Magic After Dark: A Collection of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Novels

by Margo Bond Collins

  “You’re going to help me find my father.”

  Chapter 20

  Fonso and I wait outside. I peek through the window to see Nadya meditating as she faces the wall; finding a specific person isn’t easy for her, apparently.

  “I didn’t realize it would be so difficult.” I rock in the chair on the porch. “It always seemed so easy for her to find things and people. She found my job, Roger’s keys—even found us at the mall.”

  “It’s easier for her to find things, or people she’s close with, but finding complete strangers is different. It took her a week to find a missing person for one of Ma’s clients, but she ended up being dead.” Fonso uses his gift to launch pine cones into the air and smacking them against a tree.

  “That’s not helping.”

  “She’s located him before so it won’t be too hard for her...I hope.” He tries to levitate a large log.

  “What if Deena or someone else sees you doing that?”

  “She won’t. And besides, I need to practice.”

  “Aren’t you supposed to start your new job soon?” I lean against the wooden railing.

  “Yesterday.” He gives a lopsided grin.

  “That’s nice.”

  “There was a lot going on yesterday. I didn’t know what would happen.”

  “I have to go to work today. I need to talk to Roger and see Kyle.” I peek in the window. Nadya is still meditating in the corner. “Will you call me as soon as you...as soon as she finds him?”

  He nods.

  “And practice around back so no one will see you accidently move a trailer or cabin with your mind. I can’t bare to bring another person into this crazy world of ours.”

  “Do you want me to drive you into town?”

  I shake my head. “Stay with Nadya. I’ll catch the bus.”

  “Alright.”

  Abby’s behind the register cashing out a customer. Roger sees me, shakes his head and lifts his finger to his lips as he nods toward Abby. He doesn’t want her to find out about last night.

  I watch through the kitchen window as Sam turns over the kitchen to Kyle for the night shift.

  “Alice.” Abby gives me a half-smile.

  “Abby.” I clean the newly-emptied table. Abby goes into the back. It’s now or never. “Roger, I want to talk to you.”

  “Can’t it wait till later?” He avoids eye contact.

  “Why are you paying them? Why not go to the police?” I whisper. “You don’t need to do it.”

  “Not now.” Roger pats me on the back.

  Abby emerges from the back with her purse. “You coming?”

  “I’m coming. Hold your britches.” Roger forces a smile.

  They leave and I throw the dishes into the tub in the kitchen.

  “What did those dishes ever do to you?” Kyle asks.

  “They’re being extorted and used and they refuse to do anything about it.” I huff. “Did you talk with him?” I turn to see Kyle, purple surrounding his right, puffy eye.

  “No. He wouldn’t talk to me, either.” Kyle flips a turkey burger. “Some people came in.”

  “Kyle. I’m sorry about your eye.”

  “No big deal. I’m sure I got some good hits in, too.”

  I return to the front of the diner and wait on the newcomers.

  In-between customers, I stand by the phone, hoping Fonso will call and tell me Nadya found Dad.

  “Did you want to go out tonight?”

  Kyle’s voice causes me to jump.

  “I didn’t mean to startle you.” Kyle puts his hands on my shoulders. “You’re on edge.”

  “I can’t tonight. My cousin, Nadya, is staying at my cabin and I need to get home to make sure it’s still in one piece.”

  “Now you have two cousins there? Isn’t it getting crowded?”

  “You have no idea.”

  “Are you mad at me for not staying with you last night?” Kyle lowers his hands and leans against the archway. His white shirt clings to his torso, revealing his Herculean chest.

  “No, not at all. It was nice you stayed with me for as long as you did.” I lower my head. “I must seem like the ultimate basket case.”

  “You did ask, you know.” He grins sheepishly.

  “I asked you to stay?”

  He takes two long strides to me and wraps me in his arms. “You asked me to stay the night with you.”

  “I did not. I think I’d remember something like that.”

  “You did. Granted, you were practically asleep at the time, but it was a definite invitation.” He pulls me closer, leaning against the wall.

  “I think you were dreaming.”

  “Too bad I woke up, then.” He bends to kiss me, but the bell disturbs us. Two customers come in and have a seat in the far booth against the window.

  The diner clears. The phone hasn’t rung once so I have no idea if Nadya found Dad or not. I tap my nails on the counter over and over again. “Kyle, tell me about your last relationship. How did she ever let you go?” I don’t know what made me blurt out the question.

  “She didn’t have a choice.” Kyle hangs clean pots on the racks above his head. “She was one of the biggest bitches you’d ever meet. I do not say that lightly.”

  I laugh. “Then why did you go out with her?”

  “Why are we talking about this?” he asks with a twinge of curiosity in his tone.

  “Because I want to know how someone was so lucky to catch you and then so unlucky to lose you.”

  He laughs and clutches his chest. “So, what you’re saying is I’m a great catch?”

  I smirk. “Just answer the question.”

  “She wasn’t always awful. She had her sweet moments, but she became so consumed.”

  “Consumed with what?”

  “Work.”

  “Oh, those types of career driven women aren’t your style?”

  “Not even close.” He leans through the window and kisses me.

  “You broke it off because she became consumed with her work?”

  “That’s it in a nutshell.” He washes his hands. “We grew in different directions. She wanted one thing and I was looking to start a carefree lifestyle.”

  “Was it serious?”

  “It was.” He nods. “It’s now seriously over. What about you?”

  “I’ve never been serious in a relationship. There’s been crushes, but nothing that lasted too long.”

  “Their loss is my gain.” Kyle wiggles his eyebrows.

  Eleven o’clock nears. My feet ache. I walked too much yesterday and coupled with the stress, exhaustion hits me hard. I could use a good massage and bubble bath, but neither is likely to happen. “Do you need help back there?”

  “Nah, I’ve got it,” Kyle yells from the rear. “Almost done.”

  I sneak back to scare him...to see if I can get him to jump as he did earlier to me.

  He’s on his phone. “No, I haven’t discovered the pack leader, yet. I think Colin is hiding him.”

  Chapter 21

  Kyle’s eyes widen when he sees me standing behind him. “I can explain.” The screen on his phone goes black and he shoves it in his pocket.

  I raise my hand. “No!”

  I dash out of the diner, past Roger, and into the dark parking lot.

  Heading toward the bus stop, I look back to see Kyle running out of the diner. He spots me. I run faster.

  Colin is leaning against his truck. He has one foot propped up against the running board. He seems so far at the other end of the street, but with Kyle trailing me, I run as fast as I can toward him. He stiffens when he sees me.

  I run to the passenger side. “Can you give me a ride?” I ask, out of breath.

  “Elysia!” Kyle yells. “Don’t!”

  “Jump in.” Colin climbs into his truck.

  I do. As I fasten my seatbelt, I turn to see Kyle stop on the opposite side of the street. He kicks a trach can as Colin takes off.

  “Thank you.” I lean a
gainst the cloth headrest.

  “You’re welcome.” His voice is deep and edged with concern.

  “Don’t think I’ve forgiven you for what happened yesterday, or even the day before, or even—” I don’t finish as I cross my arms. “Why did you do it? Why did you tell Kyle we were intimate and together and warn him away from me? Why are you extorting money from Roger? He’s the nicest man around and doesn’t deserve it.” The questions rolled off my tongue as if I had planned this moment. I didn’t, but I didn’t stop. “If you take even one more penny from him again, I’ll kick your ass myself. Don’t think I can’t do it, because I can.” I rattle on, anger fueling me.

  The sky should be fuming along with me, but it’s not. Colin reaches out and unwraps my arms. He gently holds my hand within his. Why does his touch always bring me the comfort I need?

  “Where are we going?” We weave down a dirt road I’m not familiar with.

  He doesn’t answer.

  He parks his truck at a dead end. “Come on.” He pulls me through the driver’s side door.

  A frog croaks, then another. Colin leads me through a maze of trees with overhanging moss to a dock. A canoe is tied to the end of it. “You’re taking me on the water? If you’re planning to kill me and feed me to the gators, you should know, I don’t taste that great. I’m sure of it.”

  “Would you shut up?” He pulls me to him, igniting the electricity between us, and kisses me deeply.

  All the anger melts away between us. My head grows fuzzy, and I have a momentary memory lapse of why I was angry with him. Our lips part. He places his forehead against mine.

  “Come on.” He pulls me down the dock and helps me into the canoe. “No one will bug us out here. Except maybe the mosquitoes.”

  I have no choice but to face him in the canoe. “Do you think every time I’m mad at you that you can kiss me and everything will be fine?”

  He unties it and paddles away from the dock. “Would you like me to stop kissing you?”

  No. No. No. I turn, but say nothing.

  The three-quarters moon illuminates the rippling water. Two red eyes dive below the surface. Flying bugs skim the water as if dancing on it, reminding me of fairies sliding across a lake I’d seen in a childhood cartoon. A musty scent, like a mixture of mud and damp wood, assails my nostrils. Crickets and frogs play a melody on the water’s edge. Hearing the paddle as it ripples through the water reminds me of a babbling brook.

  “Will you answer my questions now?” I softly ask the wind.

  “Jealousy.” He moves the paddle over, and a few water droplets fly to meet my back. “I told Kyle to stay away from you because I was jealous.”

  “You told him we were intimate.”

  “To me, our kisses are intimate.” He stops paddling. “They are special. Don’t you feel it?”

  I did, but I’m too stubborn to say it aloud.

  “Kyle is a good guy.” I think. Hearing him on the phone talking about Colin and his pack makes me think I don’t know him as well as I thought. But, my gut tells me he means well; even if he does have other intentions.

  “He’s the wrong guy for you.” Colin paddles on the left to avoid an overhanging branch.

  “That’s not for you to decide.”

  “You’re right. It’s not.” His voice tightens. “I shouldn’t have acted like a crazed, obsessive dick.”

  The stars are bright and there’s not a cloud in sight. I do a mental scan and realize I’m completely calm.

  He steers further down the bank and drifts into an alcove. He jumps from the canoe, shaking it. I gasp in a breath. “I’ve got you.” Colin ties the canoe to a tree and helps me to the bank. He leads me inland to a spot under a large oak tree and unfolds a blanket.

  I sit and hesitantly lie back. I look up through the moss hanging in the branches to see the moon and stars twinkling. I feel the heat from his body as he lies next to me. A shiver runs through me as he presses closer and wraps his arms around me. “Do you accept my apology?” he whispers.

  “What are you apologizing for?”

  His shadowy face blocks my view. “Everything.” He kisses me. His right arm slides behind me, cradling me. His left hand follows my curvy side, leaving sparks in its wake.

  A moan escapes my lips. A fire burns inside me that only he can extinguish.

  All my worries fade away, replaced with a wicked longing; a desire I’ve never felt in all my life overtakes me. I need to have him. My body aches for him to do more than caress me.

  A frisson runs through me and Colin trembles. I pull his shirt off. He kisses my jawline and moves down to my neck, a pulsing sensation follows the trail of his lips.

  Nothing in the world matters more than this moment, us together, joining as one. My fingers feel numb as if the storm is happening inside of me and needs to be released.

  We lie with each other for minutes, hours...all track of time vanishes.

  The moon watches over us; the tree protects us; the moss fans us.

  I rest my head on his bare chest, listening to his heartbeat slow. “You’re forgiven,” I whisper.

  He laughs and brings my hand to his lips and kisses it.

  A howl erupts in the distance. His body tenses underneath me.

  “What is it?”

  “They’re calling me.”

  “Don’t go. Please stay with me.”

  “For you...anything.” He relaxes. “I can’t explain it, even though I know I should go—I’m supposed to go—for the first time in my life I can resist the call.”

  I prop my head up. “When we are together, you comfort me. Even when I’m so angry that I feel as though I could crush buildings, you calm me. I can’t explain it.”

  “Why are you still here, though?” His expression turns serious.

  “Huh? What do you mean?”

  “I sent the stones to protect you; to protect your family. You shouldn’t be here still.” He pushes me up. “Something worse is coming to town and as much as I want you to stay, you need to leave.”

  Suddenly, the puzzle pieces seem more scattered. “You sent the stones?”

  “Yes.” Colin rises, tugging me up with him. “If you could stay safe with me in this moment forever, I would want nothing else, but the reality of the situation is you need to get out of town with your family.”

  The sun’s morning rays beam through a string of clouds on the horizon. I gasp. “We’ve been here all night. My cousins must be freaking out.”

  “Here, call them.” He hands me his phone.

  “It’s going to voice mail.”

  “Leave a message.” Colin dresses, handing me my shirt.

  “Fonso, it’s me. I’m okay. I’m sorry I didn’t call sooner. Something came up. Call me back at this number.” I hang up and hand Colin back his phone. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” He tosses me my jeans. “We need to get going.”

  “What’s coming?”

  He shakes the dirt off the blanket, wrapping it up in a ball. “The packs are coming.”

  “Packs? As in multiple?”

  “As in the powerful ones. As in too many to hide you from.” Colin helps me into the canoe.

  “Why do you need to hide us? I don’t understand.”

  He pushes off from the bank. “They aren’t friendly to Gypsies. They despise them.”

  “You’ve been fine with Emilian.”

  “We’re different. Riley, Brayden, Kayla, and I see things, we don’t feel the hate our kind generally does. We’re natural enemies, Elysia. Werewolves harbor an instinctive need to eliminate your kind.”

  “Eliminate? Like you want to kill us?”

  “We know about your abilities. Your kind sees things, they can do things. Emilian knew exactly what we were when he first saw us. His sister finds things. His aunt talks to the dead. These things are threats to my kind.”

  “Emilian told you all of this?”

  He nods. “He also told us you have no ability, but I think h
e’s wrong.”

  My stomach turns.

  “The way that I’m attracted to you. The effect you have on me...you must be a siren.” He smiles. “Look at Kyle. He’s hooked on you, too. Don’t deny it.”

  It’s a miracle no one here has figured out the weather is wacky whenever I’m around and can’t control my emotions. Kayla almost died because of it, and he thinks I’m a siren? I laugh. “I promise you, I’m no siren.”

  “There’s a theory the younger Gypsies don’t have abilities; like they are being bred out of them. Makes sense to us, since our werewolf gene isn’t passed down to everyone, either.”

  “My father was taken by the Hunters. Do you know anything about that?”

  “No. When did this happen?”

  My gut instinct tells me he’s being honest. I give him the short story and why I’m here. He listens intently. When the sadness comes, clouds form overhead, but they don’t betray me. They hover, waiting for me to give the order.

  “I don’t think it was my kind that did it. They’re impulsive, aggressive and unsteady, but not calculating enough to hold hostages.” He pauses. “You’re sure he’s still alive?”

  “He’s alive. I feel it. I think my aunt knows where he is or who has him.”

  “The one who talks to the dead?” He ties the canoe up, helping me out.

  “No. Aunt Mirela. Emilian’s mom.” I become angry and a boom cracks in the distance. “We believe she was paid to tell someone Dad’s location over the years.”

  “Let’s go. We need to get you and your cousins out of town today. I don’t know when the others will arrive, but it’ll be soon. I hope they’re not already here.”

  Colin drives slowly through the town. He watches every movement, glancing down alleyways, and constantly staring in his rearview mirror. Even when we hit the road heading toward the campground and my aunt’s place, he can’t take his eyes from the woods on either side.

  Sitting close to him, I rest my head on his shoulder. “This can’t be it. Am I supposed to leave and never see you again?”

  His phone vibrates. “It’s Riley. I’ll text him in a minute.” He places the phone on his lap and grabs my hand. “I don’t want you to leave me, either. It’s better this way, though.”