by Luna Joya
She glanced down at the blossom in his hands. He’d managed to crush and mangle the thing.
He bit back a curse. “I didn’t mean to ruin it.” He poked at the petals in a failed attempt at revival. “The flower. Or us.”
He could hear her deep inhale over his thumping heart.
She wet her lips before ducking her head. “We are going to have to talk about the whole…” She cut a look around the crowded lobby. “You-know-what thing if we are going to make this work.”
He reached for the giant purse, waiting until she pried her grip loose. “Overnight bag?”
Her jaw tightened, and her chin jerked upward. “I had planned to get drinks with Mina. Possibly dinner. My mother and my two older sisters live less than ten miles from here. I figured I could crash with one of them.”
He crowded her space, unable to keep his distance a moment longer. This was his chance. “Stay with me.” His fingers traced along hers at her side. “Please.”
“Sam.”
She stretched his name into two syllables. Did he hear sadness? Or was it hope? He couldn’t let her push him away. Not Cami. He couldn’t lose her too. He inched closer, entwining his fingers through hers as he searched her face for a sign.
“It’s not a good time. I thought I saw someone today. If it’s who I thought it was, I don’t know.” Her babble had turned to mumbling too low for him to understand. She took a deep breath and released it on a frustrated rush. “Why do you have to smell so good?”
The corner of his mouth kicked upward. “Like what?”
She sighed. “Like saltwater and Sam,” she whispered.
He tightened his hold on her. “Stay, Cami.”
He couldn’t let her go. Not when they were so close to something amazing. He waited, counting the breaths in the space between them.
Raising on tiptoes, Cami brushed her lips against his cheek. His eyes never left hers, pleading and seeking. She tugged him down to kiss his mouth. He couldn’t stop the soft noise of pleasure that escaped him. He swept a hand against her curls and pulled her into his chest. She had to hear his heart pounding. For a few seconds, they stood silent in the embrace.
“How’d you beat me here?” Her voice sounded muffled against his chest.
“Shortcuts and side streets around the accident on the 10.” He ran a hand down her back, escorting her toward a table tucked beneath the grand staircase. He pulled her down on the massive booth next to him.
“You haven’t seen Mina, have you?” Cami scanned the lobby.
“No.” He waited for her to text her younger sister. “I picked up our keys. I was being cautiously optimistic you’d still want to stay here with me.”
“Thank you, Sam.”
The happiness in her voice relaxed him. He leaned back against the booth. “I upgraded us to a suite, a floor above the old Brown Derby. Does Mina…can she do what you do?”
“Not exactly.” She shifted in her seat. “She has her own talents.”
He ran a hand above the hem of her shirt sleeve, careful not to cross any lines. “I’ll listen this time. Promise.” She lifted wide amber eyes to gaze into his face. “I swear your eyes change color. I know it sounds crazy. Maybe it’s the lighting.”
She bit her lip. “It’s not the lighting.”
He started to ask more, but Mina rushed up, sliding into the chair across the table from them. “OMG, what posh digs. Wow. This place is more club than hotel. Didn’t you just love the VIP carpet strut-your-stuff entrance? And the enormous bright pink couch you two are sitting on? I need one of those.” She sparkled and vibrated with happy energy.
Cami bumped against him. “I don’t think it would fit in your dorm room.”
Mina huffed. “Whatever. I promise to be out of here as soon as I get anything. I know you two need alone time to break in your room.”
“Mina, filter.”
Sam couldn’t hold back the laugh.
“So very Hollywood,” Mina observed in an upbeat gush. “And modern. Not much of the history left.” She suddenly sounded much less excited.
“You’ll…do it…if you’re meant to.”
Even with the gentle, measured tone, Sam could tell she had been about to say something else.
Mina pouted. “It never turns off these days. I walk around in a permanent half-slip. It gives me a headache.” She rubbed the bridge of her nose.
Sam had no idea what they were talking about, but it sounded serious.
“Did you call the study we talked about?” Her voice lowered.
Mina’s didn’t. “The one Delia says will treat me like a lab rat?”
“We don’t know that.” Sudden tension zipped through Cami’s body beneath his touch.
“I’m pretty sure Delia is right. She usually is. Don’t tell her I said that.” Mina looked from Cami to Sam and back again. “What have you told him about the reason we’re here?”
“That you’re researching Sunny, specifically what might have happened here with Felix Fortuno and the threat on her life.” She leaned into Sam, and he put an arm around her.
“You didn’t tell him how I research?” The corners of Mina’s mouth tugged into disapproval.
“No. It’s a secret for a reason.”
Mina sighed. “You seriously need to learn to trust him more.”
Sam flashed a smile. “I knew I liked this sister.”
“It’s not my story to share.” Her voice had turned hard. “It’s yours, Mina.”
“But part of it is yours too.” Mina folded her arms across her chest and waited.
Her shoulders slumped. “My part didn’t go so well this morning.” Sam could’ve kicked himself. Her eyes shot around the room, and she touched her necklace. He’d never noticed her younger sister had a matching charm around her neck. “I’m not talking about this here.”
Mina slumped in her chair. “You should’ve told Sam at the ocean. You’re strongest there. I thought we agreed you’d tell him about what we can do.”
Cami stared at the table.
“She did. She tried.” Sam couldn’t let her suffer further for what he’d done. “At the beach this morning. I reacted badly.”
Mina’s brow shot up. “Define badly.”
Now he wanted to stare at the table, but he resisted. “I didn’t listen.” She flinched beneath his touch, and he tightened his hold. “But I am now.” Because he’d be willing to consider anything she said if it meant keeping her.
Mina studied him. “Not the reaction I’d anticipated. But it’ll do for now. What changed your mind?”
His answer was immediate. “Cami.”
“Lottie. His sister,” Cami added.
He hitched a shoulder. “My sister reminded me I can be an idiot. And an asshole.” He rubbed a hand along his jaw. “Speaking of that, who or what is a Nahualli?” When both sisters stared at him, he added, “Lottie mentioned it.”
Mina smiled, and it wasn’t altogether kind. “Did she now?” She cut a look at Cami. “Ama will definitely want to meet your Sam and his sister. What else does Lottie know?”
Cami lay her hand flat on the table. “Can we save this discussion for somewhere private?”
He flashed the black key cards. “We can go up anytime you like. There’s plenty of room to talk in our suite.”
“A suite? Fancy.” Mina snatched one of the keys.
He swapped the one she had taken with the other envelope. “I got you a room as well.”
Mina clapped. How could anyone ever stay irritated with her? Her older sister didn’t seem to be able to. “Come on.” He stood and tugged Cami’s hand. “Let’s go up. We’re on the second floor. I booked the garden suite for us.”
The look on her face when he opened the door to the suite and she stared out at the private patio made the upgrade worth it. She walked through the living and dining areas in awed silence, trailing her fingers along furniture and heading straight for the terrace.
She cut her eyes at him. “Thank you, Sam.�
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“Anything for my girl.” He kissed her cheek and tried to ignore Mina, who was currently inside scouting the entire suite. She lay her head on his chest, and he swept a hand down her back, content to hold her.
Mina bounced out to join them. “Dude, you could fit three of my dorm rooms in here. Did you see the size of the tub? Oh my god, there’s a fireplace out here.” She stretched across the loveseat, which was plenty long for her five feet. “I’m moving in.” Mina closed her eyes. Damn, if she didn’t pass out on the spot.
Sam grabbed drinks and snacks from the minibar and sprawled across from Mina on the larger sectional, happy when Cami curled into his side. She cradled the battered camellia blossom in her palm. “Sam, did your sister say anything else after our…disagreement at the beach earlier?”
Honestly, he couldn’t remember everything Lottie had said. He’d been too thrown by this morning. “She seemed to know your family. She kind of made it sound like your last name is a big freakin’ deal, which is weird coming from Lottie, since she works with celebrities all the time. She doesn’t give two shits about fame. Anyway, she said something about Nahualli and bitched me out for not trying harder to question my own family’s past.”
He swallowed past the difficult truth in Lottie’s accusation, although how was he supposed to know the secrets of a family who’d never wanted him. “She called you a witch. Although I’m sure she meant it in the nicest possible way since she told me not to screw things up. She can’t wait to meet you.”
Cami smoothed each petal of the camellia, taking her time as though weighing what to do or say next. He waited, not wanting to risk another fuckup like this morning.
After a long minute, she nodded to herself. Mina’s eyes flew open. Sam almost swore. The younger woman had never been asleep. She’d simply been waiting for some silent cue from her sister. She jerked her chin in assent. “Show him,” she told Cami.
Cami tipped glowing golden eyes up at him. God, she was beautiful. He could float endlessly in those bottomless oceans. She smiled, and he felt the pull. Maybe he’d drown there. She spoke and broke the spell, tensing as though steeling herself for the consequences.
“I’m a witch descended from both the Nahualli and Donovan lines of power. Among the very few magic users who know my sisters or I exist, that makes me a big freaking deal.”
Chapter Sixteen
Cami couldn’t believe she’d blurted the family secret out so bluntly. She’d been in shock Sam’s sister had known who she was. Almost no witch knew the Donovan sisters, and Ama made sure they didn’t know too many others of their kind. It’s too dangerous, she’d say. Apparently Lottie didn’t get the memo.
There was no going back now. She eyed the open water bottle on the coffee table between their two couches. “Remember what I said this morning about having an elemental power over water?”
“Oh, hell no.” Mina dashed to the far side of the terrace. “I didn’t mean demonstrate all over me.”
Sam eyed them warily. Her sister’s reaction and his own memory of the morning’s display probably wouldn’t help ease him into this.
Cami stared at the water in the plastic. It’d been a while since she’d concentrated on such a small elemental focus. She asked for movement, for swirls, for something creative. The bottle shook and spewed water toward the cushions where Mina had been.
“See.” Her sister shouted.
“Stop.” Cami urged at the same time. The water stilled, suspended in mid-air. She manipulated each droplet, deconstructing the spill and working it into shapes. Sweat dampened her face and back as she struggled to keep control. With an intense yank, she forced the water back into the bottle. Already exhausted from this morning’s back-and-forth with the ocean and so little sleep, she slumped against Sam.
His muscles tightened beneath her, but he pulled her closer. “All right.” The two words came out strangled. He breathed deeply against her hair. “Anything else to show me?”
Where was Bogart when she needed him? She searched the terrace and spotted a small bird searching for food in a planter. She gave a silent call. The sparrow landed on the table in front of them and cocked its head to study her.
Cami swung her index finger to the right. The bird hopped in that direction in time to her movements. She repeated it on the other side and again the wings fluttered to follow. She smiled at the sweet bright eyes. “We’ll get you some snacks.” She tossed a small bag of chips at Mina. “Stay out of the air for a bit. I sense a hawk nearby.”
The sparrow bobbed from one side to the other and then darted to the feast Mina crushed and sprinkled beneath the dining chairs. “I love this part.” Mina held out a hand of crumbs. “I feel like a freaking fairy tale princess.”
“What just happened?” Sam asked. His arm dropped, and he gestured toward the bird. “Is it trained?”
“She,” Cami clarified. “The sparrow is a girl, and she’s not trained. I talk to animals. It’s one of my two magical talents.”
Sam pulled away and looked at her with doubt. She held her breath in dread and anticipation. He ran an unsteady hand through his hair.
She shot a glance at Mina and expelled the breath she’d been holding. What had she done? Her heartbeat kicked into a fast pace, and not in a good way. Sam didn’t move away from her. That was a good sign, right? All she could do was wait to find out.
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, that explains you and Bogart. And your job. That’s how you knew Bogart hadn’t licked any poison. And about the cat the other night.” He stopped when his neck cracked. “So water and animals. Any more, I don’t even know what to call them, superpowers?”
“Hey, I like that. We’ve got superpowers,” Mina crowed.
Cami glared at her and then shook her head. “I’ve only got two.”
“Only?” he asked.
Some of the tension buzzing through her left as soon as he reached for her hand. “Mina has three. All the Donovan sisters are elementals. I’m stronger near large sources of water.” She wanted so badly for him to understand, and she cared far too much what he thought. When had that happened? “We each have a psychic power as well.”
He blew out a long breath much like the one she’d been holding. “You being tied to water and animals explains a lot actually.”
She started to ask what he meant, but he turned to Mina before she could say anything. “So what’s your power thing?”
Her sister flashed a big showstopper smile. “My element is fire, and I’m decent at reading thoughts thrown my way, but my real power is time slipping,” she said and then explained the ability to him before adding why she’d come to the hotel. “I wanted to see the site of the Brown Derby and try to get back to that night in the thirties to see if the rumored threat with Felix Fortuno actually happened.”
“Okay. All right.” He leaned back and ran his other hand down Cami’s arm for a few silent beats. “When you time…what do you call it again?”
“Time slip.”
“Yeah.” He reached for the bottle of water.
“Don’t touch that!” Mina lunged to knock it over, and the liquid puddled on the floor. “What is wrong with you? Didn’t you see her magic all those droplets? You could’ve died.”
Her head hurt with the need to roll her eyes when Sam’s hand stayed outstretched in the space where the bottle had been. “Cut the crap, Mina.”
Her sister giggled so hard she choked. “I was just messing with you, Sam. You should’ve seen the look on your face. Like I’d said it was a radioactive nuclear meltdown coming at you.”
She groaned. “Sam, did you have a question?”
The puzzled look on his face told her he’d forgotten whatever he’d been about to ask. He got up and crossed to the mini bar to snag another water.
There really should be a guidebook or something to presenting witch talent to non-magic boyfriends. Seriously. When their oldest sister Ruby had needed a baby daddy, Gigi had matched her with someone who’d g
rown up with magic. Someone likely to produce powerful magical offspring. Someone who wouldn’t have fallen for Mina’s gags.
“Ruby didn’t have to explain this to Jared,” she told Mina quietly.
Mina snorted. “That’s an arranged partnership, no messy romance involved.” Her sister jumped back to the magic conversation. “Surfer Sam, what do you want to know about time slipping?”
He sat beside Cami, opened the bottle, and offered her a sip. “How’s it work?”
Mina shrugged. “It just does. I wander after whoever I’m tracking. I lose focus when I slip into someone else’s mind from another period. It makes me vulnerable.” She waved a hand at the patio around them. “Landscape and furniture aren’t usually the same in the past I’m seeing and the present I’m walking around.”
“Then why do you slip if you’re not safe?”
“Because I’m nosy.” Mina grinned. “But that’s why Cami didn’t want me to come to the hotel alone.”
“My girl is smart and protective.” He squeezed Cami’s hand. “What else do I need to know?” He leaned forward.
“You can’t tell anyone. We may be badasses, but the whole burning at the stake thing forbids future public reveals. We can be killed as easily as a regular human, and we’re outnumbered by about seven billion.” Mina brought her legs up into a cross-legged sit on the couch. “Oh, and we pay a price every time we draw on our magic.”
“What kind of price?” He swallowed and choked.
Cami fought the urge to smack his back, barely snatching back her hand before he faced her.
The call to be savage. To become the ocean in a storm or one of the beasts she called. She pushed one truth aside for another. “Depends on the magic and the witch. Mina’s hungry afterward.”
“We are talking insane amounts of calories.” Mina nodded. “I spent the night before you met us on the beach following Sunny Sol and fragments of her life. I was too damn tired to find my way home. Delia and Cami rescued me and took me to your restaurant to refuel.”