Blaze: A New Adult Urban Fantasy (Spelldrift: Coven of Fire Book 4)

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Blaze: A New Adult Urban Fantasy (Spelldrift: Coven of Fire Book 4) Page 7

by Sierra Cross


  Maybe I just wasn’t used to our coven having allies?

  “We should have reached out to you,” I admitted.

  “But you didn’t think of anyone but yourselves, did you?” Bonaventura pounced on my acknowledgment. “You waltzed right in here and without a thought about the careful surveillance and planning that your little excursion has all but destroyed!”

  I paused. Had we compromised Bonaventura’s operation by showing up first? My brain didn’t want to accept the possibility. “I don’t think we did any dama—”

  “Tenebris now knows his cover is blown! He’s planning his escape as we speak.” Grimly the Director shouted. “If he hasn’t bolted already. Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

  “I…”

  “That was rhetorical. Because you don’t. He’s infinitely more powerful than when he left Seattle. If he leaves with that amulet, we may never be able to track him again.” Bonaventura slapped the folder against his leg. “You thought putting down the Caedis in Alana’s body was tough? Ha!” He flung the folder, and a stack of surveillance photos and notes flew up and rained down all over the room. “That was child’s play compared to what Tenebris will bring. And we won’t even see it coming. And all that impending death and destruction…that will be on your head.” He pointed at me. “Your head.”

  Shit. Was I as reckless as Bonaventura said? Maybe, but the Director wasn’t exactly easy to work with. He was a bully—as Althea mentioned—and a control freak. If he had taken me into his confidence, shared any details of his operation, treated my coven with a shred respect…but no, all he’d done was threaten and insult us. This mess was as much his fault as it was mine.

  Not that I was dumb enough to say so right now.

  “He hasn’t bolted,” I said instead. “We still have time to deactivate the amulet.”

  “More wishful thinking from your untrained mind.” He waved his hand to dismiss me. “You can’t possibly be tracking Tenebris’s whereabouts from here.”

  I knew exactly what he’d say next—he wanted us to deactivate the amulet and stand down. That we were to have no part in the assault. They may or may not protect the young witches. Liv could be collateral damage. And if they killed the Splinter, Callie’s soul would pass from this earth without her knowing how sorry we were, how much we loved her and grieved for her. All of that was unacceptable.

  I turned and picked through the photos that were strewn around. As I suspected, they didn’t tell the whole story. They showed pictures of Tenebris working in his office. In staff meetings. Interacting with students. God…there were several pictures of him alone with Splinter Callie. Her eager eyes hanging on his every word. Of course—Bonaventura had no idea she was my coven sister who’d been brutally ripped away from us.

  “I may not be tracking him, but I’d know if he made a move.” My hands were on my hips, and I was in a wide-legged stance, trying to make myself look as powerful as I could. This was the only play I had, so I prayed it worked. “We’ve got someone on the inside.” I explained to the vampires how we’d smuggled Liv in with a Bethany-glamour.

  “Impulsive, foolhardy, and a massive risk,” Bonaventura pronounced coolly when I was done. “Pray tell, what earth-shattering intel has that stunt gotten you?”

  “We’ve found some things out that aren’t in your surveillance photos,” I said, my confidence building as I spoke. “We know exactly how he’s using the amulet your son loosed on the earth. And it looks like we’re your only option for deactivating it. So if you want to work together, as in equal partners, let us know.” I motioned my coven to the door. The guys moved to follow me. If they doubted me, you couldn’t read it on their faces. God, I loved my coven. “We’re in room one fourteen. Yes, all of us.”

  As I was closing the door, Wes growled at his father. “You’d let them treat you like that? Get that blood witch back. These freaks don’t deserve—” The sentence was stopped by the sound of flesh pounding bone. A loud crash and glass breaking. I was guessing that was Wes’s body going through the lamp to smash against the wall.

  In the hallway beside me, Asher smiled darkly.

  “That was well-played, Alexandra.” Matt’s brown eyes sparked with pride as he gazed at me. “I think that was Bonaventura’s way of saying he agrees to your terms.”

  Chapter Five

  That night in room 114, Asher stretched out across the entire width of the “guys’ bed” and turned on the TV. I turned my phone to silent—after choosing to ignore, for now, a handful of terse messages from the Witches Assembly—and set the phone down next to my wallet on the 1950s style floating nightstand. I pulled Matt onto my bed, and he curled around me. The three of us attempted to watch reruns of That 70s Show. I found myself drifting off, then waking with a start every few minutes. Gut-punched, over and over, by the reality that Liv was alone in enemy territory.

  Liv had managed to send an A-okay email to the dummy account Asher set up. I wish I knew what was going on with her, but at least I knew she was unharmed. For the moment. She just had to tough it out until morning.

  We all needed to get a decent night’s sleep so we could kick some evil ass in the morning.

  After Bonaventura reprimanded Wes, he’d listened to all our intel and reluctantly agreed to our terms of full involvement. The deactivation spell and raid on the campus were set for dawn. I knew Asher was itching to slice Wes through with a firebolt in the heat of battle, but he’d promised to behave. I was more concerned about the fate of the young witches. The vampires had agreed to try to avoid targeting them, but made no guarantees.

  Asher had insisted on sticking poultices on both Matt’s hands before we all piled into the car in search of real food. It was ten miles to the nearest restaurant, down a winding road in the dark. The Mooseneck Diner was in a large, pre-war building, more like an Elk’s Club than a restaurant. But they were friendly and served juicy roast beef and potatoes that would have put June Cleaver to shame. Good thing, because the feeders had cleaned out our on-site diner to the last bowl of chili.

  I curled against Matt’s body on the bed. Despite my exhaustion, the feel of Matt gently rubbing his bandaged hands across my back was lighting up every nerve ending. Rather than relax under his touch, my muscles twitched to life. My leg bounced. His hand moved to my thigh…to steady my leg? Whatever. That just made it worse. I took a deep breath to try to get a hold of my raging hormones, but all I inhaled was…Matt. The woodsy scent of his magic. His clean sweat. The rosemary from the poultice under the neatly wrapped bandages on his hands.

  “Hey, I have an idea.” Matt took my hand and pulled me to standing. “Why don’t we go to the vending machine and get some water?” From the heat of his grip, I felt sure he had more than hydration on the brain. Or at least I hoped.

  “Sounds great, I’m very thirsty.” I grabbed my hoodie/leather combo as Matt chunked on his Carhartt jacket. “Asher, you need anything?”

  “I’m good.” Asher tilted an eyebrow at me and swallowed a smile. It’s about time, he mouthed behind Matt’s back.

  The glass door separating the vending machine nook from the hall cut off all the heat, but I didn’t care. At least it was somewhat private. Matt turned my body and practically slammed me up against the soda machine. My hands sunk into his hair and yanked him even closer. My teeth captured his lower lip, my leg wrapped around his hips.

  I was not gentle. Neither was he.

  With one hand he lifted me off the ground and pressed into me. His need as strong as my own. He sucked in a breath as my cold fingers slid under his shirt. My hungry kisses raked across his jaw and down his neck. He sucked in a breath. I needed him. Needed his body, his soul. I needed him in every way one human could need another. And he was finally ready to admit that he needed me too.

  Things were getting hot and heavy, but was someone going to walk in on us? Pulling back into the parking lot after dinner, we’d seen Griffin hauling groceries—the vamps apparently had gone to the big box store tw
o towns over and loaded up on water, snacks, candy, everything their feeders could possibly want. There was no reason anyone would come here in search of snacks.

  And I didn’t care that we were in the lame vending machine room of a crappy motel for our first time. Heat burned at my core. My hands couldn’t get enough of his skin. I was about to explode with desire.

  Matt’s finger found its way to the button on my fly. Yes, god, yes. He let out a small grunt that almost sounded like pain. I remembered his hands and pulled back. “Are you okay?”

  “Never been better.” His voice low and gravelly in my ear, stubble nuzzling my neck. One arm holding me up, the fingers of his other hand brushing over the smooth fabric of my bra. I groaned with pleasure.

  Yes, Alix. I heard the words in my head, barely above a gruff whisper. Finally, you’ve let your guard down and let me in.

  My body trembled with fear even as Matt’s fingers brushed the skin just below my belly button.

  Let go, the harsh voice went on. I want to feel your release.

  My breath caught in my throat, and I shoved Matt back, landing on my feet. Matt was staring at me with startled eyes. He couldn’t hear what I was hearing. Those words were in my head. Tenebris.

  It was like my brain was tuned to a bad station and the radio tuner was broken. Tears burned tracks down my chapped face. This can’t be happening again, I thought, but I couldn’t seem to speak aloud.

  “Alexandra?” I could hear the concern in Matt’s voice.

  We were so close to the finish line…oh well. That brute was rushing it anyway.

  I smacked my hands over my ears and squeezed my eyes shut, but the words didn’t stop bombarding my brain.

  With a prize like you, I would take my time. Open you like a flower. Slowly, let you bloom beneath my touch

  “Alexandra, talk to me.”

  Bile filled my throat. I stomped back and shook my head wildly as the demon continued describing what he wanted to do to me. In graphic detail. Pressing my hands on either side of my head, I squeezed my ears, desperate to make it stop.

  “Get the fuck out of my head!” I shouted at full volume. And the inside of my head got deathly quiet.

  I stomped back into the room, my breath coming in hiccoughs of angry sobs. Matt followed behind me, his hands hovering near me but not touching, like he wasn’t sure what to do.

  Asher laughed as the door opened. “That was quick.” Then he really looked at me. He jumped to his feet magic on his hands. “What the hell happened out there?”

  Matt’s face was shadowed with anguish. “I don’t know. We were just—”

  “It’s Tenebris.” I collapsed on the bed.

  “He’s here?” Asher looked ready to pounce.

  “No, he’s in my head. Again,” I blubbered. Tears never used to be my thing. After crying myself dry over my parents’ death, I thought I was immune to them. But these last weeks had proven that to be a false belief. “Why is this happening to me again?” How many times did I have to clear that Caedis from my system? I sat up, and Matt put his arm around me. I flinched involuntarily. He pulled his hand back like he’d been scorched.

  “Sorry, it has nothing to do with you,” I tried to reassure him, but the pain and confusion in Matt’s eyes told me he felt responsible. He was guardian through and through. His need to help me, make it better, tugged at him. But he had no clue what to do. And at that moment, I just couldn’t let him in. I wrapped my arms around myself, gathered up my knees, pulling into the tightest ball I could manage. Matt took a step back, pulled the desk chair out, and sat down. An ocean of distance between us.

  Asher began pacing in small circles. “I’m positive we cleared the physical residue of his magic from your system.” He seemed to be analytically going through a mental checklist. “Tell me exactly when this started. What were you doing or thinking when you first heard his voice?”

  I opened my mouth. “I…” Was I really going to give Asher a play-by-play of our vending machine moment gone wrong?

  “I need to know everything he said,” Asher said, “from beginning to end.”

  Matt stood. “I’m gonna grab some air.” Despite his calm exterior, the need to punch something was evident on his face. I saw it in his eyes. Didn’t blame him. If anyone had violated him that way, I’d be out for blood. “I’m right outside if you need me.” He gave me a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

  Asher pulled the chair right up beside me, and I explained in as much detail as I could without blubbering. Refusing to repeat all the vile things that demon said to me, I gave him the Cliffs Notes version. Asher nodded along, listening clinically, asking the occasional question—not offering a single Asher-like barb.

  “Well, you did it, don’t you see?” He seemed pleased—almost proud of me. I was so not following. “You told him to get the fuck out of your head, and he did.” He paused. If he was waiting for me to find some measure of comfort in his observation, he’d be a skeleton in black skinny jeans before that happened. My tears had dried up. I crossed my arms over my chest and cocked my head. “So I have to break it down for you why this is good news?” He let out an exasperated breath.

  I tried to make some positive conclusion based on what he was implying. “Sorry. All I can see is Tenebris did it to me again.”

  “You forced him out. With the strength of your thought.” He gave me a solemn look, like he wanted me to get the weight of what he was telling me. “You are not powerless. Not at his mercy.” He slapped my shoulder. “You, my dear, are indeed a badass witch.”

  A sad laugh bubbled up from the center of my chest, threatening to be followed by tears. “If I’m so strong, how did he break into my brain in the first place?” My mind’s eye flashed to a memory of the evil tree lab, me reaching out with my magic, sucking in Tenebris’s life force. “Because I broke into his first. With my Dominion Gene.”

  “Yes.” He didn’t say, no duh, but he might as well have. “And you’re still connected. But apparently, he can only access you when your guard is down, and your mind is completely relaxed. You’re learning to control your Dominion Gene without any training. That’s amazing.”

  “It is?”

  “Yes, it is. The downside of the gift is that you can be taken advantage of—as Tenebris did with you—until you learn how to use it.” Asher’s words brought to mind the memory stone Marley left me. She’d told me the Dominion Gene offered a way for me to borrow power from others...but until I learned to control it, it would make me vulnerable.

  “So I did this to myself.” The laugh that came out of me was short and bitter. How many people in the magicborn community had called me out on my reckless behavior? Running headlong at problems and using my magic with no training—the equivalent of pressing buttons on the keyboard without knowing what they’d do, only with deadly consequences.

  “Now you’ll have to learn how to sever it.”

  I could kick him out once and for all? Take back control. A spark of a fire re-ignited in my belly. “I guess it’s time to find a Dominion Gene expert?” It was such a rare trait that hardly anyone knew how to harness the power of it, much less how to teach someone else how to use it.

  “I’ll put a call into Hayden when we get back,” Asher said. “Maybe he will know someone. Or know someone who knows someone.”

  “I’d better go rescue Matt,” I said, grabbing my coat. “He’s probably halfway to being a popsicle.”

  An impish spark entered Asher’s grey eyes. “Once upon a time, guardians rescued witches, not the other way round,” he said. “Feminism’s ruined everything.”

  I shoved him playfully on my way out.

  The parking lot was full of cars, but no one was wandering about. The cold stung the skin of my cheeks, and I instantly regretted not bringing my gloves. Then I heard the rhythmic intake of breath. Matt was at the end of the building doing one arm pushups. Okay, that was hot.

  I let my boots scuff the sidewalk as I approached him. Not that his hei
ghtened senses wouldn’t have picked up my presence anyway. I just wanted to give him plenty of advance notice.

  “Hey,” I said.

  “Hey.” He maneuvered to sitting cross-legged on the frozen ground, cupping his knees with his elbows, and looked up at me. His eyes were full of questions, begging me for…I don’t know what. I’d say forgiveness, but what did he have to be forgiven for?

  “That was all kinds of weird, huh.” My lame attempt to make light of what just happened fell flat.

  “Alexandra, I’m sorry…I just…” His voice trailed off. Was he sorry that Tenebris did that to me? Sorry that he couldn’t stay in the room while I replayed it for Asher?

  “You have nothing to be sorry for.” I reached out and put my palm on the side of his face. His skin was hot against the cold of my hand.

  “I don’t know how to protect you from him,” he said and looked away. “It’s my job, and I’m failing—”

  “Shhhh,” I said as I dropped down into his lap, stopping his words with my lips. We shared a soft, quiet kiss. Unlike our passionate kisses, this one wasn’t about hunger. It was about understanding. His arms wrapped around me, sheltering me from the night. The cold had to be seeping into his legs. I reached to pull him up, and a familiar spike of adrenaline hit my bloodstream…from fear that is not my own. Shit. I was about to go dark. “Liv,” I eked out as the blackness surrounded me and my consciousness was whisked away.

  I should start carrying Dramamine, all this being mind-jacked was making my stomach feel like I was on the high seas. The blackness seemed slower to fade this time…till I realized we were actually standing in the dark.

  It took a minute for my vision to adjust. I was pressed between silk blouses and pencil skirts. Racks of designer shoes hung just inches in front of me. This had to be the Splinter’s closet. We must be in the staff living quarters on campus.

  Liv’s heart was beating like a hummingbird’s. Her breaths shallow with fear. The cramped space, with clothes crushing in around me, raised my panic to match hers.

 

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