Mandy M. Roth - Magic Under Fire (Over a Dozen Tales of Urban Fantasy)

by Unknown

  Collapsing into my chair, I eyed an open file cabinet, one I knew I hadn’t opened in the last few weeks. I’d been doing most of my work on the computer. That meant Jackson had to have been looking for something. I peered inside, thankful the power had returned. Without the light, I’d never have been able to read anything. It was reams of research I’d filed a few months ago. Something about the effects of vampire blood infusions on humans. I quickly scanned them, noting only one was missing. Case number twenty-one. The other forty-nine were still in place.

  I frowned. Is that what they’d been doing to Colleen? Infusing her with vamp blood? For what? Research? And against her will? Why? It wasn’t totally unheard of for humans to ingest vampire blood. In most cases it appeared harmless. But what was different about this?

  If they were experimenting on her, it would make sense that Jackson had stolen her file. The details and the initial effects would be there, but not all of them. The rest would be in the database, waiting to be compiled. I opened my laptop, typed in a few keystrokes and pulled up case number twenty-one. There was too much to read, so instead of emailing and leaving a digital trail, I took screen shots with my phone, capturing all thirty pages before pulling up the results page.

  There were footsteps clambering outside my office door. Shit! Someone was coming. I kept my eyes glued to the door while I snapped photos of the screen, then exited out just before my door swung open.

  “Ms. Douvant?” the man I recognized as the head security guard asked.

  “Yes?” I discreetly slipped my phone into the pocket of my dress, thankful I’d remembered to close my file cabinets before moving on to the computer.

  “There’s been a breach in the facility. I understand you were instrumental in bringing attention to the matter.”

  I nodded, afraid to say anything, for fear I’d somehow incriminate myself.

  “Have you seen or heard from anyone since you’ve been up here?”

  I shook my head. “No. Nothing. I’ve been locking down sensitive files in the event we’ve had a breach.”

  “We have. Is there anything missing that you’re aware of?”

  I shook my head again, hoping I wasn’t giving off a giant liar vibe.

  “Okay. Thanks. That’s all. We’re going to lock the building down. It’s best if you go back to your apartment. We’ll be in touch should we have any more questions for you.”

  I nodded, figuring the continued nonverbal approach was the best one for now. It didn’t appear they knew Jackson had used my access card to get in. If they did, no way were they going to let me leave. And the minute they figured it out, I’d be in for a long night of questioning. There was no doubt about it. I had to get the hell out of dodge.

  The walk back to my apartment was uneventful. The guards let me pass without any hesitation, but when I got there, I remembered I didn’t have my key to get in. That meant I had to leave with only my purse and the clothes on my back. Fuck me.

  How far was I going to get using my credit card that any two-bit hack could trace? There was no choice though. What Allcot had done to Colleen was too horrible. I couldn’t continue to live in his building and work for him knowing what he was capable of. I had to go. But where?

  I had no one in this city. Not anymore.

  Then a small seed of hope coiled in my gut. Phoebe. The witch I’d helped save the night before. She was a powerful Arcane witch who’d said something about a love-hate relationship with Allcot. Could I trust her, though? It was a longshot at best, but I didn’t have any other options. Not if I wanted to stay safe from the long arm of the Cryrique.

  Clutching my purse and holding my head high, I strode out the front doors of the Cryrique condominium building, intending to turn right as if I were headed to the corner market. Only a security guard stepped in front of me, blocking my path.

  “May I ask where you’re going this morning, Ms. Douvant?”

  I didn’t recognize him as a regular and peered at his badge. “Good morning, Officer Woodard. I’m off to my neighborhood coffee shop. Can I bring you back something? It’s been one hell of a morning and I’m starved. Not to mention they have those fabulous apple popovers I can’t seem to resist.”

  “Coffee?” he asked, his stiff demeanor melting right before my eyes. “Yes, that sounds divine. Triple espresso latte, extra foam. And a brownie.”

  “You got it. Be back in twenty,” I said and turned on my heel.

  “Wait,” he placed a hand on my arm stopping me, and I had to force myself to not stiffen. “Let me give you some money.”

  “Oh no,” I waved a carefree hand. “It’s on me today. Consider it a thank you for all the work you boys do, keeping all of us safe.”

  He gave me a pleased smile. “Next time’s on me.”

  “You got it.” I waved, and rushed off toward the café. Only when I entered, instead of getting in line, I headed straight toward the back and slipped out the side door that led to the adjacent street. From there I hurried straight up to Saint Charles and hopped on the street car that headed to Uptown. The further I got away from the business district the better.

  6

  I stood on Magazine Street in front of the Fated Cupcake, nerves making me nauseated. If I made the wrong move, I could end up locked in a lab at Cryrique just like Colleen. And I’d never know what happened to her. But I couldn’t just go check into a hotel. Allcot would be on that faster than a bear to the honey pot.

  “Excuse me,” a woman said as she slipped past me and into the shop.

  There was a small line, but it was growing. If I didn’t want to get caught up in the morning rush, I had to do it now. The shop belonged to Willow Rhoswen, the same fae who’d come for Phoebe Kilsen the night before. If anyone knew where to find the witch, it was her. Steeling myself, I strode into the bakery.

  There were only three people in front of me, and the two older women behind the counter were fast and efficient, not to mention bubbly and full of life. When it was my turn, the gray-haired woman smiled at me. “I haven’t seen you here before? First time?”

  I nodded. “Yes, though I’m familiar with a few of the products you sell. So I’m not a total newbie.”

  The woman’s smile widened. “Ahh! Purchasing from a few of our outlets then. That’s what we like to hear. Now, what can I get you?”

  “She’ll have a Mocha in Motion, please,” a very familiar man’s voice said from behind me.

  I spun and came face to face with Jackson Barré. “Where did you come from?” I all but snarled under my breath.

  He ignored my question and spoke over my head. “Add a few Kiss Me chocolates and a couple of Forgiveness Flutes.”

  “Cute,” I barked out and turned to give my attention to the woman behind the counter.

  “Anything else?” she asked.

  I shook my head and tried to hand her the last of my cash, but Jackson beat me to it.

  “Thank you both. Here you go.” She handed Jackson his change while the other worker handed me my drink and our bag of goodies.

  “Thanks,” I said, forgetting all about asking for the fae or Phoebe Kilsen. Once we were back on the street, I turned on Jackson. “You have a hell of a lot of explaining to do.”

  He nodded, placing his hand on the small of my back once again as he guided me down the street.

  “Where are we going?” I demanded, so relieved and frustrated to see him, I was having trouble forming coherent thoughts.

  “I’m taking you to your friend.”

  That shut me up… at least until we climbed into his car. He drove a very nondescript, gray Honda Pilot that could belong to just about anyone in the city. “This is what you drive?” I asked, amused that a billionaire had a standard Honda.

  “It is when I don’t want to stand out.” He put the car in drive and merged into traffic.

  Right. Obviously. “How’s Colleen?”

  “I don’t know. I left her with my brother and immediately came back to get you. Nice dodge by t
he way. You almost lost me when you slipped into that coffee shop. I imagine that security guard is really frustrated right about now. Poor guy didn’t get his espresso.”

  I shrugged. “He’ll survive. At least he didn’t have to leave everything he owns and run off into the city with no knowledge of his next move.”

  He glanced over at me. “What was your next move? I mean if I hadn’t shown up, that is.”

  “I was going to ask Phoebe Kilsen for help finding you and Colleen. And perhaps a way to access my bank account without it being traced.”

  He nodded. “That was a solid plan.”

  His approval lightened some of the weight pressing down on my heart, and I wanted to slap myself for it. This man had used me in the worst possible way. It didn’t matter if he did it to save my best friend. If I’d known anything about what was happening, I’d have broken her out myself. Of course he obviously hadn’t known we knew each other.

  “Why are you scowling?” he asked.

  I turned on him, my eyes flashing. “Seriously? After what happened last night? You’re a sick vampire.”

  He raised both eyebrows, then frowned. “You seemed to be okay with the events while they were happening.”

  “You’re a pig.” I crossed my arms over my chest and stared out the window, noting we were headed south of the city, toward the bayou.

  “I didn’t mean to sleep with you,” he finally said.

  “What the actual…what?” I yelled, outraged. “What’s that’s supposed to mean? That you didn’t mean to slip your dick into me? That you couldn’t help yourself? Jesus H., Jackson. You sound like a teenager.”

  His hands tightened on the wheel, and a muscle pulsed in his jaw. “No. I did damn well mean to slip my dick into you when I did it. And I intend to do it again and again and again if you ever give me half a fucking chance.”

  “You’re—”

  “What I meant was,” he said talking over me. “I didn’t mean to fall for you so hard. I’ve been watching Allcot and his employees for weeks, Blake.”

  “You’ve been watching me?” His explanation wasn’t doing anything to soothe my anger.

  “I’ve been watching the entire company. If you’d pay attention for one goddamned minute, I’ll explain. Colleen used to date my brother.”

  “No she didn’t. She’s only had one boyfriend in her entire life. The one she had when she was away at boarding school back east. His name was Liam.”

  “Right. You know what Liam is short for?”

  “William, but… oh.” The youngest brother of the Barré clan was name William Barré and he looked young. Late teens, early twenties. He could easily pass for a high school student.

  “Yeah, oh,” he said.

  “Okay. What’s that have to do with anything?” I asked, defiant. “She went missing six months ago. Are you saying he somehow knew about it?”

  “Something like that. Or at least he had his suspicions. They were still in contact off and on. Well, they’d been more off than on the last few years.”

  The two years we’d become really close. She hadn’t actually told me much about him, only that she’d been in love once but it hadn’t worked out.

  “But just over six months ago, he got a frantic call from her. The message stated she was afraid, that a vampire had tracked her down and was asking her questions about her condition. They offered to try some cutting edge therapy on her, but when she declined, they became aggressive about it. She was afraid and asked for his help.”

  I sat back in the seat, stunned. “Her condition?”

  “Rare blood condition. You didn’t know?” His tone was incredulous. “I thought you were best friends.”

  “We were… or are,” I said, my words sounding lame, even to me. “I… dammit. I knew she was keeping some secrets. But then we all do that. She told me she’d had Leukemia as a kid, but that she’d been in remission for years. It’s not Leukemia?”

  “No. It’s not.” He stared straight ahead.

  “Are you going to tell me?”

  He shook his head. “It’s not my secret to tell. But I will say it’s more of a gift than a condition. And in the wrong hands, it could be very dangerous.”

  “And this is why you’ve been watching me and Cryrique?” I asked.

  He nodded. “We knew Allcot had her. We just didn’t know where or the best way to get to her. Liam has been lying low because he was afraid a connection would be made between them and the mission would be compromised.”

  “So you used me to save her?”

  “Yes… and no,” he said, his expression pained.

  “Yes, you used me to get to my employee card and get me potentially fired or worse if they thought I had anything to do with her escape. And again because I all but offered myself up on a silver platter and you thought, why the hell not?” The idea that he’d slept with me, fed from me because I was an easy target, stung and I had to blink back tears.

  “Yes, I used you for your employee card. But no to the rest of it.”

  “How do you figure?” I forced out as we turned onto an oak-lined, dirt road.

  He sucked in a breath. “I had to spend some time with you to get your card. After all my weeks of investigating, it was clear you’d be the easiest target.”

  I winced.

  He frowned. “I don’t mean that like it sounds. You had access to files I needed. The amount of people at your level of clearance is relatively small. Of my choices, you were my best bet. Besides, I know how Allcot treats women, and it’s not ideal. He sees them, especially human women, as interchangeable. I knew if I asked for you to join me in the evening, he’d make it happen.”

  My stomach rolled. It had all been a setup. I’d been used. None of it had been real.

  The car stopped, but I stared straight ahead.

  “Listen, Blake,” he said very softly. “I liked you from the start. Part of the reason I picked you is because you have grit. I knew I’d enjoy spending the evening with you, and I swear that’s all I intended. But after you went after Jorges and showed your strength at that club, I think you stole a little piece of my heart. Do you know how rare it is for people to care so much about another person they’re willing to sacrifice themselves to save them?”

  I shook my head. It seemed natural to me. If someone was suffering, I’d do whatever I could to help them. It was just how I was built.

  “Well it is. And then when I kissed you, I all but lost my mind. I let myself feel again, something I haven’t done in a very long time. I admit, it was a fucked up thing to do. Incredibly selfish. I almost told you about the mission, believing that you’d help me, but I had no idea you were friends with Colleen or that you’d been looking for her all this time. I knew someone was looking, I just didn’t know it was you.”

  I wasn’t sure what to believe as I sat there in his car staring at the big white antebellum house. Not knowing what else to say, I asked, “Is she in there?”

  He nodded, then slipped out of the car and opened my door for me. “I’ll take you to her.”

  “Thanks.”

  COLLEEN WAS PROPPED up in a four-poster bed, sipping from a mug. Liam was sitting beside her, holding her hand. The color had returned to her cheeks, but there were still dark circles shadowing her eyes.

  I reached out and took her other hand. “I’ve missed you.”

  Tears welled in her eyes. “I’ve missed you.”

  “Are you all right?” I asked and sat down next to her.

  She shook her head. “No.” Then she glanced at Liam. “But I will be. Just as soon as Liam’s blood works its way through my system.”

  “Your blood?” I asked him.

  “Yes.” He glanced down at her, a silent communication passing between them. She nodded once and went back to sipping on what I’d thought was tea, but now wondered if it was something else laced with blood. “Colleen has a rare blood type that, when mixed with certain vampire bloodlines, gives her special abilities.”

 
I raised my eyebrows in surprise. “What kind?”

  “The kind that lets her read thoughts.”

  “Holy shit,” I said.

  “It’s also super healing,” she said. “After I’m better, if you get a cut and I dab some of my blood on it, it’ll heal right up.”

  “Wow, that’s incredible.” I glanced between the two of them, my eyes meeting Liam’s. “But you said only some vampire lines bring out her abilities. Yours right? Does this mean Allcot was trying to figure out if he has any vamps that work with her blood type?”

  “Yes,” Colleen said, answering for him. “But all they did was make me sick. And as I got weaker and weaker, they tried harder and harder to find a match. They never did.”

  I turned my attention to Liam again. “Do they know you’re her match?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t think so, or they’d never have agreed to a meeting with Jackson. Even so, there was no way they were going to call me in to see if I was a match. They don’t want our family anywhere near their special projects. I’m certain the only reason he agreed to see Jackson is because we made it public we were interested in partnering with him. If he’d completely ignored us, it would’ve brought a level of scrutiny he’d like to avoid.”

  I could see that. Allcot put on appearances that he was a fair-minded businessman, but really he was a ruthless son of a bitch. And I was willing to bet that trait extended to all areas of his life, not just the CEO’s office. I stared at Colleen’s hand in mine and when I looked up, there were tears streaming down my face. “I’m sorry I didn’t know. If I had, I would’ve done anything possible to get you out of there.”

  “I know,” she said quietly and pressed her hand to my cheek. “There’s no doubt in my mind.”

  We sat quietly for a few minutes then I cleared my throat. “What now? We can’t go back to our old lives.”

  Her eyes flickered to Liam and then back to me. “The Barrés have offered to let us stay here indefinitely until we decide our next path. I promised Liam I’d stay.”

  “That’s good.” His brother had been the one to rescue her. And the tenderness he was showing toward her certainly looked genuine.