Magic of Flesh and Bone, page 15
“I’m ready for another round,” purred the very sexy naked male specimen. “There are parts of your body I haven’t kissed yet.”
I forced my lips to remain neutral, but they betrayed me with a smile, those bastards. “You’re a very naughty half-demon.” I couldn’t pretend that his wanting me didn’t do all kinds of things to my self-esteem. It made me feel sexy and feminine, which I hadn’t felt in a very long time. It was a good feeling.
Dash grinned. “Come here, and I’ll show you just how naughty.”
Damn that hot half-demon.
I chuckled, pushing away the tempting offer. As much as I would have loved to lose myself in the distraction Dash offered, the weight of the impending danger pulled me back to reality. “As much as I’d enjoy that, Dash, duty calls,” I said, trying to sound firm despite the playful glint in his eyes.
He let out a mock sigh. “Yes, duty calls.” He patted the spot next to him again. “I won’t be so gentle this time.”
“Stop that.” I sighed. “Seriously. Do I have to tie you up—oh shit—sorry.” Damn. Me and my mouth again.
Some of his luscious smile faded. “It’s fine.”
It didn’t look fine. I wanted to ask him more about what happened between him and Rita, but that flash of anger that lit his eyes made me reconsider. Besides, he said I’d gotten there in time before she could do real damage.
Dash pulled himself to as sitting position, not bothering to cover up his manhood. Not that I minded at all. “You need some help with your research?”
I thought about it. “No. I mean, you’ve told me all you know. This is more boring investigative stuff and trying to figure out where or what The Forsaken will be doing tomorrow night.”
Dash narrowed his eyes in thought. “I wish I knew.”
I yanked on my socks. “I might give my mother a call. See if she can help me.” It was a risk. I had no idea if she had a cell phone, so I’d have to use the landline. If Fender Bender picked up, I was screwed. I didn’t want anyone knowing we were speaking. I didn’t want to get her into more trouble with my father.
“You think she will?”
“Good point.” I exhaled. “I don’t know. Yes? I think she might. I think she knows that helping me is her ticket out of that hell.” If you’d asked me ten years ago if my mother and I would be working together, I would have told you to stop smoking crack.
Dash’s expression shifted from playful to serious, mirroring the concern etched in my features. But I knew he wasn’t thinking about my mother.
“Have you given more thought about Nelson’s shop?” I asked. Now that I knew he didn’t blame me for his friend’s death, I felt more at ease discussing it with him.
Dash remained silent for a moment. “I have. But I haven’t made a decision yet. I need time.”
I nodded. “I know.” I looked over the handsome half-demon, naked and waiting in bed. Part of me wanted to rip off my clothes and join him again, but the other part of my brain that told me I had to figure out where The Forsaken were going to be tomorrow night stopped me. “You need to get a new cell phone,” I said instead.
Dash flashed me a smile that nearly undid me. “Yes, ma’am.”
It took an enormous amount of self-control to actually make my legs move out of Dash’s room and then another intense effort to exit the farmhouse.
With the sun dipping fast on the horizon, soon it would be dark. Another day would pass, and I still wasn’t any closer to finding that proof Luther wanted.
Would my mother help me? To tell you the truth, I wasn’t certain she would. Maybe she wanted to but was too afraid to try. I could think of a few things my father would do to her if she were caught, but finding that proof was beneficial to the county as well as to her. This was her chance to finally get rid of her husband. If the proof involved him, like I knew it would, he’d go down with his pal Algar and the whole lot of them.
Then there was that moment when my mother had tried to tell me something about my magic, but we were interrupted. I wanted to know. I was a curious beast by nature. If she knew something about my magic, I had to know. Though why she never told me, I didn’t know. It didn’t matter. Right now I had to concentrate on The Forsaken.
Something was happening tomorrow night. Some kind of ritual or sacrifice, and I had to figure out what that was.
Maybe my aunt Luna would have an idea. If not, I’d check the Merlin database when I got home. If some ritual was associated with tomorrow night, I’d find it.
And then I’d have to crash that party.
Too bad I didn’t know where the damn party would be held. In my mother’s basement? I didn’t think so. No. It would be somewhere else. And it wasn’t like I could use the rusane to help pinpoint the location. I’d killed it, so to speak. It wouldn’t work.
Nope. I’d have to do some real detective work to figure out where this ceremony would be held. Starting with figuring out what the hell the ceremony was.
The fact that Brother Algar didn’t question me about the four dead mages was also strange. He would have found out by now. I didn’t take him for a foolish mage. He liked to be in control. He would have known about their deaths when I saw him earlier today. And I was certain he knew I was involved. But the leader said nothing.
That was strange.
A beep sounded from my bag that was lying on the front passenger seat, yanking me out of my thoughts for a second. I slowed my Jeep and pulled over to the side of the road so I wouldn’t hit any wild animals while I rummaged around to find my phone. My fingers found it, and I yanked it out.
Annette: We need to talk. Can you come over?
“Huh. I was not expecting that.” No. I’d expected a text maybe from Kolton or possibly Luther since I had a feeling he had my number. I just never expected Annette to want to talk to me again. Ever.
I stared at the screen for a few moments, making sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me. Then, I quickly texted her back.
Me: On my way. Be there in 5 minutes.
I dropped my phone on the seat and pressed on the gas. The gnarled knot of emotions that had formed in my chest over the fiasco with Annette finally released as I felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe she was finally ready to listen to what I had to say. Not like she’d given me the chance to explain. Now was my chance.
Strange how this spat with her affected me. I’d never realized how much her friendship had meant until it was gone. It had been ripped away in seconds. And I’d never been able to explain, tell her the real reason I’d joined that hateful group that had once tried to sacrifice her eldest daughter.
As I left the rolling hills of the countryside behind me, my eyes were greeted with the warm glow of the lights of the town. I drove down Main Road, seeing paranormals doing some last-minute shopping before the stores closed for the day. As I passed Nelson’s store, my chest constricted, and a slip of guilt hit. It would take a long time before I got over that. Maybe getting over was the wrong word and emotion. More like when I finally accepted what happened.
My anticipation grew as I drew closer to my street, well, my aunt’s street, really. I shot a glance at her house, and the soft glow of yellow lights spilling from the windows told me she was there.
I dove by, and once I reached Annette’s cute blue cottage with a red door, I pulled into the driveway. The FOR SALE sign I’d witnessed Liam hammer into the front lawn greeted me as I parked. Did that mean they still planned on leaving?
As I turned off the car engine, my heart sank as the realization hit me. They were really leaving, and I could do nothing about it. But a flicker of hope still lingered in my mind. Maybe it wasn’t too late.
But I couldn’t dwell on these fleeting thoughts. I needed to face the reality of the situation. She wanted to talk, but what did that really mean? Was she willing to forgive me or simply hear my excuses? It was a small step, but at least it was an opportunity to try and make things right. I couldn’t let this chance slip away, even if it meant facing the harsh truth. It was better than nothing.
With a sigh, I grabbed my bag, slipped out of my Jeep, and made my way up the front porch. I put my ear to the door, but I couldn’t hear anything coming from the inside.
Taking a deep breath, I raised my hand to knock on the door, but before my knuckles could make contact, the door swung open slowly.
But Annette wasn’t standing in the doorway. I was met by someone I never expected to see so soon.
“Kit-Kat,” said Rita. “How nice of you to join us.”
Oh shit.
19
Rita, the bitch from hell—literally—stood there, her silhouette outlined by the warm light behind her, highlighting her chin-length black hair and porcelain skin. As always, she was dressed in a pristine white pantsuit, her signature look. Her expression was unreadable, her eyes betraying nothing of what she was thinking.
Instincts hit, and I yanked on the shadows around me. But Rita was already a few steps ahead of me.
Dark syllables chanted from her mouth, and before I could stop her, a branch of her demonic magic hit me in the chest.
I flew back onto the porch on my back, trembling as pain raced through my body like bolts of lightning. Rita advanced, her gaze cold and calculating as she towered over me. With a flick of her fingers, invisible bonds wrapped around me, constricting my movements.
“You thought you could take my husband away from me and not suffer the consequences? You little witch whore,” Rita hissed, her voice dripping with malice as she advanced, her heels clicking on the wooden porch.
“Ex-husband,” I struggled to get out. I couldn’t help it.
Wrestling against the demonic magic that held me captive, I searched for any trace of weakness in Rita’s defenses. I called to my umbra magic, feeling it just beyond my constraints.
But I couldn’t reach it. It was like it was there, locked away in some vault, but without the key, I couldn’t access it.
“I made some modifications to my magic, Kit-Kat,” said Rita. “Now that I know you can manipulate shadows, I knew what special ingredient to add.”
Well, this sucked.
I rolled my head to see behind her. “Where’s Annette? Where are the girls?”
Rita widened her eyes. “Oh, yes. That pathetic family of bastards. You know… you really shouldn’t mix breeds. You end up with all sorts of genetic issues and mutations. Impure. Dirty.”
“You’re the impure one, you crazy bitch,” I ground out.
Rita laughed and clapped her hands together. “Let’s go greet the family. Shall we?”
Before I could protest, she grabbed my leg and hauled me over the threshold with surprising strength. She dragged me into the entryway, my body catching on the small carpet, and we both headed into what I could see now was the living room.
First, I saw Annette sitting on the living room floor with her back against the couch, her face wet with tears. I could just make out the black tendrils around her wrists. Liam was next to her. His expression was murderous as he stared at me like this was my fault. Okay, so maybe it was.
But when my eyes found the five bundles spread out on the floor, a mix of red and blonde hair, a tiny whimper escaped me.
Ella, Emma, Emily, Elanor, and Elsie were scattered across the room in a chaotic array. Their delicate bodies lay still, their eyes closed as if in a deep slumber. In the dim light, it was impossible to tell if they were breathing or not. For a moment, they appeared almost lifeless, like porcelain dolls abandoned on the floor.
Fear had hit me first. Then I got pissed. “What have you done to them, you sick bitch!”
Rita’s wicked cackle echoed through the room. “Oh, nothing too serious,” she taunted with a sly grin. “Just a little spell to silence their incessant blubbering. All those tears were starting to get on my nerves. Once I figured out that the reds were werewolves and the blondes witches, it was easy to adjust my spell. They won’t wake unless I want them too.” With a flourish, she produced a silver cigarette holder from her jacket and delicately placed one between her crimson lips. With a flick of her finger, the end of the cigarette sparked to life, casting an eerie glow on her mischievous face.
At that moment, the air in the room seemed to thicken, suffocating me with a mix of rage and dread. Rita’s casual indifference to the five girls lying motionlessly hit me with a primal fury. I couldn’t comprehend the extent of her cruelty, the darkness that lurked beneath her elegant facade.
Yes, Dash was half-demon. But he wasn’t cruel.
Rita was psychotic.
“Let them go,” I hissed. “It’s me you want. They have nothing to do with… whatever you want to call this. This delusional vendetta of yours has nothing to do with them.”
Rita took a drag from her cigarette and exhaled a plume of smoke. “You should know by now that going after what you truly desire leads to success.” She sneered. “Isn’t that right, Kit-Kat?”
“Fuck you.” I knew she was referring to me getting Dash back. As I struggled to contain my rising anger, Annette’s tear-filled eyes met mine, and I saw the accusation in her gaze—the blame that this hell was because of me.
And she was right.
This was my fault. All of it.
Rita’s thirst for revenge, fueled by my victory over her and the taking of Dash from her grasp, was now aimed at Annette and her family. The twisted demoness took perverse pleasure in knowing I would be forced to witness their suffering—perhaps even kill them. It was my doing, and I could feel the weight of guilt crushing me as I lay there, helpless to stop the impending threat.
The black tendrils coiled around Annette’s wrists seemed to tighten their grip as she tried to mouth words that refused to emerge. Liam’s gaze bore into me with accusation. His fists clenched in fury. He blamed me, too.
My own delusion of patching things up with Annette faded as quickly as a drop of water in the blaring sun. I was part of The Forsaken, the group that had nearly killed one of her daughters, and now I’d put all of her children in harm’s way.
Nice going, Kat.
If we survived this, Annette would never forgive me. Not this time. But I couldn’t let that thought distract me. Somehow, I needed to get Annette and her family free and away from Rita.
Damnit. I should have known better. I should have seen this coming. I knew she’d be back seeking revenge. My aunt Luna had even warned me. I just never expected that Rita would hit my friends—or ex-friends—instead of me.
I’d been too preoccupied with finding out what was happening tomorrow night to even think of the possibility that Rita might be back sooner rather than later.
I’d been an idiot.
The weight of guilt pressed down on me like a thousand-pound boulder, each accusation from Annette and Liam carving a deeper wound in my already battered conscience.
Rita stood across from us, smirking as if relishing every moment of our torment. Her eyes, dark pools of malice, bore into mine with a chilling intensity that made my blood run cold. I knew then that she was not just seeking revenge; she was reveling in the power she now held over us all. Me especially.
If anything happened to those girls, worse than right now, I’d never forgive myself.
“Let them go, you demented bunt.” Yup. That wasn’t the word I used, but you can guess what it was.
Rita faked a shiver. “Oooh. Such language, Kit-Kat. And here I thought you had more class.”
“What the hell do you want?” I shouted, yanking on my restraints. But whatever curse or spell snippet she’d added to her magic kept me from reaching out to my umbra magic.
Rita’s eyes narrowed on me. She walked over and knelt. “I want you to suffer as I suffered,” she said, blowing a puff into my face.
The smoke made my eyes burn. “I’m not responsible for that. You did that to yourself.”
Rita shook her head. “Oh, no, Kit-Kat. You did that. Everything is different now because of you. You came to my home and humiliated me. Beat me. And then you took what’s mine.”
“Dash doesn’t belong to you. People, even half-demons, don’t belong to anyone. He’s not yours.”
A sneer twisted Rita’s once lovely face into a cruel mask. “You fool yourself into thinking he cares for you because of your sacrifice? Ha! You may have saved him by taking his place within our ranks, but it means nothing. Once you’re marked as one of The Forsaken, there’s no turning back. You belong to us now. Just as Dash still belongs to us.”
“Bullshit,” I spat and felt Annette’s eyes on me. “Dash is a free man. He’s not part of your twisted group.”
Rita let out a laugh. “Oh, Kit-Kat. Your naivete is almost charming.”
“Go to hell.” But right now, I was in hell. I needed to figure out a way to free myself from these constraints. I needed a plan. Too bad I couldn’t come up with one at the moment.
Rita stood up slowly. She flicked the butt of her cigarette and said, “I will kill you. You and your pathetic little friends here. And then Dash and I will be together again. He might miss you a little in the beginning. He’s sensitive in that way. But soon enough, you will be forgotten.”
“He doesn’t love you. Don’t you get it?” I shouted. “It’s over. You had to tie him up to get a bit of love. You’re pathetic.” Okay, maybe not the right choice of words here, but she was really pissing me off.
Rita’s eyes narrowed, her gaze piercing through me like icy daggers. I thought she’d kill me right there, but instead, she took a step closer, her presence suffocating. “You don’t understand the bond that ties Dash to me,” she hissed. “He is mine, body and soul. Your feeble attempts to sway him amounted to nothing.” She flashed her teeth. “No one can resist the call of The Forsaken.”
I met Rita’s stare. “Dash is not a possession to be claimed,” I retorted, my voice steady. “He deserves to make his own choices, free from your manipulation.”
Rita’s expression twisted into a malicious grin devoid of any warmth or humanity. She was a demon. She didn’t have any. “Oh, my dear Kit-Kat,” she mocked, her tone laced with venom. “You have no idea what you’re up against. The power I wield goes far beyond what you can comprehend. Yes, you took me by surprise, which is the only reason why you were able to take Dash from me.”
