by T. A. Foster
He stepped back. “Miss me.”
He pulled his arms across his chest, shot up through the towering limbs of Oak Park, and was gone. Dammit. I specifically vowed not to get tangled up with him. I ran my fingers along my bottom lip, still feeling the heat from the kiss. How could he be so hot and so infuriating?
The danger of letting Finn back into my life didn’t outweigh the more dangerous option of ending up dead, or letting these evil people hurt my family. He had no discretion about his magic and was so easily ready to use it at any time—to have a good time, to hurt someone, whatever he needed. Finn was unpredictable, but right now, I couldn’t let myself get sucked in trying to anticipate his next move. He would help Jack’s sister tonight.
I looked at the sky and wondered how long it would take him to fly to Atlanta and finish the spell. My body shook with the realizations crashing over me. I needed Finn. I needed him to help me fight. There was darkness swirling ahead. I couldn’t worry about our past or our future.
My witchy instincts started firing as I raced up the stone stairs to my front porch. Cooper was waiting in his usual post by the front door, but something didn’t feel right. I dropped to the floor to check Cooper; he was wagging his tail and whimpering.
“Reveal!” I shouted. I felt frantic and nervous.
At once the glittery particles formed an orange trail that circled the hall and into my bedroom. Not knowing if someone was still in the house, I grabbed the fire poker from the living room hearth and cautiously inched down the hall to my room. I gripped the metal rod and held it over my shoulder like a baseball bat.
My milk glass lamp was broken. My Vegas Star premiere shoes along with some others were strewn around the floor, and boxes and bags were pulled from the closet and littered everywhere. The orange glitter stopped and began to disintegrate.
I lowered the poker and assessed the damage. It was hard to feel relieved when I knew someone had ransacked my house, but I was glad he or she was gone. The drawers on my dresser were open, and my jewelry had been picked through. Everything looked like it was still here, just not in any kind of order.
Unscathed and obviously in need of an outside break, I led Cooper to the door where I attached his leash and took him outside. I was hesitant to leave even for a few minutes, but the little guy couldn’t wait.
I tried to grasp what had happened. Someone had been in my house, and he or she was looking for something specific. I twisted my grandmother’s ring around my finger while Cooper sniffed out a spot in the grass. A cat howled in the distance, probably the same one Cooper had been chasing yesterday. Whoever had broken in had to be tied to the letter Jack received.
I watched as Cooper’s nose twitched in the air. Then it hit me. I closed my eyes as if that would make it go away. There were spells for this, there were ways to erase my memory, but that would only delay the inevitable. I took a breath and opened my eyes. I had an idea of what might be after us. It was an awful, evil theory, but it suddenly seemed obvious.
I glanced at the sky, wanting Finn to come barreling down with that killer grin and no-fear attitude. I needed him more than I ever had.
Cooper followed me into our bungalow and headed straight for his food bowl. I filled it to the brim, topped off his water, and headed to my room. It felt normal to worry about things like dog food when I was in the midst of a crisis.
I twirled the ring on my finger, grateful I never took it off anymore. I learned that lesson the hard way. I spelled my room together.
“Erase.”
Like a scene I had watched many times in Mary Poppins, the soft, white duvet neatly folded into place, all the drawers closed, my shoes found their stations in my closet, and the bags and boxes stored themselves under my bed. Well, this will make it much easier to pack for my flight tomorrow. I went to the hall closet and pulled out my suitcase, the same one I had used on my last flight to Las Vegas.
Cooper whimpered again when he saw me unzip the layered flaps of the suitcase and lay it flat on top of my bed. “I know, boy, but this will be a quick trip. I’ll have someone come watch you.”
I made a mental note to call Holly in the morning and have her keep an eye on Coop for a few days. I patted him on the head and started laying out enough outfits to get me through the trip. Usually, I packed with a fashion-centered purpose, but this time, I wasn’t sure what to expect. What does a girl need to wear to evade evil, diamond-hungry forces?
My front door slammed and Finn strolled through the house. “It looks like you’re the one who needs the Guardian Spell, Ivy. I just walked right in. Do you ever lock your doors?”
“Is it done? Emily? Is she safe?” I folded a pair of jeans and threw my running shoes in my bag.
“Yeah, she’s good. No problem.” He eyed the suitcase. “Wait, you’re already leaving? I thought you were going to explain what’s happening.”
Finn sat on the bed, examining each article I stuffed into the bag. I couldn’t help but remember all of the nights we had spent in this room, not sleeping. It seemed I never did much sleeping with Finn. He taught me there were too many other fun things to do in the dark. Shaking the thoughts of skin and heat from my mind, I grabbed my shampoo and conditioner from the corner of my shower.
“Good, good. Thank you. You don’t know what it means to me, that you did that and she’s ok,” I called over my shoulder as I hustled back to the bathroom to collect my razor and shaving cream from the same spot.
“You’re welcome. But I think I deserve a few answers. I flew to Atlanta in the middle of the night to protect some girl I’ve never heard of. Info, please.” His fingers motioned, beckoning me to talk.
I tried to think of the best way to explain the night’s details. I paused too long.
“You know I’m a detective, right? I actually piece clues together for a living. That’s my job, and I’m good at it. Am I going to have to start interrogating you, or are you going to tell me what’s going on?” I bustled back and forth to the bathroom, loading up with lotions, makeup, and my toothbrush. “You’re starting to freak me out a little.” He grabbed my wrist as I laid my last cosmetic bag on top of the suitcase. “Baby, talk to me. It’s me. Tell me,” he pleaded.
He was going to try to dissuade me no matter what version I gave him. He would freak out, maybe even panic, but there was no sugarcoating what I had pieced together. I ignored the “baby” comment and launched into a rundown of what I knew had happened in the past twelve hours.
“I think it might be Proxies, or at least one Proxy. I don’t know why it didn’t hit me until now, but it has to be. I mean I came home from the park, and my house had been broken into, but not visibly, you know?” He looked alarmed but let me continue. “And my room was ransacked, but nothing was taken. My jewelry box was the main target. I did a Reveal Spell. I think they were after this.” I held up my grandmother’s ring, and the sapphire glistened. “When they realized it wasn’t here, they trashed the place to throw me off, but the Reveal Spell doesn’t lie.”
Finn looked stunned or maybe he had that look because he thought I was crazy. “Proxies? Holy shit, Ivy! Why is a Proxy after you? What have you gotten into since I’ve been gone? You do need a Guardian Spell.”
He jumped off the bed. His crystal blue eyes were icy with concern. I could see the wheels turning in his head as he tried to comprehend what I told him. There was so much still unspoken between us since the breakup. Every word he uttered reminded me we had spent months apart.
“Hold on, I have to change.” I rushed to the bathroom with a tank top and jeans in hand. I still had on the same outfit I had pieced together for my impromptu meeting at Jack’s house.
“Aww, babe, you don’t have to close the door. It’s not like I haven’t seen everything a few times.” There was a smile in his voice.
I ignored Finn’s flirty attempts to see me naked and talked through the crack in the door. He was relentless.
“Here’s the quick version. You know Vegas Star, right? We
ll, I missed something when I was in 1968. I don’t know what it was, but someone out there knows about me. They know about my Time Spell. They know I was in 1968, they know about my grandmother’s ring, and they’re pissed. My editor, Jack, got a threatening letter today from whoever is behind all of this, and they want to make sure there are no more Vegas Star sequels. They want the rest of the VonRue diamonds, wherever they are, and if we don’t comply with the demands, they’ve threatened my family and Jack’s sister.”
I emerged from behind the door in a black tank top and fitted jeans. Finn eyed my breasts while I reached for a sweater. No matter how serious the situation, he never missed a chance to flirt.
“That’s why I flew to Atlanta tonight, to protect Jack’s sister?” I nodded in agreement and waited for the rest to soak in. “There’s more to this, isn’t there? What else do they want?”
There was no use hiding anything from Finn; I needed his help. “Me. They want me in exchange for everyone’s safety.” I winced.
“Uh-uh, no way, Ivy. This is not happening.”
“That’s why I do need your help. I’ve got to go to Las Vegas tomorrow, well, today actually, with Jack.” Early morning birds were piping up outside my window, and I knew I needed to start the short pilgrimage to Jack’s house. “I need you to stay here and watch my family. I can’t tell anyone what’s going on. If it is Proxies, they can’t do too much to my parents or Ian if they are focused on me in Vegas.” I waited for the fuse to blow.
“What? I’m not staying here and sending you off to Las Vegas with Mr. Editor so you can walk into a trap set by some deranged Proxies. You know what they’ll do. There’s only one thing they’re after. I’m not staying behind.”
Finn had briefly crossed paths with Jack last year when Masquerade was published. He showed up, uninvited, to one of my book signings, saw Jack, and left without even saying hello or good-bye. Typical. I don’t know what I expected from him. We had been broken up, but in the messy, so confusing kind of way. I didn’t understand my heart’s need to have him out of my life as much as its need to have him in it.
“I’ve managed to take care of myself so far; I’ve got this covered. I need you to help me with my family. I won’t be able to think clearly if I’m worried about them the whole time.” There were multiple things clouding my mind as I stood in my room arguing with Finn. “Can you do this for me? Last favor, Finn.”
Deep down, I battled with emerging hope. I never wanted it to be the last time with Finn, but I had to get through the next few days before I could even start to process what had happened in the last few hours. Nothing had changed between us. Finn hadn’t changed. He was here because he was a Guardian. I had to remind myself it wasn’t anything else.
“Tell me, why do you think there is a Proxy?” He reverted to detective mode. His arms were crossed, and he took a wide-legged stance in front of my blossoming suitcase.
All the signs of a Proxy had been there the entire time. “I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I remember, when I was in 1968, one of the women there. It was almost as if she could see me. She looked directly at me, but she didn’t do anything about it. It was creepy, so I left.”
“I thought you always traveled with a Fade Spell so you stayed invisible,” Finn questioned.
“I do. I always do. That’s why it was so crazy when she spotted me. Although, I wasn’t sure she spotted me.” I thought back to Helen’s drifting eyes and sudden posture changes when she locked on my position.
Finn continued, “And you think she’s the one chasing you? The woman who maybe saw you in 1968 when you were supposed to be invisible?”
When he said it like that, it sounded ridiculous, but Helen had to be connected somehow.
“No, no, it can’t be her—she died in a plane crash the same day I returned—but I’m wondering if she told someone that day or night before she died. If she was a Proxy, she could have passed along the information to another Proxy. It’s not much, but it’s all I have to go on.”
“Which one? The hot brunette chick?” He smiled and brought a slice of Finn-levity to a dark conversation.
I punched him in the arm. “No, you ass, the blonde, Helen. I should have caught it then when I saw her in the penthouse—the way she arched her back, the way she curled up on the couch, her catty eye makeup. She was definitely a Proxy. She saw me. I know she did.” Helen’s poised posture, graceful walk, and her feline mannerisms were the biggest clues I had. I had mistaken them for her northeastern, aristocratic airs, but now I knew there was a different reason.
“So, you’re packing and going to Las Vegas with Mr. I-Don’t-Know-What-Magic-Is, and you’re planning on defending yourself against a Proxy you haven’t seen because the original one died in a plane crash, and you’re supposed to hand over some diamonds and yourself? Is this the correct synopsis?” He didn’t smile.
I cringed at his reference to Jack, but decided now was definitely not the right moment to share what major witch transgression I had committed tonight. One catastrophe at a time. I elected to keep moving forward.
“Yes, you’ve got it.” I zipped my bag and pulled the handle.
Finn grabbed the handle from me, walked down the hall, and placed the suitcase in front of the front door.
“Wait, you said they want the rest of the Von-something diamonds. How are you going to find them? What are the other diamonds?” He did have a good point.
I knew nothing about more diamonds other than the ones that were once on display in Dallas. I didn’t know what the police had done with the investigation since I had called in the tip about the faux gems.
“I’m not sure yet. There must be some clues waiting for me. We’ll find them when we’re there. I don’t have a choice. I have to get on this flight and meet the Proxy in Las Vegas.”
I tucked my hair behind my ear and looked at him. I could feel the pull between us loosening; he was going to let me leave.
“Ivy, if I let you walk out of this door and onto that plane, you know I can’t help you. That Proxy wants one thing, your magic, and if you end up alone with him, he can steal it from you—all of your power, your bond with your family, everything you’ve become.”
The smoothness in his voice started to shake, and I saw something in his eyes I’d never seen before. There was a tear forming on his long lashes. “Look at me and tell me you want me to stay here, that you want to face this alone. Tell me and I’ll do it. I’ll stay—for you.”
His hand was on my arm, and he stepped closer. He put the other hand on my cheek, and my body reacted with sparks, snapping through my body as his burning mouth melted into mine. I felt the familiar need I had pushed down so many times desperately trying to break free inside me. With Finn, there were never thoughts, only desire and instinct. He pulled me closer and tighter, holding on to me with everything in his being.
I couldn’t let him sidetrack me—too much was at stake. I broke free from the fiery kiss and the hold he had on me.
“I’m telling you to stay, Finn. I can do this. Just take care of them.” I pulled the suitcase behind me and left him and Cooper standing in the doorway.
IT FELT a lot like Groundhog Day. I pulled up behind Jack’s jeep and parked my car in the gravel drive. The little ranch looked just like it did when I drove up yesterday afternoon; only the rays of the setting sun were now replaced with eastern sunbeams peeping through the leaves. The street was quiet except for a few early morning commuters on their way into work. I waved at one of Jack’s neighbors as I pulled my suitcase from the trunk of my car.
I tapped a few times on the front door and waited for him to let me in. Nothing. I knocked again, this time with a little more force.
“Yep, I’m here. Hold on,” I heard Jack call through the door.
He cracked the door and peeked to see me standing with one hand on my suitcase, and the other clutching the leather bag dangling from my shoulder. He looked surprised and relieved to find me on his porch. I guess a part of him d
idn’t trust I would return. After everything he learned last night, I couldn’t blame him.
“Good morning. You have coffee? Did you sleep? You look terrible.” I pushed past him into the foyer and dropped both bags.
The study was bright with early morning sunlight. The embers in the fire had faded, and from the looks of the couch, Jack had probably spent the rest of the night there after I left. There were more charts drawn on the legal pad, and the letter rested on the coffee table. It made me nauseated just being in the same room with it.
“Sleep, me? No, not much. Coffee’s in here.” I followed him to the kitchen and gladly accepted a piping hot cup of coffee. “What about you, did you sleep?”
I took a sip and sat at the kitchen table. By the look of the décor, I assumed Jack hadn’t hung the apple berry border paper or painted the accent wall with the yellow hue, but it had a welcoming feel that was comforting after such a hard night.
“No, I didn’t even try to sleep. But I have good news. The protection spell for your sister is completed. She’ll be ok for a few days. No one can touch her.”
“You did that? What happens after a few days?” Jack sat across from me and placed the pot of coffee between us.
“I asked a friend for some help. It’s not a spell I can perform, but she’s good for a few days. After that, the spell wears off, and it has to be recast or hopefully, she can go on living like normal.” I reached for some sugar and stirred a swirl in my mug. I wanted everything to go back to normal. “You don’t have to worry about anything happening to her.” I smiled.
“If you can or someone else can create a protection spell, why don’t you just protect people all of the time?”
Jack’s question reminded me why non-magicals weren’t supposed to know about magic. They would always try to apply logic and reason to something that was mystical and not of this world. More than anything I could tell he wanted to make sure Emily was safe, but he curious about the magic.