What? Bastard, he drugged me. I knew I couldn’t trust him. Where the hell did he… The thought drifted away as the room began to darken.
“Stop messing with the lights,” I said as my eyes slowly began to close. The pull to just give in was strong and I found myself sinking deeper into the warmth and comfort that the bed provided.
“Get some rest,” I heard his distant voice say, a hand gently touched my cheek, sliding along my neck before pulling away. “I’ll be here when you wake.”
I woke to an insistent buzzing noise.
Bzzp.
Bzzp.
Bzzp.
Not bothering to check the caller ID I answered on a mumbled groan. “Hello.”
“Aria, where the hell are you?” was the angry response I received. My brain felt sluggish as I tried to come up with a coherent response. “I’m in bed. Where are you?”
“I’m at your apartment, and it’s empty. So I’ll ask again, where the hell are you? You were supposed to call me last night. Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?”
I heard footsteps approaching and looked up at the sound of Inarus’ voice. “Hey, you’re up?” he said from the doorway.
“Who’s that with you?” James growled into the phone.
“Do you want anything for breakfast?” Inarus asked, a smile on his face. Oh, he was enjoying this.
“Who the hell is that Aria?!” Oh dear, James was calling me Aria, not Ari. That meant he was really pissed. He was yelling now, a distinct rumbling sound emanating from the receiver. I held the phone away from my head just to make out his words. Good thing he wasn’t here right now.
I shook my head in response to Inarus’ question and taking the cue, he silently retreated back where he came from.
“Aria, will you tell me what the hell is going on? Are you with some guy right now?”
I could feel my frustration growing. Who the hell did he think he was, my keeper?
“Look, not that it’s any of your business,” I bit out, “but I’m at a friend’s. I’ll call you later.” I snapped my cell phone shut, cutting off any response he may have had and rested my head back on my pillow.
Well, that went well. Heaving a sigh I looked around the room, noticing details I hadn’t the night before. The small room was roughly the same size as mine. The walls were a soft gray that was surprisingly warm. The bedspread had a blue-and-brown plaid pattern and he had matching blue sheets and pillows. There was a small desk nestled in a corner, stacks of paper neatly set aside. The floors were clear, no clothes or belongings scattered about the way my room was. Going off first impressions, I’d say Inarus was a clean freak. Then again, I may have just happened to be a slob, so my judgment was questionable.
Throwing my legs over the side of the bed, I stood up and released a breath of relief when my body didn’t sway but cringed over the stiffness. Point one for Aria. Clenching my teeth against the ache in my ribs I padded to the doorway. A heavenly smell came from the hall, and I allowed my nose to lead the way.
As I approached the end of the hallway I was greeted with the smell of bacon and maple syrup. Turning the corner I found Inarus cooking over the stove. A stack of warm buttery pancakes resting on a plate beside him. I watched as he removed the bacon from the pan and place the meat on a plate beside the pancakes. He looked up at the sound of my approaching footsteps.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, catching my gaze.
“Much better. Thank you.” Much better than I should after the injuries I’d sustained the previous night.
He nodded. Grabbing both plates he brought them over to the dining room table already set with two circular plates, utensils, and two glasses of orange juice. Indicating the chair closest to me he placed the food on the table and pulled out my chair. Moving closer I allowed him to help me into my seat before taking his own. When my stomach grumbled, I chanced a look in his direction, catching him staring with a wide grin on his face. “What?” I asked.
“Nothing,” he responded. “Just, thought you didn’t want anything.”
“Yeah well, I guess I changed my mind. Woman’s prerogative and all that jazz.”
He flashed me another grin before digging into his food and not long after, I followed suit. We ate in comfortable silence and I savored every bite. The pancakes were like heaven coated in sugar. They were light and fluffy and having not been a pancake person before, they had officially converted me. When my stack was gone I looked down at the plate, a frown on my face before I remembered the bacon and dove into that, swiping each piece in remaining syrupy goodness. When Inarus finished, he handed me a stack of clothing.
“They’re probably too big but they should do. I figured you’d want to get cleaned up.”
“Thank you,” I told him again, feeling like a complete dunce. I hadn’t even noticed my bloodstained clothing or the fact that it was ripped in several places exposing more flesh than I’d have liked. Inarus pointed me in the direction of the bathroom and off I went with my few belongings in hand.
Minutes later I was finally relaxing under the warm spray when a loud banging had me jumping out of the enclosure. I swiped one of my daggers from the bathroom counter and made a dead run for the front of the apartment, ignoring the throbbing in my ribs. My adrenaline was pumping as I raced across the carpet floors listening to bodies crash and glass shatter in the room ahead of me.
I skidded to a halt when I found Inarus and James rolling across the floor, the furniture in shambles all around them.
“What the hell is going on?” I shouted over them.
When they stopped to look in my direction, the expressions on their faces went from anger to dumbfounded shock. Unsure why they were suddenly staring at me with strange looks on their faces I looked down, realizing I was stark naked and dripping water all over the floors.
Shit!
In my haste, I’d run out of the bathroom without clothes or even a towel. I gave a shriek before running back into the safety of the hallway. Opening a random door I pulled a large sweatshirt out of what ended up being a small hall closet. Throwing it on, I went back into the living room, chin held high as if I hadn’t just been naked. Ignoring the fact that I was still very wet and very naked beneath Inarus’ oversized hoodie. Thankfully, it came down to my knees.
“Do either of you want to explain what the hell is going on?” I asked, making sure to fill my tone with authority and irritation.
James and Inarus were exactly as I’d left them, locked in one another’s grip on the floor as if they’d been frozen in place. At my comment they released one another, but both their expressions said they weren’t finished.
“Well?” I asked again, tapping my foot.
“What do you mean, ‘well’, Aria? I think you have some explaining to do,” James countered. I could see tiny ripples just below the surface of his skin. He was losing it and his wolf was about to come out. I needed to defuse the situation and do it fast.
“I already told you,” I bit out.
He scoffed. “Oh really, at a friend’s? I didn’t realize you ran around naked at your friends’ houses,” he said.
I threw my hands in the air. He was being ridiculous and I was going to tell him exactly that but before I could open my mouth, Inarus cut in.
“Look at her,” he told James. “Seriously look at her. The split lip, the bruising on her cheek and temple. What do you really think is going on here? You can even see the bruises and cuts on her legs.”
That seemed to stop James for a moment and his angry gaze roved over my body. It took him only a second or two to realize that I had sustained injuries and that he was being a complete ass. Between one breath and the next, he was in front of me. Cupping my cheeks in his calloused palms as he examined my injuries closer. When he released me, he bit out a foul curse before sweeping me into his arms and burying his nose in my neck.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered into my hair. “I should have been there.”
I bit my lip to hold in a cry of pain. He was squeezing too hard but I knew he needed this. Knew his wolf needed the contact to calm down so I waited until he was ready to let me go. After several minutes passed he finally pulled back but kept his hands on my waist.
“What happened?” he asked. I shook my head, my eyes suddenly misting. God this was frustrating. I wasn’t used to someone worrying over me and knowing that James cared, that he was concerned for my well-being, put a crack in the thick brick wall I had meticulously built over the years.
“It was nothing. I’m fine,” I said, pulling away from him and looking down at my feet.
James growled, a thick rumbling sound that vibrated within his chest.
“Come and sit down at least,” he said, a small smile formed on my face. He always did have a temper. Heaving a sigh I finally conceded and gave him a quick run-down of the previous night’s events. When we got to the part of my attack, he clenched his fists so tight I was afraid his knuckles would split, they were so white.
“Christ, Ari, I never should have you left alone.” James uttered a few more choice words before directing his attention to Inarus. Judging from the “oh, so manly” head nod and blink he offered in Inarus’ direction, I took it as man code for thank you. Inarus returned the gesture and I had to roll my eyes. Men were such idiots. Even supernatural ones. You’d think they would have evolved past such immaturities but no, there was no hope for mankind. I just had to resign myself to that fact.
With the playback complete and introductions made between the two knuckleheads, I headed back down the hall to finish rinsing the shampoo from my hair and throw on more appropriate attire.
When I came back out, Inarus and James were both seated at the dining room table, eyes locked in a battle of wills.
Well, this was going to be fun.
Inarus had his small metallic spheres hovering in a circular motion in his hand. He looked at ease but the stiff set of his shoulders said he was anything but. James too gave off a false sense of relaxation. He was leaning back in his chair, the front legs lifted slightly off the ground as he balanced the chair with one foot. He had his arm hooked over the topside of the chair and while his posture was relaxed, the look in his eyes was pure wolf. His eyes bled metallic silver, a predator locked onto his prey, waiting for it to move before striking.
I walked farther into the room, loudly, so they both knew I was there. Neither bothered looking my way. After a second of suspended silence, I marched right over to them and plopped down onto the cool wooden surface of the table right in between them.
“Hi,” I said in a sugary sweet voice. James raised a brow in my direction. He knew when I got sweet that I was pissed. “You two done with your pissing contest?” I asked.
Inarus had the decency to look slightly ashamed but James had a wolfish grin on his face that said this was far from over. Just my luck.
“No idea what you’re talking about, Ari,” James said, his grin spreading wide. I shoved him in the shoulder, disrupting his balancing act and forcing him to rest the chair back on the ground to avoid falling over.
“Hey, what was that for?” James asked in mock offense. I glared at him in response as he chuckled under this breath. I sighed and shoved off the table, grabbing my belongings as I went. James was watching me, his predatory gaze unwavering. I ignored him and pulled on my boots.
I turned to Inarus. “Thanks for the help. I’ll return the clothes later if that’s alright?” He nodded. Reaching for the door I noticed James stand up to follow.
“Aria,” Inarus called out. I turned back to face him, “We still need to talk.”
I nodded. Sure, we’d talk, when hell froze over.
As James and I left I headed for my apartment, four doors down when he stopped me.
“We should talk.”
I shook my head, “Later.”
James frowned but nodded, “I have a few leads to follow on Daniel’s case. Nothing concrete and most of it probably a waste of time but I’m still going to follow through. Get some rest and give me a call later when you’re feeling better.”
I nodded and moved to unlock my door.
Before stepping a foot inside James enveloped me in his arms, nuzzling my hair. I stiffened for a split second before relaxing into the embrace.
“I’m so happy you’re okay. Don’t scare me like that again, okay?”
A muffled agreement was all I was able to get out before he released me. His hand rested on my shoulder a moment longer and he looked me over once more. When he realized I really was fine, he turned to go leaving me slightly confused yet surprisingly warm inside, in a non-fire-related way.
Inarus tracked me down a few days later. I wasn’t surprised when he made his way into Sanborn Place. Dressed in low-cut jeans that hugged his hips and a formfitting black shirt, he looked every bit as attractive as he had the first day I had walked into him in my apartment complex hallway. Didn’t mean I trusted him any farther than I could throw him. He couldn’t expect me to trust him just because he saved my life, right? It was going to take more than that.
He walked into the office with a casual gait, eyeing his surroundings and taking everything in. I watched him from the corner of my eye stop by Mike’s desk and speak to him for several minutes. I pretended to be busy, shuffling papers around and typing the same word over and over again on my keyboard when in reality, my attention was solely on him. My skin prickled with awareness and I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, not to mention the stupid buzzing in my head.
After roughly five minutes, he headed for my desk and I kept my gaze locked tight on the screen of my computer.
“Hey, can we talk?” he asked, pulling out the chair in front of my desk and taking a seat. I glanced up, giving him a brief look before focusing my attention back on my “work.”
“Can’t, I’m buried in work right now,” I told him, shrugging my shoulders and offering a small smile in apology.
“Really, work huh?” he said, his tone filled with skepticism.
“Yup, I’m so behind, it’ll take me weeks to get caught up.”
“You know, I was talking to your boss, Mike.” I narrowed my eyes at him. Where was he going with this? “And he said that you’d been complaining all morning about how you didn’t have any fresh leads for whatever it is you’re working on and how you were bored out of your mind, thinking of taking off early.”
I shot an accusing glare in Mike’s direction and he had the good sense to turn around and walk to the back of the office.
Coward.
“Is that so?” I said in a sugary sweet voice. I was really going to have to remind Mike not to tell complete strangers that I was available.
“Mmm hmm,” Inarus said. A wide smile spread over his face. The bastard had me and he knew it. I heaved a sigh, resigned to my fate, and powered down my computer.
“Let’s get this over with,” I told him, getting up from my seat.
“Don’t sound so excited,” he said. I waved a hand over my shoulder and walked outside, the crisp fall air whipping across my cheeks. Looking around I noted the streets were fairly empty. Few people walked down the sidewalks and even fewer cars were parked at the surrounding shops. I checked my watch, it was only three in the afternoon. An unusual time for it to be so quiet. Walking a quick block with Inarus beside me, we made our way to a local coffee shop and bakery.
The door chimed as we walked through and we were quickly greeted by the barista. A young woman in her late teens with bleached-blond hair and hot pink highlights stood behind the counter with a wide grin on her face. She was covered in tattoos, and several facial piercings and dermals adorned her features. Back before the Awakening, things like tattoos and piercings had still been frowned upon but now even
a barely over sixteen-year-old with a Cupid’s bow mouth and baby blue eyes had them. Gods she looked so young. I wasn’t one to judge though. Even I had a bit of ink. I’d gotten my first tattoo at seventeen, shortly after the death of my parents, a dagger on my right hip. The artist that did my tattoo left out the fact that he was a mage. He had woven a touch of magic into the blade, something I’m grateful for to this day though it hurt like hell.
When I’d questioned him about it afterward he said he knew my father and that I was down on my luck. My dagger came to life when I pushed my fingers against my flesh. In a slow pull of magic the blade would detach itself from my flesh, becoming solid and unbreakable in my hand. It was a magnificent piece of metal but its magical qualities made it priceless. I kept it on me at all times though chose to use the more traditional daggers I carried sheathed at my hips unless I had no other choice.
That tattooed blade has been with me for the last six years and left me feeling naked and vulnerable when it wasn’t resting beneath my flesh.
Placing my order for a large black coffee, I took my steaming mug to a table in the corner, positioning myself against the wall so I had a good view of the entrance and no one could sneak up behind me. Inarus followed with his own cup and stood for a moment contemplating where to sit. He frowned when he realized he was going to have to place his back to the entrance and I filed that tidbit of information away. Seemed he didn’t like leaving himself vulnerable either.
I took a large swallow of my coffee, savoring the flavor when Inarus began.
“So what’s your story?” he asked. I quirked a brow over the edge of my cup and took another drink. Did he really expect me to be so easy? That I would just unfold for him like a book and share my life’s story?
“Why don’t you share yours?” I suggested, turning away to scan the coffeehouse. The Rocket Bakery was a comfortable coffee shop with eclectic furniture. Mix-matched tables and chairs lined the perimeter of the room while the center housed a small collection of upholstered chairs surrounding a small coffee table. It was cozy and casual and the strong smell of coffee gave it an inviting atmosphere. The Rocket Bakery happened to be my favorite coffee shop in town, and they made one heck of a blueberry cream cheese tart.
Cursed by Fire (Blood & Magic Book 1) Page 9