by Deanna Chase
The vampires swarmed and then scattered as flashes of light illuminated from the guard’s sun agates. Only Phoebe and David remained.
Maude chanted something in Latin. Panic took over. If someone didn’t do something soon, Maude would kill them all. “Phoebe!”
Her eyes narrowed as determination settled on her features.
My muscles started to seize as the chant grew louder. Phoebe’s mouth was working, but I couldn’t hear her. Unwilling to go without a fight, I did the only thing I knew to do. I opened myself up and took in Maude’s spell.
My entire body convulsed, fighting the curse. I briefly wondered if my plants suffered as much when I stole their life before I rejuvenated them.
The thought triggered an idea. I tensed as I reversed the energy and forced Maude’s magic back into her.
She jerked her hands away, sending me falling to the ground. If I hadn’t been focused on releasing something dark and painful, I might have remembered to flex my wings. Instead, I landed on one of the guards, arms and legs flailing. Rolling off, I huddled near a car, trying to make sense of the scene in front of me.
The vampire gang reappeared, quickly neutralizing the remaining guards. My aunt swayed above me, struggling to keep airborne. Her body dipped and, her face tight with concentration, she flexed her wings, stabilizing herself. She glanced down at me, hatred in her black eyes. “This is far from over.”
Before I could respond, she sailed out of the garage and disappeared around the corner. Phoebe took off at a dead run after her.
“Willow?” David said.
“Huh?”
He wrapped me in his arms and pulled me into a hug, resting his chin on my head. “Are you okay?”
I stiffened and looked up. “Your touch doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Chapter Seventeen
The aged water oak’s limbs created a cocoon around me and an illusion of safety from the vampires within the large Victorian mansion. My wrecked body soaked in the tree’s cool life force, slowly healing itself.
I’d been too drained to worry about where David was taking me after we’d left the Arcane parking lot. To his credit, he bypassed the house and led me straight to the majestic oak in the gardens. He hovered awkwardly until I shooed him away, then he disappeared. I hadn’t seen anyone since. Not even Phoebe, though I knew she had to be here somewhere.
They were probably all inside, discussing some new plan they had no intention of sharing. For days they’d been keeping me out of the loop. Phoebe had started investigating my case without telling me and even gone so far as to work with David to get information out of Clea. Hell, together they’d worked a spell on her. And who knew what David was up to? This was my life on the line. I’d been the one threatened. Not them. The least they could do was tell me what in God’s name was going on.
Forget them. All I wanted was Link, Talisen, and a hot bath. And maybe a little Chimney Bark. If there ever was a situation for a little indulgence, this was it.
Anything to stop the confusion swirling in my mind. David’s touch didn’t hurt anymore. A warm sensation, something eerily close to hope, blossomed in my chest.
Stop it. You’re not in high school. And I was mad at him right?
I squashed the traitorous desire. David was not mine. Not anymore, and he never could be. Fae did not get involved with vampires. Ever. I didn’t even know if this new development would last. Maybe Nathan’s bite had left me with a short-term immunity. Was that possible? No one could answer that question. I was the only faery I knew affected with the insane vampire curse.
A door slammed shut, and a moment later Phoebe appeared across the garden. Her wig was gone, revealing her spiky, black, one hundred percent Phoebe hairdo.
“Hey.” She sat on the grass next to me, tucking her jean-clad legs under her.
I picked at a blade of grass, staring up into the oak.
“Link’s at home with Talisen.”
I’d figured as much, but that was good to know.
“Maude got away,” she added.
I nodded. Of course she did. “Are we fugitives now?”
“Likely. If I’d caught her we could’ve brought charges. But there aren’t any witnesses except you, me, and Eadric’s vamps. Maude will have already built a cover story. To go to the Arcane now is suicide.”
I turned hard eyes on Phoebe. “What the hell is going on?”
“We should wait for David. I have questions, too.”
Barely restrained rage propelled me to my feet. “No! I want to know whatever it is you know. You’ve obviously been working with David. From the scene with Clea to the vampire Nathan to whatever is going on here.” I gestured toward the house. “The very fact you’ve been invited here after all the vampires you’ve apprehended over the years is ludicrous. Spill it.”
Phoebe’s brows lifted and her mouth dropped open in a sheer display of shock. Outbursts and temper tantrums weren’t usually my MO. “I’ve been trying to protect you.”
“Don’t you think things would’ve gone easier if I’d been in on the plan?” I straightened my shoulders and raised my chin in offense. How dare they treat me like I was just another human, too weak to fend for myself?
Phoebe rose, locking her gaze on mine. “I promise you, nothing I’ve done has been intentionally behind your back.”
I stared her down for a few beats, then sighed, too tired to argue. “Fine, but start from the beginning.”
“I already told you what happened with Clea. But speaking of her, I took the pomegranate juice bottles to the lab for testing a few days ago while Talisen was watching over you. The results are in: your fingerprints, mine, and a trace of carpet fibers.”
“Any idea where it came from?”
She nodded. “I sent David to check out Clea’s apartment. Perfect match.”
My eyes went wide. “We were her target?”
“Maybe. I’m not sure. I tagged her, remember?” She flopped down on her back and fiddled with a fallen leaf. “But I’m certain the poisoned juice came from her.”
And David knew her. Like knew her, even though he obviously hadn’t cared for her. What was I missing? “David has to know more than he’s letting on. They’d spent time together. Remember Clea said…” I didn’t want think about the two of them in bed together, much less say it out loud.
Phoebe studied me and her eyes narrowed. “You mean they had a relationship.”
Heat crawled up my neck and burned my cheeks. “No.”
“Yes.”
I swallowed and avoided her gaze.
She sat up, her eyes pinning me to the tree.
“Fine, yes.” I backed up against the tree for support. “But something else is going on, and I intend to figure it out.”
“Okay, but I still say he was just investigating the Influence.”
Maybe she was right. He could’ve been looking out for me. But that didn’t explain why he suddenly turned vampire sometime in the last three months, or why he didn’t even tell me about it, or why he disappeared from my life. In order to turn, he had to have some sort of relationship with Eadric. Powerful vampires like him didn’t turn just anyone. David had never told me about his long-term ties to the vampire world. He’d lied by omission. I had no reason to believe he’d told the truth about anything.
I stood, staring down at Phoebe. “Tell me what happened after Maude had me locked up.”
Phoebe closed her eyes, and I swear she was asking the Goddess for strength, or maybe patience. When she opened them, she put on her no-nonsense face. “If we’d fought, all three of us would’ve been locked up. Once I saw what Maude wanted, I knew she’d never let you leave. You knew it too.”
I didn’t respond.
“David, and I agree with him, walked out so he could formulate a plan to get you out safely. I followed his lead. The first thing he did was call Nathan, who apparently has spent time in the past investigating the Arcane. One of the ways he gets in is by volunteering for testing. I don’t k
now how he did it so fast, but next thing I knew, David said Nathan got himself recruited for Maude’s latest experiments, and based on Nathan’s intel, we formed a plan.”
“To bust me out?” And ruin our lives and careers?
“What else were we supposed to do? Neither of us was going to let you go through that.” Her eyes flashed with anger.
“Sorry.” I slumped. Her career was in greater danger than mine. I had the store; she only had the Arcane. “I should be thanking you, not biting your head off.”
“It’s okay.”
“Not really.” I gave her a small smile. “Thanks for busting my butt out of there.”
She laughed. “Any time.”
“All right, what did I miss?”
She pulled out her silver beetle bugging device. “I have it all right here, but there’s something you need to know first.”
Now what? The concern in her voice shot a dart of panic through my otherwise numb heart. “What is it?”
She took a deep breath. “Eadric is David’s adoptive father.”
I frowned. “I know. Eadric turned him.”
“No, Wil. I don’t mean vampire father. Eadric adopted David when he was ten. David has been a part of Eadric’s family for twenty years.”
***
An hour later, I stormed into Allcot’s house. Unfamiliar vampires lay draped over the ornate antique furnishings. No one moved, but every pair of eyes tracked me. I stopped in the middle of a sitting room, my hands balled into fits on my hips. “Where is he?”
A flawless teenaged immortal tilted her head. “Who are you lookin’ for, sugar?”
“Eadric.”
“He’s with his inner circle. You don’t want to disturb him.” She flipped her luxurious, Pantene-commercial brown locks over one shoulder and snuggled up to a Greek goddess who appeared twice her age but was just as striking.
“The hell I don’t.” I focused on the heavy vampire energy weighing on me and marched up the grand staircase, following the strongest concentration.
“Wait!” the teen vampire called.
“Let her go, Felice,” her companion said, stroking her arm. “David will take care of her.”
I clenched my teeth at the mention of David but was grateful the older vamp had other things on her mind. In my rage, I’d likely get myself bitten again if they tried to stop me.
At the landing I followed my spidey sense down the hall. Gooseflesh covered my bare arms as the energy pulsed around me. Just as it had during both meetings with the leader of Cryrique.
Eadric was close. Right on the other side of the closed double doors. I’d bet my store on it. Without knocking, I barged in and skidded to a stop.
Inside, the walls were draped in black silk, offset by snow-white carpet. At the center stood a luxurious canopy bed, trimmed with sheers that barely concealed the naked flesh of three vampires.
I stumbled back, my body knocking the double doors closed with a loud click.
A voluptuous redhead moaned under Eadric’s touch while another I recognized as Eadric’s consort, Pandora, peeked between the panels. “Ah, the faery. Eadric, you didn’t mention you’d invited such a lovely morsel.”
“I didn’t.” He lifted his head from Pandora’s neck to gaze in my direction. “But she’s welcome all the same. Willow,” he called, sounding amused. “Care to join us?”
“No… ah, no thank you.” I yanked the doors open. They slammed behind me. I leaned against the door and waited for my heart to start beating again.
“Willow?” David strode toward me from the opposite end of the hall, shirtless, his hair damp. “What the hell are you doing?”
His faint cypress scent reached me before he did. I held up a hand, keeping my distance. He looked too damned sexy, and my traitorous body was responding in a way my head did not approve of. I was mad at him, not to mention he was a vampire. “I intended to have a conversation with your maker—oh, I’m sorry, I mean your father.” I averted my eyes, feigning interest in the gleaming wood floor. “But he’s a little busy at the moment.”
“Uh, yeah. I imagine he is.” The irritation in his voice vanished, replaced by something close to embarrassment.
“Forget it. Eadric’s bedroom activities are of no consequence to me.” I stepped forward, shaking a finger at him. “But you have some serious explaining to do. What the fuck is going on, and why have you been lying to me?”
His shoulders stiffened as he took a deep breath. “Phoebe told you.”
I crossed my arms and glared.
“I…” He grabbed my hand and pulled me down the hall. “Let’s talk in private.”
His fingers squeezed mine gently, and despite my instinct to pull away, I couldn’t. There was no pain, only comfort and familiarity. Back at the Arcane, when I’d blurted his touch didn’t hurt, he’d only stared at me in confusion. Of course he had. He didn’t have any idea what I’d been talking about.
When we reached the opposite end of the hall, David paused to glance at our joined hands and gave me a curious look.
“What?” Butterflies danced in my stomach.
“You’re letting me hold your hand.”
The question in his tone made me try to pull away, but his fingers gripped mine.
He stepped closer, invading my personal space. “What did you mean earlier when you said my touch didn’t hurt anymore?”
“I… nothing.” Crap. No one was supposed to know about my intolerance to vampires.
Lifting my hand, he pressed it against the door and trailed his fingers over my palm. “Does this hurt?”
I shook my head, not trusting myself to speak. A ripple of unwanted pleasure ran down my arm, and I tried to pull back.
He held tighter and clasped my other hand. “But it did before, right? That’s why you kept pulling away?”
It wasn’t the only reason, but it was the main one. I nodded.
Dropping my hands, he stepped back, hurt showing in his deep blue eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Shoot. Now I’d gone and wounded a vamp. I sighed. “I don’t tell anyone. It’s not just you, it’s all vampires. Well, not you anymore for some reason. If word got out…”
He stared at me for a moment. Then he took a deep breath. “I see.”
I shrugged. What more was there to say on the subject?
David produced a key and unlocked the door. The modest sitting room was furnished with a leather couch and matching armchairs. I scanned the walls, noting the black-and-white landscape photography, and nodded. “This is your space, isn’t it?”
He glanced back in surprise. “Yes. My room is through there.” He gestured toward a connecting door. “How did you know?”
I felt my brows pinch as I stared at him with my you’ve-got-to-be-joking look. “I dated you for a year.”
His lips eased into a sexy half smile. The same one that made me say yes the first time he asked me out.
All my earlier anger returned, and I fought back the impulse to sucker punch him. “A full year, David. In all that time did you not once think it was appropriate to inform me you’d been adopted by a vampire?”
His smile disappeared and he took a step back. “I couldn’t. Just like you couldn’t tell me about your intolerance to vampires.”
I narrowed my eyes. “That’s not at all the same. My disability puts me in danger.”
“It is the same. We live in different worlds. Live by different rules. Revealing information has consequences.”
“Like what? Did you think I’d leave you? Judge you? Or think less of you? It’s not like you had a choice.”
“You don’t understand.”
I took two steps, stopping inches from him. “That’s the problem. You never gave me a chance.”
He stared down at me, his eyes intense, and sighed. “I did have a choice. How could I tell you I chose to live with Eadric? That I was forever bound to him?”
I shrugged. “So what? You were a kid. You can’t be held accountable. I
f the courts weren’t so corrupted, a vampire could never adopt a child.”
“Listen to me, Willow. It’s not like that.” David kicked a table leg, and a glass lamp shattered on the floor. “This is why I didn’t say anything. You’re so prejudiced when it comes to vampires. And then I was turned. What would you have said? I spent two months trying to figure it out, then I thought… Well, I figured it would be better to just let you think I didn’t care.”
I shuffled back, putting more distance between us. My chest constricted. “You didn’t… you were scared about what I would say?”
He turned away and nodded. “Yeah. I guess so.”
A knot eased in my stomach, and even though my head demanded I should be angry at everything he’d omitted, my heart said something else. He hadn’t stopped caring. If anything, he’d cared too much.
David stood there in only his jeans, looking sexy as hell, but his expression was lost. Almost dejected. The pain of whatever he’d gone through by straddling two worlds was clearly taking its toll.
I hesitated, wanting to wrap my arms around him, but still wary. A lot had happened. I’d been so angry at him for leaving me, for keeping me in the dark, for not being honest. At the same time, I understood—at least partially—why he’d kept me at arm’s length.
He turned to face me, hands stuffed in his pockets, shoulders hunched. I couldn’t help but still care about him. I took careful steps and slid my arms around his waist, resting my head against his shoulder. “I don’t know what I would’ve said if you’d told me, but right now I’m okay with it.”
His arms circled around me and after a moment, he bent and gently brushed his lips against mine.
The pain and stress of the last week took over, and I couldn’t stop myself from sinking into the kiss. The chill of his tongue on my heated mouth stirred an unexpected response deep in my center. Everything fled my mind except the feel of him. My David, familiar and yet new at the same time. I was tired of being scared. Tired of being hurt. Tired of letting everyone else control my destiny. All I wanted was to feel something good. To feel his body against mine. I moaned and pressed closer.