Or, better yet, go up to his place. He must have some wine squirreled away there somewhere, right?
“We’re fine,” Levi said after Hayley shook her head slightly, letting him know that she was all right for now. She’d been thirsty back in the truck, but now she just wanted this to be over with. Crazy as it seemed, what she wanted most was to be alone with him.
“Okay,” Angela responded, looking almost disappointed, as though she wished she could have fled to the kitchen to get them some water — anything to delay discussing what had clearly been a frightening encounter.
Levi took a seat on one of the sofas, and Hayley sat down next to him. Shouldn’t she have been more freaked out by his revelations on the drive over here? After all, he’d admitted to being from a completely different dimension. And yet, it felt good to have him sitting there beside her. Reassuring. He’d saved her from those demons. Maybe she shouldn’t be having such a visceral reaction — relieved to be rescued by the big, strong man — and yet Hayley knew there wasn’t a damn thing she could’ve done to protect herself from those otherworldly assailants. Her talent was a powerful one, but it only worked in coordination with someone else’s magical gift. On its own, it couldn’t do squat.
Angela and Connor also followed suit, settling themselves on the couch across from the sofa where Hayley and Levi sat. They glanced at one another briefly, their expressions troubled. Or maybe they were silently determining who should speak first.
“You said the demons looked like regular people,” Connor said. “Was that the first time you saw them? Is there any chance you might have run across them before you were in Sedona?”
Hayley did her best to mentally run through everywhere she and Levi had gone that afternoon, the people they’d passed on the street or seen in Cottonwood’s various shops or restaurants. However, she couldn’t recall noticing anyone who’d looked like the couple who’d approached them by the bank of the creek.
Judging by Levi’s flummoxed expression, he couldn’t recall them, either.
“I don’t think so,” Hayley said. Next to her, Levi nodded. “They were obviously dressed for hiking, so they would have stood out among the people we saw shopping in Old Town. I really think we first saw them in the parking lot at Red Rock Crossing. It looked as if they were getting ready to leave, but then they came up to us about twenty minutes later, with some story about how they’d lost their phone somewhere along the trail.”
Both Angela and Connor were quiet for a moment, as though digesting those pieces of information. Then the prima asked, “Did you get any kind of a strange vibe from them?”
“No,” Hayley said at once, even as Levi added,
“I didn’t sense anything unusual. It wasn’t until they began to change shape that I realized they weren’t ordinary human beings.”
“Well, that’s just great,” Angela remarked. She pushed a stray lock of wavy hair away from her face and let out a gust of breath, as though simultaneously annoyed and frightened. “Because if we can’t even sense them, we’re going to have a hell of a time fighting them.”
“The wards won’t stop them?” Hayley knew she’d already asked Levi more or less the same question, but she figured she might as well hear it from the people who’d actually set the things in the first place.
“No.” Angela glanced over at Connor, as if for additional confirmation, and he shook his head. “They’re really just an early warning system. They can’t physically stop anyone from coming into town.”
“It feels like a sharp tingle, stronger than what you might feel when you encounter a strange witch or warlock for the first time,” the primus went on. “But the only real deterrent about them is that they ruin any chance at stealth an intruder might have. If the demons are bold enough that they would actually enter a town full of witches and warlocks, they’re sure not going to care about stealth.”
No, Hayley supposed not. At the moment, she could only be glad that there had been just the two of them. What if the Escobars — if that was who had summoned the demons in the first place — had sent four of them? Five? For all she knew, that was what they would do next, once they found out this particular attempt had failed.
“The only good thing,” Levi said, “if you can call it good, is that they obviously were waiting for Hayley and me to be alone, away from civilian eyes. Otherwise, they would have attacked us as soon as they saw us in the parking lot. They must care about escaping notice.”
“Well, Joaquin Escobar may be an evil bastard, but he’s not stupid,” Connor remarked. “I don’t care how powerful he is — if he attracts the attention of civilian authorities, he’s going to have a very big problem on his hands. So I’m pretty sure he’s going to do what he can to operate in stealth.” The primus paused there, his gaze moving from Levi to Hayley and back again, as if he was trying to determine what exactly had led the two of them to go off to such an isolated spot on their own in the first place. Under that brief but intense scrutiny, Hayley could feel the color flame to her cheeks. Of course she and Levi hadn’t done anything except talk, but she knew it looked a little suspicious. All right, Angela had asked Levi to keep an eye on her, but Hayley had a feeling that the prima hadn’t been talking about walks in the woods, far away from anyone else.
“Which means the two of you had better avoid any future field trips out in the wilderness,” Angela said. “Jerome and its immediate environs are probably the safest place for you to be, but you should be okay in Cottonwood and Clarkdale, as long as you stay around other people. I wouldn’t recommend any hikes, though.”
“Even if we have others with us?” Levi asked.
“Even then.” Angela hesitated, then continued, “The problem is, we just don’t know what the Escobars might send against you next. You could head out to hike along the Verde River with every person in the clan who has decent offensive magic, and it might not be enough.” Her gaze shifted to Hayley. “You amplify magic, right? Does it work on only one person at a time, or can you use it so it boosts the powers of everyone around you?”
“One person at a time, as far as I know.” For some reason, she felt faintly guilty, as though she should have experimented with her talent more, although such explorations carried their own dangers. “I’m not completely sure, though.”
“Well, it’s not something we can count on. Maybe we should try working on it, though, while you’re here in town.”
Hayley knew better than to protest. The prima was only a few years older than she, but in the McAllister clan, her word was law. She nodded, not sure what she should say in response.
Anyway, if her movements were going to be curtailed, if she was going to be stuck in Jerome and its immediate vicinity for the foreseeable future, she might as well have something to occupy her time.
Connor added, “Because Hayley might be able to only give one ‘boost’ at a time, so to speak, then having four or five other people with you might not make that much of a difference. It’s just too risky.”
“So what next?” Levi inquired. His brows were pulled together in a faint frown, but otherwise he didn’t look too worried. Was he simply relieved that he’d been able to pass some of the burden on to the clan’s leaders?
“For now? Go home, try to relax as best you can. If you’re not safe here, you’re not safe anywhere.”
“Wow, Connor, that’s really reassuring,” Angela remarked.
Her husband gave her a lopsided smile. “I wasn’t trying to be reassuring. Just honest.”
The prima shifted on the couch so she faced Hayley and Levi again. “Connor and I will get in touch with Luz Trujillo and see if she’s heard or felt anything out of the ordinary down in her territory. Even if she hasn’t, she needs to be on guard, too. These demons — the way they were able to disguise themselves — if that’s what we’re up against now, we have to take even more precautions than we already have.”
Hayley really wasn’t sure how much else could be done, but she didn’t voice her mis
givings. This was all for better minds than hers to deal with.
“Then I’ll go ahead and take Hayley home,” Levi said. “It’s been a taxing afternoon.”
“I can imagine,” Angela replied. “Maybe you should get in touch with your brother, Hayley, let him know what happened.”
“I will.” She got up from the couch, adding, “He should be home from work soon anyway.”
Which was a little white lie. She honestly didn’t know when Brandon would appear, but if past behavior was any indication, he probably wouldn’t be getting home for at least another hour. Possibly two. Fine with her. That would give her more reason to stay with Levi. She doubted he would allow her to be alone in the flat, even if he was just next door.
He rose as well. “If Luz has any words of wisdom, please pass them along.”
“We will,” Angela promised. “But for now, stay inside. It’s starting to get dark.”
A glance outside the living room window told Hayley that the prima was only being literal — by that point, the sun had set behind Mingus Mountain, and blue-tinted shadows were stealing across Jerome’s streets.
Still, she couldn’t help shivering slightly. What would happen next, with darkness encroaching on every side?
6
Hayley seemed subdued — not that Levi could blame her. That encounter with the demons must have shaken her, and it probably hadn’t helped that neither Connor nor Angela had any particular words of encouragement.
After he’d parked the truck behind the brick building where his flat was located, and after they’d begun to climb the steps, he said, “You’ll come to my place.”
Hayley shot him a faintly amused look from beneath her lashes. “Oh, I will?”
Damn. He hadn’t phrased that correctly, had he? Although he’d done his best to master the intricacies of the English language during his time here, every once in a while, its nuances managed to escape him. “What I meant was, it’s probably safer if you come to my flat. At least until your brother gets home.”
“I was going to text him, tell him what happened.”
“It’s probably better to wait.”
By that point, they’d gotten to the landing that separated the two apartments. Hayley tilted her head at him and asked, “Why? If he finds out I’ve been hiding something from him — ”
Levi laid a hand on the doorknob and opened the door to his flat. “I’m not asking you to hide anything. I’m only saying that transmitting that sort of information by phone isn’t a very good idea. Also, he works with civilians, correct?”
“Yes,” Hayley replied, her expression still somewhat dubious.
“Well, it’s better if he doesn’t react negatively around them. They might ask what the problem is, and he would have to lie, cover it up. When he gets home, you can tell him then.”
She appeared to weigh these arguments, then shrugged. “All right. It’s not as if he could do much about demons, anyway. I doubt he can pick up an engine with his brain and throw it at them.”
The mental image her remark conjured made Levi smile slightly. “No, I suppose not. But come inside.”
Hayley followed him into the flat and gave a quick glance around — looking at the décor, curious, but trying not to seem too nosy. Since he always kept the place neat and clean, he doubted she would notice much. Disorder made him edgy, and so he always expended the effort to make his home as serene and uncluttered as possible. He’d never stopped to analyze precisely why he preferred things to be orderly, but he guessed it probably had something to do with his unorthodox arrival in this world. His surroundings were one thing he knew he could control.
“These photographs are really beautiful,” she said, going closer to a set of low antique bookcases and the triptych of black and white images that hung above them — Sedona by moonlight, every outline defined, every contour of the rocks given an additional sharpness because of the high contrast of the images. “Everyone always talks about Sedona’s red rocks, so I never thought about what they’d look like if they were shot in black and white. They’re very…architectural.”
Which had been his intent in taking the photographs, but he was surprised to hear her make such an insightful comment about them. “Have you studied photography?”
“No,” she replied as she turned away from the photos and back toward him. “But I’ve taken some design courses. That’s what I was thinking about doing — interior design. Unfortunately, the closest school was in Phoenix, and after the big demon incident down in Scottsdale, my parents weren’t too interested in having me go to school there.”
“That’s unfortunate. But perhaps you can still go, once all this is settled.”
Her mouth tightened, and he couldn’t help but notice the way her gaze slid away from his. “If it’s settled. Connor and Angela didn’t sound too hopeful.”
“That’s only because we’re at the very beginning of learning about these demons, how they’re being controlled, the limits of their powers. It’s far too early to give up hope.”
“If you say so.”
She sounded defeated. Levi couldn’t blame her, but at the same time, he wanted to do what he could to cheer her up. “Go ahead and sit down. Would you like some water, something to eat?”
A sudden glint entered her blue eyes, and for a moment she didn’t look at all worn down. “After what we just went through, I was kind of hoping for some wine.”
He liked that idea as well, although he didn’t want her to think that he was trying to take advantage of her. Then again, she was the one who’d made the suggestion….
“I’ve been collecting wine from the local wineries,” he told her. “Pillsbury has a very good chardonnay.”
“That sounds heavenly.”
“And some cheese and crackers?”
“Even better.”
“I’ll be back in a moment.”
As Hayley settled herself on the couch, Levi went into the kitchen and got out the items in question — cheese and wine from the refrigerator, crackers from the cupboard. During his time here, he’d done his best to sample as wide a variety of cuisine as was possible in the areas surrounding Jerome, but he did have to admit to an overwhelming fondness for cheese. In fact, he’d consumed cheese and crackers and cheese and bread as a meal many nights, not wanting anything else. Luckily, this human body his otherworldly soul inhabited didn’t seem to care much what he put into it, as long as it got some sort of fuel; he had neither gained nor lost weight during his time in this world, no matter what he ate.
He arranged the cheese and crackers on a plate, and retrieved a set of glasses from the cupboard next to the one that held the plates. After he uncorked the wine, he put everything on a tray and took it out to the living room — or rather, he went around the low wall that separated the pocket-sized kitchen from the space that served as both living and dining rooms, and set the tray down on the coffee table.
Hayley leaned over so she could take a look at the assortment he’d put together. “I had no idea I was going to get a gourmet cheese plate.”
“The stores in Sedona offer some very good selections.” For some reason, it felt strange to sit down next to her, even though he’d done the exact same thing at Connor and Angela’s home only a few moments before. Perhaps it was merely that he and Hayley were alone here together, and so sitting beside her on the couch was fraught with certain implications which hadn’t existed in that previous situation.
Still, since he thought it would look even more obvious if he took one of the armchairs that faced the sofa, he made himself sit down, then immediately busied himself with pouring wine into the glasses he’d brought. He set down the bottle of wine, and handed a glass to Hayley.
She took it, offering him a grateful smile. “Thank you. I have a feeling this is going to taste great.”
“It is very good chardonnay.”
Her smile widened. “That’s not exactly what I meant. I mean, I’m sure it’s wonderful, but it’s more that I jus
t really needed a drink after all…that.” She waved with her free hand toward the window, apparently indicating Sedona and the ugly incident with the demons.
Levi could understand that sentiment. “Then let’s drink to vanquishing demons.”
“To vanquishing demons!”
They clinked glasses and both drank. Yes, that was better. He hadn’t even realized how tense he was until the chardonnay slipped down his throat, cool and yet smooth and buttery at the same time. The muscles in his neck and shoulders began to relax slightly, even as Hayley let out a sigh.
“Oh, Goddess,” she said. “That does help.” She shifted on the couch so she was facing him and added, “I don’t want you to think I’m a lush or something. Most of the time, I don’t drink at all. But sometimes you just need a glass of wine.”
“I completely understand that. Wine is one of the things I’ve enjoyed most about this world.”
Some of her smile seemed to fade at his remark. Was she troubled by the reminder that he wasn’t as human as she, that he had come from someplace else entirely? Well, he couldn’t take the comment back, and he wasn’t altogether sure he wished to anyway. She needed to accept who he was if…
…if what? If they were to have any kind of a future together?
Levi knew he was getting far ahead of himself. After all, he had only met Hayley the day before. He thought her beautiful, and he’d seen during the confrontation with the demons down by the creek that she was also brave. Even so, while those were both admirable qualities, he knew he needed to learn much more about her so he could make sure she truly was the woman he’d been waiting for all this time.
She sipped her wine, her eyes not quite meeting his. Was she really that uncomfortable with the reality of his origins?
At last she said, her voice low, not much more than a whisper, “Levi, I’m scared.”
He blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. “Of me?”
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