by Angie Derek
The heat in his arm intensified. “Lily?”
“Shh,” she whispered. “You’re okay.”
And he was. The throbbing vanished. Her hands left him and the glaring brightness suddenly flickered off. Lily swayed. Surprisingly, his arms moved to grab on to her shoulders.
“We should have just left him,” the vamp said acidly, stepping closer.
Despite Lily’s apparent weakness, she glared over his head to where the vamp stood. “Should I have not come back for you?”
“Come on, Soph,” the vamp said, the little girl secure in her arms and a black bag slung across her back. “Enough talk. We have to move.”
Lily sighed, but didn’t appear to be alarmed by the sight of her sister being carried off by a vampire.
“You didn’t mention your friend was a vampire.” He sat up, trying to work his mind around the latest twist. Sophie’s bright blond head contrasted against the vamp’s long black hair.
“I hoped to introduce you first.”
“But she attacked before you could.”
“Brenda takes our safety very seriously. We should go,” she hesitated, “or we can separate here.”
He narrowed his eyes as he stood, flexing his arm – there was no sign it had recently been broken. It felt exactly the same. He focused back on Lily. He wouldn’t leave her with a vampire. “You can’t trust her.”
She smiled. “Yes, I can. She’s been with us for a year and has never even attempted to influence my light let alone take it.”
“Why?” He had a hard time believing any vampire could exert that much self-control. He stared down the path as Sophie moved her hands around animatedly speaking to the vampire.
She bit her lip. “Come on.” She started walking. “Let’s just say not all vampires feel absorbing a witch’s light is a good thing. But since you can’t kill one without the light seeking somewhere else to go, they work on keeping us alive.”
He didn’t know if he believed her or even if she was telling him the entire story of what was between her and the vamp. He flexed his arm again as they rounded a bend where the vamp waited a few feet away.
Brenda’s eyes were hidden behind large sun glasses. He supposed in concession to the sunlight they were about to step into. Being a vampire in the twenty-first century had its perks. Sun glasses, sunscreen, and SPF protected clothing allowed them to walk among the living, day or night, though few vampires could manage daylight and direct sunlight for an extended length of time.
The vamp’s lips curved into a snarl. “You’re the one whose motive should be questioned. I’ve been with Lily for over a year and you show up just when she needs help and have attached yourself to her in every possible way.”
Sophie closed her eyes in response to the venom in the vamp’s voice. He fought the urge to snatch the child from her. There was no way he could match the vamp for strength – he’d already learned that the hard way. It pissed him off even more when he could see Lily listening to what the vamp was saying. Her gaze was full of questions and unease.
So much for personal tragedies remaining private.
“My sister was killed by a vampire for her whitelight,” he ground out, staring straight at the vamp, mentioning his sister’s death always made his heart clench in pain. “I’ll be damned if I’ll step aside to allow someone else to suffer the same fate when I can prevent it.”
Lily touched his arm and he restrained himself from shrugging off her comforting touch. “I’m sorry.”
“I don’t like to talk about it.” He didn’t take his gaze off the vamp. “Obviously, it’s a painful memory.”
The vamp’s lips curved into a humorless smile. “Obviously, it would generate the right amount of sympathy.”
He wasn’t surprised the vamp wasn’t inclined to believe him. “Ask my mother, who’s also a whitelighter. She barely escaped the master when he attacked. My sister wasn’t as lucky.”
This time a considering look crossed the vampire’s face. “Where’s your mother?”
“Brenda?” Lily questioned.
“It’s time to leave town anyway.” The vampire set Sophie on the ground and took two measured steps toward him. “If you’re serious about us being able to verify your story with your mother?”
“Do you really think I’d lead a vampire straight to my mother?”
Lily’s grip increased and she stepped between him and the vampire. “Of course not.” She rose up on her toes and pressed her lips to him.
Despite the nearness of the vampire, a spurt of lust shot straight to his groin at the contact.
“I would never ask you to risk your family or yourself. Thank you for your help, Reyes.” She smiled sadly. “Maybe we’ll meet again sometime.”
A slash of panic made his stomach clench as she drew away and he gripped her arm this time. “Wait.”
She shook her head, her smile gone. “You don’t need another whitelighter to take care of. Not to mention a child and a vampire”
He glared at the vamp. “I can’t walk away. I don’t want to walk away. We’ll visit my mother if that’s where you want to go.”
“Reyes—”
“No.” He scooped Sophie up who had come to stand next to him, and began to walk. Thankfully, the little girl didn’t object, but looked at him with compassion way too old for a child so young. She touched his cheek with her small hand and a feeling of warmth seeped in. “We’re burning daylight. It’s a long drive.”
He could hear the vamp and Lily following behind, but neither of them said anything.
CHAPTER FIVE
“You’ve never mated with a man as long as I’ve been with you.” Brenda never bothered with small talk.
Lily glared at her. Reyes was close enough to hear. She pitched her voice lower. “It’s none of your business.”
“It is. The only reason he isn’t dead is because you mated with him. How did you know I would hesitate to kill him with your smell on him?”
“I didn’t.” She frowned considering what the vamp said. She hadn’t exactly been thinking when she’d been with him. “Look, he’s helping isn’t he?”
Brenda was quiet for a moment. Her hand touched Lily’s arm briefly “You don’t know him.”
“I didn’t know you when you saved us.”
Brenda had come into their lives the same way Reyes had. They had been under attack by a group of vampires and suddenly Brenda was there, but instead of attacking Lily she’d gone after the group of vampires. Her actions gave her and Sophie the chance they’d needed to run away. Brenda had caught up with them, explaining that not all vampires wanted to kill a witch for her powers. It had taken a lot longer for Lily to trust Brenda than Reyes.
But she’d known the instant she’d stared into his eyes that he would protect them. She still didn’t understand the familiarity they shared, but her gut told her he was sincere in wanting to help them. Why else would he willingly accompany them with a vampire tagging along?
****
Reyes tried to keep his irritation and boiling emotions down so he could be aware of what was around them as they walked into the parking lot. No one’s auras seemed off as far as he could tell, except for the vamp behind him, who didn’t have one.
He unlocked the truck before turning back to Lily and the vamp, confident he had himself under control. He would help her. Just as he’d explained to the vampire he couldn’t allow another whitelighter to suffer the same fate as his sister. As long as he could step between the danger and Lily, he would remain. But what he hadn’t said was that he seriously feared a part of his willingness could be because he was falling in love with her.
He didn’t believe in love at first sight. What he felt had to be lust and responsibility, not love.
Lily had a hesitant look on her face, but the vamp’s expression was much more expectant.
“My mother lives in the Keys,” he said by way of explanation. “It’s a long drive.”
The vamp frowned. “We could get trapped
in the Keys.”
“If they found you,” Reyes said. “She’s been there since my sister was killed and hasn’t had a single problem. She went there for a…healer who lives down there. My mother survived the attack, but was injured.”
“Why didn’t you stay with her if you’re so set on making sure another whitelighter doesn’t die?” The vamp challenged, stepping right up to him.
“Enough, Brenda!” Lily put a restraining hand on the vamp’s shoulder. “I told you, I sought his help. He’s offered and I’ve accepted.”
“He could be leading you to a trap,” Brenda snarled.
Lily looked pointedly at Sophie in his arms. “Do you really think so?”
The vamp frowned at the little girl nestled in his arms. “Okay fine. I see your point.”
But he didn’t. He also wasn’t going to ask right now. He would ask Lily when the vamp wasn’t within biting distance. Lily smiled tentatively at him.
“Come on.” He opened the passenger door.
Sophie climbed in and through the middle console to the back seat. The smallness of the cab hit him. Shit. The vamp would either be beside him or right behind him. Way too close for comfort.
“Brenda’s been up all night.” Lily stepped closer to him.
But her gait was off, hesitant. He didn’t like her hesitating around him.
“I’m fine,” the vamp insisted.
He jerked his head to the truck bed with its shell. “I’ve got some blankets we can lay out.”
It would put some breathing distance between him and the vamp.
“Thank you,” Lily said.
He narrowed his eyes as he walked to open the tail gate and gestured to the plastic bin in the back. “Blankets are in the bin.”
The vamp gave him an icy smile and gracefully climbed up. He shut the tailgate with a resounding thunk and dropped the shell’s door down. Lily climbed into the truck without another word. He walked back muttering to himself about irritating, blood-sucking vampires ruining everything. He closed his mouth as he slid into the cab and started the engine. A quick glance in the rearview mirror showed the vamp hidden out of sight.
Sophie smiled at him in the mirror and he smiled back without consciously realizing it.
“I know this is uncomfortable for you,” Lily said.
He took his gaze from the mirror to Lily as he put the truck in drive and looked back to the road calculating how long it would take to get to his mother’s house. “I wouldn’t use the term uncomfortable.”
“Terms are crucial around Sophie. She’s heard and seen way too much as it is.”
He glanced at her quickly before focusing on Sophie again who watched them expectantly. He took her warning and nodded to show he understood. “Uncomfortable works.”
Her lips curved into an amused smile. “Brenda makes most people uneasy on her best days. She’s very protective of us.”
“I noticed.” He flexed his arm amazed he couldn’t feel a single sign it had been snapped less than an hour ago. He examined Lily, judging her complexion. She’d been running screaming hot to heal him and it had to be wearing on her. But you would never know by her calm demeanor. “Do you do a lot of healing?”
Her smile dropped a fraction. “No, not very often.”
“You don’t look drained.” He cast another glance toward her. “Is it easy for you?”
Her mouth opened and then she bit her lip as she looked down at her hands. “I wouldn’t say it’s easy. I don’t know how I do it. You were hurt and the energy released into you.”
He frowned and glanced in the mirror to collect his thoughts. The vamp was still out of sight. “It didn’t make you tired?” When his mother had done something requiring as much energy as Lily had generated she’d always been exhausted for at least several hours after.
She shook her head as she pulled the band out of her hair and swept it back up into a pony tail. “Why? Should it?”
He didn’t know enough about whitelighter ability to answer her question. His only examples being his mother and younger sister who had just begun to grow into her powers when she was murdered. He shoved the thought aside. “From what I know, using your power is just like doing anything physically taxing. If you’re just using a little you won’t feel the effects, but if you get near your limit exhaustion can quickly overtake you.”
Her hands moved restlessly before settling on her legs and she turned to him with a frown. “I don’t know what my limit is.”
“You’re running hot right now.” He was almost used to the brightness constantly surrounding her.
“Always. Does it bother you?”
He shook his head. “No. You don’t run hot when you sleep.”
She glanced over her shoulder at her sister. Sophie’s lips moved though no sound came out as she played with her stuffed cat, having grown bored with the grown up conversation. “I wouldn’t know. It’s…difficult for me to turn it off.”
“You banked it down last night when I mentioned it.” Like a dimmer switch, she’d seemed to turn it down.
“Not really, I sucked it in, but it never stops flowing.” She bit her lip before speaking again. “I’ve only healed a few times when I had to. There’s a touch of fatigue when I finish, but it’s nothing I can’t work through and it disappears quick enough.”
He shot another careful look at her. She looked tired, but no more tired than when he first ran into her. Again, he wondered if she used her ability to keep moving when a normal person would have collapsed. Could be why she had to run hot all of the time. “My mom might be able to help you figure out how to control it if you want.”
A small smile curved her lips. “I’ve never talked with another whitelighter.”
“I wish I knew enough about how it all worked, but I only saw them use their abilities occasionally and they didn’t explain it to me when they did.”
“Can you turn yours off?”
Her question took him by surprise. “Seeing auras?”
“Yes, can you turn it off like your talking about turning mine off?”
“No, it’s how I see. If I look at a person, it’s just there.” Should he be able to turn it off like a switch as he suggested to her? His mom and sister had rarely run as hot as Lily did.
“But your mother can?”
“I think so. From what I’ve seen she can.” He smiled through his own confusion. No one had ever talked about his ability as if it was anything more than an oddity.
“I’d like to talk to her about it if she’s willing.” Her voice was quiet and contemplative.
He nodded, unsure of what else to say at this point, all of this talk about his mother was bringing up memories he would have preferred stayed buried, like the night he hadn’t been there to save his sister or help his mom. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel until his fingers ached. His regret wouldn’t bring her back and he breathed deeply until his hands loosened on their own.
****
The sea surrounded them, hemming them in with nowhere to escape. Lily took another deep breath to keep back the claustrophobia. Brenda had been right in her summation of this being the worst place to hide. There was nowhere to go if they were found.
Reyes hadn’t said much once they finally hit the Keys. His face and body language screamed tension. She wondered if it was the memory of his sister or the upcoming meeting with his mother occupying his thoughts. The sounds of Brenda shifting around in the truck bed filtered through the open back window.
He turned off the main highway onto one of the many islands. She’d missed the sign so wasn’t sure what island they were on. He obviously knew the roads as he expertly guided them away from the touristy areas to a stretch of smaller houses lining the beach.
The cottage he parked the truck in front of was small, but well cared for and cute with its bright blue colors. The street was quiet with only a few cars parked in driveways. He stared at the house a moment before sighing and getting out of the truck. She looked at Brenda to s
ee if she’d caught Reyes’ hesitation.
Brenda nodded. “I’ll wait here. No need to frighten the old lady from the start.”
Lily smiled before opening the passenger door and hopping to the ground with her sister safely in her arms. Sophie made it clear she had no desire to be held since being cooped up in the truck all day.
Her legs kicked. “Down.”
“Stay with me.” She set her on the pavement, but kept a firm grip on her hand.
Thankfully, Sophie didn’t fight her, though her lips pouted a little as she looked toward the ocean. They could see a small strip of it between the houses.
Reyes knocked on the door and Lily walked quickly with Sophie skipping to catch up with him. She’d just stepped onto the porch when the door opened. The woman was beautiful. Soulful eyes and long ebony hair. Lily could see the resemblance between mother and son immediately. Just after the thought of how striking she was came the realization that she wasn’t well. There was strain around her eyes and mouth.
Reyes frowned. “Mama?”
“Reyes.” Her eyes widened as she looked past him to Lily. Did she recognize Lily as one of her own? “Who’s this?”
He held out a hand and Lily took it tentatively. “I brought her to you. She was in trouble from…”
“Did you bring her trouble with her?”
“No.” He shook his head. “Lily, this is my mother, Alandra.”
Sophie ducked behind Lily.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She summoned up her best company smile. The tension between Reyes and Alandra made it difficult to focus.
“Lily.” Alandra’s gaze flickered to Sophie. “And your daughter?”
“My sister, Sophie.”
“She’s not like you?” Alandra asked.
“No, not yet.” She cocked her head. “How can you tell? My light didn’t emerge until I was much older.”
Alandra smiled slightly. “And the vampire behind the truck?”
“She’s with us,” she said hastily.
“I assumed so since she got out behind you. Has she begun to drain your powers?”
“No. The opposite.”
“She’s her bodyguard.” Reyes cut in. “Appears to belong to a group of vampires who don’t believe any vampire should possess the abilities of a whitelighter.”