Chapter 3
I managed to get through all my morning classes in my tired daze, but completely ran out of energy by lunchtime the next day. I got a sandwich and sat in the cafeteria, staring at the wall and wishing my answers would appear on it too.
Davis hadn’t turned up at school. I didn’t see him, and I couldn’t sense him either. That either meant he was doing a really good job of hiding and stalking me from afar, or he wasn’t there. I was betting it was the latter – he didn’t have a reason to hide from me. It was the other way around.
“If you could just put your phone number on the form and sign, I’ll get it to school reception for you,” the male voice said, placing a white form on the table in front of me.
Wait… what?
My gaze travelled from the white piece of paper upwards to the hand, the black-sleeved arm, the broad shoulders, and then the face.
It was Caden. His beaming smile reflected in his sparkling eyes. Looking at the form again, it was a library card application.
“You’re going to have to do better than that if you want my phone number,” I said deadpan.
He straddled the seat next to me. “Aw, come on. Can’t a guy get some points for creativity?”
The smart retort was on the tip of my tongue but I kept it there. He seemed so happy with himself, I wasn’t going to shoot him down. There was something likeable about Caden, something I couldn’t put my finger on. He was certainly good looking, there was no doubting that, but there seemed more there. He was… nice. Funny. Charming.
But I’d once described Davis with those same words.
“Okay, I’ll give you some points for creativity. It might have worked too, if I didn’t already have a library card,” I replied instead, even managing a smile for him.
“Well, I guess I can only blame myself for that. I didn’t stalk you enough to see you visit the library,” Caden joked, slapping his forehead. “I told you I wasn’t good at it.”
“That’s not a bad thing.”
He studied me, his gaze sliding all over my face from my lips to my eyes. “I’m not getting your phone number, am I?”
God help me, I almost caved from the forlorn look on his face.
I couldn’t do it though. Caden was too good to be dragged into my whole Davis mess. I didn’t want to see what would happen when the Aethien found out I was seeing someone new. He’d probably skin Caden alive – literally.
I shook my head. “No phone number, no. Sorry.”
Caden flashed me his bright smile again. “That’s cool. Do you mind if I borrow your phone for a second? I left mine at home.”
“Sure.” I dug into my bag and pulled it out. It was half in his hand before I snatched it back. “Nice try.” His phone was sticking out of his pocket.
“Damn it. So close,” he laughed. I couldn’t stop a chuckle myself. He was persistent, I’d give him that. It was another reason why I couldn’t get close to him.
I tried to stifle the yawn but it came anyway. I really needed some sleep. I guessed my History teacher probably wouldn’t allow me to take a nap during my next class.
The smile fell from Caden’s face. “Hey, are you okay? You don’t look so good. I mean, you’re still smoking hot, but… is there something wrong?”
Besides my crazy demon ex-boyfriend? No, not really.
“I’m fine. I just didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“Ah, thinking about me, huh? Wondering how it would feel to kiss me? Whether my lips would be soft? Where my hands would touch?” He teased. For a moment, I did actually wonder what it would be like to kiss him. The little butterflies in my stomach did a back flip.
I shook away the thought. “In your dreams.”
He leaned in closer, whispering so nobody else would hear. His breath on my neck sent a shiver down my spine. “If you were in my dreams, I would never want to wake up.”
Mandy chose that moment to sit across the table, dumping her lunch in front of her. “Hey.”
I snapped out of the trance as Caden quickly pulled away again. He gave me a wink before nodding a hello to Mandy and leaving again. I watched him go, wondering how on earth he could turn me into a quivering mess so quickly.
“Hey, Lace. Snap out of it.” I turned back to see Mandy snapping her fingers at me to get my attention. “He’s a whole lot of yummy, huh? Have you given him your number yet?”
“No, of course not,” I replied, pushing all inappropriate thoughts from my head. “Davis would kill him. The world needs people like Caden in it, I’d never forgive myself.”
“Whatever you say.” Her tone told me she wasn’t convinced. “So what’s with the dark circles under your eyes? Rough night?”
“Davis showed up. Kind of kidnapped me.”
Mandy’s mouth hung open. I told her the whole story of the party, right down to the vampire mentioning the comet and the way Davis had threatened to kill me. Again. He threatened me so often but it never lessened the impact.
“He’s such a psycho,” Mandy said when I was done. She wasn’t wrong. “Maybe you should get the coven to cast a protective spell on your house or something.”
“We don’t have enough power against an Aethien, you heard what Heidi said. Davis is strong, he can pretty much do whatever he wants.”
“Why couldn’t you have dated a regular guy? Anyone other than an Aethien. You had to choose the most powerful creature in the world, didn’t you? An immortal, no less,” she said seriously, but her smile gave away her teasing.
“He wasn’t always like this.”
“I know, honey.”
Boy, did she know. Mandy had spent hours listening to me over the past two years as I gushed about the latest wonderful thing Davis did for me. The exotic flowers he surprised me with, the quick trip to Paris we took for my birthday, the gold locket he gave me. There were so many moments where I wondered how life could get any better.
Of course, that all happened before his Aethien partner was murdered. Nobody knew for sure, but it was suspected only another Aethien could have killed him. Davis’s thirst and need for revenge changed him that night and I’d never gotten my boyfriend back again.
Aethiens only got one partner for life. They were never romantic partners, but lifelong friends – someone they could count on. Nobody knew who killed Sampson but Davis was making it his life’s mission to find out. It consumed him.
Two people had died that night. In so many ways Davis was just as dead as Sampson now.
I struggled to get through my afternoon classes and almost shrieked with joy when the final bell rang. My body longed to go home and rest but I had an errand to run first. Mandy’s advice about the coven putting a spell on my house had gotten me thinking.
The coven might not be strong enough, but maybe there was something else that was. If I could find a charm for my protection, then maybe it would help. Even if I could just keep Davis out of my house, I would consider it a success.
I drove down to Fan Street, parking, and entering a store that looked like a candle shop on the outside. Most people didn’t even notice the small room at the back that held a lot more than your everyday pieces of wax.
“Lacey, it’s good to see you again.” The store owner, Mara, gave me a big smile as she stood behind the counter. Rows of jars were neatly lined up behind her, holding concoctions that I couldn’t even pronounce.
“It’s nice to see you too,” I replied. “I was hoping you might be able to help me.”
“Sure, sugar. What’s the problem?”
“I need protection from an Aethien.”
Her eyes grew wide with the surprise. “There’s an Aethien in town? Lacey, do you realize how dangerous they are?”
Did I ever. “I know. He’s actually my ex-boyfriend. We dated for two years and now… he’s not exactly taking the breakup well.”
“You dated an Aethien?” I had never seen Mara so rattled before. Perhaps I should have listened to Mandy two years ago when she told me to run awa
y from Davis before we started dating. “Aethiens come from hell. They are the demons sent back in order to do the Devil’s work.”
“And some aren’t as bad as others,” I said defensively. Davis wasn’t like the rest of them. If he had been, I wouldn’t have fallen in love with him. And he certainly wouldn’t have fallen in love with me. The legends said Aethiens didn’t have emotions but Davis did. He wasn’t a monster.
Mara regained her composure, getting back down to business. “Tell me what he’s doing to you.”
“Stalks me, threatens me. He thinks we’re still together.”
She turned around and ran her hands over the glass jars. Her fingers would occasionally stop and pull something out, resting it on the counter. “You’re going to need something strong. The strongest of charms, really. Even then I can’t guarantee it will work.”
“That’s okay, I’m willing to try anything.”
“Does your coven know about this?” She sounded like my mother. If my mother had known about my secret magic life.
“I’ve told them. They didn’t know about it during our relationship.”
“You kept it from them?” She asked, like the concept of keeping anything from my coven should have been akin to treason. I guess, in a way, it was. We were supposed to be a team, a family. Dating a demon would have been a big deal.
I only kept it from them because I knew they would react the same way Mandy and Mara did. They wouldn’t have believed Davis was different. They wouldn’t see the goodness in him like I did.
“If it makes you feel any better,” I started. “I’m not planning on doing it ever again. I’ve got a full disclosure policy now.”
She finished with the jars and got to work mixing the items with a mortar and pestle. “And so you should. There’s a reason Aethiens should be avoided. They’re nothing but trouble.”
Wasn’t that the truth.
“Give me your hand, I need some blood,” Mara said, holding out her own to take mine. I reluctantly held my hand above the bowl as she pierced the skin with a pointy knife. I winced with the pain as a few drops fell into the mixture.
She continued to mix until she deemed it finished and placed the mush into a small pouch. “Keep this with you at all times. When you are home, hang it in your window. But, like I said, I can’t guarantee it will work against an Aethien.”
I took it. The pouch was giving off a strong aroma of sage and mint. At least it didn’t smell bad. “Thank you.”
“Just keep yourself safe, sugar. You’re dealing with the blackest of magic, Aethiens are relentless in getting what they want.” Mara squeezed my hands before I paid, thanked her again and left the store.
Another warning about Davis, just what I needed.
I stepped onto the sidewalk, distracted by the pouch of magic in my hands. It hummed with energy, giving me some hope that it might work.
I ran straight into Caden. We collided… again. One of us was really going to have to watch where we walked.
The instant I recognized him, the anger bubbled up inside. I didn’t need two guys following me everywhere I went. “Stop stalking me, Caden. Seriously, it’s not funny.”
“I wasn’t,” he replied. Which is exactly what he would say if he was stalking me.
“Yeah, right. Like you suddenly had to pick up some candles right across town from school. You’ve got no right to mess with me. I can do whatever I like, I don’t need you trailing after me like a stupid little puppy.” I let it rip, the words falling from my mouth even before my brain could form sentences.
“Lacey, seriously,” he said, laughing a little. Great, so I was a joke now. “I wasn’t following you. I’ve got a soccer match, right down there.” He pointed to a field at the end of the block.
Sure enough, there were at least a dozen guys there in soccer uniforms. A few even had soccer balls.
Great. And Caden was wearing a matching uniform. Double great.
My face burned with embarrassment, my foot now in my mouth and unwilling to move. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said those things. I just-”
“Hey, don’t worry about it. It’s already forgotten. You can come watch the game, if you want. We really suck, but you know, it’s fun anyway.” All the humor had subsided from his eyes, leaving nothing but sincerity.
Caden was dangerous. He was reeling me in and I couldn’t let that happen. If I saw him out on the field, being all hot and great, I would forget about my resolve to keep away from him.
That would not end well.
I shook my head, mainly to convince myself rather than him. “Sorry, I have stuff to do. Have a good game, though. I hope you win.”
I flashed him one last smile before scrambling for my car and getting away from there. If Davis saw our little exchange, he was going to start getting suspicious. Even one conversation with Caden was too much of a risk.
There was no way I could let Davis kill him.
Celestial Page 35