“Then I’d say they were being pig-headed and silly, just like Brandon.” She set down her fork, and reached across the table and laid a hand on his. Her fingers were light and delicate, and yet he could still feel the way her power seemed to flow through her fingertips and into him, all heat and energy and strength.
Or perhaps that was simply the way his body reacted to her.
“You’re not having second thoughts, are you?” she asked.
“No. I’m sure there are many who would say that it makes no sense for us to reach out to one another now, because of the situation with the Escobars, but I don’t believe there’s any point in postponing happiness simply because dark forces are at work in the world.”
“Some might say that’s exactly why we need to reach out. The best way to fight darkness is with light, isn’t it?”
Gazing into her face, Levi knew it didn’t matter that he’d only met Hayley McAllister a few days earlier. That light shone from her — not only in her outer beauty, but from her inner strength as well. And he knew she was the match to his soul…wherever that soul might have come from.
“Yes, it is,” he said softly. Right then, he wished with all his heart that they didn’t have this table separating them, that they could be someplace alone where he could take her in his arms and kiss her again. That time would come…he hoped. For now, though, he knew they needed to eat their meals, to act as if everything was normal. Like the clan’s weather-workers, who could sense when a storm was approaching, even if the skies overhead were serene and blue, he knew this calm now was not something that would last. The Escobars might be licking their wounds for the moment, but Levi guessed they would not allow this insult to pass by without some kind of retaliation. As to what form that retaliation might take, well, he couldn’t begin to guess. All they could do was brace themselves as best they could.
Seeming to sense something of what was going through his mind, Hayley asked, “So what do we do now? Just wait and see?”
“Are you asking about the two of us, or the clan in general?”
She smiled. “Well, it sounds as though you and I are pretty much on the same page. I guess I was wondering what Connor and Angela have planned next.”
“As to that, I don’t know. I haven’t heard from them yet today. It’s possible they expected me to sleep later than I did. It’s also possible that they’ve gone to visit Lucinda, to reassure her about being here in Jerome.” That seemed like the sort of thing the prima and primus might do. Yes, he was sure that Rachel had told Lucinda she had a home here in Jerome for as long as proved necessary, but such reassurances would probably carry more weight if they came from the leaders of the clan. “And I’m certain they’ve spoken with Luz Trujillo as well, just to warn her.”
“Warn her about what? The de la Pazes didn’t have anything to do with kidnapping Lucinda.”
“True, but they’re still on the front lines, so to speak. We’re isolated here in Jerome, far away from the borders of Santiago territory.”
“That didn’t seem to stop the demons who attacked us in Sedona.”
Hayley did have a point there. Levi wondered, though, if the Escobars would try that route again, or whether they had begun to realize that demons were not quite such a formidable adversary when faced with the combination of his inborn gifts and Hayley’s magic-enhancing abilities. Then again, it wasn’t as though the Escobars viewed their demons as anything but expendable. It was probably worth it for those two practitioners of dark magic to keep flinging their otherworldly servants at their foes, just in case they were able to find a chink in their armor.
“No, demons are not nearly as bound by geography as mortal witches and warlocks. But they also know we’re waiting for them.”
No reply at first. She pushed her eggs around on her plate, ate another few mouthfuls. After she washed them down with some more iced tea, she asked, “Why is it that the Escobars can even summon demons at all? Until this whole mess blew up, I’d never even heard of anyone doing such a thing.”
“Because the McAllisters follow the right-hand path, the path of the light.”
“I’d never heard of the Wilcoxes trying anything like it, either, though…and I was brought up believing they were far from angels. Now I know that’s not exactly the truth, but….” She stopped there and gave a small lift of her shoulders.
Levi wouldn’t put such a thing past Damon Wilcox, but it was true — no one in the Wilcox clan claimed to know anything about that particular kind of dark magic. Damon had dabbled in areas of study that had been forbidden for centuries, but in the end, those explorations had only rebounded on him, making him a victim of the very powers he’d sought to control. That didn’t seem to be the case with the Escobars.
“It could simply be another of their talents. Not one that most clans would seek to cultivate, but then, we don’t know much about where they came from, whether Joaquin Escobar was an outcast among his own people because of the black magic he wielded, or whether he was a primus of a sort, and only came here when he learned of what had happened to his son.”
Hayley appeared to consider that reply, then nodded slowly. “Do you think it’s possible that Matías and his father were communicating the whole time? I mean, I’ve heard how Matías was basically raised by the Santiagos, but the timing seems a little suspect…like Joaquin only came north after he figured out what had happened to his son, so he could take his revenge on the Santiagos.”
A theory Levi hadn’t heard before, but one that made sense. Perhaps Joaquin had known all along where his runaway wife had fled with her children. Olivia, Matías’ younger sister, would have been of no use to her father, since her powers were basically nonexistent. But it was entirely possible that Joaquin had allowed the boy to grow up among the Santiagos because he knew of the gift his son bore, since it was his own. A dark cuckoo, just waiting to take over the nest….
“I can see that,” Levi said. “I know that Matías called demons to do his dirty work for him when it came to weakening and ultimately murdering Maya de la Paz. Or at least, that seems to be what Luz Trujillo believes happened, since she actually observed the place where Matías first used blood magic to call something dark to this world, and she also sensed the dregs of that magic, even though Matías and his accomplices had done their best to cover up what they had done.”
Hayley pressed her fingers to her temple, as though her head suddenly ached — or perhaps she was only having a difficult time trying to process everything he’d just said. “I guess I just don’t understand that kind of hate.”
“I’m not sure it’s hate,” Levi told her. “I think all of this is driven by a terrible lust for power. If a man isn’t content with what’s in here” — he placed a hand to his chest, over his heart — “then he’ll look for ways to fill that emptiness. Power over others is an intoxicating drug. It can help cover up the missing pieces in someone’s soul.”
Her blue eyes stared at him, wide and wondering. “How can you know that? You’re the least power-hungry person I’ve ever met.”
He offered her a sad smile, wishing he could give her more encouraging words than the ones he was about to say. “I haven’t been here even two years, but in that time I’ve studied humanity. I had to, in order to understand what I was trying to be. I’ve read books, watched your television and your movies. It’s not that difficult to see, once you know what you’re looking for. And I have to confess that I was puzzled by these Escobars, who seemed so different from all the witches and warlocks I’d met. It’s possible that Damon Wilcox was the closest in the Arizona clans to being their soul brother, and yet, all the things he did were in pursuit of ending the terrible curse that hung over the Wilcox clan. Getting rid of that curse would have helped him, of course, but I believe he was thinking of future generations more than he was thinking of himself, of the power he might wield. I can’t say the same for Joaquin Escobar.”
Hayley didn’t reply right away. She took another bite of toas
t, then nibbled some of her eggs, although Levi got the impression she was only eating because she should, and not because she had any particular appetite. Finally she asked, “If that’s really what’s driving them…how do we defeat them?”
She looked small and forlorn, and he wished he could take her in his arms and offer what comfort he could. At the same time, he didn’t want to lie to her, utter words of encouragement he didn’t believe. All he could say was, “I don’t know, Hayley. I just don’t know.”
There wasn’t any word from Angela or Connor, and nothing from Brandon, and so after breakfast, Levi suggested that they go up to one of the day hike areas on Mingus Mountain. It should be safe enough, since it was close to town and well within McAllister territory. That sounded like a good idea to Hayley; charming as Jerome might be, at the moment, the little town was only making her feel claustrophobic. Getting out into the forest and doing some communing with nature might help to clear her brain.
The spot they headed to wasn’t actually that far outside town, maybe a fifteen-minute drive up the switchbacks cut into the mountainside, the foliage that lined the narrow highway gradually shifting from agave and yucca and cactus to ponderosa pine and sycamore and oak. Levi parked his truck in one of the designated spots, and they both got out.
Hayley couldn’t help experiencing a small flutter in her stomach as she looked around. Oh, yes, it was beautiful up here, reminding her of the forests that surrounded the town where she was born, but at the same time, she remembered how the demons had attacked in Sedona, in a spot even more beautiful than this. True, these were all McAllister lands, and therefore should have been somewhat safe, but she didn’t know if she could count on that.
Even if the Escobars held off, decided to wait to attack until they had a better chance of success — well, she was up here alone with Levi. Since it was a Friday morning, the chances of encountering anyone day-tripping from Phoenix were a lot lower than they would be on the weekend itself, and it was too early in the year for kids to be out of school. Theirs was the only vehicle in the parking lot. They might have been alone in the world. Was that a good thing? She wasn’t sure, somehow felt as nervous as she had the first time she’d met him, even though they’d already gotten past the awkwardness of a first kiss.
It was a good thing that she’d worn her Keen trail shoes and jeans and a T-shirt, since she hadn’t been sure where the day would take her. She’d only been here a few days, but she could already tell that people in Jerome tended to be fairly casual in their attire. Anyway, her clothing didn’t keep her from following Levi as he led her away from the parking area and into the forest.
At once sounds seemed muted, the faint hum from passing cars as they took the mountain route over the hill to Prescott very far away. Hayley could hear the wind soughing in the pines, and some birdsong, but even those noises sounded more distant than they should. The air smelled of warm sap and pine needles, clean and fresh, and she felt herself begin to relax. Was that a mistake? Possibly, but she couldn’t go around on edge all the time — she’d be too worn out to react if something bad really did happen. Even more, she just didn’t want to live like that.
The trail was fairly steep, but she’d spent most of her life hiking and climbing around Payson, so it wasn’t enough to throw her off her stride. What was far more likely to distract her was the sight of Levi’s backside in his faded jeans, which clung to him just enough to show the outline of his ass and his well-muscled thighs, but weren’t too tight.
No, they were just right.
Hayley told herself that she needed to pay attention to the trail, but that was easier said than done. Luckily, though, they reached the clearing that apparently had been Levi’s destination without incident, and he gestured toward a fallen log.
“Do you want to sit for a while?”
“Sure.”
She chose a seat close to one end of the log, since that spot didn’t have any nubs of long-gone branches sticking out or obvious pools of syrupy sap, which she knew was an absolute beast to get out of clothes. Levi sat down next to her — not too close, but still close enough that she was acutely aware of him, the way the wind fanned his fair hair back from his brow, the hint of golden stubble on his cheek, the thin leather cord decorated with old silver and tiger’s eye beads around his throat.
Was he also thinking of her, cataloguing all the little details, like the silver hoops in her ears and the leather barrette she’d used to pull her hair back? She couldn’t know for sure, because it wasn’t as though he was staring at her. In fact, his gaze seemed to be locked on a little cluster of white and pale purple flowers at the base of an oak tree, and not on her at all. Still, he could still be catching glimpses of her out of the corner of his eye, trying to look when he thought she wouldn’t notice.
Finally, she said, “It’s beautiful up here. Thank you.”
This time he did turn toward her, his expression faintly puzzled. “‘Thank you’?”
“For bringing me here. It’s exactly what I needed. Just a place to…breathe.”
“To breathe. Yes, I can understand that. It’s why I would come up here a lot, especially in the early days. I couldn’t drive yet, but I had a mountain bike that Kirby McAllister gave me.”
This comment made her lift an eyebrow. “You biked all the way up here? That hill is so steep!”
“Maybe, but I liked the challenge. I had a few close calls with cars that weren’t very happy to be sharing the road with me. For all I know, that’s why Tobias ended up teaching me to drive. I doubted anyone would have wanted the responsibility of telling Zoe Sandoval that I’d been hit by a tourist who was in too much of a hurry to get to Prescott.”
Levi spoke blithely enough, but his words still made a shiver go through Hayley. The last thing she wanted to think about was a car sideswiping him while he was riding up the mountain. He’d said he was human, which meant he was mortal. He wasn’t some godlike being who could withstand that kind of physical trauma. She’d never asked him if he could be hurt or killed, but surely if his body was genetically the same as a human man’s, then it could suffer the same kind of injuries.
Although she hadn’t responded, he must have sensed her distress, because he reached over and took her hand in his, held it firmly. “It didn’t happen. I was always fine. I still ride up here on occasion, but I thought the truck would be more practical for the two of us.”
“Are you saying I weigh too much?” she teased him, but he shook his head, looking sober.
“I wouldn’t presume to guess at your weight, but you appear quite slender to me.”
About all she could do then was laugh. “Well, thank you for the compliment.”
“I wouldn’t say it was a compliment. It was only the truth.”
They both fell silent then. Hayley looked into his clear blue eyes, and she could tell he was looking straight back at her. It should have been awkward, and somehow wasn’t. No, right then she thought she would be happy to eternally fall into the oceans of those eyes, to always have him holding her hand.
She wasn’t sure which one of them moved first…not that it really mattered. What mattered was that they each shifted on the log so they would be closer together, so it would be the most natural thing in the world for their lips to touch, for their mouths to open so they could taste one another.
A warm thrill flooded through her body. Levi let go of her hand so his arms could wrap around her, so he could hold her close. She felt the muscles of those arms, felt the reassuring beat of his heart against her breast. Human…oh, yes. And so very real, so very perfect.
How long did that kiss last? She didn’t know. How could she know, as they sat in this sunny clearing, with the trees bending and rustling in the breeze, in this timeless place where the world seemed to have stopped and held only the two of them? Finally, though, Levi lifted his lips from hers, although he still held her close.
“No second thoughts?” he asked, his voice barely above a murmur.
Hayley thought of all the arguments Brandon had given her, all the reasons that pursuing a relationship with Levi might not be the wisest thing to do. But her brother couldn’t know how she was feeling now, how she knew with every atom of her being that Levi was the one for her. In that moment, she couldn’t imagine even trying to be with someone else — no, the mere thought was repugnant. It didn’t matter where Levi had come from. All that mattered was who he was, here and now.
“None,” she replied. Her tone was firm. She needed him to know that there would never be any second thoughts. “You — you’re everything I ever wanted.”
He let out a breath that was almost a sigh, and reached up to touch her cheek. The brush of his fingers against her skin was so tender, almost reverent, that she could feel tears start to her eyes. She’d never had anyone touch her like that, look at her in such a way.
“I love you, you know,” he said, and her breath caught.
“I love you, too,” she whispered. She wanted to ask, So what do we do now?, but she wasn’t given the chance, because he was kissing her again, kissing her with such a breathless intensity that she had to fight to keep her balance so she wouldn’t go sliding right off that damn log. What a place for declarations of love.
No, she thought, once Levi let go of her again, and she tried to steady herself so the world wouldn’t keep spinning around her. The sun shone down on them, and the trees whispered in their own rustling language, and far, far away, a diving hawk let out a keening cry. No, this place was perfect. It was as beautiful as Levi — both his face, and his sweet, sweet soul.
He began to reach out to touch her hair, which had started to slide out of the barrette that confined it. However, he stopped, looking startled, and pulled his phone, which was buzzing fiercely, from his pocket. His brows drew together as he stared down at the screen, and then he stood. “We have to go.”
“What’s the matter?” From his expression, Hayley knew it couldn’t be anything good. “What’s happened?”
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