by Deanna Chase
The light went out on the button and the elevator doors opened. David placed a hand on the small of my back and guided me in.
Everything about the situation screamed that I should run. If Allcot wanted to, he could lock me up in this building and I’d never be heard from again. No one knew where we were. Not even Phoebe.
The doors closed and seemed to suck all the air out of the tiny space. I concentrated on breathing, but my heart sped up and it wasn’t long before I was almost hyperventilating.
“Willow?” David put his strong arm around me. “What is it? What’s happening?”
“Claustrophobia,” I forced out, though I’d never had that problem before. No, I was having a panic attack.
David pulled me into his arms and pressed my head to his chest. “Close your eyes,” he soothed. “We’ll be there in a second.”
I did as he asked and tried to convince myself he was just a friend helping me get through a crisis. But deep down I knew it was a lie. David loved me. And even though I didn’t want to admit it to even myself, I still had lingering feelings for him.
The elevator came to an abrupt stop, followed by a ding. The doors swept open and I launched myself out of David’s arms. I clutched the hallway wall, working to get my breathing under control. David stood a few feet from me, waiting.
“Better?” he asked when my chest stopped heaving.
“Yeah.” Though I certainly wasn’t fine. The place was eerie. No one graced the sterile corridor, despite what appeared to be a long line of offices. There wasn’t any office noise. No phones ringing. No footsteps. No voices. The place was a tomb. “Where is everyone?”
“This is Father’s private floor.” He headed to the end of the corridor to a nondescript white door and knocked. The door opened on its own, exactly like the door to Allcot’s private office at The Red Door. Nicola, Allcot’s sister-in-law, had likely spelled them. She was his resident witch, though not nearly as powerful as Phoebe.
We entered the sleek, deserted office. The brushed aluminum fixtures cast soft light over the gleaming black desk and silver, fabric-covered chairs. The desk was cleared, not one thing out of place, as if he hadn’t even been in yet that day. I turned my attention to David. “He’s not here.”
“He is. We just need to wait.” David sat in one of the plush chairs.
I eyed the phone. With a glance back at David, I strode over and picked it up. “Do I need to dial nine or anything for an outside line?”
I suppose I was mostly asking to see if he was going to give me a hard time. He only shook his head. I punched in six of Tal’s numbers and paused, almost daring David to stop me. He didn’t. I punched the last number and waited.
He answered on the third ring, almost out of breath. “Hello?”
“Tal, thank goodness.”
“Willow!” His voice turned frantic, laced with fear. “Where are you?”
“I…” Should I say? What if his phone was tapped? I couldn’t know. “I’m safe.”
He let out a sigh of relief. “Good, I’ve been—” A clatter sounded over the line, followed by a grunt.
“Tal?”
“Get up.” A harsh male voice filtered through the line.
“Talisen!” I cried, my heart trying to pound right out of my chest.
“Worthless fae.” Another grunt, followed by a moan. “Who did you tell?”
“No one.” I heard Tal say from far away. The tiny bit of relief at hearing his voice did nothing to calm the frantic haze of panic filling my senses. “Put Talisen on the phone!”
The person on the other end ignored my demand and yelled at Talisen instead. “Don’t lie to me. Someone knows.” Footsteps clattered on a hard floor, followed by the harsh reality of some sort of contact and the unmistakable sound of bones cracking.
The blood drained from my head and I went dizzy. “Tal,” I whispered, clutching the phone.
“Who is this?” the stranger barked into the phone.
My throat closed. David pried the phone from my hand, holding me up with one arm. “This is Davidson Laveaux. Who is this?”
I pressed my ear close to David’s, determined to be kept in the loop.
“None of your fucking business. I’ve got the fae now. If you want to see him alive again, find the energy-booster drug he’s been working on. You have until tomorrow morning.”
I heard the line go dead and lost the ability to stay standing. “No!” I cried into David’s chest. “This can’t happen. Not Tal. Not now.”
A sharp pain hit me right in the chest and I was certain my heart was breaking in half. I couldn’t lose Tal, my best friend, Beau’s best friend, the man I loved. I held on to David, unaware of him except for his solid mass giving me something to cling to. Not Tal! I silently chanted over and over.
“Willow?” David’s voice brought me back to myself and my mind raced. I had to do something. Where would he keep his new elixir? The university? That was the obvious guess. And where would I take it if I did find it? I’d worry about that later. Yanking myself out of David’s arms, I headed for the door.
“Ms. Rhoswen.” Allcot’s smooth, Southern gentleman drawl sounded behind me. I instantly tensed as his sticky vampire energy wrapped around me and vaguely noted I should have felt him earlier. “I think you’d better have a seat.”
I turned around, my hands balled at my sides. “I’m going to find Talisen. He’s hurt.”
The teenage look-alike leveled me with his uncaring gaze. “I can’t let you do that.”
“Oh? Watch me.” In two steps I had my hand on the doorknob, but David came out of nowhere and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling be back into the room. “Let me go!” I struggled, kicking and clawing, determined to make my way to Talisen, wherever he was. Nothing would stop me from getting to him. Not even David.
David just held on, his unbreakable embrace never once giving me an opening.
“Goddammit, David! This is more important than whatever your father has to say. Put me down!”
“I can’t. Talisen wouldn’t want you running into a situation unprepared and without backup. You know that. Calm down and we’ll make a plan.”
I stopped struggling as his words sank in. He’d said we. He’d help me find Tal.
“All right?” he asked.
“Yeah.” I sucked in a breath. “Okay.”
“Davidson, if you’re done manhandling her, maybe you both would like to take a seat.”
Gently, David lowered me to my feet. He clasped my hand in his and led me to the chairs directly in front of Allcot’s desk. The Plexiglas surface gleamed under the office lights. There was nothing about this room that said Allcot, except that it was clearly expensive.
“Father. Willow and Phoebe learned something of importance today that you need to know.” David inclined his head in Allcot’s direction.
Learned something of importance. I snorted out a frustrated laugh, on the brink of losing my mind. Daywalking vamp, Link electrocuted, Phoebe and me almost killed, and now something terrible had happened to Tal and these two assholes wanted to sit here and make polite conversation.
I turned and found Allcot’s dark gray eyes focused on me. “Harrison says he lost track of you today.”
He was asking why I’d taken off. I scowled. “I hardly think that’s the most pressing matter at the moment.”
Allcot gave me a hard, cold stare and when I didn’t react, he nodded to David. “Why did you bring her here if she doesn’t want to cooperate with us? I’ve pledged my protection and she’s done nothing but throw it away.”
I clutched the armrest of the chair, ready to bolt. Was he seriously chastising me now? We didn’t have time for this.
“Father,” David warned.
And that one word made my head snap up. I’d never heard him challenge his father before. No one ever challenged Allcot.
The master vampire stood and walked around the desk to stare at us. He cast David a curious glance before turning his attenti
on once more to me.
“It seems you have something to tell me.” He leaned back against the desk and crossed his ankles.
I had a bit of déjà vu from the first time I’d met him. This was his way of seeming inviting to get one to talk to him. My preference was to march out of his office and slam the door in his face, but Tal and I were both in serious trouble here. I needed him. “Phoebe and I were attacked by a daywalker.”
Allcot straightened and snapped his attention to David. “Another daywalker?”
David nodded. “They came straight to me after the incident.”
“A daywalker,” he said to himself.
I stood, impatient. “Phoebe is researching what she can. The problem is we can’t go home or anywhere else. I’m too recognizable. The vamp wanted to kill us, and I’m certain he won’t stop until he finds us.” I forced myself to keep my voice strong and steady. “If I’m not mistaken, he won’t stand for anyone knowing he exists.”
He rubbed his smooth chin. “You’re asking for my protection?”
“No.” I stood taller. “I’m asking for David’s.”
David met my imploring gaze. “You don’t have to ask.”
“Thank you.” His easy acceptance sparked a fire in my chest, fueling my need to get to Tal. I turned to Allcot once more. “Not five minutes ago, Talisen was attacked. I need you to send someone to his lab or else I’ll be going myself.”
He narrowed his eyes, anger shooting from their clear depths. “You dare make demands, Ms. Rhoswen?”
“I dare, Allcot,” I said, my head spinning with all the anguish and fear coursing through my system. “Talisen is my family. I think you, of all people, would understand the need to protect family.” If I hadn’t known one or both of them would physically stop me from leaving, I would’ve bolted for the door right then.
A slow smile spread over Allcot’s lips, and he leaned once again against his desk. “You’ve got balls, Rhoswen.”
His unconcerned attitude made me bristle. “This is bullshit. I’m not playing games anymore.” Without even glancing at David, I stalked toward the door.
Just as I knew he would, David jumped out of his chair with lightning speed and blocked my way. “You can’t go. It’s not safe.”
“Someone I love is in trouble! I have to go.”
Emotion rolled through those deep, midnight-blue eyes before he could blink the pain away. I’d just told him I loved Talisen.
I reached for the door, but he put his hand out, blocking it from opening. “No,” he said again. “You’re too valuable.”
“So is he!” Argh! I couldn’t even fight back. Not against vamps. This had been a terrible idea.
“She’s correct,” Allcot said in that smooth voice. “He is valuable and is under my protection.”
I spun to stare at him, my mouth hanging open.
“Your fae and I came to an agreement. You’ll know I honor my commitments, Rhoswen.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a black iPhone and held it out to me.
My hand shook as I took it from him.
“Read the last two messages.”
I glanced down and my heart all but stopped.
Allcot: The fae has been attacked. Find him ASAP.
Harrison: Yes, sir.
Hope crashed through me, followed by all-encompassing rage. Allcot had been playing me the whole time.
Chapter 12
That bastard Allcot. Who played games with people when they were clearly in distress? Maybe I could get Phoebe to dust him when this was all over.
David studied my reflection in the rearview mirror. “Are you okay?”
“Just peachy.” I stared out the privacy-tinted window from the back seat and willed David’s phone to buzz.
We were headed back to the house to wait for news from Harrison and to form a plan for meeting Tal’s attacker if Harrison came up empty. Allcot, thank the Goddess, was stuck at Cryrique until the sun went down. He was an old vampire who didn’t have to sleep during the day, but he couldn’t go out in the sunlight.
“Harrison will find him,” David said.
David’s confidence did little to reassure me. How would he even know where to start looking? The houses and trees went by in a blur. I didn’t want to think about what Harrison would find if he did manage to find Tal. David pulled the car into the long driveway of Allcot’s house and parked, but he didn’t get out. He sat there, the muscle in his jaw pulsing. “I’m sorry for Father’s behavior.”
I met his conflicted eyes in the rearview mirror. “He’s a controlling, egotistical douche.”
He grimaced. “Yes, I suppose that’s what you’d see.”
“It’s what everyone sees.” I pushed the door open and ran in the house, straight for David’s sitting room where I’d last left Phoebe and Link. She was sitting cross-legged on his couch, the laptop closed.
I sank to my knees on the floor in front of her. “Tal’s been hurt.” My voice wobbled.
Her head snapped up. “What do you mean?”
I couldn’t stop the tears. They fell in a hot stream as I forced out, “I called him…someone…I heard the attack.”
“Son of a bitch! What are you doing here?” She jumped to her feet, ready to take action.
“Harrison went after him.” I sniffed. “If we go we could bring even greater danger to him.”
She huffed. “Not if I have ten minutes to make us over.”
I shook my head sadly. “Phoebs, we got our asses kicked today. I don’t know who’s after Tal. All I know is I was at Allcot’s office when it happened. I had no way to get to him.”
She put a comforting arm around my shoulder and squeezed. “Any word from Harrison?”
I shook my head. “What if he can’t find him?”
“He will.” She crossed the room to where her duffle bag of disguises sat. In three minutes flat, she was made up into a college-girl research assistant. “I’m going anyway. Harrison is only one guy. He’s going to need backup if there are more than two people who took Tal. You coming with?”
“Yes.” There was no question. If she was going, I was going. Danger be damned. I couldn’t sit here and do nothing while Talisen suffered. I opened David’s door and whistled. Link bounded out in Shih Tzu form, appearing as good as new. “Am I glad to see you, bud.” He wiggled and pressed against me.
The three of us headed downstairs. I paused, poking my head into the kitchen. The maid from earlier was standing next to the house chef, discussing the schedule. “Have you seen Davidson?”
“He’s in Allcot’s study.”
I took off at a run, no longer willing to wait for anyone. I burst through the door and found David behind his father’s desk, his fingers flying over a keyboard. “Phoebe and I are going after him. I can’t wait here. I won’t. I know you said it’s dangerous if we go, but it’s too dangerous for Talisen if we don’t.”
David studied me. “There’s no talking you out of this?”
I shook my head stubbornly. “I’m going wherever Phoebe goes.”
He pursed his lips in thought, then stood. “I’ll drive.”
Something constricted in my chest and I was pretty sure it was my heart exploding. No matter what the deal was with Allcot, David was on my side, even when it came to Talisen.
Link and I piled into the back of his car while Phoebe took the front seat. Her straight blond hair, studious-looking glasses, and professional makeup made it hard even for me to tell it was her without looking twice. I put on my mousy-brown wig and the wire-rimmed glasses once again. I’d lost the sweater earlier, but Phoebe had found another one. I’d tied the arms around my shoulders to hide my wings. It would be easy to discard if I needed to fly.
David took off, speeding his way toward the university. Minutes later, he pulled up in front of the science building Talisen worked in.
“Have you heard from Harrison yet?” I asked as Phoebe and I got out of the car. Link was staying with David for now. Hopefully they both behav
ed and I didn’t come back to a vamp-wolf smackdown. Wolves don’t care much for vamps and vice versa.
He pursed his lips and shook his head.
Phoebe leaned in his window, waving her hands animatedly as if she were telling him a story. But what she really said was: “If you don’t see us back here in five minutes, come in after us and bring Link.”
“Got it.” David nodded and pulled away to park in the student lot. Idling at the curb would draw too much attention.
“Ready?” Phoebe asked me.
No. My palms were slick with sweat and my heart was beating erratically to the point I thought it might explode into a million pieces. But nothing was going to stop me from going in that building. Not if Talisen was in there. “Ready,” I said, my voice thick with emotion.
She straightened, clearly steeling herself as she eyed me. “You sure you’re up for this?”
“Yes,” I said defensively and then swallowed my fear. Please, Goddess, give me strength. “I’m fine. Let’s do this.”
She gave me a curt nod and led me to the front of the building. Our timing was perfect. Phoebe caught the door as a student strolled out, saving us from having to produce a campus keycard we didn’t have.
I cleared my throat and forced myself to recite the script she’d made me memorize. “How long will the study take?”
“Not long. Thirty minutes or so.” She smiled at some passing students, playing her role to the hilt. When we got near the lab I knew Talisen worked in, I paused to tie my shoe and gave her a slight nod. The laces slipped from my shaking fingers. I stood, pressing my hands to my thighs, trying for some semblance of control.
“Here we are, Ms. Roberts.” She clutched the knob and turned. A slight frown tugged at her lips. Locked.
I shifted to block her from prying eyes. Then she whispered, “Invado.” Brilliant white light shot from her fingertips, surrounding the knob. She gave me a triumphant smile and pushed the door open.
It was handy to have a witch around. The reality of what we could be walking into made my limbs heavy, and I forced myself to move forward. Talisen was still alive. He had to be. Images of Beau lying lifeless in my mother’s lavender fields flooded my memories. Squeezing my eyes tight as if that would shut them out, I clutched the edge of the door until my hand cramped.