by Deanna Chase
“Your house. Your rules,” I said flippantly.
“My city. My rules. And don’t forget it.”
God, I hated his arrogant ass.
“Davidson,” he snapped. “Let’s go. I have a chore for you.”
David didn’t look at him. He only continued to watch Harrison.
“Fine,” Allcot said, relenting. “Come to my office when you’re done chaperoning these two fae.” Allcot disappeared, the door slamming shut behind him.
Talisen turned the burners off and waved me over to the lab table. “Time to work.”
***
“Ready?” I asked Talisen as I hung the IV bags full of magical potions on the rack.
“Yes. Who do we want to start with?”
“Harrison,” David said, startling us. He hadn’t said a word since Allcot had left.
“You sure, Laveaux? The first round is often the trickiest.” Talisen wheeled the IV pole with him as he moved toward Harrison.
“He’d insist on it himself,” David said.
I nodded, knowing David was right. Harrison always put himself on the line first, before his team.
“All right,” Tal said. He pulled up a rolling stool and went to work on switching the IV line to the concoction we’d made.
“Does he know what he’s doing?” David asked, eyeing Tal.
“Seriously?” I shook my head in exasperation. “He’s a healer, David. Of course he knows what he’s doing.”
David cast me an irritated look. “He’s a magical healer. The question wasn’t out of line.”
I refrained from rolling my eyes at him and sat on the other side of Harrison’s bed, across from Tal. “Let me know when you’re ready,” I said to Tal. He’d asked me to participate when it was time to use the crystal. Since it held my energy as well as his, he thought the magic we unleashed would be more powerful if we did it together instead of just him.
After a few adjustments, Tal said, “Hold your hand out.”
I did as he asked.
He clasped his hand over mine, trapping the crystal between our palms. Warm magic pulsed to the tips of my fingers. The euphoria spread and my wings fluttered until I was hovering just off the ground.
Amused at my reaction, Tal smiled at me. Heat crawled up my neck as I flushed in embarrassment. But I couldn’t do anything about my reaction. And honestly, I didn’t even care. The happiness claiming me was all too welcome.
Tal guided our hands to hover over Harrison’s chest. Then he pressed the crystal and my hand over his heart and covered my hand with his, slipping his fingers through mine. “Just relax, Wil.”
Right. He had no idea what he was asking of me. My body was tingling from head to toe.
“When I say go, I want you to push the magic filling you into Harrison. Got it?”
I nodded, praying that this would work.
Tal used his free hand to press two fingers to Harrison’s pulse. Beneath my hand, I felt Harrison’s heart skip a beat and then speed up. Whatever Tal was doing, it was having an effect on the guard.
“Ready?” Tal asked me.
“Yes.”
His eyes met mine. “Go.”
Because the magic from the stone had already filled me up, there was no need for me to pull at Harrison’s already depleted energy. Instead, I focused on filtering the magic from the stone into Harrison while Tal worked his magic with his healing touch.
The magic pooled at my fingertips, resistant to my will. What usually flowed easily into my intended subject hit a barrier and wouldn’t budge.
“Damn,” I muttered.
“Don’t give up,” Tal said. “Force it if you have to.”
I glanced up at his determined expression and strengthened my will. I’d been hesitant to do anything that might harm Harrison, such as force my magic where it didn’t belong, but seeing how hard Tal was working gave me the courage I needed.
“Okay,” I said, concentrating on the barrier at my fingertips. I imagined the magic bursting forth like a breach, envisioned it transferring to Harrison and healing him as if nothing was more natural.
The magic buoyed between my fingers and Harrison’s breastbone, refusing to obey my mental command. Pressing harder against the crystal and his chest, I leaned into him and looked up into Tal’s penetrating stare.
“You’ve got this.”
His words of encouragement were all it took for my magic to blast through into Harrison. The force was so intense I nearly collapsed on his torso from the sheer velocity of it. Catching myself on the edge of the bed, I righted myself and forgot everything around me except the magic coursing from me into Harrison.
My mind blurred with vague shapes of muted colors. Green faded into blue and the blue faded to gray. The blurry fog lifted, and I was transformed into a world of Technicolor. CGI images splayed on a large screen as Harrison sat in a production booth with a man who shared many of his features. Dark skin, angled jaw, expressive dark eyes that were shaped the same. They were related. A younger brother, maybe? They studied each image carefully and spoke with conviction about which to use.
They were producing a movie, I realized as I watched them. Only they were dead serious about the work while also laughing and clearly having the time of their lives. There was so much joy in the room; happiness filled me up until my wings fluttered unconsciously and I lifted right off the ground. My hand slipped from Tal’s and the connection was lost.
Reality crashed back into me in the form of harsh white walls and cold, sterile stainless-steel lab tables. My feet hit the floor, jarring my bones.
I blinked, trying to get my bearings. Tal was staring down at Harrison, a curious expression on his face. He hadn’t seemed to notice I’d moved.
“Welcome back,” Tal said with a smile. But he wasn’t talking to me.
“Harrison?” I called and rushed back to his side.
The man’s gaze shifted from Tal to me. But there wasn’t any recognition in his dark eyes.
“Harrison?” I said again.
His brow furrowed. He turned his head to take in Tal again. “Who are you?”
“Talisen Kavanagh. I’m a healer.” Tal didn’t seem to be surprised Harrison was disoriented. “And this is Willow Rhoswen. You’ve been on her security detail for a number of months.”
I opened my mouth to protest. Harrison hadn’t been keeping an eye on me for a few months now, but then I closed it when Harrison shook his head.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m a filmmaker. I don’t work… security.” His face was contorted into confused irritation.
Tal waved David over. And David, still surly, scowled at Tal. Then his scowl morphed into a concerned frown as he strode to the other side of Harrison’s bed.
“Harrison,” Tal said conversationally. “Do you know this man?”
Harrison stared up at David. He pushed himself up on his elbows, as if trying to get a closer look or trying to figure something out. But then his body stiffened and he sat straight up, swinging his legs off the bed on Tal’s side.
“Whoa.” Tal placed a hand on his shoulder, keeping him from getting out of the bed. “You better stay right here for a little longer. Just until we’re sure you’re steady on your feet.”
Harrison’s gaze shot between Tal and David before he focused on Tal and leaned in toward him. He dropped his voice and whispered, “We have to get out of here.”
Tal’s facial expression didn’t change, but his entire frame stiffened with what I’d come to know as concern. Harrison was awake, but he was far from okay.
Harrison covered the side of his mouth and jabbed his head once toward David. “I’m almost positive that man is no man at all. He’s a vampire.”
Chapter 17
Talisen and I glanced at each other; then in unison we turned to catch David’s eye. There was no doubt he’d heard Harrison’s strained words. There was a crease between his brows as he frowned.
“You’re correct,” Tal said evenly. “H
e’s a vampire. Do you know who he is?”
Harrison shook his head.
“I see.” Tal pulled out a notepad and scribbled something down. “Okay. Let’s deal with the vamp later.”
David’s frown deepened, but he stayed near the lab table and didn’t come closer.
“Do you mind answering a few questions for me?” Tal asked Harrison.
Harrison’s expression went blank. “I guess not.”
“Great.” Tal gestured to me. “Do you know who this is?”
Harrison tilted his head and studied me. He nodded hesitantly. “I think so. She’s familiar. Like I should know her, but I can’t place her.” He turned his gaze to Tal. “You, too. You’re both friends of mine, right?”
“Shit,” David muttered from across the room.
“We do know each other,” Talisen confirmed.
I bit my bottom lip. Harrison and I were friends. Sort of. I’d stop and talk to him if I saw him on the street, but I wouldn’t call him up and invite him to a dinner party. And he barely knew Talisen. Why did he recognize us and not David? Was it the spell we’d performed on him?
“But I don’t recall your names.” Harrison ran a hand over his face then shook his head as if trying to dislodge buried memories. He eyed David and shook his head again. “Am I supposed to know him?”
Tal nodded.
Harrison pushed himself up farther in the hospital bed and leveled a stare at Talisen. “What happened to me?”
Tal pulled up a stool and put his notebook down. He looked so much like a doctor conversing with his patient. Medical school had been out of the question. Fae just had too hard a time dealing with synthetics. But he would’ve made the perfect holistic healer if he hadn’t gone into research. His calm nature and demeanor were perfectly suited for the profession. Watching him with Harrison, the way he was patient and soothing, made my heart swell. He was a good man.
“You were attacked by a fae, shot with some sort of poison that put you into a coma.”
Harrison scowled. “What? Why?”
The room was silent. Only David knew exactly what had happened that night.
David finally crossed the room and stood next to me. He cleared his throat.
Harrison shifted away from him, eyeing him with extreme caution. “Why are you still here?”
“This is my father’s house. And you’re his employee. You were on a mission to investigate a fae and a rogue vampire who’ve been attacking humans. The fae shot you with some sort of dart and you’ve been unconscious ever since. We asked Mr. Kavanagh to do what he could to heal you. I can assure you we only have your best interest at heart.”
Harrison opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He let out a huff of air and leaned back, closing his eyes.
“It’s pretty normal to be disoriented after waking up from a coma,” Tal said gently to Harrison. “Let’s give it a few days and then we can try jogging your memory after you get your bearings.”
Harrison didn’t respond right away. But when I put a gentle hand on his arm, he met my gaze.
“It’ll be all right now. I promise. Tal knows what he’s doing.” A small twinge of guilt had me biting back a grimace. This was uncharted territory, and I knew damned well we were lucky Harrison had woken up at all. Tal’s idea hadn’t really been founded on anything substantial. It could’ve just as easily backfired.
Tal smiled at me and confirmed my statement with Harrison. “Yes. You’re going to be just fine. Sit tight while we attend the others.” Tal waved toward the other two men lying unconscious.
Harrison slid back down in the bed. Dark circles rimmed his tired eyes as he closed them and nodded. “I’ll be here.”
I stifled a chuckle, surprised at my response. The worry that had been weighing me down had lifted. And while he wasn’t going anywhere in his weakened condition, at least he was awake. The relief was making me almost giddy.
“Wil?” Tal tilted his head toward the next patient. “Ready to try this again?”
Squeezing Harrison’s hand, I nodded at Tal. “Just get some rest,” I said to Harrison. “Tal and I will be back to check on you soon.”
He didn’t open his eyes, but he did give me a small nod.
Reluctantly, I left his side and followed Tal. We repeated the spell on the second guard and were subjected to another vision. He was sitting with a small-framed redhead on a wraparound porch, lightly holding her hand as they watched two small children playing in the sprinklers. They were laughing and sipping iced tea, enjoying the perfect summer afternoon. It was completely different from Harrison’s flashback but also full of joy and contentment.
I couldn’t help but meet Tal’s eyes. He was staring at me with a longing I couldn’t ever remember seeing in his gaze. I shifted, uncomfortable with the raw emotion emanating from him. Unexpected tears sprang to my eyes, and I had to blink them back before I lost control.
The guard’s name was Bale, and he woke up just as disoriented as Harrison had. The interesting part was that he said he felt he knew both Tal and me, but neither of us had met him before that very day. It had to be the spell. They were connecting with us because of our magic.
A bolt of anticipation skittered through me as Tal and I went to work on K.C., the third guard. The visions we’d pulled from Harrison and Bale had been like a shot of happiness straight to the heart, and I was quickly becoming addicted to the sensation. The past months had been downright hard. It was nice to feel good about something for a change. And while I felt like we were intruding on their private thoughts, I didn’t know of a way to block them out while we did what we needed to.
Tal’s hand closed over mine, and even though the magic from the crystal warmed my palm just as it had before, I had a hard time pushing the magic into K.C. It hit the same barrier I’d experienced with Harrison, but no matter what I did, it wouldn’t budge. Gritting my teeth, I narrowed my focus to just my hand and willed the magic to move.
Nothing.
I glanced up at Tal. “Do you feel that?”
He nodded, pressing his lips into a thin line. Then he removed his hand from mine and positioned himself near K.C.’s head. He ran a light hand across the man’s forehead, and K.C.’s body flinched slightly, but he didn’t open his eyes.
A worry line appeared above Tal’s brows as he frowned. “He’s further along than the other two were.”
“Now what?” I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to stave off the sudden shiver.
Tal held out his hand to me. I slipped mine into his, instantly warmer. He tugged me around so that he was standing behind me with both his arms around me. Then he whispered in my ear, “I need you to pull some of my magic into you before you push it into K.C.”
“What?” I said more harshly than I intended.
“Problem?” David interjected, striding over.
“No,” Tal said, not looking at him.
“Willow?” David asked.
I waved him off. “I’m fine. Give us a few minutes.” I made a concerted effort to keep my voice even, but I really wanted to demand that he just leave. Yes, Tal had his arms around me. That made me want to press into him and flee at the same time, but we were working to save K.C. And having David hovering was only making things harder.
David didn’t leave, but he did step back, his jaw clenched and hands fisted.
So he was mad. What else was new?
“Ready?” Tal asked me.
I shook my head. I didn’t want to take any of his life energy. “Can’t you just force more magic into the stone or something?”
“I already put in as much as it will take. You have more power to force magic into living things than I do. And if you have some of mine mixed with yours, it should give you enough push to save this man.” He tightened his arms around me, holding me against him, his face gently caressing mine.
How could I argue with that? I wasn’t going to stand here and let the guard fade away into nothing. Not when Tal was so sure my magic would
work. I took a deep breath and nodded once.
“That’s my girl.” Tal’s words were a caress to my battered heart. He’d called me his girl again. In that moment I knew I’d forgiven him for leaving, forgiven the lack of communication, forgiven the anger and hurt we’d put each other through. I just hoped that once this was all over—once we were no longer under the thumb of Allcot and the Void, once Asher was neutralized—we’d be able to find our way back to each other.
I shut my eyes and focused on my hands gripping Tal’s. Magic tingled from my fingertips, spreading over his in a thin layer. Magic shifted and jumped, sparking over his hands and creating a magnetic connection between the two of us.
He stood there, statuesque, letting my magic dance across his skin. I knew it had to be affecting him in some way. It could be irritating, but I was willing to bet he was enjoying the interaction. And then I felt his breath catch as his fingers gripped mine as if he was struggling for control. Yeah, he was enjoying my magical touch. Maybe a little too much.
Now wasn’t the time.
Steeling myself, I pushed on my magic, nudging it into Tal. He went completely still with my invasion. I couldn’t help but wonder what he was feeling in that moment. I didn’t think it hurt, but it was an intrusion nonetheless. After a few moments, I tugged on my magical hold and our combined life energy slammed into me with such force I would’ve stumbled backward, but Tal’s strong arms were still wrapped around me, holding me in place.
My breath caught as his memories flooded my mind in rapid succession. Tal and me on the beach when we were sixteen. Him leaning in close, the desire to kiss me overwhelming him. Tal staring at me from across the street as I laughed with friends, unaware that he was there. The urge to punch Jason Sweeny as I danced with him at the prom. Tal wanting nothing more than to hold me for days after Beau’s tragic death. The pure pleasure of installing the enchanted tree in his New Orleans apartment a few short months ago.
“Willow?”
I heard Tal’s voice from far away. I blinked, clearing the memories from my mind. Our combined magic had filled me to the point of almost bursting.
“Oh, no. Sorry!” I cried and jerked my hands from his.