by Jayne Faith
“I don’t feel like a kid,” I said seriously, shifting my gaze to stare away into the dark yard.
Something I’d been avoiding chose that moment to hit me. My brother would be turning twenty in January. For some reason it had always felt very important to find him before that happened. He’d disappeared when he was fourteen. Still just a kid but old enough to start getting in some real trouble, which he’d managed plenty of even at that tender age. I wanted to save him while he was still a teenager. I knew it was irrational, but there was some part of me that felt sure I could preserve some of his innocence if only I could find him before he turned twenty.
When I looked up, I saw Rogan had paused his burger flipping and stood very still, watching me. The tongs looked almost miniature in his wide hand.
“What’s on your mind?” he asked quietly.
I shook my head. “Just a sudden need to get on with things. Any word from Switch about where we’ll go to meet the dragon?”
“He’s going to let me know tonight.”
I sucked in a slow breath of icy air. “Good.”
“Ella?”
I jumped at the sound of an unexpected male voice speaking my name. My shoulders tensed, already anticipating who I was going to see standing behind me. Johnny. I hadn’t heard the door open, and I had no idea how long he’d been standing there.
With his back to the porch light, his face was cast in shadow.
“Yeah?” I held up a hand to shield my eyes from the glaring bulb.
“Could we talk alone?” He sounded contrite on the surface, but something about his tone sparked my irritation.
I flashed back to the times I’d been with coworkers at our favorite watering hole and watched him zero in on an attractive woman. I’d been within earshot enough times to know the sound of Johnny Beemer trying to work his magic. That was what I heard in his voice.
What had Deb said? Something about how he had a Don Juan complex. He’d been flirting with me for years. But when I’d given in and we started seeing each other, the spark between us had fizzled. It should have been obvious. I should have seen it earlier. Don Juan didn’t get dumped. He was always the one to do the leaving. The only lingering question was why he hadn’t beaten me to the punch. Not that it really mattered now.
“We don’t have anything to talk about, Johnny. And I’m busy helping Rogan.”
“Please,” he crooned, his voice as smooth and sweet as melted chocolate. He took a few steps toward me.
I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he really was confused about why I’d broken things off, or he genuinely wanted to try to patch things up.
I faced him, my free hand planted on my hip. “Maybe later, okay?”
“Ella, come on. Let’s just talk. Give me one minute, that’s all I ask. Please?”
“Are you deaf?” Rogan had moved next to me. “She said no.”
Johnny’s arms stiffened at his sides, and for a split second, I thought he might stomp forward and try to sock Rogan in the jaw.
But instead, Johnny rocked back on his heels. He looked back and forth between the two of us and then barked a short, humorless laugh. “At least now I know what’s really going on here.”
He turned on his heel and stalked inside.
I pushed my fingers against my temple and groaned. “God, I can’t believe he just did that,” I muttered.
“Was he implying what I think he was implying?” Rogan asked.
I glanced up at him. “Yeah. Apparently he’s been suspicious of the two of us.”
He turned back to the barbecue, but not before I caught the amused twitch of his lips.
I reached for the platter of cooked hot dogs. “I’m really sorry about that. I kind of want to die right now, so I’m taking these inside, and I’m going to drown my sorrows in beer and purple frosting.”
In my haste to escape, I rushed into the kitchen and nearly plowed into Lynnette. Awesome. One pain in the ass after another.
“Ella, happy birthday,” she said. Her eyes took on a predatory gleam. “So sorry to hear about your Patrol job. At least you have the coven to support you, though, right?”
I ground my teeth as I set the hot dogs next to a couple of bags of buns.
“I don’t need the coven’s support, and I don’t need you,” I said. “I’ll manage just fine.”
“Oh, really?” She tilted her head, her kohl-lined eyes widening. “But you just asked me to join of your little oracle party.”
I slammed a lid on my temper, forcing it back to a simmer.
I smiled sweetly at her. “I thought you’d appreciate going along for the ride. The oracle has connections to the underworld, and seeing as how you’re death-touched but don’t have the right qualifications to join the Society, well . . . I figured you’d be glad for any little glimpse of something that’s off limits to you.”
It was a bit of a stab in the dark, but not really. If she were eligible to join the Society of the Underworld, she would have done it long ago. Lynnette coveted power, and connections were a great source of what she craved. I knew she wouldn’t back out of my invitation, even if I pissed her off.
My suspicion was confirmed when her face flushed and she huffed indignantly, but couldn’t come up with a retort.
Rogan came through the back door with a platter of burgers, distracting me for a moment. Lynnette took the opportunity to slip away.
Pent-up frustration prickled along my veins. Let’s see. In the past few days I’d been fired, lost one of my charms to a troll, gotten forced into a surprise birthday party I didn’t want, fended off an asshole ex trying to manipulate me, and been jabbed at by a power-hungry witch I couldn’t seem to get away from. I wanted to punch someone. Instead, I waited for Rogan to set down the dish, and then I grabbed his sleeve and dragged him back outside. On the way, I killed the outdoor light. This probably wasn’t the smartest thing I’d ever done, but at that moment I didn’t really care.
I pushed him up against the side of the house and crushed his mouth with mine. He got over his surprise much faster than I’d expected. Lacing his fingers into my hair, he pulled me to him even harder. Desire shot through me in a white hot flash, and his body seemed to respond immediately. He bit down on my lip with almost enough force to draw blood, which only fueled the fire between us. One hand stayed tangled in my hair, and his other hand moved down to the small of my back to yank my hips against his.
The back door swung open, and we both let go. I staggered back a step, breathing hard.
“Hey, birthday girl!” Roxanne’s voice sang out. “Time for cupcakes! I convinced Deb that cake is a side dish, so no need to wait for dessert.”
“Okay,” I said raggedly. “I’ll be right in.”
Rogan and I stared at each other, both of us panting. I pressed my fingertips to my mouth, which was still throbbing from the pressure of his lips. An unexpected laugh bubbled up as I blinked a few times. Everything was cast in odd yellow and blue hues.
He arched a brow at me. “So you thought that was amusing?”
“No, not at all,” I said. “I just realized my necro vision kicked in, but there aren’t any demons around. Guess it was you.”
He stepped into my space and reached one arm around my waist, nearly lifting me clear off the ground as he pulled me against his chest.
“Give me another fifteen minutes, and you won’t be able to see straight,” he said roughly, his lips inches from mine.
I actually stopped breathing for a second or two.
Every cell was thrumming with desire, but I could hear the voices of people gathering in the kitchen. He set me down, and still reeling, I went back inside. I had to grab the edge of the counter to catch my balance.
Roxanne and Deb were lighting the last of the birthday candles that were stuck into the towered cupcakes. Everyone started singing, and I felt a stupid smile stretch across my face. Deb looked so thrilled, but I’d never be able to tell her that my expression had very little to d
o with the happy birthday serenade. I blew out the candles, and then Deb and Roxanne started to pass cupcakes around.
Roxanne handed me two cupcakes, and I turned to give one to Rogan. When our eyes locked, I saw desire—and the promise of more to come—still smoldering in his. He’d been holding back, I now realized. I’d assumed that his reaper nature meant he was, well, mostly passionless. He’d embraced the physical nature of his human existence far more than I ever would have guessed. If I could have snapped my fingers and magically cleared the house in an instant, I would have thrown him down right there on the kitchen floor. But until then, I’d just have to endure the torment of anticipation.
I peeled the paper away from my cupcake and bit into it, reveling the jaw-locking sweetness of the frosting.
I skirted another look at Rogan, who had moved to the edge of the kitchen, somehow making himself an island in the midst of the crowd. His attention was aimed at the back door.
He was looking through the window out into the dark back yard, and even though my charmed ring prevented me from sensing hellspawn I guessed what had drawn his notice: a demon messenger. I watched as his eyes unfocused and took on the intensity of concentration, as if he were listening carefully. He stayed that way for almost a full minute before his awareness snapped back. When it did, his gaze sought mine across the kitchen.
I made my way over to him, and he leaned down to whisper in my ear.
“It’s time to go to the dragon,” he said.
Chapter 11
ROGAN TOLD ME the location, and that we had only a brief window of time to get there.
“Get the others and I’ll drive us,” he said.
I found Damien first.
“It’s go time,” I said, my voice low in his ear. “We have less than an hour to get out into the area between here and Mountain Home.”
He nodded. “Ready when you are.”
Feeling someone’s eyes on me, I looked around to find Deb watching us with her head tilted in question. Damn. I hadn’t told her about the oracle yet, knowing she’d be put out that I wasn’t asking her along. And to make things worse, I was going to have to bug out of the birthday party she was throwing me. I forced myself to trudge over to her.
“I need to tell you something.” I pointed in the direction of the bedroom, likely the only place we’d have any privacy.
Once we were in there with the door closed, she folded her arms and raised her brows, waiting.
“I want you to know how much I appreciate this.” I gestured at the door. “I seriously don’t deserve a friend like you.”
One corner of her mouth quirked. “But . . . ?” she drew the word out.
I blew out a breath. “I have to go somewhere, and it can’t wait.”
I gave her the short version of the stuff about the dragon.
“Wait, you’re going through a rip?” Her eyes widened in alarm.
I scratched at the back of my neck. “Apparently, yeah. This is how it’s done. But it’s not like I’m the first to do it. Rogan’s already been through this rite of passage, and he obviously survived it. Don’t worry, it’s all going to be fine.”
She shook her head slowly. “This is crazy.”
“I know. But does that really surprise you?”
That got a small smile out of her.
She rubbed her upper arms as if chilled by a draft. “At least you won’t be alone. That’s something.”
“I’m sorry I have to sneak away,” I said.
She shrugged and then snorted a laugh. “Hey, I’m just glad you didn’t sprint away screaming when you got here. This was the coven’s doing, by the way. I told them a surprise party wasn’t really your cup of tea, but they were hell bent on it, so I had to go along.”
My phone was vibrating in my pocket. I pulled it out but gave her one last look to make sure she was okay.
“Go,” she said, shooing me toward the door and glowering with fake menace.
I had a text from Damien: Found Lynnette, she’s ready to roll.
And from Rogan: We’re waiting on the side street. We need to go.
I threaded through the still-crowded apartment toward the back door. It would be too obvious if I tried to leave through the front, and I didn’t have time to answer questions. I called Loki, and he eagerly followed me out the back.
Adrenaline pushed through my veins as I let us out the gate and dashed toward the idling Jeep. I tried to get Loki to jump in the back, but he whined and protested. Not wanting to waste time, I hopped into the front seat next to Rogan, and my giant hellhound-doodle got in on top of me. Lynnette and Damien were jammed into the small back seat, both forced to sit with their legs folded up. The dog probably wouldn’t have fit back there, anyway.
Lynnette popped her gum. “Did you bring something shiny? Dragons like shiny shit.”
I glanced at Rogan. “Was I supposed to?”
He winced. “Probably a good idea. I forgot to mention it. She’s right. Dragons do like sparkly things.”
“Here.” Lynnette’s hand appeared between the seats. She held out a ring she often wore, a silver skull with pink crystals for eyes.
I twisted to look at her. “You don’t have to do that.”
She shook it at me. “Take it. I’ve got more goth jewelry than an angsty thirteen-year-old girl. It’s not expensive.”
I snorted a laugh as she dropped the ring into my palm. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” She snapped her gum again.
I appreciated the gesture, but I knew better than to get all gushy over Lynnette’s offering. She wanted to make sure this little adventure happened. I could practically feel the eager curiosity oozing from her pores.
“The dragon and I first met while we were in the coven-sealing circle,” I said to her. “I thought you’d called it.”
“Ha, I wish I could call an oracle,” she said with undisguised zeal, her voice edged in something akin to hunger.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught her drumming her fingers in a fast tempo against her shin. She was keyed up, and I didn’t like it.
I pulled out my phone and kept it down by my right hip so the others couldn’t see what I was doing. I typed out a text to Damien.
Got a feeling L is up to something. Not sure what.
A few seconds later my screen lit up with a reply: She keeps reaching for her magic and then releasing it, like a nervous tic. I’ll keep an eye on her.
If I didn’t know better, I’d guess she was on something. But most serious crafters avoided drugs because they could dampen or otherwise interfere with their magic. I doubted Lynnette would do anything to negatively impact her power.
My attention slid over to Rogan, which summoned up thoughts of our crazed make-out session in the back yard. My body was still humming with the memory. When he crooked a slow smile at me, I knew he was thinking of it, too. I did my best to turn that energy into focus on what was ahead, but it was hard with him sitting there right next to me. The drive into the desert east of the city was laced with more than one kind of tension.
“You need to ask the oracle the right kind of question,” Rogan said, turning business-like. “You can’t ask about when you’ll die or anything like that. You’re not asking the dragon to look into a crystal ball, but to give you insight into something important to you personally. Think of it more like asking for advice. You can also ask for information about something in the past.”
“Ask for advice? Not sure I follow. What did you ask?”
He hesitated, and then his tongue flicked over his lips. “What do I need to do or understand in order to be released from the realm of the living back to the realm of reapers?”
It surprised me that he’d said something so personal in front of Damien and Lynnette. I wasn’t sure Lynnette even knew that Rogan was a reaper trapped in a mage’s body.
“And what did the oracle say?” I asked.
It was so silent in the car, and for a moment, all I heard was the sound of my own hear
tbeat.
“He said I must find someone like me in this realm and through that person fully embrace my humanness. That person would be the key to getting my wish,” Rogan said in a low voice.
A tiny pang gripped my heart. I didn’t know how to grant his wish, and I was relieved to not be the one in the dragon’s prophecy. I really didn’t want Rogan to go.
He turned off the freeway at an exit that didn’t seem to lead to much except farm roads. It literally felt like the middle of nowhere, with no buildings or city lights within miles. The sagebrush that dotted the landscape was skeletal this time of year. It looked ghostly silver in the dark.
“Who opens the rip?” I asked him as he pulled off a two-lane dirt road.
“I’m pretty sure it’s opened from the inside.”
He put the Jeep into park and killed the engine, and we all piled out into the cold winter night. He began to stride in a seemingly random direction.
“This way.” He beckoned us to follow him over the uneven, rocky terrain.
Shivering as much with adrenaline as chill, I trotted to keep up with him. Loki kept pace right beside me.
When Rogan tipped his head back to look at the dark sky, I squinted to follow his gaze. I thought I saw the movement of flying creatures above. His demon minions must have been helping him navigate.
He stopped and looked around, and Damien, Lynnette, Loki, and I huddled at Rogan’s sides. Rogan lifted his arm and pointed off to the left.
“There. The rip is beginning to form.”
At first I didn’t see anything, but then my eyes snagged on a faint vertical line that was little more than a thick black slash in the already dark night. We all took off at a jog in that direction, and Loki gave a little yip of excitement. I watched, transfixed, as the black line split and then bowed outward at each side, stretching into an oblong shape with the lowest point hovering just a few inches off the ground. Neon blue magic licked through the rip like a bunch of forked tongues.
Damien gasped. “Whoa.”
We pulled to a stop. Loki was wagging his tail, and his pupils had begun to burn orange. Part of me noted with amusement the contrast between the eager doggy wag and the flames of hell licking in his eyes.