by Dawn Ibanez
Ryan stopped kissing her. Their breath mingled as he backed off enough to look into her eyes. Kalina smiled as she cupped Ryan’s face the same way he did hers. “Should we be doing this?” she asked.
He reached up and took out the ponytail holder out of her hair. “No.” He ran his fingers through her long locks. “Does that mean you want to try and stop this?”
Before she could answer, he leaned forward and kissed her again. She moaned as he leaned into her fully. If she were honest with herself, she didn’t want him to stop. Ever. And that scared her as much as stopping.
Ryan ripped himself away from her and held her against the wall at arm’s length. Kalina saw that his eyes were tightly closed. “I’m not scared of your eyes.”
He shook his head before releasing her. He moved away from her and went to the door again. “We need to go. If we are going to make any moves against Faust, we need to get started.”
Kalina followed him. He hadn’t looked at her after he broke their kiss. She wasn’t sure if she would be alright with him running hot and then cold. As she crossed the threshold of the room, she found herself once again in his arms. “Ryan?”
“Don’t mistake how I’m acting as rejection,” he said. He took her hand and pressed it against his erection. “If I continue, I won’t stop. Not until we are both soaked in sweat and completely spent.” He pressed his forehead against hers when her hand squeezed him through his jeans. “Maybe not even then.”
“And we have things to do.” Her tongue darted out and licked his lips.
“I wasn’t aware that this was the training you intended to give her,” Xian said from the entrance to the hallway.
Ryan turned and looked at the assassin. “What are you doing here?” he asked.
Xian went into the living room and sat. “I was going to tell you about a few things I found out.” She looked at Kalina. “The contract on you has been cancelled. The few brokers that would have honored the payout once everyone learned you’re Faust’s daughter are all suddenly uninterested. The death dealers have banded together and have said that you are under their protection. If something happens to you, they go to war. Not something anyone wants on their doorstep.”
Kalina sat next to Xian. She wasn’t sure how she felt about anyone willing to go to war for her. “I’m safe on that front at least, right?”
Xian shook her head. “Do not fall into a false sense of security,” she warned. “There’s always some idiot that thinks threats are really challenges. All anyone needs to do is get lucky. Then you’re dead, the death dealers are slaughtering people, and Faust will become even more dangerous.”
“Why would he become even more dangerous?” Kalina asked. “It’s not like he’s been around since his little announcement.”
Ryan gave her a glass of water. “No. But he wants you for some reason. He’s happy that your magic has awakened, but he’s keeping his plans for you close to the chest. The last time that happened, his son was sealed away.”
Kalina lowered her glass from her lips. “Excuse me? Faust has a son?” she asked. “And he’s sealed away?”
Ryan took her hand. “Alphonse was discovered as a Musketeer in France. When Faust tried to get him to leave his service, Alphonse refused. Faust sealed him away and took his magic.”
Kalina swallowed as she looked at her hands. “You think he might do that to me? Take my magic and seal me away?” When Ryan nodded, she rubbed her hands together. “I’ll figure something out.” She jumped to her feet and started to pace around the room. “I have more control, but I don’t think I’m in full control yet. Mom would have said so.”
“Mom?” Xian asked.
“Reese Hart,” Ryan answered.
“You really do belong to the death dealers, don’t you?” Xian asked.
Kalina nodded. “They thought I was a normal witch, so they left my decisions to my magic to me. When I told them everything that happened last month, they started explaining things.”
Xian leaned back and a knife appeared in her hand. “The child shows real promise. She could become a hunter if she wanted.”
Kalina’s eyes narrowed. “You need to leave Carly alone. She likes designing playing cards. She probably wouldn’t even want to become a hunter.”
“And you need to realize that normal isn’t part of our world.”
“She understands that,” Ryan said.
Xian’s eyebrow arched. “Does she really? Or do you think she does because no less than five minutes ago you had your tongue down her throat?”
“At the end of the day, you are going to do what you want. I can’t stop you from approaching Carly about becoming a hunter. But I know Carly. She isn’t someone that will take to hunting people. I was just trying to save you from wasting your time.” Kalina grabbed her glass of water and took it to the kitchen. “And what Ryan and I do in private is none of your business.”
Xian looked at Kalina. Her pale eyes turned milky white. Kalina remembered the expression from the day her shop was destroyed. “It really is so cute that you think you have any semblance of privacy.”
Ryan stood and went to Kalina’s side. “We need to try and speak with Merrick. Please see yourself out.”
Xian’s eyes turned dark as her expression went blank. “I thought you gave up on the plan to seal her powers?” She inhaled slowly when neither Kalina nor Ryan spoke up. “You two are crazier than I thought.”
Ryan smiled at her as he opened a portal. “Fortune favors the bold.”
“And God protects children and fools. Either way, you both are in for an uphill battle.”
Kalina took Ryan’s hand. “We’ll be fine,” she said with a confidence she didn’t feel.
“We’ll call if we need anything,” he said to Xian.
Kalina’s face warmed as she followed Ryan through the portal. Once on the other side, she paused. She stood in the center of a room decorated in whites. The furniture, the walls, and every accent piece was devoid of color. The design would have been clinical if not for the view of a beach from the window.
“Where are we?” she asked.
Ryan stepped to her side. Kalina continued to look around the elaborate room. “This is my villa in Bora Bora.” He smiled at her. “I always keep track of Merrick. The reports I received yesterday said he moved from Venice to here.”
She nodded. “And you have homes all around the world? Just because?”
He shrugged as he leaned against the wall. “When you live as long as I have, you acquire things. Some things are more important than others. Money and various assets are critical.”
“Wouldn’t want to be a million years old and broke, huh?”
Ryan laughed. “Imagine filling out paperwork for a job. What’s your social? One.”
Kalina laughed and looked out along the bright blue ocean. Her laughter faded as she thought of her family. The brother that was trapped away somewhere, and the mother that would have sold her daughter’s soul for the next high. Hell, that was probably what Jessica did. Kalina crossed her arms over her stomach. “Does it happen a lot?”
He reached out and curled her hair around his finger. “Every once and a while. There are some that become spend all their money on lavish things, but never learn to invest. Some give it all to their family members or mortal friends.”
“Mortal friends? Wait, you mean humans?”
He nodded. “If a mortal starts dabbling in magic and become proficient enough to extend their lives beyond their normal century or so, they usually end up squandering whatever funds they get their hands on. If they still have a decent amount of money after two hundred years, they have a shot.”
“My mother wouldn’t have made it,” Kalina said. She frowned and turned away from the window. She couldn’t look at something so beautiful when she was discussing something so ugly.
Ryan moved from the window and snapped his fingers. When Kalina turned to him again, his jeans and shirt were replaced by light grey pants and white t-shirt
. He smirked at her. “You may want to change your shoes at least.”
Kalina took off her vest and placed it across a chair. “I should be fine.” She narrowed her eyes when he snapped his fingers. Her dress shortened to her knees and her wedges changed to a pair of gladiator sandals. “You need to stop doing that.”
He smiled innocently. “I just want you to fit in and be comfortable.”
“You’re taking liberties again.”
Ryan approached her and took her hand into his. “Actually, I really haven’t,” he said. His eyes bore into hers as he kissed her knuckles. When her hand started to tremble, his smirk curled his lips. “Let’s go see Merrick, shall we?”
CHAPTER 12
They stepped out of the portal to an estate on the other side of the island. Ryan smiled inwardly as Kalina held on to his hand. Her trust in him was humbling. “Merrick won’t be happy to see me,” he warned. “He blames me for his mother’s death.”
She looked up at him. “Did you kill her?”
He hated feeling like he was going to disappoint her. “In a way.”
Kalina nodded as they continued toward the gates. “If it comes up, we’ll deal. Okay?” When she looked at him again, he resisted the urge to kiss her.
Ryan hadn’t lied back at his apartment. If he kissed her again, he wouldn’t stop. Her month-long absence forced him to realize nothing between them would be simple. She already occupied his thoughts. And feeling her body pressed against his had nearly been too much.
“How can I help you?” the guard asked.
The large man was a suitable distraction. If he would have stared any longer, Kalina would have started to suspect he wasn’t completely on his game. She threw him off, and while it didn’t put them in direct danger, Ryan knew it wasn’t ideal. “Tell the master of the house that Ryan Gold is here to see him.”
A grunt came from the guardhouse. Ryan moved closer to Kalina and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Where would you live if you had the chance?”
She smirked as she leaned against him. “Never thought about it.” She gestured around them. “This is like a dream to me. I never suspected my life would include traveling around the world and going to exotic places.”
“Where did you see yourself in ten years?”
“At Starlight Candles. I never thought any bigger than that.”
“No delusions of grandeur? No taking over the world with wax pieces that smelled of lavender and true love?”
She shook her head. “Nope. I would have been pestering Carly to go out and find a boyfriend so I could become an aunt.”
“You don’t want any children?”
She laughed. “We just kissed,” she said. “Let’s wait before we put kids on the table, okay?”
Ryan saw Merrick approaching them and straightened. “The fewer people that know about your connection to Faust, the better. If that gets out, everyone will try to use you or kill you.”
The sour look on her face made him want to laugh. “Not sure if I like this side of magic.”
He pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Everything has a price, Dearest.”
“What are you doing here?” Merrick asked as he reached the gates.
Ryan turned away from Kalina and faced the man. “I know I am one of the last people you want to see right now,” he started
Merrick nodded. “You’re right. The only person I want to see less is Faust. But that isn’t possible now, is it?” His eyes moved from Ryan to Kalina. Merrick paused as he looked her over. “Who are you?”
Kalina smiled. “I’m Kalina.” She was about to step forward with her hand out when Ryan pulled her back. She looked at him over her shoulder. “You’re taking liberties again.”
Merrick’s eyes were trained on Ryan’s hand on Kalina’s arm. “If you say the word, I could have that appendage removed, my Lady.”
Kalina looked at Ryan before focusing on Merrick. “It’s fine,” she said with a wave of her hand. “We’re in the training phase of our relationship. He’s not completely housebroken yet.”
Merrick smirked as he looked between the pair. “Yes, I heard he needed a firm hand to keep him on a leash.”
Kalina took Ryan’s hand and held it between both of hers. “Be that as it may, Ryan’s mine to train. He said that you would be the best person to speak with about acquiring a demon seal.”
Both of Merrick’s eyebrows rose as he looked between them. Ryan gave Kalina’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Can we discuss this inside? It’s a private matter.”
Merrick nodded to his guards. The gates slowly opened. He held his hand out to Kalina and kissed her hand when she placed it in his. “You seem to have caught me at a difficult time. Tonight is an important night, and I am in the middle of preparations.”
“Preparations for what?” Kalina asked.
Ryan cursed under his breath. With Kalina coming back to him, the importance of the night slipped from his mind.
“Tonight is the Autumnal equinox.” Merrick glanced at Ryan and smirked. “It’s a celebration of the harvest.”
“What do you harvest?”
Merrick shrugged. “For everyone here it will be different. Some are learning to use their magics properly. Others have new markers in their debt.” His eyes glanced back at Ryan. “Some celebrate the blood on their hands.”
Kalina touched Merrick’s arm. “Don’t do that,” she requested. When he looked at her, she shook her head. “Ryan said you blame him for your mother’s death. Please don’t try and use me as a tool to get him to do something stupid. You won’t like the results.”
Merrick laughed. “I am not afraid of him.”
Kalina moved away from Merrick and went back to Ryan’s side. She looked into his eyes. “Take me back to the villa,” she said.
Ryan hated to admit it, but if there had every been a time when she resembled Faust, it was when she walked with her head high and issued orders like a queen. Ryan opened a portal and held out his hand. “Are you sure?”
Kalina looked at Merrick again. “I’m not going to stand here and watch him goad you. You might be okay with it. I’m not. We don’t need a seal that badly.”
Merrick ran his hand through his hair and let out an angry hiss. “Fine. I’ll hear you out. Just, don’t leave with him,” he pleaded. When Kalina stopped, he stepped closer to her. “There have been too many that have been left with him to never be seen again.”
Kalina shook her head. “I won’t listen to you treat him like he’s nothing.”
“If you knew everything he’s done, you would too.”
Ryan couldn’t argue with that. He looked at Kalina and shrugged. He then blinked when she stepped through the portal.
“How did you manage to get someone so devoted to you?” Merrick asked.
“I don’t know.” Ryan looked at Merrick. The other man had been right, Kalina didn’t know what he was truly capable of. She had no idea of his past, and she treated him with trust and respect. He wasn’t worthy of her, but he was going to do what he could to keep it. “We need to be rid of Faust,” he whispered. He saw the way Merrick’s eyes widened and ignored the look. In for a penny, in for a pound. “We wanted to know if you could make an amulet to help us.”
Merrick looked between him and the portal. “I want to speak with your woman, alone. Then I will think about it.”
“She’s under the protection of the death dealers.”
Merrick nodded. “I heard there was a new player. I want to see if she’ll be an important piece or a pawn.”
“The portal stays open.”
“Don’t trust me with her?”
Ryan smiled. “She’s been training,” he said sarcastically. He wouldn’t tell Merrick that he would rip him limb from limb if he so much as made Kalina cry. But he had a feeling she would find a way to hurt the half-demon herself if he got out of hand.
Merrick sighed as he realized what Ryan’s statement meant. “Can you at least make sure the arrangements are being handled?
I’ll return shortly.” Before Ryan could answer, he stepped through the portal.
*****
Kalina went to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water. She opened it as she heard someone behind her. “I’m sorry. I probably botched the whole thing.” She just couldn’t stand there. Something about the way Merrick treated Ryan rubbed her the wrong way.
“Not so much,” Merrick said from the living room area.
She turned and looked at him. His olive toned skin was a stark contrast to the white outfit he wore. She would have thought he was handsome if he hadn’t tried to treat Ryan like dirt. “What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I wanted to talk with you. Gold let me.”
Kalina gestured to the fridge. “Do you want something to drink?”
He shook his head. “I’ll be up to my eyes in wine in a few hours. But thank you for the offer.”
“What did you want to talk to me about?”
“Who are you?” he asked. His dark eyes were focused on her as she approached him. “You appear out of nowhere a month ago. Gold has you under his protection, so does a family of death dealers. Now he comes to me, of all people, asking about something strong enough to deal with Faust. I can draw a number of conclusions, but I would rather you tell me who you are.”
Kalina sat in a chair across from him. She leaned back and drank from her water. “A month ago, my life crumbled around my ears. I have been thrown into a world where I have nothing but questions. I’m tired of no one answering my questions, when I try to answer theirs. So, I don’t think I’ll be answering your demands.”
A smile slowly crossed Merrick’s face. “You’re a half-breed, aren’t you?” he asked. When she didn’t answer, he gestured to his hair. “Other half-breeds know, looked at the hair and eyes first. Those are the main giveaways.”