Influential_Magic

chapter 2





Of course, when I’d dated him, he’d been human.

When the hell had he turned vamp? I intended to ask just that but blurted, “Where have you been the last three months?”

Crap. Smooth, Willow, real smooth.

Considering he’d unceremoniously dumped me in a text—after a year-long relationship—the last thing I’d wanted to do was make him think I actually cared about his cold, undead ass. Too bad my mouth forgot to consult my brain.

“Why are you here?” David moved closer, his vampirism making my head swim. Death leeched my life force, but the way he looked right then, his familiar, intense, midnight-blue eyes searching mine, I didn’t move back.

“Why are you here?” I demanded, struggling to remain calm. “Did you have anything to do with those poor tourists?”

“Tourists? No.” His steps slowed when I flinched at his now-alarming proximity. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

My chest constricted, making it hard to breathe. The protectiveness in his tone sparked memories I’d just as soon keep buried. Anger quickly filled the ache in my heart. “I’m fine. But you aren’t going to be in a few moments if you don’t start talking.”

“You aren’t supposed to be here.” His elegant brow furrowed in confusion.

My wings twitched in agitation. “Where the hell am I supposed to be?”

“Not here.” He glanced over his shoulder and moved closer.

With one forceful stroke of my wings, I shot straight up out of his path. The cemetery incident had left me too weak to sustain flight, forcing me to land on a nearby dormer. Even though I was above him, I knew I didn’t have the advantage. If he wanted to get to me, he could…and I’d be powerless to stop him.

I studied his pale face, the perpetual tan a thing of the past, his tall body much leaner than it had been. Now his muscles would be corded, reminiscent of a chiseled statue. A trait of all vampires. “Why are you here?” I asked again.

“Wil,” he said softly. “You’ve got to get out of here. You’re in danger.”

“I’m safe enough.” Right. Standing ten feet from a vamp on a roof with Link and Phoebe at street level, I’d never been less safe. But I wasn’t leaving without answers. Damn it, I deserved them. “Answer my question and I’ll go.”

“Still stubborn as a wisteria vine, I see.” He tried to make his tone light, but the strain in his voice gave him away.

I crossed my arms and waited.

He stalked closer, slowly so as to not frighten me, but I recognized the predator he’d become. The history between us didn’t change anything.

“Stop right there.” I put my hand out, palm raised, as if that would actually hold him off.

He glanced up with a wry smile, then suddenly appeared inches from me on the dormer. I hadn’t even seen him move. The physical effects were instantaneous, leaving me trapped by my unfortunate vampire disability. I couldn’t fly in such a weakened condition.

This was bad. Very bad.

“Are you going to answer my question?” I asked, proud my voice held steady.

“So brave,” he said, leaning in, his eyes shining in the moonlight. “One of the things I always loved about you.”

I bristled. “I’d step back if I were you.”

“Or what?” He chuckled. “Gonna force-feed me a Truth Cluster?”

He was making fun of me. A*shole. Heat burned my face, and if I could’ve lifted my arm, I’d have punched him in the gut. Never mind his vampire physique probably would’ve broken my hand. “I might, after Phoebe blasts you with her sun agate.”

He brushed back a lock of my hair, bringing his lips close to my ear and whispered, “I’m not afraid of the witch.”

“You should be,” Phoebe said from behind us, steel in her voice.

David vanished and reappeared behind me, his cold arms wrapped around my middle, crushing my wings between us. The impact knocked the air from my lungs, causing a silent cry of pain. Fiery jabs of tiny pinpricks seared my bare arms where his skin touched mine. My knees buckled, and I concentrated on sucking in air, half hoping I’d go ahead and pass out. Anything other than endure a vampire’s touch.

“Willow can’t protect you from my magic. What I’ve got for you won’t even touch her.” Phoebe inched toward us, one hand on her agate, the other one holding an electric stun gun.

I closed my eyes. The gun meant Phoebe was weakened. The combination of her failed spell and however she’d gotten up on the building had taken a toll.

“Calm down, Phoebs.” David kept me locked in a tight grip. “I’m not here to start anything.”

“Looks like you already have. Let go of Willow, and we’ll see if we can sort this out.” She stopped a few yards from the dormer. “No need to make this messy.”

David’s arms relaxed but he didn’t let go. The debilitating pain lessened just enough for me to regain my balance.

“You don’t have anything on me, witch,” he said, his voice hard. “Back off. I came here to deliver a message.”

“You’re threatening a faery, vampire,” Phoebe shot back. “I don’t need anything else to take you down. This is your last warning. Step away from Willow. Now.”

The tension grew as the two held their ground and glared at each other. This would not end well. David and Phoebe hadn’t really gotten along when David had been human. And vampire David wasn’t scoring himself any points.

A howl rippled through the air, fueling the tension. I lost my cool. “Would you two stop it?” I snapped. “David, let me go.”

He didn’t move.

“David? Can you step back?” I softened my tone, narrowing my eyes at Phoebe in warning. Threatening him right now wouldn’t help. He could crush me in two.

“You need to hear this first,” he whispered so quietly I could barely hear him.

“I’m listening,” I said. His arms fell from mine. But the fire from his touch still burned. It took every ounce of willpower to not wrap my arms around myself in defense. I would not appear weak in front of a vampire. It was too dangerous.

“She said step back.” Phoebe advanced, her agate held high.

David ignored her and tilted his head down until I felt his hot breath on my ear. “You’re in danger. The Cryrique sent me to—”

“Insolate!” Phoebe’s voice drowned out the last of David’s words. Light blinded me, making my eyes water. The vampire energy vanished as David fell. Instantly, my wings kicked in, relief flooding me as only a small amount of pain registered in my left wing. Damn him for bruising my wing. It would take forever to heal.

“Really, Phoebs, was that necessary?” I asked.

“Uh, yes, and a thank you would be nice.” Whipping out her iPhone, she stalked over to where David lay unconscious.

“Who are you calling?”

“The cleanup crew.”

“Oh my God. Is he dead?” I landed and crouched down, placing my hand on his cold chest. No burn. No pain. Nothing. It was like I was touching a piece of marble. “You killed him! Shit, Phoebs. He said the Cryrique sent him and he had to warn me about something.”

“Calm down. He’s not dead. Just knocked out.” Phoebe started talking rapidly into her phone. Another howl drifted from the street.

Link. I took flight, descending to the street and landing at his side. “It’s okay, bud. I’m fine.”

He licked my hand in acceptance, his yellow wolf eyes watching me.

“Come on.” He followed me to Phoebe’s car and climbed in. He’d be safe from animal control while I spoke with her.

A second later, I rejoined her on the roof. “What will the cleanup crew do with him?” I gestured to David, trying not to look at his stone-pale face. A face of death.

“Take him in for questioning and lock him up if they can.” Phoebe peered over the edge of the roof, keeping a lookout for the backup team.

“But he didn’t do anything.” I sat, exhausted. “It’s not his fault vampires affect me the way they do. He doesn’t even know what he did to me. How could he?”

“You’re telling me he didn’t notice the agony he was putting you through?” The expression on her face resembled the one my mom had perfected during my teenage years.

“I don’t think he was focused on my well-being, considering you were threatening him with sunlight.”

“It doesn’t matter. He hurt you.”

I wondered if she was referring to the night’s activity or the emotional turmoil I’d suffered after the breakup.

Phoebe turned with hardened eyes. “And he’s wanted for questioning on another case.”

“What case?” I snapped my head up as my mind whirled. “Wait. You knew David had been turned?”

Phoebe nodded, glancing away.

“When?” I breathed.

“I don’t know. His profile came up early this week as a vampire of interest.” She took my hand and squeezed softly. “Sorry. I was going to tell you. I didn’t get a chance.”

“Do you think…? I mean, he must have been turned against his will, right?” I couldn’t imagine he’d asked for such a thing. He wasn’t the type.

“We’ll find out.” She pulled me to my feet, then handed me the car keys. “Take Link and go on home. I’ve got it from here.”

I fluttered, more than ready to take flight. “You sure?”

Phoebe nodded as sirens filled the air, signaling the arrival of the cleanup crew.

“Okay, but don’t forget to get to the bottom of whatever he was trying to tell me, all right?”

“You got it.”

***

Link, back in his Shih Tzu form, bolted through the door of the Greek Revival townhouse Phoebe and I shared. The instant my feet hit the glossy, wide-planked, oak-wood floors, every tense muscle began to relax.

Home. Finally.

I tugged my suitcase up the narrow flight of stairs as Link yelped from the edge of the landing. “I’m coming, I’m coming. Hold on.”

He spun in circles, unable to contain himself as I pushed my bedroom door open. The pungent odor of stale old house mixed with the fresh, woody scent from the enchanted oak tree. I took a deep breath, reveling in it. My room took up half the entire second floor, and by the state of things, Phoebe hadn’t even cracked a window while I’d been gone.

Too exhausted to care about the dead leaves on the floor, I disappeared into the bathroom. Moments later I reemerged, fluttering up to the bed tucked between the limbs of the old oak. The makeshift elevator designed for Link sprang to life, the old-fashioned pulley system creaking and groaning with his weight. I’d oil it tomorrow, along with the other million things I needed to get caught up on. The bed shifted as Link curled up into a ball next to me. I rested my hand on his soft coat and closed my eyes.

Sleep. I longed for the blissful oblivion. The airplane alone had been enough to take the life out of me. But running into David and then finding out he’d turned vamp was too much.

My eyes filled and hot tears leaked between my closed lids, soaking my pillow. The door I’d slammed shut on our broken relationship had swung wide open, and the pain I hadn’t let myself experience after he’d broken things off came out in the form of gut-wrenching sobs as I mourned for what had been and what never would be again.

David was a vampire. Any hope I’d had about reconciliation—no matter how unrealistic—had been shattered. The realization left a gaping hole in the middle of my heart.

Link burrowed closer and placed a sympathetic paw on my forearm. I wrapped an arm around his tiny body and let the tears lull me into a fitful sleep.

***

Wood splintered, sending me bolting upright from a sound sleep as my door crashed against the wall. Heavy footsteps echoed through the room and Link suddenly shifted, crushing me under one hundred and fifty pounds of wolf weight. He snarled, hackles raised.

“Enough, Link!” Phoebe growled. “And damn it, Willow. Where the f*ck is your phone?”

I squinted through the brilliant sunlight, groaning at the ache in my arms and back. Every inch of where David had held me must’ve been bruised. “Good morning to you, too.”

Phoebe snorted, pulling the dead phone out of my purse. “It would have been better if you’d managed to answer one of my phone calls.” She jammed the charger in the outlet, connecting the cell to the end of it. “Get up. You’ve been summoned.”

“Why?” I stretched, giggling when the heavy wolf shifted once again into Shih Tzu form and leaped up to lick my face.

Phoebe frowned, her face pinched in worry. “It’s about David.”

Dread curled in my stomach. “What about him? Is he all right?” I picked up Link, fluttered my wings, and landed softly in front of Phoebe.

She let out a short bark of laughter. “Yeah, he’s fine. Better than fine. The bastard cut himself one hell of a deal. Hurry, they’re waiting for us.” She spun and stalked out.

“What deal?” I cried.

Phoebe yelled back something incoherent, and a second later the front door slammed.

I stared at Link. “This is not how I planned to start my day.”