Maybe Larissa was right. Fate was a real bitch.
Janie had suffered more than her fair share. And if it wasn’t for Larissa sensing dangerous situations ahead of time, Janie might have died years ago.
But, she had Larissa on her side.
Larissa walked over to Janie and touched her arm. “It’s me, Janie. I’m back with Roman. The guy with long black hair I met at the club.”
Roman said, “Hello, Janie,” Although, he had no idea if she could hear him.
Larissa beamed at him, which made it all worth it.
She glanced at Janie again. “Roman’s here to try to wake you. If you feel anything, it’s okay. I’m right here with you.”
Roman walked closer to Janie. The scent of the incubus lingered on her. He wrinkled his nose at the vile reminder.
Larissa glanced at him with a questioning look.
“I’m hoping my energy will act like a spark, giving her a jolt that she needs.”
Larissa squinted. “Like a defibrillator?”
He resisted a smile at the comparison of human technology to magic. But, she’d been raised in the human’s world. That was her point of reference.
“Somewhat. But a more powerful source of energy.” Roman lowered his hands above Janie’s torso, trying to get a better read on her. He had to somehow connect with her life force to kick start it. If that didn’t work, he wasn’t sure what would.
He took a deep breath. He repeated the action twice more. Once confident he was centered, he focused on his energy within. When he tapped into his essence, he projected it out on the next exhale, pushing it through his hands toward Janie. The energy moved from him into her.
It stopped with an abrupt push, as if prevented by a shield.
He opened his eyes. The obstacle had felt so real, he thought he’d see a physical barrier over Janie. But nothing was there.
“What’s wrong?” Larissa asked.
“Hold on. Let me try again.” He took another deep breath and repeated the action. The same thing happened. What the hell was preventing him from reaching her?
He stared at Larissa. “Do you see anything happening when I try?”
She shook her head. “Should I?”
“I hit some sort of barrier.”
Larissa jerked her head. “What kind of barrier?”
“I don’t know.” He surveyed Janie, seeking answers. “It must be a protective layer. Or magic.” Yes, that had to be it. He tried to sense a magical imprint.
Oh shit. He lifted his hands to his face and then dropped them at his side. In a layer buried so deep, pulsed a thin barrier of dark magic.
“What is it?” Larissa asked. Her eyes flashed wide with worry.
“Come outside,” he said.
He led her down the hall, away from Janie’s earshot, if she could even hear them.
Larissa had paled. She wrapped her arms around herself, clearly expecting the worse. Unfortunately, he might be revealing that news.
“Beneath that barrier, I sensed dark magic,” he said in a low voice, so no one would overhear. “It must be from the incubus.”
“Damn it.” She put a trembling hand over her mouth and let out a strangled sound. When she lowered her hand, she asked, “What does that mean?”
She was terrified. All he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and comfort her. Nurses passed, but they were too busy with their work to pay Larissa and Roman any attention.
He wrapped his arms around her. She dropped her head against his chest.
He kissed the top of her head. “It means we find another way.”
She cradled against him for a half-a-minute. When she pulled away, her eyes glistened.
“I’ll do whatever I can. My father was here earlier. He confirmed what you told me about myself.”
She didn’t say that she was a witch, nor did she have to.
“How are you taking it?”
She shrugged. “Not well. I kind of freaked out on him. Added to all the death, Janie’s coma, and my forced leave from my job, I feel like I’m the subject of a surreal, supernatural country song.” A one-sided smile tugged at her lips.
He smiled in return. Her sense of humor in the dark times fit right in with his world.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t help her, Larissa.”
“By being here, you help me,” she said. “Roman, can you take a couple of hours to go someplace with me today?”
His body flushed with heat. He pictured taking her someplace that had a big bed, so he could make her forget all her troubles for a while. After the letdown of not connecting with her last night and worrying about what might have happened to her, all he wanted was to touch her and know she was safe.
“Of course,” he replied. “Where to?”
“My grandmother’s.”
His expectations crashed like a multi-car pile-up. What exactly did Larissa have in mind?
Chapter 5
After Larissa got her car from Brighton, she returned to her apartment and called her grandmother.
“Can I come by? I’m hoping we can talk.”
“Of course. Is something wrong?”
Her grandmother must have sensed the anxiety in Larissa’s tone.
“Not exactly, but—” No, she wouldn’t get into it on the phone. She hated it when people were vague. Her mind would rush to the worst scenarios. The least she could provide was an explanation. “I want you to meet someone. His name is Roman.” That was indeed one of the reasons. She’d save the complicated discussion for the visit.
Larissa showered and changed into a different pair of jeans and a comfortable, royal blue T-shirt. Then she drove over to Boston Common to pick up Roman. He’d wanted to check in with his sentries before he left the city for a few hours.
When she arrived and spotted the police tape and presence, her heart hammered. Her hands turned clammy. The reminders of the demon attack flooded her. So much carnage with the bodies on the ground…
Refocus.
Right. The demons were gone.
After she spotted Roman near a fence across from the Public Gardens, her breath hitched. God, he was impressive. With his long black hair and dark clothing, he had the presence of an ancient warrior brought to the modern era. His wide stance spoke strength and protection. He smiled, making his amber eyes crinkle.
She pulled up to him. “Everything okay?”
“Yes. I checked in with two of my sentries. All appears calm.”
Good. Perhaps she was too on edge over everything and needed to find a way to relax. Preferably alone with Roman. He had a way of working sensual magic throughout her entire body.
What was she doing thinking of sex when she was on her way to her grandmother’s? Bad idea.
She turned on the radio to distract herself and found a station with The Rolling Stones’ “Paint it Black.” That fit her mood better than the bright summer sun shining overhead.
“Thanks for coming with me today. There’s so much I don’t understand, and you might be able to explain things better.”
“I’ll do my best.” Roman glanced out the window. He scanned their surroundings on a regular basis, like he had a timed internal surveillance system. Always on watch.
Since it was late morning, traffic wasn’t too bad as she drove west. It lessened as they increased their distance from the city. Her grandmother lived with three cats in Maynard, a small town west of Concord. Larissa gripped the steering wheel so tightly that the tension traveled up her arm and into the back of her neck. As her anxiety rose, her leg twitched.
Roman put his hand on her quivering thigh and stroked it. “It’s going to be all right.”
His hand there was reassuring, but it didn’t remove her anxiety. At least, her leg stopped pulsing with those tiny spasms she was prone to when nervous. “I’m afraid of what I might learn about myself.”
“No matter what, you’ll still be Larissa,” he replied with assurance. “A good person and devoted friend. And lucky for me, also my m
ate.”
She shot a quick glance at him. He’d tried to explain the connections between mates, but it remained a foreign concept to her. He had no doubts they were meant to be together. Did she?
The night of the attack, she hadn’t. Somehow, she’s sensed they were destined. But, with her world unraveling, how could she be sure about anything? Sure, she was drawn to him. Yes, she wanted to be with him. But, still—he was a different species.
And she was a train close to veering off the tracks.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“How much of a hot mess I am.”
Roman chuckled. “I don’t see you that way.”
She raised her brows. “How do you see me?”
“Extraordinary. Loyal. Caring. Kind. Stunning. And, I’m grateful that fate brought us together. Love can be found in the darkest of situations.”
“Love?” she repeated. “You’re not saying you already love me, are you? Despite everything, it has still only been a few days.”
The smile left his face. Ugh, did she have to open her mouth and ruin the moment?
Her practical side was coming through, poking for doubts into something that couldn’t possibly be this good. She’d found a good guy—a great guy, in fact—but, he wasn’t even human.
He let out an audible exhale. “Some things don’t need to be analyzed, Larissa. Despite all the questions, you just know.”
Larissa pursed her lips. He’d gone right to the heart of her doubts. “I can’t. Not right now, at least, with everything going on. I just want to get through the next hour with my grandmother without discovering some other catastrophic revelation.”
Roman squeezed her thigh. “I’ll be there with you, Larissa. We can handle whatever happens together.”
She smiled at him. His words warmed her. No, it was more than that. His absolute belief in them comforted her.
After she took the exit off Route 2, she drove through Concord and then into a neighborhood with several ranches of similar design, but different color. They had both front and back yards, and decent-sized ones at that, something that wasn’t found as often in the city.
She pulled up to a jade-green house with pink and purple floral borders along every edge. Multiple colorful witch balls hanging in the windows and from the magnolia tree out front. “We’re here.”
As they walked to the front door, the floral fragrance greeted her. It was much quieter out here in the suburbs. The sound of a lone car passing through the intersection ahead stood out, something that would have been drowned out in the city traffic. The only people visible were a few kids playing at the end of the road, and they were too far away to be heard.
Her grandmother answered the door with a smile that reached her dark blue eyes. Like Larissa’s eyes. And her mother’s. Her father had often told her she had her mother’s beautiful eyes.
Her grandmother’s long gray and white hair was pulled into her usual braid halfway down her back. She wore multiple colorful layers–a light blue dress with a purple shawl draped over it. After greeting Larissa with a kiss, she peered at Roman over her spectacles and nodded.
“Welcome,” she said to Roman with a hint of wonder in her voice. “It’s been a long time since I’ve met someone like you.”
What exactly did her grandmother mean by that? “Nana, this is Roman. He’s my–uh–boyfriend.”
God, that sounded so stupid coming out of her mouth. But, what else could she call him? He was more than a friend, and she wasn’t going to introduce someone as her lover to her grandmother. And, no way would she jump straight to Roman’s description of a mate.
Her grandmother pulled her gaze back to Larissa with a knowing smile. “How did you two meet?”
Larissa exchanged a glance with Roman before replying, “It’s a long story.”
“Come. I’ll make us some tea.” Her grandmother turned over her shoulder. “I haven’t seen a shifter like you for years.”
Larissa stared at the back of her grandmother. She knew. She recognized him for what he was. How had she sensed that? Larissa guessed the surprises had only just begun.
Three cats entered the living room and brushed up against Larissa and her grandmother’s legs. Larissa bent down and rubbed the tortoiseshell cat’s chin. Jade purred and turned her head to encourage more. The gray and black kitties remained near her grandmother, appraising Roman at a distance.
When her grandmother headed into the kitchen, the three cats followed. “Oh, you always know when I’m in the kitchen,” she addressed them.
“That’s Jade, Heka, and Claude,” Larissa told Roman.
After her grandmother gave the cats a few treats, they slipped out the pet door into the backyard.
Twenty minutes later, Larissa and Roman had given her grandmother a rundown of the events, ending with the most recent incident with Janie that morning. A plate of baked goods and cups of tea went untouched as they tried not to leave out any important details.
“The most pressing concern is Janie. Roman tried helping her this morning, but it didn’t work.”
Her grandmother turned to Roman, and furrowed her brows. “Can you describe what happened?”
He nodded. “I was trying to project my energy into her, but something stopped me. It felt solid, like a physical barrier, although I guessed that was impossible. As I searched for the source of the blockage, I detected dark magic. Demon magic. Somehow, the incubus left his mark on her. And I don’t know how to break through it.”
“Do you, Nana?” Larissa asked. “Please tell me we can help Janie.” Tears prickled her eyes. “I can’t lose her.”
Her grandmother’s gaze swept over Larissa and her expression softened. “I’ve never encountered demons nor their dark magic. But, I’m well-versed with our magic, and much of that derives from energy.”
Larissa furrowed her brows. “What does that mean?”
“It means, I’m not sure,” her grandmother replied. “I don’t want to lift your spirits only to crush them.”
Larissa nodded. “I understand that, Nana. I’ll do whatever it takes to help her. What do I need to do?”
Her grandmother sighed. “I’d always hoped that one day I would be able to teach you magic, but I never wanted it to be this way.”
Larissa took a steely breath. “I have so many questions about who I am. About our family.” After Roman gave her a reassuring squeeze, she said, “Is it true that you’re a witch?”
Her grandmother paused before replying. “Yes.”
“And my mom was as well?”
Her grandmother nodded. “She was.”
Larissa sighed. “And that means I have witch blood in me, too.”
Her grandmother gave her a sympathetic look. “It means you are also a witch.”
Even though she’d been expecting this, hearing her grandmother state those words hit Larissa with the impact of a bulldozer smashing it into her brain.
“How could you have kept this from me for so long?”
Roman stood and placed his hand on her shoulder. “I’ll give you some privacy.” He nodded at the glass door leading to the backyard. “I’ll be out there if you need me.”
Larissa’s gaze followed Roman as he walked away. A part of her wished he’d stayed, but he was right—this should be between Larissa and her grandmother.
When she pulled her focus back to her grandmother, she said, “I found out from him. This is something I should have known.”
Her grandmother wrung a tea cloth on her lap. “Did your father explain why?”
“He tried to,” Larissa said. “But, you know how he is. He revealed the bare minimum, and said I would get more info from you.”
“Larissa, you look terribly upset. Are you sure you want to talk about this now?”
She had to get it together. Not lash out like she had with her father. They had their reasons, even if Larissa didn’t yet understand them.
She raised her chin. “Yes, I am upset. My two closest family mem
bers have been lying to me all those years. I’ve been kept in the dark for long enough. It’s time I know the truth.”
Her grandmother nodded. “Yes. It’s time.” She flattened the tea cloth and stared at it, wringing it in her hands. “When your mother died it was a difficult time for all of us. You lost your mother. Your father lost his wife. I lost my daughter, my only child. We were all reeling from her sudden death and didn’t know what to do. What your father and I both agreed on was putting you first and doing whatever we had to do to help you get through it.”
When she tilted her head and smiled, Larissa saw how her grandmother’s eyes glistened. A motorcade of guilt slammed into Larissa. What the hell was wrong with her for making her grandmother relive her worst possible moment? She’d lost her child in a sudden car accident. Larissa had been in the car when it had happened but had come through unscathed.
Her grandmother continued, “You’d always been a special girl, with remarkable talents that your mother and I had recognized at an early age. It was something we would’ve loved to nurture. We loved to watch you play with your toys. You had such a fantastic imagination. You’d say your dolls could fly.”
Larissa blinked. How odd, since she’d recently discovered the magic of flight with her gargoyle lover.
“Yes. You were such a bright and happy child and the absolute light of your mother’s life. After she died, your father said we had to do our best to let you be a normal kid, and that meant not encouraging any sort of magic. I argued with him at first, but he was right. You needed a different kind of nurturing after losing your mother. S—s-security and a sense of normalcy. I eventually agreed. It was what was best for you.”
She had never seen her grandmother appear so emotional. It tore at Larissa’s insides. She was tormenting her grandmother by making her relive that awful anguish. God, she should stop this. Her mother’s death and funeral were only a faint memory, as Larissa had only been six. She remembered the sadness, and it echoed in the room now—that profound sense of loss. Only later, did she understand how unfair it had felt to have the universe tear a loved one from you.
Enticed by the Gargoyle: Stone Sentries 2 (Boston) Page 4