by Ashlyn Chase
Tory grinned. “I’d never turn down a free lunch.”
“Neither would I,” Kurt said. “But are you sure you want to do that with only one day to unpack and settle in before the madness starts?”
“Absolutely.” She hugged them both and said good night. As soon as her door was locked, she leaned against it and sighed. Glancing across the living room, she spotted Kurt’s extra key to the building on the side table.
Oh, shoot. She could wait to give it to him the next day, but he was right here. She grabbed it and opened her door ready to trot downstairs. Then she looked at the warrior in her hand. When she heard their voices, something made her stop and listen.
“I know. I’m worried about her too.”
“At least we got her out of Cambridge. I’m almost sure that’s where the facility is. With so many of us over there trying to find it, she’d be bound to wonder sooner or later.”
Facility? What facility? Were they talking about me? Ruxandra? Could this night get any stranger?
Just then the outer door opened and shut, cutting off their conversation.
What was going on? Did it have something to do with Ruxandra finding her? She figured Anthony’s jealous ex had simply followed him there.
And what kind of facility could they be looking for? Had Ruxandra opened a secret gym or something? She was always in great shape and was certainly strong as hell, which she demonstrated anytime she heaved a chair at somebody’s head.
I should ask. I wasn’t really eavesdropping. It was more like accidentally hearing, and it sounded like they were protecting me from something they didn’t want me to know about. But perhaps she needed to.
Claudia set the warrior on the half wall beside the door, then charged down the stairs and flew out onto the sidewalk. “Kurt! You forgot your keys.”
The two guys turned around. Kurt strolled back to her and held out his hand. “Sorry about that.”
Claudia pulled the keys away and held them firmly in her fist. “What were you two talking about just then?”
Kurt glanced over his shoulder at Tory and asked absently, “Uh, just when?”
“When you were leaving. I heard you say something about a facility in Cambridge.”
Tory’s eyes widened and he quickly joined them. “It was nothing. Nothing to do with you, anyway.”
Claudia narrowed her eyes and tried her stare-down technique. It usually worked with employees. “Are you sure about that?”
The next thing she knew, she was in her apartment wondering, “What was I just about to do? There was something…” She searched her brain, but nothing came to mind. Scratching her head, she shuffled off to her new bedroom to unpack.
***
“I’m sorry I’m late. I had to be sure Ruxandra didn’t follow me—again.”
Claudia stepped aside and let Anthony into her new apartment. “Mmm-hmm. So, did you come up with any more threats? Maybe something effective this time?”
She wasn’t yelling, but that wasn’t Claudia’s way. Her hand on her hip and lack of a smile showed her annoyance. She only broke out the sarcasm when she was really ticked off.
“I don’t blame you for being upset. This should have been a monumental evening for the two of us. Instead, I left and had to send a couple of friends to pick up the pieces.”
She stalked away and threw her hands in the air. “When is this going to end? Do I have to keep looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life?”
He wished he could say an unequivocal “no,” but he could not. “I’m sorry, Claudia. I know this can’t be easy for you—”
“Do you? Do you have any idea how not easy this is? Sometimes the urge to drink comes out of nowhere and seems unrelated to anything going on. Then I think about the stress I’m under and wonder why I haven’t relapsed before this.” She sat down hard on her couch.
“Did you pick up a drink tonight?”
“No. But I could have.”
“I imagine you could at any time.”
She stared at him. At first her expression was hard. Then she let out a deep breath and sagged against the cushions. “You’re right. I called my sponsor and she calmed me down.”
“Good.” He sat next to her and rested his hand on her knee. “I don’t know much about it, but I think that’s what a sponsor is for. Right?”
“Not just that, but yes. Talking to her helped.”
He tried to joke. “Maybe I should talk to her.”
“You?”
She obviously didn’t get it.
“I’m kidding. But I do wish I had someone like that at times.”
“You should have me.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, but he’d heard her clearly.
He squeezed her knee and then wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Don’t worry about me. I just want you to be safe. I have plenty of friends who will give me an objective opinion—even if I don’t ask for it.”
She smiled. “I imagine Kurt and Tory are good for that.”
“They certainly are. In fact, I plan to talk with them just as soon as I tuck you into bed.”
She glanced up at him coquettishly. “You’re going to tuck me in?”
He realized his mistake too late. If he went into her bedroom, there was a good chance he’d forget about coming out, and he’d asked his friends to meet him in half an hour. “I, uh… Maybe I should wait on that.”
She snorted. “Good. Because I was going to say, ‘Not tonight, honey. I have a backache.’”
Whew.
***
“Thanks for getting Claudia settled in, guys,” Anthony said. “I’m afraid I have another favor to ask of you. Maybe just some advice or ideas.”
Kurt settled against Anthony’s couch. “Shoot.”
“I’m sorry to take any time away from your searching for the lab, but I need to keep Ruxandra from finding Claudia. Her life is in danger. Ruxandra obviously knows she was moving, but I’d rather she didn’t know Claudia lives right over the tea shop.”
“Why don’t you just mesmerize her?” Tory asked. “Make her think Claudia moved to Timbuktu.”
Anthony dropped his head in his hands. “If I could trick her into letting me mesmerize her, I’d just erase all suspicion of me and Claudia as a couple. I had her convinced it was all business between us until…”
“Until you were swapping spit on the sidewalk,” Tory said.
Anthony rolled his eyes.
Kurt scratched his chin. “I’m thinking…”
Anthony had hoped his wizard friend would come up with a magical solution, but he didn’t want to come right out and ask. The man had powers Anthony didn’t understand. Only Kurt knew what could be done and what the consequences might be.
“I can do a spell to make Claudia invisible, but that might become a problem if a customer wants to see the manager.” Kurt smirked.
Anthony and Tory groaned.
“Sorry. I shouldn’t joke.”
No. You shouldn’t. I’m desperate here.
“Maybe I could…”
Anthony leaned forward.
“Nah. That wouldn’t work,” Kurt muttered. “I’d need her cooperation for that.”
“Ruxandra’s cooperation? That’s unlikely.”
“I know.” Kurt held up one finger. “On the other hand, I’ve never bound a vampire before, and I’m not entirely sure I can since she’s dead and all, which is kind of the ultimate binding.” He shook his head, as if another idea was out the window.
Kurt’s thinking out loud was driving Anthony crazy, but if that’s how Kurt’s thought process worked, he’d have to let him do it.
“I’ve got the solution. I just have to spell it out. Get it? Spell?”
“You’re killing me, Kurt.”
“Relax. I think I can do something. I might be a
ble to make Claudia invisible to Ruxandra only. I just hope Ruxandra’s not too bright and won’t question a teapot floating in midair.”
“Unfortunately, Ruxandra’s very bright and questions everything.”
“Shoot. Just the way I like ’em,” Kurt mumbled.
Anthony raised his eyebrows. “Hold on. Are you saying you might be interested in her?”
Kurt squirmed. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I can’t figure out why you two drifted apart. I wish I had a gorgeous woman as devoted to me as she is to you. Women can be so damn fickle.”
“Is this about the Dear John letter you received during your deployment?”
“Two deployments. Two Dear John letters.”
“Ouch. That’s rough. You can have Ruxandra if you can transfer her affections from me to you. Is there some magic spell that can do that?”
Kurt laughed. “I’d really be messing with the universe if I magically made her love me instead of you. That’s major manipulation.”
“But she doesn’t love me. Not really. She’s obsessed with me and mistakes it for love.”
“All the more reason not to shift her feelings from you to me. I don’t want a stalker any more than you do.”
Tory elbowed his friend. “What if you do it the old-fashioned way? Steal her affections? Bring her flowers and shit.”
Kurt and Anthony stared at each other. Eventually they both burst out laughing.
“What the hell. It’s worth a try.”
Anthony’s jaw dropped. Apparently, they were laughing for different reasons. “Seriously? You’d do that for me?”
“Hell, I’m doing it for me. I’d love to have a fling with a feisty blond bombshell.”
“And you’re not afraid she’ll devour you?”
“Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself. There’s nothing the universe likes more than a good protection spell.”
“Then you can do a protection spell for Claudia. Right?”
“I gave her a talisman.”
“But a talisman can be lost or stolen. Is there a way to surround her with magical protection wherever she goes?”
Kurt nodded.
“Why didn’t you suggest that right away?”
“She has to agree. And at first I didn’t think it would be enough. Ruxandra would still get between you two. But maybe that coupled with me as a distraction…”
“Try it. Please. If it’ll keep Claudia safe, I’ll find a way to make her agree to it without telling her too much. And if you’re willing to take on Ruxandra…” Anthony put all the hope he could find into his voice.
Kurt grinned. “Challenge accepted.”
Chapter 5
“I must be out of my mind,” Claudia said.
“Trust me. If you’ll let me do this one itty-bitty spell, it will protect you from Ruxandra. I promise.”
Claudia poured more tea into Kurt’s cup. “You really believe in magic?”
“Yup.”
Tory hadn’t said a word. She wondered what the down-to-earth ex-football player thought of this. On the other hand, Kurt, an ex-marine, believing in magic was a big enough surprise.
As if he’d heard her, Tory spoke up. “I’ve seen it work. I don’t pretend to understand it, but Kurt does. He really has a gift.”
“Can Anthony be here while you’re doing…your thing?”
“Why? Don’t you trust me?”
“Not as much as I trust Anthony.”
“Didn’t he call you last night and ask you to accept my help today?”
“He left a voice mail, but I thought he meant moving furniture or something.”
“He meant magical help. Ruxandra’s got it in for you, and believe me, you do not want to go up against her. I also have ways to protect the shop itself. And after last time…I know it wasn’t Ruxandra who burned the bar to the ground, but it was a jealous woman.”
“That’s right. Drake had one date with her, and she turned into a psycho stalker when he dumped her for my friend, Bliss. Oh, boy.” Claudia sighed. “I guess it can’t hurt.”
“Exactly.” Kurt rubbed his hands together. “So, you’ll let me give you a little magical protection?”
She rolled her eyes. “Why not?”
“That isn’t a yes.”
“You want me to say, ‘Yes’?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, then. Yes. I guess.”
“Good enough. I have a few supplies with me.” He plunked the gym bag he’d brought with him on a chair.
“What the heck? Are you going to hang stinky socks around the place to ward off evil spirits or something?”
Kurt laughed. “Not exactly.” As he pulled nine candles out of the bag, she noticed a hollowed-out portion at the bottom of each. Then he withdrew some kind of botanical mixture and began stuffing it inside the holes.
“Anthony said you had some glass candleholders—enough for nine tables.”
“We have more than that, in case one breaks.”
Kurt grinned. “After I’m through protecting the place, nothing will break.”
“Seriously?”
“Trust me. Now, where are the candleholders?”
“On the shelves under the cash register.”
“I’ll get ’em,” Tory said. He jumped up and rounded a display case with special teas in tins or bagged and ready for sale. Returning with as many candleholders as he could carry, he had to go back for the rest.
Claudia watched, fascinated, as Kurt held the stuffed candles upside down and placed the hurricane glass over each, then flipped them over one by one. None of the ingredients spilled out. If she hadn’t watched him fill the hollow, she’d never have been the wiser.
Kurt held his left hand over each candle in turn and murmured some words in another language.
It was all Claudia could do not to laugh. Does he really think these candles are some kind of magical talisman or something?
Kurt opened his eyes and began setting one in the center of each table. “You’ll never need to replace these.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, they’ll appear to burn down an inch or so, but won’t go any further. You can light them first thing in the morning if you want and let them burn until closing every night. Don’t give them another thought.”
The next thing Kurt extracted from his mystery bag was a set of bells.
“You’re not going to hang those over the door, are you?”
He stopped in mid-stride. “Yeah, I am. Why?”
“If they tinkle every time someone opens the door, they’ll drive me crazy.”
“They’ll keep evil from entering.”
“Okaaay.” Claudia tried not to smirk.
Kurt took a deep breath and let it out in a frustrated whoosh. “You’ve heard of exorcisms, right?”
“Yeah…” What’s he getting at? Is Linda Blair a big tea drinker?
“There are always bells. And churches…always bells. Just go with it, okay?”
If I was coming in hungover, they’d drive me nuts, but I’m sober now. “Okay. I’ll try to get used to them.”
“Good.” He hung the bells and murmured some more strange words. “Now that I’ve finished out here, can we use the office for a protection spell specifically for you?”
“Sure.”
Out of his bag, Kurt withdrew a long, wooden branch studded with brightly colored stones. A pointed crystal was attached to one end.
“You aren’t going to make me lie down while you walk around me with a magic wand, are you?”
Kurt tipped his head. “Do you have a problem with that?”
Holy crap. “Seriously?”
“I wasn’t going to have you lie down. You can sit or stand, but I am going to cast a circle of protection around you.”<
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Claudia shook her head. “I don’t know why I’m letting you talk me into this.”
“Because Anthony wants you to be safe.”
She rose. “Fine. Let’s go.”
Kurt grabbed his gym bag off the chair beside him and followed her.
After he’d rolled up the carpet, he scrubbed the hardwood floor with some clear mixture he’d brought in a mason jar. After that, he poured a circle of salt around both of them. Then he placed various rocks and plants just inside the circle and poured another circle of salt, trapping the various items between the two lines of salt.
“Seems like overkill,” she muttered.
“It’s an extra-powerful barrier between you and anyone who wants to harm you.”
“So I have to stand in here anytime the boogey-woman comes after me?”
Kurt laughed. “No. Once the spell is cast, you’ll be protected wherever you go. Well…you’ll see.”
Claudia was through protesting and questioning. She’d do this for Anthony’s peace of mind and no other reason. Wait a minute…she had one more question.
“I just thought of something. What if Ruxandra has one of her fits and knocks the candles over? The place could go up in flames—again.”
“Won’t happen. Trust me.”
She took a deep breath and tried to believe he knew what he was doing.
Kurt grabbed his wand and pointed it at the place where the wall met the ceiling. Then he walked around her, speaking more gibberish. She felt ridiculous until she saw a blue light glowing inside the crystal at the tip of the wand.
Hmm…must be some kind of trick of the light. Like a prism or something.
On his last pass, a stream of blue light shot out of the tip, tracing the entire circle, and she gasped.
***
Anthony lifted his fist to knock and wondered why he was so nervous. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t visited Claudia at her apartment before. But this time she was in his apartment building and it was the night before their grand opening. Perhaps because their lives had become so completely intertwined—at his insistence—he now felt a greater sense of responsibility for her.
No. Responsibility came naturally to him. That wasn’t it.