For a moment, I had the mouse pointer hover over the “shut down” button; but then I pushed it up and opened my documents folder so I could bring up my latest notes. I’d been keeping track of questions that puzzled me, as well as notes, and any nuggets of information, which reminded me... the address on the Brotherhood’s summons had been Hawkscroft, Yorkshire. No street address. Only very large houses in England didn’t require a street address.
Calling up a fresh browser window, I tapped the house name into the search box and hit “enter.” A moment later, a Wikipedia entry popped up so I opened the page, scanning my eyes over it. There wasn’t much information, just some notes about the house’s architecture, when it was built and that it had always been owned by the same family but failed to give their names. The picture showed a large, imposing house set back behind sprawling lawns.
I added a few notes to my file, including the web address for the house’s entry, saved it and then started the power down process.
“Work all okay?” asked Kitty, putting down her magazine when I walked into the living room a few minutes later.
I struggled to keep my face even. “Yeah, no problems at all. Where’s Étoile?”
“Kitchen.” As I started walking away, I heard Kitty call, “If she has her fingers in the frosting, tell her she has to wait until everyone’s had a piece.”
Étoile was actually making tea in the teakettle she gave me for Christmas along with a tin full of tea bags. There was everything from black “builder’s” to herbal varieties. When I asked her again what she had been doing in New York, she muttered something about witchy business and clamped her mouth shut. I sighed inwardly.
“Just spit it out, Étoile.”
Étoile had made it obvious that she wanted to protect me, but I wasn’t sure that was what I wanted anymore. So far, protecting me seemed to put me in as much danger as keeping me out of it! Her lessons in magic taught me how to defend myself and my telekinesis was improving considerably, but I still didn’t know much of the goings on of the witch community and I had a feeling I really should.
“It’s complicated,” she said, after a long moment of staring at the countertops. “I really wish I could tell you, Stella, but you’ll find out soon enough.”
“It’s to do with the Council, isn’t it?” I pressed.
Politically, things were getting heated. They functioned as a quasi-Council for months until a new leader could be elected. Without a powerful director, the Council had little or no power. They were also swiftly losing respect, so calling the summit was probably a smart thing to do on their part.
So far, the biggest, scariest and only contender was Georgia Thomas. I knew she was still canvassing for support as the new head of the Council and few wanted to risk standing against her. That was an uncomfortable enough thought in itself. But throw in what would happen to the community if she got more power, and it was a bitter pill to swallow. Sure, there needed to be a regime change, but not one that had the potential for a dictatorship. What those ramifications meant for me, I didn’t know; but I couldn’t imagine it would be painless. I embarrassed and humiliated her and she wouldn’t forget that easily.
Whichever way I turned, danger loomed.
Four
At dusk, Gage, Annalise and Beau returned, the three of them looking grim.
“You’re not going to tell us anything good, are you?” I said, handing them each a plate with a thick slice of cake to make up for whatever they were about to disclose. Kitty was already munching her way through her second slice.
Slumping into the armchair that he favoured, Gage told us, “We followed them to the Blue Moon Motel, just off the interstate, a few miles north of Wilding.”
Annalise and Beau both nodded, with Beau saying, “There are only two of them so far as we could tell. We left a couple of the pack to watch over them tonight.”
“What were they doing?” I asked, sucking the last bit of cake off my fork. I couldn’t have been any less graceful if I tried.
Annalise shrugged out of her jacket and folded it across her lap, before taking a bite of cake, and savouring it for a moment. “Not much, as far as we could tell. Just ordinary stuff like making phone calls, watching cable, and eating take-out. No torturing or killing witches that I could see.”
“I suppose it would be kind of noisy to do that,” I mused. “Did they look like they were staying for a long time?” I tried to picture the motel. I’d passed it a couple of times and it was a neat box of a building that was always nicely painted and bedecked with colourful plants. I suspected if i got close, I’d probably find out they were plastic.
“We couldn’t get inside the room, but the man at the desk said they were paid up until after the weekend.”
“So they are waiting to see if I leave?”
“Guess so,” said Gage. Catching my eye, he slowly licked a dab of frosting from his top lip and winked at me. Suppressing a smile at his audacity, I looked over at Evan who sat very still. His hands were balling into fists, until he saw me watching and unclenched them. I swear, sometimes Gage deliberately tried to wind him up. “Jay and Kristen will watch over them tonight. Annalise and Michelle will take over in the morning. We’ll have eyes on them twenty-four hours a day,” Gage promised, looking from Kitty and me to Étoile. “I don’t mean to insult the witches here, but I think it’s best if you stayed away. They know Stella is here, but we don’t know what kind of intel they have on anyone else.”
“I guess our dinner plans are off,” I said to Evan with a sinking feeling. I’d been looking forward to our evening out for the past few days. Not that we didn’t go out, of course, but just the two of us would have been special.
When Evan smiled, it was just for me. “I can make us something here,” he suggested.
“Blecchh,” said Kitty. “I’m going to my room.”
“I’m coming with you,” Étoile added. I wondered if her lack of plans had something to do with Jay having scored the Brotherhood night shift. They’d been on a few dates, which surprised me because he didn’t look like her type. And that was without adding werewolf to the mix. He may have been rough and ready, but he was good looking with light brown hair and a quick smile as well as buckets of charm. They seemed to enjoy each other’s company and I got the impression Jay would be quite happy to see her on a more regular basis. Any attempts to draw Étoile out on that led to blank looks.
“I can take a hint.” Annalise nudged Beau. “Let’s go to my house. Gage, are you coming? Don’t you have a date to get ready for?” She winked at him.
“Uh, no, not tonight. I’ll be at the Loup. Thanks for the cake.” Gage put his plate on the table. Despite the cold, he was in short shirtsleeves and a khaki padded vest. Like Evan, Gage ran a little warmer than most people. While the cold got to my bones, it didn’t seem to bother them as much. “Before I go, we, Annalise and me, that is, got you a birthday present.”
“You did?” I lit up at that.
“Yeah, we thought it was perfect for you.” Annalise produced a small square red gift box from behind her back, leaning forward to pass it to me.
I unwound the glittery black ribbon and pulled the lid off the box. On the velvet cushion lay a necklace, a delicate strand of silver links with something long and thin hanging from it. I looked closer to see what it was. Oh, very funny. I held up the broomstick pendant and laughed. “I love it, thank you.”
“Gage designed it and a friend of ours made it. She exhibits at the same fairs I take my stuff to,” Annalise explained as Gage gave an off-hand sort of nod. She operated a one-woman craft shop from her home, making beautifully intricate blankets, and other small soft handiwork. I’d been helping her make a website, something that she’d finally caved and agreed to. “Here, let me help you put it on.”
My company ended up staying for another hour, the conversation moving quickly from the Brotherhood to the coming weekend. It seemed everyone had plans... and, maybe, just maybe, no one wanted to be alone
. I had to admit, being in a group of supes made me feel a lot more relaxed than I would have been otherwise; especially knowing the Brotherhood were just a few miles away.
Kitty made her excuses first, claiming she needed an early night. For the past few months, she’d put in a bunch of hours at the local college and earned her qualifications. She’d been working so hard to get her fledgling beauty business up and running that she’d been enduring a lot of early mornings and late nights. She’d already explained her plans for the weekend, which involved hiring some local high school students to stand in as models and let her style their hair and makeup. She hired a local photographer to take some pictures so Kitty could set up a portfolio to jumpstart her beauty business.
Before she arrived at the same safe house where we originally met, she had plans to go to beauty school. Now she planned to run a mobile business, travelling around as she saw to brides, prom girls and anyone else who needed a new look. She’d practiced on me so often, I got used to having consistently perfect nails. Recently, Kitty confided her dream about styling in Hollywood, but, so far, it was baby steps.
Étoile remained tight-lipped about New York. Something seemed to be worrying her intensely. I wanted to ask her what weighed so heavily on her mind, but not in front of everyone else. After a while, she made her excuses and I heard her bedroom door shut softly.
Really, I think both of them just wanted to get out of the way. Originally, when Étoile then Kitty moved in, I enjoyed having a constant house full. The endless comings and goings, someone to talk to, friends visiting. Most of all, I liked the ambience. Sometimes, however, like now when I wanted to be with Evan, it seemed that the house was too full.
Gage, Annalise and Beau left together in a flurry of hugs with the door banging shut behind them. I cleared the plates quickly, Evan helping to carry them into the kitchen.
“So, we’re finally alone.” Evan wrapped his arms around me, resting his head on my shoulder as I soaked the plates.
“Guess so.” I hid a smile. Switching off the faucet, I shook my dripping hands over the sink. Evan slid his hands under mine, holding them up. Heat rose from him, instantly drying my hands. “Thanks for holding back on the flames,” I teased.
“Special daemon trick. You want your present now?”
“You got me one?”
“Close your eyes.” As I closed my eyes, he scooped me into his arms. Judging from the direction he was walking, we were headed for my bedroom. Oh, hello. Shutting the door behind us, he set me on my feet, warning me to keep my eyes closed.
“Seeing as our dinner was put off tonight, I thought I’d bring it to us.”
Opening my eyes, I saw a picnic rug laid across my bedroom floor. There were plates and little bowls of tasty looking things to eat. The rug was dotted with tea lights that lit one by one as I looked upon them.
“Look up.”
Above us, my ceiling appeared to have disappeared, replaced with a velvet canopy of midnight blue, punctuated by golden stars. I gasped as a shooting star sped across the scene. “How did you do that?”
“Magic.” Evan looked pleased with himself. “A picnic under the stars is nice, right? And seeing as it isn’t exactly warm enough to be outside...”
“It’s lovely,” I breathed, watching the stars twinkle. I didn’t care how he did it, it was beautiful. “Really lovely. Thank you so much.”
“I did get you a gift too. I was waiting until we were alone to give it to you.”
“Is it a sex gift?” I asked, covering my mouth with mock shock, “because you’ve given me plenty of those.”
Evan chuckled. “No, it isn’t.” He crossed to the nightstand on his side of the bed – it still seemed strange to think of his side and mine – and opened the drawer, rummaging inside. While he did that, I sat on the blanket, crossing my legs under me.
I’d been spoiled with presents already today. Along with Annalise and Gage’s necklace, Étoile gave me a sizeable gift voucher to an online store I liked and Kitty bought me a gift basket from Sephora.
When Evan turned round, he had a slim package in his hands. He settled down next to me, leaning against the footboard of the bed, and passed it to me. “What is it?” I asked.
“Open it.”
I opened the box, and found another container. I opened three more, each a different colour and texture before I got to the final, small, square box. Opening it, I gasped. The ring inside was beautiful. Platinum set with little jewels, each a different colour. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. “I don’t know what to say.”
“It’s an eternity ring.” Evan took it from the box and picked up my hand, sliding it over the middle finger of my right hand. I held it up, admiring the way it caught the light. “The jewels are very old but the setting is new. Do you like it?”
“I think it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
Evan’s face lit up. “It has special properties which I’ll tell you about another time.”
“Sounds intriguing.” I leant over and kissed him, brushing my lips across his. Pulling me into his arms, he returned the kiss with a depth and passion that left me breathless. Suddenly, I didn’t feel so hungry.
My heart was racing slightly. Distinctly carnal thoughts rose to the forefront of my mind as I reached for him, my arms wrapping around his neck. I knelt in front of him and leant into his kiss. It seemed to last forever as he pulled me in deeper, our tongues finding each other happily.
“Bed?” Evan asked, breaking away for a moment, his hands still wrapped in my hair.
“Floor,” I replied, one hand on his chest, pushing him backwards. He tipped me with him, kissing me again, and then his hands were moving, over my shoulder and back, and to my front where he played with my shirt buttons, popping each one.
“I like it when you wear shirts,” he said, against my throat, which he was peppering with kisses.
“You could just magic it off.”
“Sometimes I just enjoy undressing you.”
I shuffled on top of him, feeling his growing hardness budding against my leg. “Duly noted.”
“Being with you makes me very happy,” he told me.
I wriggled so I was sitting up, astride his thighs, and smiled down at him. He had unsnapped the last button and was tweaking my shirt apart, running his hands up my stomach to rest over my satin bra. I took a moment to be glad I was wearing nice underwear before focusing on what I was going to say. “I’m glad that makes you happy, but what about everything else?”
“What do you mean?” He slid my shirt down my shoulders and tossed it in the vague direction of the laundry hamper. It missed woefully.
“I mean are you otherwise happy? I know living here isn’t what you want.”
“Are we going to have this discussion now?” Evan looked disappointed, but being the truly focused daemon he was, he reached up and unsnapped the front hook of my bra, teasing back the cups, smiling then.
“Yes, because we haven’t been alone all day and it’s been on my mind.”
He thought for a moment and I watched the strong structure of his chest rising and falling. Sturdy and masculine, he was truly an exceptionally enjoyable sight, clothed or unclothed. He said, “I do find myself missing home and the life I had before. I was very active, worked very hard and travelled a lot. Now I find I am not adjusting to the administration of the business quite as well without being as active. My employees have grown, but I never get the chance to be as hands-on as I would like. My name is my business and I am not doing as much as I should. I’m going to need to travel more often and that worries me.”
“Why does it worry you?”
“Because you attract danger and I want to protect you. I can’t do that if I’m somewhere else.”
“Isn’t that partly what all the lessons for? So I can protect myself?” I asked, just like I’d asked Étoile earlier.
Evan nodded. “We’re almost at the end of our lessons now. I can’t teach you much more,
neither can Étoile. Most of what we do now is practice anyway, to push your boundaries. The only other things to learn are about the histories of our different races, and you can read books on that. You don’t need me to give you history lessons.”
“I know. So... I don’t want a babysitter, Evan. And I don’t want you miserable either.”
“I’m not miserable.” He shook his hand as if to emphasise his point. His hands had somehow covered my breasts as we talked and he was playing with my nipples, running them between thumb and forefinger. He sighed. “I’m not sure Wilding is the place I want to be forever.”
“I know.” A small pang of guilt struck me. Of course, I knew that, but now it was out in the open, it couldn’t be ignored. I felt an enormous surge of gratitude for everything he’d done for me, for all the times he’d come to my aid. But he was right; it was time for me to stand on my own two feet. “We’ll have to find a happy compromise,” I offered, wondering what that could be.
“Can we do that after sex?” He looked hopeful. His hands dropped to my waist, and he pulled me up his body slightly. Okay, he didn’t need to point out the absolute obvious.
I laughed. “Mmm,” I murmured, pushing thoughts of the future aside. Our happy compromise could start, right now, with something we both wanted. I ran my hands down his chest, pausing at his waistband to unsnap the button, levering the denim open. “Can you do something about these clothes now?”
As I said it, I felt our clothes melt away until we were nothing but skin against skin. A rush of heat spiralled through my body. Lifting slightly, I rubbed myself against him, enjoying the look on his face as he hardened, pushing back against me. He lay back on the rug – suddenly empty too – and held my hips, encouraging me. Pushing up on my knees, I positioned myself over him, bearing down until I could feel him entering me. I gripped his upper arms and took him within me, a sigh escaping my lips.
Devious Magic (#3 Stella Mayweather Paranormal Series) Page 5