Caleb’s lips were warm on the back of my hand. “I’ll see ya after the first set.” I watched him disappear into the sea of bodies before I turned and followed Paige to a table by the dance floor.
“Maybe when he’s done you can get him to whirl you around the dance floor,” she commented and handed me a menu. It was a page long and consisted mainly of various forms of liquor.
“I don’t dance,” I stated.
The Gryphon upgraded me with all sorts of fun powers and abilities. However, he never corrected my complete lack of rhythm. I look like a chicken getting tazored when I dance. I didn’t want Caleb, or anyone else for that matter, to see that.
As she walked behind my chair Paige bent down to whisper in my ear. “Gives ya an excuse to check out the merchandise up close.” With a conspiratorial wink cast over her shoulder, she returned to her post by the door.
On stage, Caleb’s raven black hair glistened under the spotlights as he strapped on a red and white guitar. Goatee-guy nodded at him and the rest of the band. Then he turned back to the audience.
Both hands gripped the mic as he shouted, “Al-right, now! Let’s get rowdy!”
They launched into a raucous Irish rock song that everyone but me seemed to know. The crowd cheered and swarmed the dance floor, but I didn’t notice any of them. All I could see was Caleb. He looked fantastic. Faded black T-shirt that skimmed his chest like a second skin. Weathered jeans that hugged him in all the right places. Motorcycle boots that hinted at a bad boy streak. Combine that with the rocker element and he was nothing short of delectable. I wasn’t the only one that thought so. More than a few catcalls were screamed out just for him. Not that I blamed them. If anything, it was an ego trip to know he was there with me. I smiled as I drummed my fingers on the table in time with the music. The band finished their first song and transitioned into another.
“Most of the girls in here only show up hoping they’ll go on stage.” I jumped at the sound of Paige’s voice. I’d been so focused on Caleb I hadn’t noticed she’d come up behind me.
“Are they that good?”
“They’re good,” she said with a slight lift of her narrow shoulder. “Mainly do Dropkick Murphy and The Bollox covers. But you and I both know that’s not what they come for.” She jerked her chin in Caleb’s direction.
I motioned for her to have a seat across from me. “So, if all these girls are falling all over him, why’d you say he never has a date?”
Paige sat down and slid her foot out of her black ballet flat. Then rubbed at her heel. “Because he doesn’t. Many have tried and all have failed. Heck, no offense intended, but if he gave me so much as an interested look I’d knock you to the ground and step on your face to get to him.”
There was no malice in her expression, just the blunt truth. I couldn’t help but smile. “I appreciate your honesty.”
She slid her shoe back on and rose from the table. “Just sayin’.” She shrugged. “There has to be something special about you that caught his eye. Good for you.”
My forehead creased as I shifted my gaze back to Caleb. Sweat dampened the tips of his hair. It clung to his face and neck in a sexy mess. The music blared as the band pounded out their rendition of Tura’lu by The Bollox.
Caleb glanced up from his guitar and sought me out in the crowd. His eyes found mine and he gave me a dimpled grin meant solely for me. I forced myself to return his smile despite the doubts that swirled in my mind. When he asked me out the first time he said it was because he felt there was something different about me. At the time I thought it was a line. Could it have been true? Did something about my calling lure him to me? Could he sense I was different? If that were the case, would he have noticed me at all without my abilities?
These questions tugged at me and cast dark shadows on an otherwise pleasant evening. A flailing figure in the far corner by the bar snapped me out of my reverie. He jumped up and down, and frantically waved his arms over his head. With a heavy sigh, I rose and waded through the crowd toward Eddie. I didn’t say anything when I got to him, but turned my hands palm up and gave him an “are you kidding me?” look.
“What?”
“Could you possibly draw more attention to yourself?”
“I had to get you to look over here.” He shrugged and readjusted his necktie.
I waved a hand at his ensemble. “And the outfit?”
He glanced down at himself. “What? I’m incognito.”
“You’re dressed like a Blues Brother.”
Clueless confusion. “A what?”
“Never mind. Why are you here?” I rubbed my temple to thwart off my impending headache.
His dull brown eyes lit up with the importance of his mission. “We heard something big! There is a new demonic power rising. It’s recruiting people from all over the world and preparing for some sort of big attack. The whole Underworld is in an uproar. The Countess wants whoever’s leading it dead, like, yesterday. She doesn’t handle competition well.”
Alec. Dread turned my blood cold. I couldn’t protect him if he started some sort of demon war. “Any guesses on who could be behind it?”
He shook his head. “None. But whoever it is isn’t being stealthy about it. They’re not even cloaking the people they infect with demon blood. You can smell them all over the place. Well you can’t, but I can. Your lion probably could, too. It’s almost like they want everyone to know they’re coming.”
If I didn’t stop Alec soon I was going to find myself smack dab in the middle of two demonic armies. Not a good place to be. It was time I shared my secret with Gabe. We Garrett kids needed to come up with a plan, pronto. Hopefully, it would still involve saving Alec, but that felt increasingly unlikely.
First, I needed to get rid of Eddie. I couldn’t chance him following me and finding out about Alec. I clapped a hand on his bony shoulder and swiveled him in the direction of the door. “You took a huge risk coming here and telling me this. Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” he said with an apologetic grimace. “I’m really sorry. Don’t be mad. We have to make it look realistic.”
I didn’t like where this was going. “Make what look realistic?”
A voice right behind me yelled, “Bar fight!”
I spun in time to see Red swing a chair at my head like a baseball bat. My head snapped to the side, and I fell to my knees. Stars and dots danced in my vision. For a demonic weenie, he packed quite a wallop.
Eddie crouched in front of me and whispered in my ear. “Don’t get up. We have to make it look real.”
“Hey! That guy just hit that girl!” A deep voice bellowed. “Get him!”
Chaos erupted, accompanied by the frequent girlish screams of an outnumbered Red.
“He hit me with a chair.” My words came through clenched teeth.
“So sorry.”
“As soon as I get up, I’m kickin’ your…”
Eddie fiddled to get something out of his jacket pocket. Red let out another scream. “You can’t get up. It has to look convincing. I’d explain more, but they’re about to slide Red down the bar by the waist-band of his underpants.”
I blinked my eyes into focus. Eddie poured silver sand into the palm of his hand from a small black velvet satchel. “Sleep!” he commanded and blew it in my face.
CHAPTER 22
I groaned and stretched. Then rolled on my side and threw my arm over my head. I pulled my heavy lids open to peek at the digital clock on my end table. It wasn’t there. A hula girl lamp I’d never seen before sat in its place. Instead of my sister’s snoring, I heard the unfamiliar tick of a wall clock. It occurred to me this might not be my bedroom. The opposite side of the bed squeaked under someone’s weight.
My sleepy eyes bulged. Where the heck was I and who was I in bed with?! A fun mix of dread, nausea and horrified embarrassment swirled in my stomach as I braced for the worst and rolled over.
Caleb sat perched on the edge of the bed. Worry lines creased his forehea
d as he gazed down at me. “How ya feelin’?”
“Tired.” My voice was gruff with sleep. “What happened?”
His jaw flexed. “Bar fight. Ya had the unfortunate luck of gettin’ caught in the middle of it. Gave me quite a scare.”
The memory came back. Red hit me with a chair and Eddie drugged me. Apparently I needed to have a talk with our new allies. Friends don’t ruffie friends, or hit them with furniture. “I remember now. I took a chair to the head.” I lifted my head off the pillow and glanced around the room. It was bare other than the bed and end table. No pictures or keepsakes. Just that hideous lamp and a worn copy of Silas Marner. The bedding was simple, but looked brand new. White sheets, black comforter. That was it. “Are we at your place?”
“Aye.” He cast his eyes down. “I probably should’ve taken ya home. But I couldn’t. Not until I knew for sure ya were okay.”
My head felt heavy as it flopped back down on the pillow. “How’d you get me here? Tie me to your bike?”
That broke through his mask of concern and brought a hint of a smile. “A friend drove us here so I could tend to ya. As soon as ya’re feelin’ better I’ll go get my bike, then take ya to ya’r truck.”
“Gonna need a minute yet.”
“Take ya’r time. Head still cloudy?”
“Uh, yeah.”
He slid his hand across the bed and curled his fingers around mine. “I’ll go get ya some tea. Help clear away the cobwebs.”
“Thank you.” I let my eyes fall shut as he pushed off the bed and walked to the door. Cupboards opened and shut. The water turned on and off. The stove clicked until the gas flame ignited. After that I must have drifted off. Next thing I knew he was back by my side, cup in hand.
I forced myself to sit up and take the steaming mug from him. The aroma filled the room. “Minty.”
“Aye, but the good kind of minty. Not the paltry excuse for it at your café.” Caleb sat back down on the bed. I appreciated the care he took to keep my tea from spilling. He scooted a little further over, then gently pulled me back so I could lean against him.
I took a sip. Bitter yet sweet. “Wow. That is good. Thank you.”
“Glad to be able to care of ya.” He stroked my hair. His voice low and serious. “I didn’t like feelin’ helpless while you were…out.”
My inner warrior reared up in protest at the idea of anyone “taking care of” me. I gazed over my shoulder at Caleb’s visible concern and told her to can it. His kissable lips were pressed together in a thin line. His brow pinched in tight.
His hand settled on my shoulder. I laid mine on top of it. “I’m okay. Really.”
With a feather light touch, his other hand brushed across my jaw line. A storm brewed behind his eyes. “If anything ever happened to you… Celeste, my Celeste.”
He took the tea from my hands and placed it on the end table. My heart thudded in my chest. He cupped my face with tender hands. His emerald eyes smoldered as his gaze tracked over my cheeks, my lips, my neck. My body responded to his gaze like an intimate caress. Heat rose within me. Painfully slowly, he brought his lips to mine. Gentle at first, asking an unspoken question. His hand slid through my hair. He cradled the back of my neck and drew my body to his. Tender kisses and caresses ignited urgent passion. I raked my fingers down his back. Beneath the thin layer of fabric of his shirt I could feel taut, hard muscle.
I moaned against his lips. His body tensed. With a low groan, he gripped my shoulders and pushed me away. “Ya’re injured. We shouldn’t be doing this.”
I wanted to argue that I healed fast, so why the heck not? But I couldn’t—and shouldn’t. Instead, I sighed and pressed my forehead to his. “You’re probably right.” We stayed like that until our ragged breath steadied.
“Not to ruin the moment,” I said, knowing that’s exactly what would happen. “But how long was I out?”
“An incredibly torturous hour.”
I sat back and peered up at him. I did my best not to get lost in his eyes…again. “It’s almost midnight?”
He checked his watch with its thick black leather band. “Almost.”
I ran a hand through my hair, it had to be a mess. “I’m going to have to get home soon. Grams will be worried.”
Caleb caught my hand in his. He ran the tips of his fingers from my wrist, up my palm, to my fingertips, and then down again. “My friend lives a block away. I’ll run ov’r thar and have him take me to fetch ya’r truck. Will ya be okay here until I get back? I won’t be long.”
“Sure.” I shrugged.
He leaned in and brushed his lips across mine. “Be right back.”
“I’ll be here.” I tried not to beam like a ninny, but failed miserably. I couldn’t deny it, I was smitten. I was in deep smit.
At the bedroom door Caleb paused and glanced back. He hesitated before he spoke as if trying to decide on the right words. “One more thing. My roommate might come home and he’s kinda…unpredictable. Ya might want tah stay in here with the door shut until I get back.”
My eyebrows raised. “Unpredictable as in he’s going to burst in here wearing a hockey mask and wielding a chain saw? Or like he tends to randomly streak through the house naked?”
He dazzled me with a grin but this time it didn’t make it up to his eyes. “No. Nothin’ like either of those. It’s just best if I’m here as a buffer when ya meet.”
“Fair enough.”
His glossy black hair fell forward as he nodded. Then he closed the door behind him. As soon as the door clicked, I glanced around the room for my purse. I needed to find my cell and call Grams. She wasn’t a stickler about curfews, but she did worry. My purse was nowhere to be seen. The outside apartment door opened and shut. If I left it at the pub, I needed to catch Caleb before he left and ask him to look for it.
I hurried off the bed and after him. The apartment was so small it only took me five strides to cross it. I yanked open the door and stepped outside onto a narrow wood planked porch that led down a steep set of stairs. Caleb had just reached the bottom.
“Caleb! Hold on a sec.”
He jerked like I startled him. Then spun to face me. The world whirled around me in a nauseating blur. All I could see was his eyes. His solid, black eyes. My legs gave out and I sat down hard on the steps. Caleb vanished in a black cloud of smoke.
CHAPTER 23
There are certain issues that couples can work through and maintain a healthy relationship. One being sent from a demon dimension to kill the other isn’t one of them. The night temperature had plummeted and I was freezing, but I refused to move until Caleb came back to face me. An immediate break-up was mandatory. And by “break-up” I mean I planned to rip his head off his shoulders before he got the chance to do the same to me. He lied to me, plotted against me, and played me. A showdown was inevitable. In the meantime, I had my seething anger to keep me warm.
When it came to places to wait for an end-all, be-all fight Caleb’s apartment building was actually quite nice. His apartment was situated on the second story of an old Victorian style house. The first floor held a cute, little flower shop. Assorted floral scents wafted through the night air. In the center of the gravel parking lot sat a beautiful grey stone fountain surrounded by baskets of mums in all the deep shades of autumn. Water gushed from the top of it and cascaded down in a wide arc. A lion’s head had been chiseled into the base of the fountain, which, of course, made me think of Gabe. I hadn’t told him about Alec yet, and now my plan to do so had to be put on hold so I could clean up another messy situation I’d gotten myself into. A massive Gabe-splosion was in the very near future. The longer I sat there, the more condemning and arrogant the lion’s expression appeared to be.
“Stupid, judgmental lion,” I muttered, as I ran my hands over my chilled arms to warm them. While my hip-length lime green trench coat, lightweight tan sweater, skinny jeans, and black high-heeled boots had been cute for date night, it wasn’t the best attire for an outdoor stakeout.
In the distance, I heard the purr of a motorcycle. I rose up on icicle stick legs. My gaze fixed on the road. The rumble grew louder. Caleb appeared from the darkness. Gravel kicked up as he parked the bike next to the staircase. Our eyes locked as soon as he pulled off his helmet. Flakes of snow began to flutter down from the sky as if attempting to snuff out the destructive fires burning inside of me. It didn’t work.
He climbed off his bike and cautiously approached the base of the stairs. With his hands raised and his eyes pleading, he peered up at me. “Celeste, please let me explain.”
“Explain what?” My words came out a snarl. “How you deliberately tried to get close to me so you could kill me?” I jerked my head to the side. “I pieced it together, thanks.”
Caleb heaved a deep sigh. “Ya were asleep in my bed for an hour, lovey. If I wanted ya dead, ya would be.”
His term of endearment made my hands ball into fists. Mostly out of anger at myself that part of me liked it. “Was that your attempt at reassuring? ‘Cause you missed the mark.”
“I just want ya to hear me out.”
“I’m thinkin’—no. No more talking. No more flirting. No more longing looks. It all stops now. The Countess sent you to kill me? Well, here’s your big chance.” I leapt through the air X-Men style. A mid-air flip and I landed in a crouch behind him.
Caleb’s back stiffened as he turned to face me. “Ya’re the first good thing I’ve had in my life in over three centuries. I don’t want tah kill ya. I want tah help ya.”
His words stabbed into my heart. The foolish girl in me wanted to believe him. But the warrior knew better. “Drop the act ‘cause I’m not buying it.” I assumed a fighting stance. “Now let’s finish this.”
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