Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble

by H. P. Mallory

  “He was nice looking,” I said with a laugh, “for a wolf.”

  “Nice looking?” Rand asked with incredulity. “I would think him a bit too coarse for your tastes.”

  I frowned. “Oh really, and how would you know what my tastes are?” Jerk-head.

  “Well, I suppose I don’t,” he said and shifted uncomfortably.

  “I’ll go and cash the money order first thing tomorrow,” Christa interrupted our embarrassing exchange, and I was only too happy for her to do so.

  She and Rand had arranged that she would serve as his secretary. She seemed ecstatic about the position—she’d only had two jobs in her life—one was working for me, and the other had been working at a video rental store in Spokane. She was understandably excited to be working for Rand—he paid much better than the video store or I.

  #

  Two nights later, I was still high from bringing back the wolf. With what had become a permanent grin on my lips, I strolled to the French doors of my terrace, opening them wide while humming Think of Me, from the Phantom of the Opera. The moon was full and looked like a glowing orb amid the velvet darkness of the night sky. There weren’t many stars out tonight, or maybe the moon just overpowered them with its milky rays.

  I leaned against the railing, letting the fragrant breeze cool my skin. Pelham floated through my wall, and I started to face him when I noticed a flash of movement below my balcony. I stiffened and leaned forward, hovering over the railing. Had it been a dog? Maybe a fox? England was certainly full of them. Nope, it was a wolf. It stepped into a shaft of moonlight and the redness of its coat burst to life, a coat I recognized as belonging to Trent.

  Why is that wolf pacing outside? Pelham asked.

  A very good question and one I was wondering myself. I think he wants me to go down there.

  Are you mad? He could kill you very easily.

  I shook my head. Pelham was like having an incessant voice of doom always at the ready. I wasn’t in the mood for it tonight. I’m not so sure he could kill me easily. I am a witch, you know? I pushed past the ghost and started for the door.

  Are you going out there?

  I nodded. I don’t think he’ll go away unless I do.

  Then I am going with you.

  I laughed. What will you do if he attacks? Scare him?

  I fail to see the humor in that.

  I didn’t respond and instead, grabbed a coat and headed outside with Pelham floating at my heels. The thought occurred to me that maybe I should get Rand, but I hadn’t seen him all day and anyway, I was a witch and capable of taking care of myself.

  Once outside, I headed toward the wolf and watched as he neared the forest, apparently not comfortable visiting me in full view of the house.

  This is madness. Pelham continued and was beginning to annoy me. Clearly, he thought I was in more danger than I did and I wasn’t sure which of us was right.

  I turned on him with my hands on my hips, doing my best pissed off expression. Go back home if you’re going to carry on. I won’t be gone long.

  Fine. His feelings were hurt. You do not want me here, so I will leave you to be eaten by that wolf.

  Before I could respond, he disappeared, and so I turned to the task of finding out what Trent could want with me.

  “Witch.”

  I wheeled around at the sound of his voice. He stood in front of me, naked except for a pair of boxers. A flush stole my cheeks as I took in his olive chest covered with wiry dark hair. His muscles were broad and well defined. I forced my eyes to his and suddenly had the funniest glimpse of a wolf with a pair of red boxer shorts in its mouth.

  “Why are you here?” I asked, cutting to the chase. I guess I wasn’t in a very affable mood tonight. It seemed I was snapping at everyone.

  “I came to talk with you.”

  I could’ve deduced that much. “So, talk.”

  He chuckled, but continued. “I wanted to thank you for what you did…”

  “Rand makes the decisions on jobs we take, not me, so you should thank him.”

  He cracked his knuckles and gave me a broad smile. “Well, I daresay it was you who did the work? At least that’s what my people told me.”

  “We share in the responsibility.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “Jolie.”

  He nodded as if my name could only be Jolie.

  “Well, witch Jolie, I came to tell you my pack is forever indebted to you and we’ve sworn ourselves to protect you should you ever need it.”

  I was taken aback. I’m not sure what I’d been expecting, but I’d been on edge since first seeing him. There was just something about him that spelled danger. Maybe it was just his bad-boy persona. I relaxed. “Thank you.”

  “Can you whistle?” he asked and thoroughe. nfused me.

  After a moment of wondering why he’d ask me this, I shrugged and figured I might as well answer. “Yes.”

  “Please do so.”

  I was sure I looked as perplexed as I felt, but whistled in spite of myself. Trent seemed to hang on the sound when I remembered dogs have excellent hearing, and maybe werewolves even more so.

  “I’m committing the tonal vibration to memory,” he said and paused. “Whenever you need me, just whistle and I’ll come.”

  I wanted to make a joke about whistling while I work, but held myself back. I didn’t imagine the wolf would appreciate it, and he was being civil, after all.

  “What if you’re far away?” I couldn’t help asking the obvious.

  He quirked another debonair smile—one I’m sure he’d used to win over many women. This guy just breathed player. “We’re creatures of the Underworld, right? We have powers that transcend human abilities. Whistle and wherever you are, I’ll come for you.”

  It wasn’t every day a girl had a sworn protector even if he was a hairy wolf who probably got around.

  “Thank you.”

  “One other thing,” he began.

  “Yes?”

  “When I died,” he hesitated and I imagined it must’ve been a weird sentence to say. “Did you see who killed me?”

  “You were fighting with a wolf,” I started, trying to remember exactly what had happened. “And a human stepped out from the shadows and shot you. I couldn’t see his face because his back was to me.”

  Trent bobbed his head, as if remembering, himself. “The wolf was from a rival pack of ours. Do you remember what the man looked like?

  “Normal height with dark hair…Sorry, that’s all I remember.” I guess I should’ve been paying more attention, but the man had jumped out of the shadows so quickly. Then he’d fired his gun, and I had to worry about touching Trent at the moment of his death…it was over before it started.

  He nodded, and I thought maybe he’d leave. But he hesitated. “Would you care to go to dinner with me some night?”

  Maybe it was the way he said it—with none of the machismo and conceit I’d seen him display otherwise. He actually sounded nervous—like I might turn him down. Me! Someone who hadn’t had a date since…anyway, my lips parted in surprise. A sworn protector and a date? My night was off to a good start.

  “I’d be happy to go to dinner with you,” I answered, still a little bit shocked that he’d asked me. Aside from Rand, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d actually had a date. And, really, Rand and I never had gone on a real date. So, I guess that didn’t count.

  Trent smiled, and I felt as if I could get used to such a charming expression. He was’t exactly what I’d call my type at first glance—maybe he had a bit too much of the playboy thing going on. Of course, I wasn’t even sure what my type was, as I didn’t date. True, I had something for Rand, so if he was the control, then Trent was nothing like my type.

  He was shorter than Rand and stockier and seemed to be hairier, but he had a nice face and a strong, capable body—well everything in view anyway. There was something about him—a certain charisma that was attractive, and I could definitely unders
tand why women would pursue him, as I’m sure they did.

  “Great. I will pick you up on Saturday evening at eight p.m. if that suits you?”

  “It’s a date!” I answered and watched as Trent assumed his wolf likeness and with a canine grin, trotted off.

  I couldn’t help the smile that stole my lips as I made my way inside and upstairs. Maybe being involved with the Underworld wasn’t quite as bad as I’d thought. I definitely wasn’t accustomed to such attention from the opposite sex, and it made me feel good, feminine. I pushed open my bedroom door and couldn’t help the surprise that landed like a grenade in my gut.

  Rand stood in the center of my bedroom, his arms crossed and a frown marring his handsome face. “What were you doing speaking with that damned wolf?” he demanded.

  I closed the door behind me and removed my coat, taking a great while to respond. Who the hell did he think he was, eavesdropping on me and in my own room, no less. “Just that—talking. Why were you watching me?”

  He ran an agitated hand through his hair, and I had to fight the urge to run my own fingers through the unruly waves. God, why did the bastard have to be so damned hot? It wasn’t fair!

  “Pelham alerted me that you’d gone down to talk to him.”

  Damn the nosy Pelham. I’d have words with him later about this, but for now, I had to face the angry countenance of one perturbed warlock.

  “What did he want from you?” Rand demanded.

  “To capture Cerberus, the guardian dog of Hades.” I paused for dramatic effect. “And using no weapons.”

  “Goddamit Jolie!”

  I held my hands out before me in a play of submission. “Okay, okay. God. He wanted to thank me, tell me he’s forever indebted to me, and I can rely on him and his pack to protect me should I ever need it,” I finished with smug satisfaction.

  “And that was it?” he asked, his shoulders loosening as he appeared to calm down.

  “That and he asked me to go to dinner with him,” I added with a grin.

  The anger returned to Rand’s face and his aura began to tinge with purple. “And of course you bloody well said no.”

  I took great care with pulling the French doors closed and locking them. Then I wiped my fingers along the panes and noted they were covered in dust. “Why would I say no? Hess very good looking, and I have no plans for Saturday,” I shrugged, feigning indifference.

  “Why would you say no?” Rand repeated, his gaze focused on my fingers as I rubbed them together, trying to wipe away the residue of dirt. “Because he’s a wolf!”

  “What’s wrong with that? Are you racist?” I asked with a smile.

  “There are things you don’t know about the other creatures of the Underworld, Jolie. You have much to learn and shouldn’t be taking chances with a wolf. They’re renowned for being less than honest, and they take what they want.”

  I frowned, thinking I didn’t need this lecture. Trent seemed anything but dangerous. I was beginning to wonder if Rand was just paranoid. “Well, I guess I’ll have to find out for myself.”

  His mouth caught in a tight line. “You’re making a mistake.”

  “Are you finished?” I asked and turned away from him.

  “I don’t want you going to dinner with that wolf,” he said through gritted teeth.

  I turned to face him, ire building within me. Who the hell did he think he was? “Last I…I checked, you weren’t my father.”

  Dammit, I was starting to stutter. It only infuriated me more.

  “Perhaps that’s what you need,” he responded and stepped so close to me I could feel his breath against my cheek. I didn’t back down.

  “D…Do you know what I think, Rand?” I asked in a low voice and didn’t wait for his response. “I think you’re j…just jealous because you want nothing more than to be in his place. You’re so afraid of ruining our relationship b…because I mean nothing but money to you that you won’t act on your feelings.”

  I was proud I was able to stand my ground and even with a few stutters, I spelled out in no uncertain terms, exactly what I felt. Rand said nothing, but continued to glare at me, and I wasn’t sure if he was going to kiss me or scream. I returned his murderous gaze. Finally, without so much as a goodnight, he excused himself and left the room.

  ELEVEN

  “You look lovely,” Trent said as he withdrew my chair from the table.

  Mentally, I had to second his notion as I’d spent hours slaving over my appearance. With a little help of witch magic, I’d recreated a black sparkly dress Jennifer Aniston had worn to some awards show. I’d found the picture in one of Christa’s craptastic magazines. The dress hugged my curves, stopping just short of my knees. It plunged down in a low v in the front, revealing just enough cleavage to appear sexy but not slutty. I wore my hair down but ensured it was full of wavy curls and completed the elegant look with a pair of diamond earrings I’d borrowed from Christa./font>

  “Thank you, you look wonderful yourself,” I said and gave him the once over. He was dressed smartly in dark green slacks and a sweater the color of coffee—the kind with no milk. It looked like he’d gotten a haircut for the occasion and now wore it with a certain spikiness at the top.

  “I was surprised you agreed to have dinner with me actually.”

  “Then why did you ask me?”

  He shrugged and relaxed into the chair across from me. “No one can fault me for trying,” he said with a laugh before continuing. “I’d thought you and the warlock might’ve been involved.”

  The mention of Rand left me a bit cold as he and I hadn’t spoken since our altercation in my bedroom two days ago. He’d avoided me since then. He was becoming habitual about getting pissed off and then disappearing for at least a week. It annoyed me—when was I going to get over the jerk? I refocused my attentions on the handsome man before me and thought maybe he might be a solution to my problem.

  “He’s my employer…that’s it.”

  The waiter approached us and I couldn’t help but think that had I been with Rand, the waiter never would’ve ventured forth when we were in the midst of conversation. Ugh, I had to catch myself again.

  “We’d like a bottle of Chardonnay and the Bruschetta to start off with,” Trent said. The waiter took note and disappeared as Trent’s attention returned to me. “I hope you like Bruschetta and wine?”

  I downplayed the sense of irritation that snaked through me. It would’ve been nice if he’d asked me earlier, but I was determined to make this a successful date and wouldn’t hold it against him. I just nodded.

  “Where are you from?” I asked abruptly, trying to force my thoughts on calmer topics. I’d noticed upon first meeting Trent that he wasn’t from England—his accent was distinctly not English, but it wasn’t quite American either.

  “I’m originally from Russia, but moved to the U.S. when I was very young.”

  “Ah, I thought you weren’t from the States.”

  Trent reclined in his chair and steepled his fingers in his lap. He regarded me coolly, his lips slightly upturned at the ends. “I thought my accent would’ve faded away after all these years. I…”

  “Do werewolves live forever like vampires?” I interrupted.

  Trent’s smile combined with the low candle light caused a flurry of butterfly-like activity in my stomach. I could get used to that sensual smile.

  “No, I’m afraid we’re not so lucky or unlucky, depending on how you look at it. We age much slower than humans do, though. The average lifespan of a werewolf is about one hundred thirty years.”

  “How old are you?”

  He glanced down at his steepled fingers before returning his bedroom eyes to me. “Thirty-five.”

  I laughed, actually pleased with the fact that he wasn’t much older than I was. Any difference from Rand was a good one. “Sorry for interrupting, please go on.”

  He obeyed with that same sexy smile. “My pack and I only recently migrated to England to escape the clutches of Bella.�
�

  I straightened, my ears perking at the mention of Bella. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, it seems the league of witches, now that they’ve joined the vampires, are getting more and more angry that the demons, fairies and wolves haven’t joined ranks with them, and they’ve been hunting us out.”

  I glanced around the small, intimate restaurant. Only a few patrons sat scattered about and none seemed interested in our conversation. I leaned forward and lowered my voice. “Hunting you?”

  His hands broke from the steeple and turned into fists. “Yes, trying to set an example by imprisoning us and in some cases, even killing us.” His tone was so cold, I waited for his words to fall from the air, landing crystallized on the plate before him. “Their recruitment methods leave something to be desired.”

  I couldn’t suppress the chill of fear that seized my spine. “And have their tactics worked?”

  “Some of the wolves joined them while others migrated.” He quirked a brow. “I believe the wolf that attacked me was sent by Bella.”

  I instantly pictured Trent and the wolf that had lured him into the alley when he’d been shot…and killed by the human lurking in the darkness.

  “Sent by Bella?” I repeated.

  “Yes. She was holding me captive, but I managed to escape. Needless-to-say, she didn’t take it well that I’d outwitted her, so she set her pack after me.” He frowned and tapped his fingers against the table, almost looking anxious. “No creatures can track quite so well as werewolves.”

  I was shocked to hear this, as I’d not thought Bella would resort to such violence. Apparently, she was set in her mission, and it made me wonder what this would mean for Rand and me. Bella still wanted me to join her—I was sure of that.

  I slowly turned my water goblet, watching the clear liquid slosh up one side, whirl in the middle and slosh up the other side like a mini typhoon.

  “So, you came here to escape persecution?”

  Trent nodded. “Word spread that your employer isn’t allied with Bella and therefore, his territory is safe. I believe we aren’t the only pack to migrate—there have been many others and will continue to be many others.”