by Deanna Chase
Waves of pleasure overwhelmed me, and when he pulled back this time, I kept a tight grip on him, unwilling to let him go.
He tilted his head and trailed kisses from my bare collarbone up to my ear, sending a shiver all the way to my toes. “I want you, Wil.”
The words were a wildfire that burst deep in my core, heating me from the inside out. Goddess, I wanted him, too.
“But not tonight.” His words were strained and full of regret.
Slowly, I sank down, sitting on my heels, trying to get a grip on my raging hormones. But the way he was gazing down at me with pure lust in his eyes made my nipples tighten with anticipation. And he noticed. His gaze lowered as his breath caught in his throat.
“Tal?”
“Yes.”
He swallowed and ran a hand through his sandy-blond hair. It stood up in random mussed clumps. My hand twitched to smooth it, but if I touched him, I’d lose all control and I knew it.
“If you’re determined nothing is going to happen tonight, it might be better if you… uh… gave me a moment.”
“Umm… a moment?” His lips twitched.
“Not that!” I screeched and pulled the blanket up to hide in mortification.
He laughed and tugged the blanket down, exposing my face. “Good, because I wouldn’t want to leave for that.”
“Holy cripes.” I pushed on his chest and chuckled. “Never mind.” Still laughing, I crawled back under the covers and patted Link, who was curled up near my pillow, snoring softly.
“Now I need a moment.” He winked at me and hopped off the bed. “I’ll be right back.”
The room felt empty somehow, which was crazy considering my bed was suspended in a giant magical tree. It was the loss of Tal, even though I could hear the creak of his footsteps against the old hardwood floors.
I shook myself, trying to ignore the eerie feeling that something ominous was going down. It was just the lingering effects from being kidnapped and battling crazy vampires. If anyone I loved was in danger, I would’ve gotten a phone call. I cut my eyes to the desk where Tal had dropped my phone and noted the white cord of my charger was attached. Good. No doubt the battery was low.
Tal reemerged, two water bottles in his hands. He cracked the top of one and handed it to me.
“Thanks,” I said and sucked down a third of it before I came up for air. “I needed that.”
“Drink it all.” He took a swig from his own bottle. “It will help with the healing.”
I did as I was told and watched him as he stripped out of his shirt. His well-defined chest was tan and lean from hours of working the nursery and climbing the trees of the forest. I couldn’t keep my gaze from lingering on his hips and his low-slung jeans. Jeez. He was gorgeous.
He stood still, letting me get my fill, and when I finally realized he was watching me, I felt the flush climb up my neck. “Sorry.”
“No need to apologize.” Smiling, he climbed back up onto the bed, wearing nothing but his jeans, and gently turned me so I was lying on my back. His magic was already pooling at his fingertips, fortifying me. Gently, he took the hand of my injured arm in his and ran the other hand from shoulder to wrist. It was a tickle of magic at first, growing into a constant irritant the deeper it went into my cracked bone.
I bit down on a pillow, fighting back the sharp sting of tears. I could get through this. One way or another. When Tal’s magic was pulsing to almost unbearable levels, he wrapped both hands around the fracture point and poured more magic into me.
“Stop!” I cried, gasping for breath. My chest was tight and my vision turned black as my head swam.
A second later, Tal’s magic vanished. My body went limp as if I’d suddenly been released from a vise.
“Holy crow,” I whispered.
“Are you okay?” Tal asked, concern radiating from him.
I flexed my fingers, testing gingerly. Not even a twinge of pain. “I think so. Just need a moment.”
I focused on the air filling my lungs, letting the world come back into focus as I slowly worked my arm. A small smile claimed my lips when I realized it was completely healed. “Tal?”
“Yeah?”
I lifted myself up with my other arm and kissed him softly. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet, love. We still have a lot of work to do. And I doubt it’s going to be pleasant.” His eyes focused on my shoulder and then my leg as he handed me one of his crystals. “Here, take this. It will help take the edge off.”
I opened my palm and accepted the amethyst stone. The effect was immediate. My muscles relaxed and a blissful numbness soothed me.
“Are you ready for this?”
“Yes.” I lay back down and closed my eyes. “Work your magic.”
Chapter 27
Talisen was right. His healing magic was painful despite the healing stone he’d given me. Not because of his magic, but because of the depth of my injuries. When he’d healed the bone-deep bruise on my shoulder, piercing pain left me gasping for breath. And the rest of my bruises, the healing for those took much longer than ever before. Neither of us really knew why. At least not until he’d gotten to my ankle.
My calf and ankle were still numb. It was the only reason I’d been able to walk, stand, or heck, even sit on my knees while Tal and I had been kissing. I just didn’t feel anything. Or I didn’t up until Tal went to work on the wound. At first there was only a bit of pressure but no pain. Then when it was clear his efforts weren’t making progress, he sucked in a breath and poured everything he had into the affected area.
The change was immediate. Every part of me vibrated as if I were about to burst. My leg stiffened and my calf cramped, ripping an uncontrollable scream from my throat. I reared up, clutching at my leg.
“Willow!” I heard Tal’s frantic cry, but I couldn’t see him through the white spots swimming in my vision.
Then everything stopped and my leg went numb once more. I flopped back down on the bed, panting.
“Jesus, what happened?” Tal asked, clutching my hand.
I stared up into the canopy above us and shook my head. I didn’t have a clue. It was his magic.
The mattress shifted and the next thing I knew, Talisen was stretched out beside me, tucking me close to his body. “I’m sorry. So sorry,” he whispered, tenderly stroking my arm.
“It’s not your fault,” I said when my breathing returned to normal. “It’s just like with the guards. You can’t fix it because of the poison. We’ll need the antidote.”
He didn’t say anything at first, but then he nodded. “You’re right. My magic is only a temporary fix, though you seem to be holding up better than they are. Probably because our magic is mixing.”
“Maybe,” I said weakly, my eyes heavy with sleep.
“Get some rest, Wil. First thing in the morning we’ll work on it. I’ll be right here in case you need me.” He kissed the top of my head with a gentleness that would have made me cry if I’d had anything left to give.
I nodded, or at least I tried to, but darkness had closed in, and I fell into sweet oblivion, wrapped in Tal’s arms… again.
***
A loud crash made me bolt upright from a dead sleep. Commotion reigned around me as Link, in full wolf form, leaped from the bed, snarling, his fangs bared. Talisen followed Link over the side of the bed, fully tensed in fight mode.
I sat frozen, still wearing the skimpy camisole, and stared into the stricken face of David. His eyes shifted from me to Talisen and then back to me. A chill crawled over my skin, and I yanked the blanket up to cover my almost-bare body.
“What the hell are you doing, Laveaux?” Talisen demanded.
David ignored him, still staring at me.
Tal took a step forward and Link, taking his cue from Tal, charged forward and circled David.
“Link!” I cried, startled out of my shock. “No. Sit.”
My wolf glanced at Talisen for confirmation.
“Dammit, Link. I said sit
!”
He promptly sat back on his haunches, but he didn’t take his eyes from David.
I wrapped the blanket around myself and fluttered to the floor to stand beside Tal. “What is it?” I asked David.
As the vampire watched me, his face slowly morphed into his expression of stone, the one he wore when he was hiding his pain.
Guilt mixed with sadness and unease made it hard to breathe. Even though David and I hadn’t been together officially, we’d danced around the possibility long enough. He deserved better than finding me in bed with Tal. I had to talk to him. And soon. But right then, I could tell by the set of his shoulders there was something much more pressing. Otherwise he would’ve never burst into my room the way he had.
“Get dressed,” David said to me. “You need to get out of here. It isn’t safe.”
He turned to go and was at the door when I ran forward and placed my hand on his rock-hard arm. “What happened?”
He turned slowly, a haunted expression claiming his face. “Fire. At The Red Door and Father’s mansion. Both are destroyed. Threats have been made against your house and your shop. Your staff is already being evacuated.”
Shock had me clinging harder to his arm. I’d heard what he said about the threat on my home and the store, but I didn’t care about that. There was only one thing that mattered. My nephew lived in an apartment above The Red Door. My words came out in a panic. “Beau? Carrie? My mom?”
He glanced down at me, his expression hard and unfeeling. I nearly jumped back from the coldness radiating from him. But my hands were fused to his forearm, my nails digging into his skin. I wouldn’t let go until he answered.
“They’re fine,” he said. “Father went in and got them out.”
Allcot saved them himself? “Is he okay?”
“He will be.” With that, he shook off my hold and strode to the door. He paused, plucked my phone from the desk, the charger cord dangling from the adapter. It was obvious the charger hadn’t been plugged in, which meant my phone was dead and explained why he’d burst in instead of calling.
Son of a… Damn.
David stuck my phone and the charger in his pocket and then left without saying another word.
Unable to move, I stared at the empty doorway. Allcot had saved my family at great personal risk to himself. Fire and vampires do not mix. It was one of their greatest threats. And one Phoebe almost never used because it was so unpredictable, especially in New Orleans, where so many old wooden houses stood.
I vaguely registered Tal’s footsteps behind me, only coming out of my trance when he draped my robe over my shoulders. “They’re okay,” he said softly and rubbed my neck. All the pain from the day before was gone. Tal’s magic had worked better than ever. The only area that wasn’t healed was my completely numb foot and lower leg. It didn’t matter right then anyway. I could fly.
I turned and hugged him, needing to connect with the warmth of a loved one. He held me close, stroking my hair, but didn’t say anything further. There wasn’t anything to say.
***
It took less than ten minutes to get dressed and pack a few essentials. When Tal and I got downstairs, David was standing at the window, staring out at the park across the street.
“We’re ready,” I said.
He pointed to my phone. He’d plugged it in and it was charging on the entry table. “You don’t want to forget that.”
“Thanks,” I mumbled, uncomfortable. Having Tal and David in the same room was too much for me. But then I pushed the thoughts out of my head. My silly love triangle was nothing compared to two massive fires and my small family almost being burned to death.
The phone buzzed and vibrated on the table.
Phoebe. We found a vial of the drug they shot you with. Bring Talisen to the Arcane ASAP. We have the ingredients.
“Let’s go,” I said and hitched my bag over my shoulder. “We need to stop at the Arcane.”
Link jumped and ran ahead of me while David let out a huff of impatience. “No. We’re going straight to the safe house.”
“Not if you want to cure Harrison and the guards. We’ve got the info Tal needs to make an antidote.”
“Phoebe can bring it,” David barked. “You can’t be seen roaming the city. It’s too dangerous.”
“No. The antidote is too important.” Tal spun and stood directly in front of David. “If you weren’t so pissed at her right now—”
“I’m not pissed at her, fae.” David’s tan face turned red from barely suppressed rage.
Tal just raised an eyebrow. “Fine. But you are pissed.” He didn’t need to clarify at who. It was obvious David was ready to rip Tal’s head off. “But if you’d actually taken a second to look at Willow, you would’ve noticed her limp. She was shot with that poison last night, and if we can’t heal her leg soon, it’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better. So I strongly suggest you get on board with stopping at the Arcane. Otherwise, we’ll go on our own. I’m not letting her suffer any longer. Not to mention I don’t know how long Wil and I can keep the guards from slipping back into nonresponsive states. The best bet is to get the information, concoct the antidote, and then go to whatever mansion Allcot has to stash us all away in.”
David narrowed his eyes and loomed over us, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. I wanted to smack him. He was right back to where he was before—ordering me around as if I belonged to him. It didn’t matter that I knew he was only trying to protect me. It still grated.
“We have to go.” I held up the phone, revealing a message from the director.
Your presence is required. Report to headquarters immediately.
“Fine.” David stalked to his car while Tal and I headed for my Jeep. David let out a growl of frustration. “I was going to drive you.”
I took a deep breath and prayed for patience. “But then I’ll have to rely on you if I need to go anywhere. This will just be easier on both of us.”
“Willow, dammit. You’re going to be in our custody until this crisis is over. You don’t need your car.”
“Are you saying I’m being taken and held against my will?” I stood with my hands on my hips, my chin jutting out. “Because as much as I appreciate your concern and the effort you and your father have gone to for my family, I’m still my own person with my own commitments. And trust me, I understand how serious this is.” I softened my tone and my stance. “I’ve been living with this since the day Beau died. But you can’t put me in a box until the world stops trying to hurt me. Haven’t you figured out that isn’t ever going to happen?”
Tal put his hand on the small of my back in a gesture of support.
David’s eyes locked in on the connection and his lips formed a thin, tight line. When he finally looked up at me, he let out a slow breath. “I just want you to be safe.”
“I know.” I closed the distance between us and slipped my arm through his, pulling him toward his car. Tal stayed behind with Link. We stopped at the driver’s side. “Sometimes a person has to save themselves. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me and continue to do for me, but I can’t sit around and let everyone take care of me, especially if there’s something I can do to help. Please let me do what I have to, otherwise all I have is fear.”
“And a fae, it seems.” He glared over my shoulder at Tal.
I resisted the urge to scowl. It had been because of Allcot that Tal had left in the first place. But I doubted David had known about that. “Can we talk about that later?”
“Are you sure there’s anything to say?” The words weren’t an accusation, more of resigned acceptance.
“Yes.” I touched his arm lightly. “I need to explain.”
“No, you don’t.”
He reached for the door handle, but I stopped him.
“David.” I waited until he looked at me. “Yes. I do.”
The ice melted from his brilliant blue eyes. “Okay. Later, once we’re back at the house.”
“T
hank you.” I let my hand slide off his arm as I walked away and tried to swallow the ache in my throat.
“You okay?” Tal asked when I climbed into the Jeep.
I nodded. “Thank you.”
“For what?” He put the Jeep into gear and took off down the street.
The fact that he’d given me space and had even asked how I was doing meant the world to me. He had every reason to be jealous, but he wasn’t letting himself go there. At least not now. And I couldn’t have appreciated it more. “For just being you.”
Chapter 28
David followed us to the Arcane building and waited outside while Tal, Link, and I disappeared inside. He could’ve come with us if he’d wanted to. He’d been there often enough for the testing in the past three months. No one would question why he was there. But he’d said he wanted to watch the building just in case.
I was pretty certain he just didn’t want to see Tal and me working together.
Phoebe, dressed in fresh jeans and a black T-shirt, was waiting for us in the lobby. Her short dark hair was slightly curled and pinned with a silver barrette.
“Did you come home last night?” I asked, taking in her appearance. She looked incredibly rested for someone who’d been working all night.
“No. I was here. Come on, Director Halston is waiting for you both.” She pushed the gate open and Tal, and Link, and I followed her in. No magic neutralizer. Thank the goddess.
“You stayed here? But you look so… put together.”
She cast me a mischievous grin. “I have a friend nearby who had a free shower.”
“And you just happened to have some clean clothes at your friend’s house?”
“Yeah.” She glanced over her shoulder and winked at Tal.
He laughed.
I shook my head. “Phoebe doesn’t ever talk about her boyfriends. That’s all we’re going to get.”
“Damn straight.” Phoebe quickened her pace and rounded the corner.
The director was waiting in her doorway when we got there. “Good. You’re all here.” Her frizzy gray hair was piled up into a haphazard bun, and her linen suit was wrinkled as if she’d slept in it. Seems the director didn’t have a friend nearby. She waved us into her office and then called to her assistant, “Hold all calls. I’m in an important meeting.”