by L.H. Cosway
“Girl, you’ve had a hell of a fortnight.”
“Tell me about it.”
She drew closer, shutting the door as she approached. “You want my advice?” I nodded. “I wouldn’t trust anyone if I were you. Not the vamps and not Marcel or Gabriel. Once they’ve discovered what’s different about you, they’ll either use you up ‘til there’s nothing left if it’s anything of worth, or they’ll throw you away and forget about you if it’s something useless. They’re all being nice to you because of the mystery, the possibility that you’re something they’ve never seen before. You saw how Marcel was with me last week?”
“Yeah, he was kind of dismissive,” I admitted.
“You probably thought that was because I’m some sort of bitch, right?” Reluctantly, I nodded again. “Well,” she smirked. “I am kind of a bitch, but that’s not why Marcel treats me like crap. It’s how the warlocks and witches behave with anybody not from one of their precious families. Kind of incestuous if you ask me. They think me and my mum are pretenders, trying our hardest to be one of them. We aren’t though. My mum taught me everything I know about magic, and we practice it with more integrity than Marcel’s got in his baby finger.”
“What about the vampires? Do you think I can trust them?”
I wasn’t sure why I was asking her for advice. Maybe it was because Rita had no skin in the game. She didn’t want anything from me, which meant she was more likely to give an honest opinion.
“I don’t deal with the vamps, so I can’t really advise you on that. But they’ve probably only befriended you for the same reason Marcel and Gabriel have. They’re all after power, and if you can give it to them, then they’ll treat you like the Queen of fucking Sheba.”
I rested my chin on my palms, my forehead crinkling with apprehension. We were both silent for a few moments, my brain considering what I’d just learned. Rita’s mention of there being others like her piqued my interest.
“So,” I ventured. “Exactly how many of you are there—unofficial magic users that is?”
Rita glanced away, her cheeks flushing ever so slightly as she gave a cough. “Three.”
“Only three?” Given the way she’d been talking, I was expecting a much larger number. “Is that including you and your mum, or after?”
Her lips pursed. “Including.”
“Oh.”
“Look, it’s not all about numbers you know. We aren’t trying to build an army. We practice magic to better ourselves and our quality of life and to further our understanding of the universe. Not for power or accolades or status.”
I started to smile. “That sounds very admirable.”
She cast me a glance, looking surprised by what I said. “You think so?”
I nodded. “Your reasons for practising magic sound noble and honest. A lot more so than a bunch of elitist families who refuse to let in outsiders.”
“I was wrong about you,” she said then.
“You were?”
“I thought I wasn’t going to like you, but I was just annoyed that Marcel gave you the job over me.”
“So, you do like me then?”
She smirked. “Maybe.” A pause before she went on. “So, what are you going to do about your situation?”
“Not a clue.” I answered truthfully.
“Can I be frank?”
“Please.”
She sucked in a big breath before letting it out. “If I were you, I wouldn’t let Marcel and Gabriel break your spell. Whatever they discover, they’ll either try to profit from it, or they’ll try to use you against the vampires. Well, maybe not Gabriel, but Marcel will. Don’t let the aged hippy thing fool you. Underneath the ponytail is a shark, and a ruthless one at that.”
“If he’s so awful then why do you shop here?”
“Because it’s the only place in the city that sells good spell ingredients. Though I do take a five-finger discount whenever I can as a secret fuck you.” She shot me a wink.
“I’m still making you pay for what you took.”
She rolled her eyes. “Spoilsport.”
“Are you better than them at magic?” I questioned.
“Marcel and Gabriel?” she scoffed. “Hell yes. Like I said, I don’t have as much experience, but I definitely have more natural talent. No offense to Gabe or anything, because I know he’s old as shit, but in a few years’ time I could magic him under the table.”
Gabriel was old as shit? I wondered how long dhampirs lived for.
“So why don’t you unravel my spell for me?” I suggested impulsively.
Rita stared at me in surprise. “You’d trust me to do that?”
“If you’re right about everyone only being interested in me for what they can gain, then yes.”
“And how do you know I’m not exactly the same as everyone else?”
“I don’t,” I said, not mentioning the whole chest hum connection thing. “But it’s a chance I’m willing to take.” Besides, this way I could discover what sort of spell had been cast on me without Marcel, Gabriel, or Ethan finding out, and I could then decide whether or not it was something I wanted to share with them,
Rita stepped toward me, her hand out. “Give me your phone.” I pulled it from my pocket and handed it to her. She fiddled with it for a moment and gave it back to me.
“There you go,” she said. “My number’s in your contacts. Call me when you want to do this.”
She turned to walk out the door, but not before laying some money on top of the dresser for the herbs she’d taken.
12.
Later that night, after I began my shift at Hagen’s, I was stacking packets of candy onto the shelf near the register when Ethan strode in.
“You know, for someone who doesn’t eat food, you visit this grocery store surprisingly often,” I commented as he approached.
Ethan flashed me a devilish smile. “I come for the company, not the food.”
I dipped my head down, feeling weirdly shy at his compliment. “Right, well, I’m working so …” I made a gesture around the completely empty store. That was the problem with working at night. Customers were few and far between, which meant Ethan had me all to himself.
“You do look incredibly busy,” he agreed sarcastically, picking up a chocolate bar and scanning the contents before placing it back on the shelf. “The things humans find appetising has always confounded me.”
“Because blood is so yummy,” I deadpanned.
His eyes flashed hungrily. “It is. Especially when drunk from the right person.”
Something in his cadence made me shiver. “Uh-huh.”
He sighed, as though I was terribly troublesome. “Why do you do this to yourself? Come and work for me. You look exhausted.” He reached out to caress my cheek, and the shivers intensified.
I stepped back, a little scared of how his touch affected me. “I’d still be exhausted if I worked for you. Your club opens at night, too, remember?”
“I’d pay you enough so that you could quit working at Indigo. More than enough.”
“No, thank you. I like working at Indigo. It’s an interesting place.”
“Oh?” Ethan looked displeased.
“Yep. I even made a new friend there today.”
“You don’t need any new friends. I am your friend.”
“Right. Or at least until you find out what’s different about me. What if it’s nothing interesting? Will you cast me aside? Disappear out of my life like we never even met?” I challenged. I tried to keep my voice even, but a part of me was upset by the idea that Ethan may be hanging around me only for what he could potentially gain.
He moved closer. “Is that what you think?”
“It’s what I suspect.”
“Then I must not be doing a very good job.”
“Of?”
His eyes blazed as he advanced forward, backing me up into the wall. “Of showing you just how much you have bewitched me,” he rasped, lowering his mouth and pressing his lips t
o the hollow of my neck. I let out a tiny, surprised squeak, butterflies wreaking havoc with my insides. Then, just like in the fantasy he’d planted in my head the other night, he dragged the barest tips of his fangs across my skin. I undulated before closing my eyes and trying to gain the sanity he’d robbed me of. The mixture of danger and enticement was a heady combination.
“If I bit you right now, would you let me?” he whispered curiously.
“Try it and see,” I warned, levelling my knee with his crotch.
He gave a low, husky chuckle, pressing his lips to my neck just before someone flew into the store.
“Tegan! Help!” A familiar voice called. It took me a moment to break through the sexy fog Ethan put me under to realise it was Florence. I drew away from him and hurried to her. She looked out of sorts, holding a bunch of tissues to her nose. She was bleeding. I cast Ethan a nervous glance, unsure if he had control over his blood lust or if the very sight of it would drive him crazy.
He stood stock-still next to the cash register, his eyes focused intently on Florence. “You good?” I asked him warily.
I saw his throat bob as he swallowed. “I’m fine.”
I turned back to Florence, my attention running over her in search of other injuries. It seemed her nose was the only part of her that was bleeding. “What happened to you?”
“My dad,” she sniffed. “He was drunk and accused me of stealing cash from his wallet. I told him I didn’t, but he wouldn’t b-believe me. He punched me.”
I stared at her in horror. “In the face?”
She nodded, a tear rolling down her cheek. “Come here. Let me see.” I pulled away the tissues to check the damage, wincing when I saw her nose needed to be reset. Anger swirled in my gut. I was going to break Terry’s jaw for this.
“I can do it,” Ethan said, and I jumped in fright. He’d moved so silently, coming to stand close behind me. I couldn’t tell if he was talking about setting Florence’s nose or breaking her father’s jaw.
“W-who are you?” Florence asked. Her eyes darted all around Ethan, an expression of unease and fascination shaping her features as she took him in.
“I’m Tegan’s friend. Your nose is broken. I can reset it for you if you’d like.”
She turned to me, her eyes round as saucers. “Is he really your friend?”
“Yes.”
Now she leaned in close and whispered quietly, “There’s something very wrong with him.”
I looked at Ethan. As far as I could see there wasn’t anything amiss. He’d seemed to have gotten a hold of himself and was no longer frozen by the blood. “What do you think is wrong with him?”
Florence seemed to reconsider her statement. “Nothing. I think it’s just blood loss making me see things.” She looked at Ethan. “Will it hurt?”
“Resetting your nose? Yes, but it’s better than allowing it to heal incorrectly.”
She sucked in a harsh breath. “Okay, please try to be fast.”
“That won’t be a problem.” Ethan reached out, his movements a blur. I heard a sharp yelp of pain from Florence and then it was done. I stared at him in awe. It seemed there were many benefits to vampire speed.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Ethan replied. “Now, about your father—”
“Don’t worry about him. I’ll deal with it,” I said, cutting him off. I didn’t need Ethan getting involved in Florence’s fraught home life.
The vampire turned his attention to me. “Let me help. I can bring the girl back to your place, clean her up, deal with her father, and be back before you’ve finished your shift.”
“I don’t think—”
“It’s okay,” Florence interjected, her attention focused on Ethan. “Your friend is t-trustworthy. I can see it now.”
I frowned at her, wondering at the odd certainty in her eyes. Ethan studied her, and he seemed intrigued. I blew out a tired breath. “Okay, well, be careful with Terry. He’s a wild card.”
“I’m always careful.” Ethan leaned down to press a quick kiss on my cheek. My eyebrows rose at the sweet gesture as I handed him the keys to my apartment. He was the perfect gentleman as he offered Florence his arm and helped her outside.
A little over an hour later he returned just as I was shrugging into my coat. My co-worker, Debbie, had arrived to take over. I met him outside the door, my eyes expectant.
“How is Florence?”
“She’s fine. Right now she’s asleep on your couch.”
“And Terry?”
“I used my compulsion. The next time he has the urge to hurt his daughter he’ll feel the most explosive pain shatter through his skull.”
“You can do that?”
“The human mind is a fascinating thing, but it’s easily manipulated. Well,” he allowed, shooting me a wry smile. “Most human minds are.”
“Thank you for doing all that. You didn’t have to.”
“I wanted to. I know you don’t want to believe it, but I’m your friend, Tegan. You can lean on me whenever you need.”
Man, that sounded good. I’d love to lean on him, but my naturally suspicious nature still kept me wary, kept me questioning things. Then again, I kind of already did lean on him, not to mention gave him the keys to my place. Was I acting recklessly out of exhaustion, or did a subconscious part of me actually trust him?
“Your keys,” Ethan said, offering them to me. I took them and slotted them in my pocket. Ethan slid his palm along mine, interlocking our fingers as we made the short walk to my building. He was holding my hand? Okay, Ethan was behaving seriously sweet tonight, and I wasn’t sure my heart could handle it.
“About the girl,” Ethan said, catching my attention. “She smells different, too. Not quite as intoxicatingly different as you, but different nonetheless.”
Florence smelled different to him? “But she’s just a teenager.”
“A teenager who isn’t quite normal. Didn’t you notice how she looked at me?”
I frowned because I had noticed that. “Yeah, it was weird. She seemed wary of you, then all of a sudden she decided you could be trusted.”
“It’s quite curious, especially since the two of you found each other.”
“I’ve always felt a draw to her, a protective instinct,” I admitted.
“Even more curious,” Ethan replied, his expression thoughtful.
We reached my building, and he stopped at the lobby door. “I have to go, but I’ll try to come visit you tomorrow night. And of course, you’re always welcome to come see me at the club.”
“I don’t have a lot of free time for clubbing.”
“The job offer still stands. You don’t need to suffer unnecessarily.”
“Then you’d be my boss, which would be entirely too problematic.”
“And how is that?”
“Well, you’re dying to sink your fangs into me for a start.”
“I’m not—” He was about to argue with me, but I cut him off with a cynical look. “Even if that were true,” he amended. “I’m adept at resisting the urge to feed, even when the blood is as succulent as yours surely is.”
“Even so—” Before I could finish my counter-argument, Ethan swept me inside my building. I spun on my heels, blinking rapidly as I tried to steady myself.
“What the hell!”
“There’s a slayer outside, hiding in the shadows. He thinks I can’t see him, but he underestimates my night vision.”
A slayer? Oh, shit. Don’t tell me it was Finn Roe again. I scratched the side of my jaw. “Yeah, about that. I might know who it is.”
Ethan turned to me, eyes narrowing. “Who?”
“Remember the slayer you let live? He broke into my apartment the other night.”
Just like that, Ethan looked murderous. “What?”
“Relax. He didn’t hurt me. He came to thank me for saving his life.”
His eyes flashed black. “I suppose he tried to sway you to his side, too?”
; I bit my lip. “He might’ve, but don’t worry, he didn’t convince me.”
Now he gave a sharp laugh. “Wonderful.” He went quiet, stepping past me to peer out the window. “We’ll discuss the fact that you’re only now deciding to tell me a slayer broke into your apartment later. Right now, I have an enemy to deal with.”
“You’re not going to kill him, are you?”
Ethan didn’t reply, only shot me a dark look that didn’t bode well for Finn Roe. He opened the door and stepped back out onto the street. “I hope you’ve made peace with your maker, slayer,” Ethan announced loudly. “Because this night is going to be your last.”
There was no response. Then, out of nowhere, a stake came sailing through the air. Ethan moved fast enough to dodge it, and then he was gone, disappearing around the side of a building in search of his adversary. My heart got stuck in my throat. Though I knew next to nothing about Finn Roe, I didn’t want him to die. He was a zealot, sure, but he seemed to believe he was fighting for the side of good. But if he didn’t die, that meant Ethan might, and my stomach grew ill just thinking about it.
I’d grown fond of the vampire, and that was an unsettling thought indeed.
13.
I took the elevator up to my apartment, reassuring myself that it would be daylight soon. Finn Roe just had to escape Ethan’s clutches for another half an hour before my vampire friend would have to hurry back to wherever it was he hunkered down during the day.
Florence was still asleep on my couch when I entered the apartment. I stroked my hand over her long brown hair, her face remaining peaceful while she slept. I wondered what was different about her. Judging from what Ethan said, and how she acted when she met him, she wasn’t an ordinary human.
Was that why I was drawn to her? Were we the same? I’d felt a similar, though different, draw to Rita, too. This was all way too confusing. Maybe I just needed some rest so I could look at things with a clear head in the morning.
I changed out of my work uniform and crawled into bed, but I was too on edge to sleep. About an hour passed before I caved and grabbed my phone, using Ethan’s number for the very first time.