Within minutes, the teakettle whistled.
“There we are.” Cecile placed mugs in front of everyone and smoothed her hair again. “I suppose I’ll join Mike.” She hurried back to the front of the bus.
They would still be able to hear us if they wanted to, but since they sat in the very front, I knew they were trying to give us privacy.
Logan shifted in his seat, making his arm brush mine. He stiffened, as if aware of what he’d done.
The contact caused goose bumps to erupt along my skin, but more than that responded. The dark power roiled in my belly. I inched away more and blew on my mug of hot tea while I tried to wrangle the dark power into the storage chest with my light.
As before, it wouldn’t submit.
“Do you mind if I ask you a few questions now?” Wes asked.
“That’s fine. Go ahead.” I gave up trying to wrestle the dark power and instead made sure I sat far enough away from Logan that I couldn’t hurt him. When I tentatively sipped my tea, the hot brew scalded my tongue.
Wes pulled the tablet from his pocket again. I could feel Logan watching me, following my every move. My hand shook more when I set my tea down, earning me a worried frown from my boyfriend.
“I’d like to start by hearing your detailed account of what happened here tonight. Can you start at the beginning? I’d like to hear everything.” Wes’s fingers hovered over his tablet, as if he were going to record what I said.
“Well…” I shoved my hands under the table to hide that I was twisting them. “To start at the beginning, I’d have to go back to this morning, when I first met Jayden.”
Wes began typing on his tablet. “Go on.”
I told him everything—about meeting Jayden at the supermarket, how he’d followed me to the park, and how he’d come to dinner with his friends. But when I got to the part of him tricking me and them trapping me in the woods, my voice caught.
“Once I got there, I quickly realized my mistake, but I wasn’t strong enough to escape Jayden. He clamped a hand over my mouth and dragged me into the woods. Niles and Zach were there, too, except they’d both shifted into wolves. All three of them had glowing red eyes.” I shuddered. “That really creeped me out.”
Wes stopped typing. “Glowing red eyes?”
“Yeah, their eyes glowed red, not golden like Logan’s.”
Logan and his boss shared perplexed looks. Wes leaned forward more. “Describe their eyes to me.”
I trembled as the memory of their ruby-red eyes and saliva-covered teeth swirled in my mind. “Their eyes looked like brightly burning coals. Deep red and filled with hate.”
“Red eyes…” Wes typed more on his tablet, a heavy frown settling on his face. “That’s the first I’ve heard of that in rogues, and from what you’ve described, they were also rogues working together. That’s also unheard of.” His frown deepened. “Then what happened?”
“He said something about a man named S.” That tiny detail suddenly came to me. I’d almost forgotten about it. I described how Jayden had made a comment about me not being who they were supposed to be hunting. “I have no idea what he meant by that, but then I tried to run, and they pounced on me. Jayden started to shift as Niles lunged forward and bit me.”
The further I delved into the story, the tenser Logan grew. His muscles strained, veins popping out of his forearms and neck. He looked like a volcano ready to blow.
“Logan?” Wes interrupted. “Do you need a minute?” He asked the question calmly, as if Logan’s reaction were normal.
“No,” Logan replied in a clipped tone. “I want to know what she went through.”
More than anything, I wanted to place my hand on his, to reassure him that I was fine, but the dark power swirling in my belly had grown the more I talked about the rogues.
Even though I wasn’t touching either Logan or Wes, anxiety still made me inch back more. Once again, I felt completely out of control of whatever had been born inside me.
I swallowed tightly then resumed talking. “And that’s when I knew I was going to die. I couldn’t run, they were too strong for me to fight, and it was three against one, but when I grabbed onto Jayden and Niles, I felt an evilness in them that I’d never felt before.”
My mouth went dry despite the tea. “And in that moment, something cracked open inside me, and this rush of dark, cold power shot up, kind of like my healing light but different. It was stronger and sharper. Then a voice in my mind told me what to do—I still can’t explain that—so I kicked Zach away and clamped my hands onto Jayden and Niles.” Sweat beaded on my forehead as my heart began to pound. Just remembering the details made me nauseous.
Logan shifted, coming closer to me, but when I flinched, he stopped. In a low, deep voice, he said soothingly, “It’s okay, Dar. They’re gone. They can’t hurt you anymore.”
Hearing his deep voice helped calm my racing heart. Licking my dry lips, I continued. “So I did what the voice said. I gathered my new dark power, and I shot it into them, then … they died, and what’s left of them is in that clearing.”
Chapter 8
Wes leaned back with a stunned expression. “I’ve never heard of anything like that.”
I squeezed my hands together. “That’s what Logan said.”
Wes shook his head, disbelief written all over his features. “You single-handedly killed two rogues and fought off a third. Do you know how hard that is? Three rogues would have killed anyone else.”
At the reminder that I’d almost died, Logan balled his hands tightly into fists, as if they were hard boulders that desperately wanted to punch something.
I tried to give him a reassuring look.
“Yet you killed them with only your touch,” Wes replied.
I grimaced. The dark power still swirled inside me. Similar to my light, it felt potent, but in a different way. Whereas my light was golden and airy, the dark felt cold and powerful.
Not wanting to dwell on it any further, I asked, “Has there been any sign of Zach?”
Wes shook his head. “He’s probably on the run. Hopefully, we’ll catch him.” He tapped his chin, and a moment of silence passed before he said, “I have to admit, I’m curious if other witches can be trained to do what you did.”
“Trained?” I cocked my head.
He leaned forward, a keen interest in his eyes. “Yes. You’re a witch, correct? You can heal and do telekinetic spells?”
“Yes, but the spells and incantations I know are pretty simple. My family has always concentrated on our healing magic, not our telekinetic magic.”
“It’s common for witches to excel in certain areas of practice, yet you were still able to fight off rogues … as a witch. It’s worth pursuing, to see if other witches can be trained to kill rogues too.”
He said it so casually, as if being a killer was no big deal. But it was a big deal to me. My purpose was to give life, not to take it away.
Wes drained the rest of his tea and rose. “I think that’s all of the questions I have for now. I’m going to join the team at the clearing. Logan, I think it’s best if you stay with Daria until we have a better understanding of what happened here tonight.”
Logan dipped his head. “Yes, sir.”
“And, Daria, I’d like you to come to headquarters if you’re able. If you can instruct other witches, the SF’s ability to fight future rogues would increase.”
“But I don’t even know what I did.”
“You may not now, but perhaps in time you will.”
I wrung my hands. “I have to finish my healing tour before I could even think about doing that.”
“I understand, but I would still like you to consider it.” Wes shoved his tablet back into his pocket. “As for what happened here tonight, I’ll be in touch if I need any further information.”
∞ ∞ ∞
By the next morning, the shock of what had happened the previous night hadn’t disappeared, but it had lessened. The dark power still flowed inside m
e, but I had a show in a few hours which meant I needed to focus.
And while nerves fluttered in my belly at the thought of performing, I took comfort in one thing: my healing power didn’t require me to touch anyone. My hands always floated above a person during a healing session, and as long as the dark power stayed at bay if I didn’t touch anyone, my clients would still be safe.
Logan glanced at me from where he stood by the small stove in the bus’s kitchen. Given his frequent frowns and furrowed brow, I knew he was worried about me. Since Cecile and Mike had already finished their usual oatmeal and coffee, I sat alone at the small table near the kitchen while Logan cooked.
As usual, Logan wore jeans and a navy-blue T-shirt. His strong shoulders stretched the thin fabric—something I was certain I would never grow tired of seeing.
More than a few times, I’d become distracted by the broadness of his shoulders and the strength of his hand while he gripped the spatula. Who knew cooking breakfast could be so sexy. Despite all that had happened, my lady bits still responded to him, but each time it happened, a heavy dose of frustration followed.
Who knew when—if—I would be able to touch him again.
Ugh.
Scents of scrambled eggs wafted through the air when he finished preparing our meal. He slid the plates filled with steaming eggs and toast onto the table, his finger brushing mine in the process. I stilled, but he pulled back quickly and retreated to the counter to grab napkins. Our shared contact had been so brief that my powers hadn’t flared.
It was as if Logan had known that. Or, he was testing the new dark power and seeing what he could get away with.
If only his hands could slide around my waist and pull me close. Like he had done before leaving for California—
“We’ll be there in less than an hour!” Mike called over his shoulder from the front of the bus.
Mike’s abrupt statement snapped me from my wishful daydream. I forced a smile when Logan slid into the seat across from me, his eyebrow quirked in curiosity. I could only imagine the facial expression I wore.
I picked up my fork and tried to concentrate on my upcoming show. Country music spilled from the speakers, and Mike whistled along, his hands on the large steering wheel. Western Montana loomed all around us as we sped down a highway. Jagged rocky peaks and lush valleys filled the windows.
The bus rumbled beneath my toes when Logan said, “I hope you’re hungry.” His deep voice vibrated through me, eliciting goose bumps on my arms.
I bit into a piece of toast and swallowed before saying, “Thank you for making this, and I am hungry … but what I’m really hungry for can’t be sated right now.”
He grinned devilishly, obviously picking up on my meaning. “Soon, Dar,” he replied quietly, leaning closer. “Just as soon as we figure out what happened to you, we’ll fix it and then I’m making you mine.”
I shivered and felt thankful for my body’s intrinsic response to him. Nothing like a large drop-dead gorgeous werewolf sitting across the table to take one’s mind off the fact that one’s hands had turned into deadly weapons.
Logan picked up his fork, and he inhaled. A soft glow filled the ring around his irises. I knew it wasn’t the breakfast scents he was inhaling.
Thankfully, Cecile and Mike were none the wiser for the hormonal reaction occurring only yards away from them. Cecile busied herself with the schedule as she paced the bus.
“Only twelve clients are on the roster today, which means it will be an easy day,” she said when she paced by us. “And only a few days to go before your tour ends.” Cecile brought the tip of her pencil to her mouth before she jotted down a few notes. “Tomorrow we’ll be in Spokane, then Kennewick, and our last stop will be just outside of Seattle. Forty-seven more clients to see, Dar.”
I forced a forkful of eggs into my mouth. Forty-seven. I had forty-seven more lives to save before I could venture to the community and pursue answers to explain the dark power inside me.
Cecile walked back up the aisle, humming along to the music as she scanned the schedule.
“Where are you seeing people today?” Logan asked after Cecile settled on the couch at the front of the bus.
I shrugged. “We rented a room at some random motel. Since this area is remote, it was the only location we could find.”
One thing had changed in my tours recently—we no longer needed to hide. Thanks to Logan and the supernatural community, my biological father’s memory of me had been wiped clean. Less than a month before, I’d lived in terror that he would kill me. That was before I’d known the stalker who’d threatened my life also shared my blood. Now, deep sadness filled me every time I thought about him. My own father had hurt me, and he’d done it all for money.
“Aren’t you going to finish eating?” Logan frowned as he took in my expression. His forearm rested on the table, and his chocolate-brown eyes stared at me with such intensity that I could have sworn he could see into me.
I picked up my fork again, grumbling internally at my oscillating emotions. If I wasn’t perving over my boyfriend, I was worrying about my show, stressing about my powers, or feeling sad about my asshole Dad.
Too bad I couldn’t spend all of my time perving. That would have been preferable.
“I’m getting full. Do you want to finish mine?”
Logan had already finished his huge breakfast. One thing I’d learned about werewolves—they ate a lot.
“You eat it. You need to keep your strength up for your show.” That groove had settled between his eyes again. “Are you worried about it? Is that why you’re not eating?”
“A little.” I forked a bite of eggs into my mouth and changed subjects since the fluttering had started in my belly again. “Say, has there been any news from Wes about the rogues?”
“Yeah, I got a message from him this morning. They found where Niles lived. A small town about fifty miles north of Silver City, but we’re still not sure where Zach lived.”
I forced myself to swallow as all pervy thoughts fled when reality set in. As much as I wanted to forget my situation, there was no running from what had happened the previous night. “That’s not normal, right? That Niles lived so far away from Jayden and they were working together?”
“No. It’s not normal at all.”
“Has there been any sign of Zach?”
“At the moment, no. He’s disappeared.”
I dropped my fork and wrapped my arms around myself. “And the red eyes? Or that smell you said they had that wasn’t like other rogue werewolves? Has there been anything found about that? And what about S? Do you know who he is?”
Logan shook his head. “Wes has gone to the courts to request a scholar or two if we can get them. He’s hoping the history books will reveal clues about the red eyes and that smell. And to answer your question about S—no. There are over fifty thousand supes in the world with a name starting with S. Considering that’s all we have to go on, it’s not much.”
Logan shifted, the bench squeaking. I made myself pick up my fork again. My next show started in a few hours, and Logan was right, I needed to keep my strength up.
“But we’ll get to the bottom of this, Dar.”
“I hope so. Because, you know, the…” I waved at my abdomen. The dark power still swirled inside me, its coldness humming as though it were a life force of its own. “This new power is still in me. I can feel it, and I don’t know what to do about it.” My breath caught in my throat as a deep chasm of despair opened up inside me.
My hand shook when I tried to spear my eggs, but it was no use. I set my fork down and brought my gaze to his. “I’m scared, Logan,” I said quietly. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
His jaw locked, and he automatically reached across the table to touch me but stopped himself at the last moment.
The muscle ticked in his jaw when he said, “We’ll figure it out. I promise.”
Chapter 9
“Right this way.” Cecile led my first cli
ent into the motel room. Noise from the nearby interstate fluttered into the small space until Cecile closed the door firmly behind him.
The man appeared to be in his sixties. Salt-and-pepper hair covered his head, and his tanned complexion made me think he spent a lot of time in the sun. A ready smile filled his lips when he saw me.
For all intents and purposes, he looked healthy, and if it weren’t for the hypertrophied legs that draped listlessly in his wheelchair, I would have assumed he was.
“Daria Gresham, it’s a pleasure to meet you!” He wheeled himself toward me, the wheels squeaking, then held out his hand. “I’m Connor Jacobson.”
“Hi, Connor.” I smiled warmly but eyed his hand anxiously.
Cecile hurried in front of me. “Daria avoids touch since it activates her gift. I’m sure you understand.”
He dropped his arm. “Oh, of course.” He grinned again, and some of my anxiety over the healing session lessened. Connor had an openness about him that few had.
According to Cecile, Connor had requested to see me for an old injury that he’d had most of his life. An accident in his youth had left him paralyzed from the waist down.
Cecile gestured toward the bed. Only the three of us occupied the space since Mike and Logan waited on the bus, so we had plenty of room. “We’ll have you lie there while Daria works her gift. Do you need help onto the mattress?”
Connor shook his head. “Oh no, I’ll be just fine. I’ve had forty-two years to learn how to move, but after today, I’ll be walking again.” Hope and happiness lit his eyes, reminding me of children on Christmas morning.
A few minutes later, Connor was situated on the bed, and Cecile had drawn the curtains. Calming scents of lavender and rosemary from the multiple candles burning on the dresser and nightstand filled the room. The traffic noise faded into the background as I positioned myself at Connor’s side.
I lifted my hands. “I’m about to begin, and once I do, it’s important that you stay absolutely still and don’t interrupt me. Once my gift starts to work, you’ll feel its heat, but it won’t burn you. It will heal you.”
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