Pain sliced through the right side of my face as I peeled my cheek away from it. I blinked, and the red pulsating light from before started up again. It was slow at first, but soon it picked up speed. I knew it was because my heart rate had quickened as the realization of where I was swept through me.
Glancing around the dark room, I searched for the wraith and a way out. Something hovering in the far corner caught my attention. I lifted myself up into a sitting position and slid backward, toward the wall behind me, wanting to be as far away from it as possible.
Whatever it was, it seemed to be solidifying, taking on a darker color and gaining shape while I watched. I refused to look away, to blink, afraid that, if I did, it would dive at me. It rippled and rolled in on itself with gaining speed as though it were working itself up to something. Coldness snaked along my skin, and I realized I was naked this time as well.
Even though it wasn’t the same shadow as before, I knew without a doubt that the terrifying thing before me was still the wraith.
Wrapping my arms around my middle, I folded in on myself as best I could and pressed my body against the wall behind me, hoping the wraith couldn’t see me. My eyes widened as I continued to stare at it. It undulated in a taunting manner, as though it was getting some sense of sick pleasure by drawing out my fear.
It snaked its way down the walls. I dug my shoulder deeper into the wall behind me, praying at some point I would slip right in and be able to hide. I watched as the wraith melted into a thick, oily liquid along the floor before it began to reform. Pulling my knees into my chest, I wrapped my arms around them, wishing I would wake up from this horrible nightmare. The red lights flickered in sync with my pounding heart. A chill swept through me as I watched the wraith continue to take shape.
“No. No. No.” The word became my mantra as I watched the oily liquid build upon itself, shifting into the form of a man.
I knew what would happen next. Once it was completely formed, he would walk toward me. He would touch me and tease me by calling me his.
I needed to wake up. I didn’t want to be here. My heart pounded in my throat. Fully formed, he stalked toward me, exactly as I had known he would.
“No!” I shouted at the top of my lungs. “Stay away from me!”
A venomous laugh echoed through the room. The vibrations of it rippled against my skin and caused nausea to pool in my stomach.
“No!” I shouted again, knowing all I was doing was fueling its sick desire to scare me
. Maybe if I screamed loud enough, I would wake myself. “Don’t come any closer!”
“You are mine, little succubus,” it called to me. Its voice slithered against my skin, causing chill bumps to break out. “I will do what I want with you.”
I needed to wake up; that’s what I needed to do. My eyes clamped shut and my hands came to rest over my ears. “Wake up, wake up, wake up!” I slapped my palms against my ears, praying something would jar me awake, anything. I didn’t want to find out what the wraith wanted with me.
Coldness trailed along the outer edge of my thigh. My eyes snapped open to see the vapor of a man’s face kneeling in front of me. He continued to trail his oily fingertip along my skin, even when I attempted to pull away from his uninvited touch.
“Don’t touch me! Leave me alone!” I shouted.
His hand clasped my shoulder and shook me violently.
“Kenna, it’s only a dream. Wake up,” a familiar voice called to me. It was steady and smooth, sweet and soft, a voice I hadn’t heard in person in far too long.
My eyes popped open to see Bree leaning over me. “What are you doing here?”
Her plump lips twisted into a frown. “Well, hello to you too. So glad I came all the way here for a visit.”
I smoothed my hair away from my face. Beads of perspiration had gathered there, and my heart still pounded in my chest, making me remember how real the dream had seemed. The wraith expanded in my chest, like always. Its coldness was beneath the surface of my skin, reminding me it was still there.
“A visit?” I cleared my throat. Regret splashed through her features, and I apologized for seeming so stunned by her abrupt visit. “I’m sorry. I’m just shocked you’re here. I didn’t know you were coming.” I flashed a small smile.
She shouldn’t be here. Not now. Not until I got this wraith thing under control. There was too much supernatural crap going on in my life to hide it from her.
Bree closed my laptop and set it on the coffee table. “Well, I did say I would be dropping in for a surprise visit at some point soon.” She moved to sit on the couch beside me, and I caught sight of her suitcases stacked by my front door. “Kellen is on a business trip, and I had a few vacation days I needed to use. So, I figured I’d come stay with you for a little while, and that way we could plan my wedding together. You don’t have anything going on, do you?”
“Um…” My breath caught in my throat.
Lying to Bree was never something I could do well. She always managed to read me, and could tell when I wasn’t giving her the entire truth. This had been the only reason I was glad she moved away. My secret life had been safe because of it, and our friendship still intact.
“No.” I shook my head. “I don’t have anything planned for the next few days. I mean, there’s always work and stuff, but nothing important.” Avalon Bay would have to wait.
“Are you okay?” She propped her elbow up against the back of the couch and swept her eyes over me. “You look like shit.”
I bit back a laugh. Considering all I had been through in the last few days, I would be surprised if I didn’t look like shit. “Jesus, that was blunt.”
“I’m just being honest.”
“Yeah, thanks, and I’m fine.” I pulled my hair down and redid my bun. “I think I’m coming down with something though.” Not a total lie. I was coming down with something; after all, I had been infected with a wraith. It was quite possibly the worst sickness anyone could ever fall prey to.
“Ugh, great.” Her nose wrinkled, and she shifted to lean away from me.
“It’s probably a cold. Nothing serious.” A yawn slipped past my lips as I realized the obvious. “How did you get in?”
“The door was unlocked.” She tucked one of her legs beneath her. “I knocked for a little while, and then I heard you shouting for someone to leave you alone. It freaked me out, so I tried the knob.”
“I was shouting?” I knew I’d been yelling in my nightmare, but I had no idea the screams were actually coming though my lips in reality too.
Her eyes widened. “Oh, yeah. I thought someone was attacking you!”
“It was just a really bad dream,” I insisted, which was such an understatement.
“I bet.” She glanced around, taking in my apartment. “This place is nice!”
While I had sent her pictures of the place through text messages when I was moving in, this was the first time Bree had been to my apartment in person. “Thanks.”
“I was worried I’d get lost on my way here from the airport, but it was pretty easy to find with the GPS in the car.”
“Did you rent a car?” I was making small talk, allowing myself some time to decompress from the insanely horrible nightmare and adjust to the idea of her being here. I wondered how many days a few days meant to her.
“Yeah. I opted for the smallest car they had and wound up with a cute little yellow one.” She smiled.
“Fun.” I stood. “Want something to drink?”
“Sure, what time is it? I wouldn’t be opposed to a little daydrinking as long as it’s at least after three.”
My eyes drifted to the clock on my stove as I entered the kitchen. It was already nearing five. “It’s almost five, actually.” I really needed to text Randal and tell him Bree was here. He needed to know that our plans to leave and track down Lexy were stalled until she went home.
My mind went to war, struggling to come up with something I could tell her that would justify cutting her stay short. Nothing seemed feasible. Even if I played up the sick act, Bree wouldn’t care. She would find some movies and make popcorn so we could chill out on the couch until I was feeling better, even if that was the entire time she was here. She was my best friend. They were hard to run off.
“Perfect.” Her bare feet padded from the living room toward the kitchen. When she rounded the corner, she held my empty wineglass from last night in one hand and eyed the nearly empty bottle on the counter. “Looks like you had a party here all by your lonesome last night. Were you working on new covers and needed a little inspiration in liquid form?”
I smiled. It was genuine, because I had missed the hell out of her. “Something like that.”
“Did it help?” She rinsed the glass in the sink.
“Not really. Too many distractions online for me to focus.” The logo I’d been making before drifting off to sleep popped into my head. I really needed to finish it soon. The last thing I wanted to do was piss off a client who enjoyed working with me enough to come back.
“Hey, I have an idea!” Bree spun to face me. “Why don’t you shower and change, and then take me out to eat? I’ve been craving some Lucky Duck.” She winked.
Lucky Duck, I hadn’t been there since Mr. Blunt, which seemed like forever ago. “Okay, sure. I could go for some Chinese food.”
Chapter 12
“Oh my God.” Bree inhaled deeply as we passed through the doors to Lucky Duck. “It smells awesome in here. Oh, how I missed this place.”
My lips curved into a slight smile. Bree had always been a little on the dramatic side. A memory of her standing outside the airport in New Orleans with her arms spread wide above her head as she shouted, “Hello, New Orleans,” at the top of her lungs flashed through my mind.
“Lucky Duck will always be amazing.”
“Heck yeah, it will. This place is a staple. One my town is seriously lacking.” She waved to the Asian lady behind the counter as she greeted us. The same woman was always there. I still swore she never moved from that spot. Her feet had to be glued to the damn floor. Had to.
“How many?” the woman asked with a wide smile.
I held up two fingers. “Two.”
The woman passed two menus to a guy who appeared at her side.
Bree continued to inhale embarrassingly deep as we were led to a booth near the far wall. The Asian waiter with the robust yellow aura that always seemed to tempt me nodded and flashed us a wide smile as we passed him. I nodded to him and continued wal
king. My cell vibrated in my back pocket as I was about to slip into the booth across from Bree. I pulled it out and glanced at the screen. It was Randal. My eyes glanced at Bree, wondering if she would care whether I took the call. She was staring at me with a knowing smile spread across her face.
“You can answer it.” Her grin grew and her nose crinkled with excitement. “It’s Randal, isn’t it?”
She remembered his name. Dear God, she had the memory of an elephant. How had I forgotten this trait about her for even a second?
“It is, but I can always call him back later.” I didn’t want to seem rude.
Sending a quick text while you were sitting across from someone was okay, maybe, but actually talking to someone else on the phone when you were seated across from a friend seemed seriously rude.
“Nope.” She reached out and jerked my cell from my hand. “Hello, this is Kenna’s phone.” She answered, to my utter embarrassment, in a singsong voice.
I reached for my cell, but she weaved away from my grasp. “Mmm-hmm, this is Bree, her best friend since childhood. Sorry, but I’m staking claim on her for the night. The only way you’ll get to spend time with her tonight is if you come to Lucky Duck right now for dinner.”
I dropped my arm, knowing she wasn’t going to pass the phone to me any time soon, and sighed.
“Yup, the one around the corner from Kenna’s place. You do know where her apartment is, right?” Bree eyed me, and I knew it was because I had yet to tell her whether Randal had been anywhere near the vicinity of my apartment. I was sure other questions were surfacing in her mind once he answered with a resounding yes, ones that I would love to avoid, but knew it wouldn’t be possible.
“All right then, we’ll see you soon.” She hung up and slipped my cell across the table toward me. “He’ll be here in about fifteen. You don’t have to thank me.” She smiled.
Succubus Kiss The Complete Series Page 22