by Lari Smythe
Chapter 4
Mom was asleep down the hall. Her light had gone out over an hour ago, but I was wired. Sure I was still on West Coast time, but it was more than that, it was Izzy. The more I thought about her, the more I felt like such a creep for just dropping her off like that. A creep—hell that was putting it mildly. I don't care how tough she was, she deserved to be treated better, especially by me.
Slipping out of the house was easy. I even thought far enough ahead to take Mom's car since the Jeep had that annoying, and now loud, exhaust leak. I left a note on the kitchen table just in case Mom woke up before I got back. I didn't want her to worry; she'd done enough of that.
The mountainside was dark, so I pulled off into the underbrush near the main road. It wasn't that long of a walk up the driveway to the house. About halfway up the mountain, the dark silhouette of the house appeared out of the shadows. I slowed, taking careful steps, which was totally ridiculous because Izzy would already know I was here.
Okay, knock on the door and then just tell her I'm sorry. When I looked up, Izzy was standing on the porch. There was something—unsettling—in our visual exchange.
"What are you doing here?" Her voice was charged with concern.
"I—I—" I couldn't look at her. "I feel like such a jerk, can you ever forgive me?"
Izzy glided down the stairs and pulled me down next to her. "What in the world do you need forgiveness for?"
"You know, I should have never—I let my imagination get the best of me."
"Ya think?" She slid her hand into mine and the incredibly, sensuous chill of hers radiated up my arm.
"Ahhh," I breathed. "There it is."
She smiled. "What?"
"You know."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Oh shut up and kiss me," I said. She let me pull her into my arms. I finally broke off the kiss, brushed back her hair and looked deep into her incredible eyes. "You really are too beautiful."
Her smile was dazzling, even in the darkness. "So," she said, "about your little surprise visit?"
"Yeah, well, I felt like a jerk leaving you up here all alone."
"You didn't leave me, silly boy, I asked to be dropped off."
"Still, it was a dumb thing for me to do. You and Elizabeth okay?"
"They're not here."
"Oh, I thought maybe the boards were for me."
"No. I checked our hunting grounds to be sure, but—"
"No luck."
She nodded.
"It's really weird they'd just leave you, do covens do that? You know like a self preservation kind of thing."
"They didn't leave me, Jason, I left them, remember?" She ran her hand up the side of my throat, and then curled a strand of hair, at the nape of my neck, around her finger.
"Right," I droned. "Did you think to ask the guy down the road?"
"Not yet." Suddenly she was on her feet, staring in the direction of a slight breeze. I followed her gaze into the darkness, but couldn't see a thing.
"This like back at the rest stop, we're not alone?"
She relaxed and sat back down next to me. "I'm not sure. I haven't seen or heard anyone, but I keep getting this scent, like someone's here."
"Someone like not the Faulkners?"
"Yeah." She slid her hand back up behind my head and nudged me toward her.
"You should probably come home with me then, it might be dangerous. Don't pretend you're invincible, I know differently."
"I'm not in any danger," she whispered in my ear. "You didn't drive all the way up here to talk, did you?" she said with her lips brushing mine.
Being together again was incredible, but fight it as I did, after and hour or so a yawn snuck out.
"I'll walk you to your mom's car," she said, as she stood and then pulled me to my feet.
I didn't argue, it meant more time with her even though it made me feel like I was the girl—I mean, come on, the girl doesn't walk the guy to the car. It was more than that too. There was something in her voice that hinted like it was more than just a casual walk to the car, something that said she was in protection mode. It was very subtle, but I did get the distinct impression that she was probing the darkness as we walked to the car.
"Am I safe now?" I half heartedly joked when we reached the car.
"Yes," she said without explanation.
"Will you come over tomorrow?"
"Jason, we've been through this. I need to locate my family." She ran her fingers through my hair. "I'll miss you terribly, but it shouldn't take long, I promise."