Tenn sighed. He wasn’t technically our boss, but we’d all just decided he was. He’d stopped fighting us on it at least. “These demon attacks are out of control. We’ve got work to do. For now, just get rid of it and go home. I wouldn’t alert the civilians just yet or you’ll have panic. Keep your eyes open and if anything else happens let us know.”
“We’ll keep our phones on. If shit goes down again and you need help just call, I can portal there anytime. For now, Em, torch anything you see.”
Chapter Seventeen
DEACON
If I thought Emersyn might’ve been over the drama of the day I would’ve been horribly mistaken. She didn’t speak a work the entire trip back to the apartment. The second our elevator doors opened she raced out.
I ran up and caught her by the arm. “Emersyn, please just wait,” I begged.
“I’m packing my stuff then calling for —”
Her words were cut off by my mother grabbing her by her left arm. She pushed Em’s dirt and demon blood stained sleeve up to reveal her III Mark. My mother gasped and dropped her arm like it burned her. “You’re the Empress.”
Emersyn narrowed her eyes. “My, you’re a quick one.”
My mother aimed laser sharp sapphire eyes at me. “Why didn’t you tell us she was a Coven member?”
“It shouldn’t matter! You don’t get to be an asshole to people you deem less important!” Emersyn all but growled then spun and stormed off up the stairs and out of sight.
My mother scoffed. “So rude—”
I turned on her and snapped, “And you deserved it!”
She gasped. “How dare you.”
“Deacon…” my father shook his head.
“No. No, I won’t drop it, Dad.” I walked to the stairs then turned back to them. “You didn’t even give her a chance. You acted like a monster.”
My mother’s cheeks flushed. “By getting her appropriate clothing? Like I knew—”
“Then I guess you should’ve let ME handle it! Not going through her suitcase then calling Caroline and forcing it on Emersyn.” I pushed my hair back and shook my head. My heart was pounding so hard in my chest I couldn’t hear myself think. “She smiled and went along with it despite your rudeness and then you act like it’s her fault she trusted the person you called. You did this.”
I sprinted up the stairs and down the hall toward her guest room just as the door slammed shut. I cursed and tried the handle but it was locked. “Emersyn? Emersyn, please. Talk to me.”
No answer.
“Em…I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Let’s just talk.”
Silence.
She’d threatened to call Tegan and get a portal out of here, and the silence made me wonder if she’d been picked up that fast. But the heat burning in my chest told me she hadn’t. What a night. Somehow during the search and rescue plan I’d forgotten she was mad at me. I’d forgotten my mother acted like a monster herself.
I sighed and pressed my forehead to the door. “Emersyn, I know you’re in there. I can feel you in there. I messed up, I know that. Just open the door so I can fix it. Please.”
More silence.
I deserved it, I really did. But I couldn’t make it right until she let me.
“Son, maybe you should give it a rest for tonight?”
I glanced over my shoulder at my father and groaned. “Easy for you to say, it’s not your girlfriend in there.”
“You’re right, which is why you should take my advice.”
“Excuse me?” I turned around to face him and frowned. “Your advice? You helped cause this.”
“I know. And I will apologize to Emersyn as soon as she gives me that opportunity.” He sighed and glanced down the hall to his room. “I’ve been married a long time. I know your mother better than anyone, even herself sometimes. She’s far from perfect, and today…well, the two of you have the right to be upset. I only ordered Emersyn’s meal for her because I was afraid she’d somehow order the wrong thing and set your mother off in the middle of the club.”
“Dad, that’s ludicrous.”
“Yes, it is.” He nodded. “This isn’t about Emersyn, and you know that. I also know you want to try and fix things with your girl, but no one can be reasoned with when they’re this angry. And besides, she did just fight a demon. Give her some time.”
I threw my hands up. “What am I supposed to do? Sleep?”
“She handled today pretty well, considering. Let her calm down, then talk to her.” He winked and squeezed my shoulder, then nodded toward Em’s door. “If I were you, I’d go have words with that girl who set her up tonight.”
Chapter Eighteen
DEACON
The Davenports used magic to run their household instead of a butler, but that wasn’t surprising given that Claudia was the Lead Page of New York. She could almost literally create spells for anything she wanted. Personally, I preferred real life humans, and this was the exact reason. The spell on the elevator recognized me and immediately let me in, despite the fact I wasn’t invited. A butler would’ve turned me away.
At well after midnight Caroline was probably out. And considering her parents were probably both out dealing with the demon situation, I should’ve called first, but I was so furious I’d just flown out of my apartment and gone straight to hers. The fact that I had deal with this after hunting down and killing a demon really pissed me off. And it was Caroline’s fault. I stormed through their apartment right up to her door. I should’ve knocked. I didn’t. I turned the handle and threw the door open.
If I wanted to catch her by surprise I failed.
But she sure got me.
Caroline was lounging in the chaise by the window…in a black silk robe.
I froze in my tracks. “Put something on so we can talk.”
“What’s wrong, D, can’t focus with me like this?” She got to her feet then sashayed toward me like she was walking the runway for Victoria’s Secret.
I glared at her. “What the hell is your problem? And don’t insult my intelligence by claiming it was an honest mistake. You know the club’s rules.”
She rolled her emerald green eyes and stopped walking right in front of me. She shrugged. “Hey, she picked those jeans out. I just wanted her to —”
“Cut the shit, Caroline,” I snapped. “I want to know why you did it, and I want to know now.”
She arched one eyebrow then untied her robe. The black silky material dropped to the hardwood floor, revealing a whole lot of pale freckled skin and barely there black lingerie. I was too close to her with her being that close to naked. I wasn’t interested in Caroline, I never had been. And I sure as hell wasn’t now. Emersyn was my soulmate, I’d never see another girl like that. But there was no way I was letting on that she was making me uncomfortable.
“Oh, Deacon,” she purred and traced the line of buttons on my shirt. “Isn’t it obvious?”
“If I wanted you I would’ve had you by now.”
She dropped her hand then crossed her arms over her chest. “You should be with someone on your level.”
“You’re right.” I leaned forward. “She is better than me, but I’ll be damned if I let someone like you take her from me. Good job ruining fifteen years of friendship.”
Chapter Nineteen
DEACON
“Emersyn?” I knocked on her door for about the eight hundredth time since I got back from Caroline’s. “Em, please.”
I felt like Anna begging Elsa to come out and build a snowman. I was an idiot. I’d royally screwed things up by trusting my friend when I should’ve handled it myself. But I couldn’t fix it until Emersyn let me speak to her.
My father wanted to apologize to her, too.
His advice was to let her cool down a bit. My trip to Caroline’s hadn’t taken very long so I probably hadn’t given her enough time. And she was still in there, I felt her nearness in the heat of my chest. It was sharp and painful, but it meant she was there. The fact that Tegan hadn’t
arrived to pick her up yet was a good sign. It meant I had a chance. We’d just spoken to Tegan, too, so it wasn’t like she was unreachable. She’d even told us to call her. Which meant that perhaps Em was calming down. Maybe. I hoped so.
But annoying her all night probably wasn’t going to help.
When I turned I found my mother standing outside her suite doors. She arched one blonde eyebrow and eyed me suspiciously. “Where were you?”
“I went to tell Caroline off for sabotaging my girlfriend.” I narrowed my eyes. “Would you like to be next? You did, after all, have a part in that. On both ends, the set up and the failure.”
“Deacon,” she said my name with a heavy sigh.
“I brought a nice girl home, who dresses conservatively and greets you with grace and manners, then compliments your home. The horror.” I shook my head. Sure, she didn’t fit in but Emersyn wasn’t exactly a shock. I would’ve brought home Tegan if I wanted to spite them. “When she greeted you kindly and with respect you should’ve done the same to her. Now, be the mother who supposedly loves her son and help my girlfriend fit in with our batshit crazy society. And so help me Goddess, if you sabotage her or try to embarrass her in any way I will leave and never come back.”
Her eyes widened. “Deacon—”
“You want me in your life? Then it comes with Emersyn. We’re a package deal. She’s not a game to me.” I stormed over to my door then looked back to her. “Your choice, Mother.”
Chapter Twenty
EMERSYN
I sat on the wooden floor of a sailboat, looking over the edge into light turquoise colored water. I was waiting for something but the waves crashing into the boat were entrancing. Whatever it was, it could take all the time it wanted.
The floor creaked behind me. Heat filled my chest. I didn’t need to ask who was behind me. I looked over my shoulder and found Deacon leaning against the mast. He was dressed in all white, with his pants rolled halfway up his calves and his shirt unbuttoned. The blue heart-shaped crystal of his soulmate glyph sparkled in the sunlight. My heart fluttered and my breath hitched.
He was so beautiful, especially when he looked a little unkept. I was mad at him, though I couldn’t recall why. And it was hard to try when he looked at me like that. He raised his left hand and red smoke drifted out of his palm and over to me.
I frowned. What was he doing? I opened my mouth to ask when his magic swept over my face. It smelled like a bonfire.
Deacon cocked his head to the side. “Get off the floor.”
I gasped and bolted upright. Then everything came crashing back. The horrible, awful day wasn’t a nightmare but real. His mother was real. And she hated me. I groaned and looked around. I was in the guest room…on the floor. I’d been too mad to get into the bed. I didn’t want to get comfortable. Tegan was supposed to be coming – wait, why isn’t she here already?
My phone sat on the hardwood floor beside me. I grabbed it and scrolled through my text messages with my sister only to find I’d never actually asked her to come. I hadn’t texted her in hours. Then I remembered why. After our demon hunt when Deacon had been begging me to open the door, Deacon’s father Sebastien had come by. I’d heard him and Deacon talking outside my door. It wasn’t eavesdropping if they were outside my room and not even whispering.
Sebastien had admitted he was wrong and that he planned to apologize to me. He also explained why he ordered dinner for me…it wasn’t okay, but at least I understood the reason behind it.
This isn’t about Emersyn, and you know that.
That was the part that really got me. I didn’t understand what he meant. He was insinuating this was about Heather – Mrs. English. It didn’t make sense to me, and I realized that was because I didn’t know anything about her or her relationship with Deacon.
My mind flashed the image of Deacon from my dream. Get off the floor. I frowned and looked around. I was on the floor. How he knew that I didn’t know. There was no heat in my chest so I knew he wasn’t in the room with me. I frowned and glanced around. That was when I spotted something glittering with orange light on the bed.
I got up on my knees and half-crawled over. There was a white piece of parchment laying flat on the bed. On it a note was etched in fiery orange writing. The words shimmered like hot embers in a fireplace. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and pulled the note closer. Then I recognized the handwriting. It was Deacon’s. I took a deep breath then read his words:
Em ~ Please forgive me. I beg you, please. Give me another chance. I was nervous, my mother…she unravels me. Makes me nuts. I was too out of practice and you paid the price. It will never happen again. I promise. I told everyone off, including Caroline. I’m so sorry. ~ D
I groaned and buried my face in the blankets. Damn it. Everyone always said actions spoke louder than words…but they also said forgiveness was divine. I didn’t want to be mad at Deacon. The whole point of coming here was to show him I was ready to be with him. It wasn’t his fault his mother was a monster.
But then her reaction to seeing my Mark confused me. She’d been throwing shade at me all night until that moment. I didn’t understand why being a Card would change how she felt about me. And if it did…did that make it better? I’d rather her hate me for being a poor commoner than her liking me simply because of my rank in our society.
I groaned and climbed into the bed. It was soft, warm, and overwhelmingly comfortable. Deacon asked for my forgiveness and another chance. If he could forgive my behavior then I needed to forgive his.
His mother on the other hand? I was done playing nice.
Chapter Twenty-One
EMERSYN
Sometimes I wished I couldn’t feel emotions at all.
I wanted to leave. I wanted to escape this awful feeling and the terrible way I’d been treated…but part of me felt like a coward for even considering leaving. It wasn’t who I was. I’d faced vampires, fairies, demons, greater demons, time travel, and even Deacon’s death. One mean woman shouldn’t have crippled me. I’d seen worse and survived. Yet my bravado from the night before had worn off.
Tegan had called me right around dawn. Apparently she’d sensed something was off when we called her and wanted to check on me. But then her and Tennessee had gotten a lead on finding Leyka only instead found a horde of demons. That gave me some much needed perspective. And then Tegan reminded me of why I was here in the first place. She promised to come get me if it was what I really wanted, but she thought I should stick it out. Her pep talk gave me my strength back…but two hours later it too was fading away.
I looked down at Deacon’s note in my hand and groaned. His apology was sincere, I knew that. I knew he hadn’t meant for me to get hurt. He was my soulmate. Punishing him would only punish myself in the long run.
There was a loud knock on the door and I jumped. My heart fluttered then kicked into hyper speed. Deacon? I stuffed his note in my back pocket and walked to the door. It was only after I turned the handle that I realized my chest wasn’t burning. It wasn’t Deacon, except it was too late to shut the door now. Oh God, what if it’s Stedman sent to kick me out?
I held my breath and braced myself.
But when the door opened all the way I found Amelia standing on the other side. Her sandy blonde hair was braided in pigtails which made her actually look like a child and not a miniature adult. She had on a black turtleneck sweater tucked into a red tartan plaid pleated skirt, with black tights and knee-high black boots.
She looked so adorable it actually made me smile. “You look so cute.”
She grinned and it made her violet eyes sparkle. “Thank you! You like my skirt? It’s new. I’ve never worn it before.”
I chuckled and leaned against the door frame. “Tartan plaid is my favorite plaid.”
“Mine too!” She beamed up at me. “Aunt Heather asked me to come get you.”
My stomach dropped. Here it comes. I cleared my throat and tried to keep my smile in place. “Oh, okay. Where is she
?”
“She’s in her office, come on I’ll show you.” Amelia turned and waved for me to follow. “I told Aunt Heather I thought you left, but she said she knew you’d still be here.”
I glanced at Deacon’s door as I followed her down the hall. “Hey, Amelia, have you seen Deacon this morning?”
“I went in there a little bit ago to see if he could help me with my homework but he’s sleeping.” She glanced over her shoulder and frowned. “I’m in geometry this year, but none of my friends are because it’s not normal for seventh graders so I’ve had to kinda figure it out on my own. Deacon was helping me but then he went radio silent.”
I couldn’t believe she was being nice to me. Then again she was twelve. She was going to emulate the adults around her. I wasn’t sure what changed, but I was going to run with it. Geometry in seventh grade? Smart kid. “I could help you later if you need it, I got As in geometry last year.”
She gasped and spun around to face me. “Really? That would be awesome. Deacon forgets most of it because he took it in seventh like me.”
Deacon was that advanced in school?
I smiled. “Yeah, anytime. I love math.” It was true, I did. I was a weirdo.
Amelia led me around the corner to a door then narrowed her eyes at me. “Do you, by any chance, love science and English as well?”
“Science, yes. English not so much.” I chuckled. “But my twin sister loves English. If you need help I can give you her number.”
Amelia froze. Her eyes widened. “Your twin?”
I nodded and stopped walking. “Yeah, her name is Tegan—”
The Fire Witch (The Coven: Elemental Magic Book 7) Page 9