“I do, I’m also a native. I can show you where the best Cajun food can be had.” There was a twinkle in his eyes that she recognized.
What she wanted to say was, we just met, jerk, but what she said was, “That would be even better. I’m famished.”
They walked the campus and then left for food. The whole time he made propositions that could be taken as harmless chit chat, or fishing for her openness to some sordid fling. She felt sick that he was that way with what he thought was a total stranger. It lent to her initial belief after the split that she had meant nothing at all to him. Nothing.
The temptation to leave and walk back in the little restaurant as herself was growing, but when she sensed the sludgy darkness approaching again, she forgot all about getting her answers from him. She knew the answers without asking. Hearing him say it was nothing, wouldn’t make it hurt less. Any building bitterness was replaced by a need to protect him.
“I’ve got to go. Thank you for a lovely day. I’m sure I will see you on campus.” She stood so fast her chair threatened to knock over.
“Does your carriage turn to a pumpkin at dark, darling?” He looked at her, puzzled.
She dropped some cash on the table. “Something like that, darling.”
Outside she felt the darkness moving away. She looked around to see a glimpse of the woman walking off at a fast clip. Steven stepped out and said something, but Gwen had her attention squarely on feeling the direction of her target. She ignored Steven calling after her as she ran after the woman, who always seemed just slow enough for her to follow.
Gwen walked, turning corner after corner, walking into the seedier areas of town, and down dank and smelly alleyways, until she lost track of the woman.
A soft curse floated from her lips. Her feet hurt and she didn’t know where she was. She turned, trying to trace her steps back. While she walked, she thought maybe she had been led away from him deliberately. Could Fannie be working with the witch to perform the ritual with the heart? Dillon? Shane?
Before she took another step she called to check in with Shane, who was fine and shopping. Next she called Dillon, and after hearing his voice said she misdialed and hung up. Satisfied they were safe, she started back again to make sure Steven was still okay.
She let her glamour drop so she could focus all of her intent on finding her way back. When she made it back to where they ate, he was still there, eating. He seemed unaffected by being left to his meal alone. For a brief moment, she considered again walking in and asking him what, if anything, had been between them, but again decided even if he lied and said there was something, she would be able to read the lie in his tone and eyes. He wasn’t likely to care that he left her broken and it took Sebastian to fix her.
Sebastian. What happened there?
Focus, Gwen. Adapt. Witches, dead bodies.
There were more important things to be done. If this carried on, Dillon was next. Or Sebastian, she hadn’t written that off entirely. He wasn’t strictly a familiar anymore and had vulnerabilities. Daytime vulnerabilities. She felt a wave of fear wash over her.
Without a second thought she called Yardley to make sure he was safe.
“Locked in as usual, Miss Hensley.”
The voice reassured her. She never did ask what he was, but she knew he wasn’t human and he would keep Sebastian safe. “Good, be extra cautious, there are things that would seek to hurt him.”
“Always, Miss.”
The sun was dropping, and with that, Steven would be safe, that was really all the day had been about.
While she walked, searching for an empty place to find a good shadow, she looked down at her feet, thinking about what happened and what she needed to do.
The first thing was to give the cloth to Sebastian or Sergei. Sergei she decided, because the second thing she needed to do was talk to Sebastian about what had happened, and how she could counter it.
Sebastian. He’s safe, she reminded herself, and reached up for her shawl that was still at home. Was she ready to work magic with him? Have him touch her? Have him back in her thoughts? Connected again? On vacation she kidded herself into thinking she was done with him, but when he held her the last night, the way his arms felt, still felt like home. Perfect. How could he feel so perfect, if he wasn’t her soul mate? Why was she so drawn to him?
He’s not even human, Gwen.
Her thoughts drifted briefly to Dillon. Another miscalculation that thankfully hadn’t gotten to the intensity she had with Sebastian. She hadn’t even realized how deeply she cared for him until it was too late.
Not too late. That was perfect timing, before you made another mistake. You’ve got Shane, who loves you. A witch. A future.
The fates have spoken.
The sound of her feet scuffling on the pavement reminded her that she needed to get home. New Orleans was no place for her to be wondering at night.
She’d not wondered the city alone since her terrible fright with the turned vampire so long ago.
Come to me. The voice was firm. Harsher than she recalled the last summoning. The urge to answer felt almost like a burning hunger.
She sighed.
Not now, why now? The thoughts danced across her mind and she felt a cold chill as the response.
To not answer would be bad. Would he know she heard? Of course, he would.
Come to me, now.
“Gwen, what are you doing.” The tone Sergei used was different than his usual cold tone. He sounded annoyed.
She stepped back, startled by his sudden appearance and how close he stood. “Being summoned. I have to go.”
“Why are you here alone?” He stepped into her space and his nostrils flared. “You reek of dark magic. What’s happened? You can’t stay here. This city is full of creatures.” His arm wrapped around her like a cold vise, and before she even thought to protest they appeared on Dmitry’s manor.
Gwen leaned down and put her hands on her knees, fighting off a wave of nausea. “I hate that. You should have let me take us.” She stared down at the grass as he started to walk toward the manor. “Sergei, wait.”
He turned and looked back at her with indifference. “Yes, mistress.”
“I need your help tracking the witch that touched me. Can you track her from what you sense on me?” She stood straight and rubbed her face, trying to clear the icky feeling from her head. “I don’t see how you can travel like that all the time.”
“We will see what his orders are, Gwen. You know better than to go chasing things like that on your own. You shouldn’t need to be told.” The edge of his lip raised as he scolded her.
She took a few steps toward him. She noticed whenever he was displeased with something she did, he called her Gwen, otherwise it was mistress. “Mind your tone with me. He didn’t order me not to. He put me in touch with the person who told me about her.” Her eyes darted down to the finger that she used to poke at his unyielding chest and then back up to him. “I can’t have my family past hurting people I love. Can you please just track the witch for me? I will do the rest.”
Sergei looked at her with disbelief. “We will see what his orders are, mistress.”
“Who is watching Dillon and Shane? That witch moves during the day, what are we going to do?”
He narrowed his eyes and turned to leave again. “Get orders.”
She followed him inside. As soon as they neared the room where they gave reports she could feel Dmitry, and feel he was agitated. When they walked in, Dmitry looked from one to the other and snarled. The growl sounded like it had more to it and she wondered if maybe it was some vampire curse-word leveled at Sergei, or her, or both of them.
In a blink, he went from the head of the table and appeared in front of Gwen. A small sound escaped her lips as he bit her shoulder, and then tossed her into the wall.
He grabbed her by the arm and yanked her toward him and then shoved her against Sergei. “If danger is what you want, pet, you have to look no further tha
n me.”
Sergei stood silent, making no effort to catch her or help her stay on her feet.
Dmitry watched while she caught her breath, and fell into her place beside Sergei. His eyes shifted back to him. “Sergei, why is Gwen wandering around alone in such a dangerous place?”
Sergei stood straight, his eyes forward but not focused directly on Dmitry. “No excuses, Master.”
“He couldn’t stop me. I left during the day.” Gwen let her gaze leave the carpet. She knew every swirl of the pattern from prior meetings, and the demand to stare at anything but his eyes. Eyes she was now looking at. Eyes that had gone solid black.
Dmitry snatched her again, lifting her off the floor and holding her level with his eyes. “Did I ask you, sunshine?”
“No, Master.” She swallowed and tried to look away, but he pulled her so close, there was no other option. “He can’t watch me in the sunlight.”
Dmitry bit down again in the same spot and tossed her to the floor. “Would you like his punishment?”
Sergei briefly flashed his eyes to her.
She looked over to Sergei and then back to Dmitry, meeting his gaze again. “Yes. It was my doing.”
Dmitry laughed. “Very well then. Sergei, you are dismissed. Thank your mistress for sparing you a thrashing.” Before Sergei answered he added, “Don’t let her go off alone again, or you won’t survive the punishment.”
“Yes, Master. Thank you, mistress.” He looked from Gwen back to Dmitry. “Master.”
The innocuous sound of the latch catching as the door closed behind Sergei, made Gwen start to hyperventilate. She tried not to imagine what sort of punishment lay ahead.
Dmitry watched her, still on the floor, looking up at him with terror filled eyes, and smiled at her in a way that made her shiver. He pulled her to her feet, gripping her tight with claws digging into her flesh. “Let’s see how far you can be pushed, mistress.”
All the anger at what was happening on his realm boiled over, and he momentarily lost sight of how fragile his weapon was. Gwen withstood all he gave, before his rage cleared and he called Sergei back in to take her for a healing.
“Keep her away from me. Keep her safe. Do not let her wander the city alone again, ever. I will have something monitor her while you sleep.” Dmitry looked down at her unconscious body. That she survived made him both happy and alarmed. He was glad that she might prove to be a much stronger weapon, and glad that he hadn’t lost to his own temper, but that also meant she might still have more power that he wasn’t aware of. He pursed his lips together. “Take her to Percy.”
“W hat are you doing, boss? Please, whatever is happening these last few days, stop it. You were almost dead when you got here.” Mikhail walked beside Gwen as she headed for the exit.
Gwen turned to get caught in his deep brown eyes. The eyes of her old friend, who never was her friend. “I’m guessing Sergei is outside?”
He sighed as his gaze burned her with its intensity. “Look, I know you are angry with me. Fine, stay angry with me, but please don’t push him right now.”
She continued to stare, lost in the depths of what looked like concerned eyes. Everywhere she turned, baggage seemed to be falling from the sky. Now was not the time for this. Whatever friendship or lack thereof between them, would have to wait for a less emotionally crowded time. “Why? Why not now?”
They both watched as a witch walked past, not giving them a second thought, before they started talking again.
“Aside from your life? He’s being pressed right now on vampire matters. You just can’t push him now.” He brushed her hair off her shoulder, looking at the new scars. “Please. He is likely to lose his temper so easily right now. Can’t you stay away from him altogether?”
“I don’t care about his temper, a few bites, or your vampire games. Humans are in danger.” She looked behind her and then back to him. “Will you help me track a witch?”
“I can’t help you do anything. I can’t.”
“Can’t, or won’t.”
“Not now, Gwen.”
“Who is pressing him?” She frowned when he shook his head no. “Can’t you at least tell me that much? Pretend like we are friends again, if you must.”
“Warrior tribe. It’s complicated, just trust you want to be as submissive as possible. Don’t pressure him, he’s fast to snap.”
“I noticed. Fine, whatever. I need to go.” She started toward the exit again. “I have to get things in order before tomorrow.”
Mikhail easily caught up and in long, graceful strides kept pace with her hurried steps. “What’s tomorrow?”
“Things you won’t help with.” Her tone was cold again.
“Can’t. It’s can’t.”
“Bye, Casper.” She sped up, trying to outpace him.
He put a hand on her shoulder and stopped her. “Gwen, wait, what do you need?”
“Real friends, Mikhail.” Her eyes narrowed at him and her brows pinched together. She reached up and lifted his hand off. “Go back to your work. I’m not your job anymore.”
He reached out and touched her face. “Sergei is not your friend.”
“I know that. No vampire is.” She brushed away his hand and looked to the side, trying not to get caught up in his games again. “Hands off me, don’t forget my rank.”
She walked outside and Mikhail followed close behind. Sergei was on them in a flash. Mikhail exchanged a brief hello with him and then Gwen and Sergei left to her house. This time they traveled in the shadows, at her pace.
Before they went inside she stopped him. “I need a witch tracked.”
“I wasn’t ordered not to.” His tone and face held no indication of what he thought about the order.
“Well considering I took your beating, even if you were ordered not to, you will hunt this woman for me and take me to her. I want her head.” Gwen pushed him for emphasis, but since as usual it had no effect, the importance was lost.
One side of his mouth began to curl into a smile for a brief moment, before returning to its emotionless resting state. “Her head, mistress?”
“How about, thank you for taking my beating?” She shook her head in frustration. “Why am I surrounded by heartless, unemotional men?”
“You asked for it. I should think it served you well.”
“A beating? Yes, my pain gift. I should thank you, I assume?” She paused and frowned, then drew in a deep breath, taking in the comforting scents of home. Even relaxed she still wanted some vengeance for the deaths, and more than anything to make sure no more happened. “Isn’t the head what we take when we have been wronged?”
“We?”
“I’m marked as one of you. Yes, we, I want her head.”
Sergei chuckled. “Yes, mistress. Do you have magic that will do that?”
“Okay, so I may need your help with that part, but I will have her life.”
“As you wish. Until we are ordered otherwise.”
“What were you ordered?” She looked at him thoughtfully.
“You only travel with me or Sebastian.” He looked past her, toward the house. “Keep you safe, same as usual.”
Her eyes stayed locked on him. “How can you see to that in the day time?”
“Will you not stay in town as ordered?” His attention came back to her, but his face remained unreadable.
Her frustration at the whole situation was wearing her patience thin. “I don’t follow his orders.”
“No, mistress, I see that. You will suffer for your pride.” A strange look washed over his face. “It should serve you well.”
Chapter Eleven
“I ’ll not have anyone suffer for my family’s past deeds. Not even a jerk like Steven.” Gwen paced and looked at Sergei, seeing nothing that resembled emotion. “I have a cloth with her blood. Can you use that to find her? I can show you the last places I saw her in New Orleans.”
At that he arched a brow. “You are serious? You want her head?”
&nb
sp; “Deadly serious.”
“The cloth will do.” He paused and ran a tongue over his fangs. “If I am to go, you must stay with Sebastian. Must.”
“Okay, is Shane here?” She turned toward the house, not wanting to see his fangs. With him having to stay so close to her, and live in her house, she liked to imagine him as a man as much as possible.
“No, he was gone when I woke.” He watched her eyes grow wide and a disapproving look come over her. “You are my priority.”
She sighed. “Yes, but I am much better prepared for Josephine than they are.” As she heard herself say it, she wondered which one of them she was trying to convince. Either way she wasn’t effective. “Go track her. I will find him, and Dillon, and Sebastian.”
“As you wish, mistress. Summon Sebastian.” He stood still, watching her.
After a few seconds passed and he still stood beside her, she realized he meant to summon Sebastian now, while he watched. “You don’t believe me?”
“No.” Even though he was serious, she thought she saw the beginnings of a smirk play on his lips for a second.
She waved her hand at him and closed her eyes, calling to Sebastian.
Sebastian appeared beside them after a few seconds. His face looked worried. “What is it? Has there been another body?”
She could feel him using his presence to check her over and make sure she was unhurt. “No, Sergei has to go, and I am not to be trusted alone.” Over her shoulder she looked back to Sergei. “Happy? You can go now.”
Despite her having just told Sebastian what was going on, Sergei explained to him again that he would be gone and she needed to be under his thumb all night. They talked a little about what happened that day, and with Dmitry. Sergei made sure to stress how important it was that she was not alone.
While they talked, she called to check on Shane.
“On the way, baby. You said wait until dark.” His voice held its usual ease.
Baby? That was a few times now. They were going to have to talk about that when things settled down. With all they were facing, it didn’t seem urgent to correct him at the moment. “Okay, I’m here with Sebastian. How long will you be?”
Fateful Attractions Page 11