Influential_Magic

chapter 20





Once back on the main floor, the sticky vampire cloud returned, making my already upset stomach roll. How dare Talisen bring up Beau? The a*shole. He knew bringing up my brother would leave the deepest wound. He’d done it on purpose, hurting me in a way only those who knew me best could.

And I’d snapped. Shame washed over me. My guilt for letting David inside my heart had pushed me over the edge. No matter what Talisen had said, my behavior was inexcusable. Especially since I knew my actions hurt him. Even though he’d never admit it.

Damn him.

I stopped in the foyer at the bottom of the stairs, forcing myself to not bolt through the front door. Until Allcot made his deal with Maude, I was stuck in the twisted vampire orgy house. I turned, intending to head into the sitting room, when a small ball of fur bounded down the adjoining hallway.

“Link!” I cried and took off after him. “Stop!”

He barreled through a slightly open door at the end of the hall. I groaned. What was I going to walk in on now?

“Get off!” Phoebe’s voice carried into the hallway. “Bad dog!”

I scooted into the room to find Link sitting in the middle of a pile of clothes on the bed. Various outfits from jeans to cocktail dresses were lined up side by side. I snapped my fingers. Link raised his head and glanced at me. I leveled a glare. “Now, Link.”

With his head hung low he jumped off the bed and slinked to my side.

“Going somewhere?” I focused on Phoebe, taking in the Tulane hoody and rolled-up jeans that hit just above her ankles. The black plastic-frame glasses and book bag marked her as just another nondescript college student.

She yanked on the ponytail of her artificial honey-blond hair and threw the wig into the suitcase. “I was until Allcot’s lackeys stopped me. Something about Maude’s spies watching the house. You should’ve seen the antics they used to smuggle me out of here when I left to get Link and Talisen. And even then they wouldn’t let me go home. I had to have them meet me on vamp row.” She pulled a silver credit card from her back pocket. “Allcot gave me this. I did a little shopping while I was there.”

I took one more look at the bed and finally noticed the tags hanging off each piece of clothing. “Looks expensive,” I said.

She snorted. “Yeah. I think he was expecting me to buy fresh undergarments and clothes for tomorrow. Not an entire undercover wardrobe.”

“He should get to know you better.” I smirked. Phoebe never went anywhere without at least four changes of clothes, three wigs, and about ten pounds of cosmetics. She hated to be unprepared.

“Check this out.” She held up a purple sheath dress. “I overheard some of Allcot’s people talking about a Cryrique fundraiser tomorrow night. I’m going to crash and see what dirt I can dig up. One of them might know something about the threat against you.”

“Gorgeous. Be careful, okay.”

“Aren’t I always?”

I rolled my eyes. “Mostly. Anything for me over there?”

She scanned me from head to toe. “Looks like you’ve made do.”

I grimaced and strode to the bed. It didn’t take long to realize not one piece of clothing was larger than a size four. “Thanks a lot, Phoebs.”

She rolled her eyes and leaned down at the end of the bed. She came up with another shopping bag. “Here.”

Inside I found a few T-shirts and a light sweater, all made for faeries. There were also some undergarments, yoga pants, and jeans. Size ten. I sent her a grateful smile and headed for the bathroom. As comfortable as David’s pajamas were, I couldn’t wait to get out of them. I didn’t need any more reminders of what had happened in his bedroom.

Five minutes later, I sat cross-legged on the bed in yoga pants and a soft blue T-shirt, rifling through Phoebe’s stash of disguises. I held up a bright pink satin top that dipped in a V low enough to reveal her navel. “Where were you headed?”

She snatched it out of my hands and gestured to what she was already wearing. “This was for the college library. And this,” she said, waving the halter top, “was for the college bar afterward.”

“And you were going there because…?”

She tossed the shirt into one of her shopping bags. “Daniels’s sister works at both.”

I pursed my lips. “You think she’d be there today? He just died.”

“Of course not. But people she knows would be and they’ll be talking. You’d be amazed at what people say after someone dies.” She kicked the shopping bag. “And I’m going to miss it, being holed up here like one of the house slaves.”

I sighed and leaned back against the headboard. “I know it sucks, but I really do think he’s trying to protect us.”

“More like control us.”

The vampire sensation hit me right before he spoke. “Don’t tempt me, Agent Kilsen.” Allcot strode into the room, and Talisen stumbled in after him.

Tal glared and clenched his fists as he stared back out into the hall.

“I believe this fae belongs to you.” Allcot waved an impatient hand toward Talisen. “If you don’t want him to get his neck ripped open, take care to keep him away from my people.” He turned to Phoebe. “You can go at nine in the morning. The deal will be finalized by then.” His deep blue-gray eyes found mine. “It’s best you pretend nothing ever happened with Maude for the time being. Treat her just as you always have.”

“You mean with little respect and plenty of disdain?” Phoebe let out a hollow laugh.

“If that is the norm, then yes. We don’t want anyone who may be watching to think anything’s changed. Don’t pretend she didn’t hold Willow in lockdown. Too many people know about it already. Brush it off as necessary testing and resume the job you’ve been contracted to do. Got it?”

I nodded but Phoebe narrowed her eyes. She placed one hand on her hip and raised her chin. “What about Maude? Will she resume as normal? Or will Willow find herself locked up in some remote place out in the swamps? What’s to stop Maude from going off the reservation?”

Allcot’s expression hardened, turning his appearance marble-like. “I’ve got that covered.” He nodded to me and was gone in one blink.

Talisen stood against the wall, staring at me.

Heat rose to my face. My outburst had left a gaping crater between us. The truth was, I had no idea what he saw when he looked at me. A sister? A close friend? A backup girlfriend if he ran through the world’s female population? I shifted so I wouldn’t have to meet his eyes and ran a hand over Link’s soft fur.

“What trouble have you been getting into?” Phoebe asked him, gathering up the last of her clothes.

He grunted.

Phoebe tilted her head and eyed him. “Why did Allcot march you in here?”

“Oh.” He cleared his throat. “One of the female vamps tried to lure me into her den and when I said no, words were exchanged.”

Words. Yeah, I bet. After the coal-raking I’d gotten over the bite on my neck, he’d probably invited her to fang herself. Prejudiced jerk. A small voice whispered in my mind, hypocrite. I shook my head and crawled into bed. I rolled over and faced the wall, trying to forget I was now sharing a room with Talisen. Morning couldn’t come soon enough.

***

The burning in my neck woke me. I shot straight up in bed, my fists connecting with the person hovering over me. “Get off!” I shoved with both hands and rolled out of the bed.

“Willow, calm down. I was only healing your neck.” Talisen, who I’d knocked to the floor, hopped to his feet and took a step toward me. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

My heart pounded as I took deep breaths, trying to get myself under control. I clamped my hand over my pulsing bite marks. Talisen’s healing had never felt like that before. “It hurts,” I ground out through clenched teeth.

His eyebrows burrowed in confusion. “What do you mean?” Gently, he pulled my hand back and inspected my wounds. “They’re red and angry.”

When he traced a light finger over the punctures, I winced. “Stop. That burns.”

He yanked his hand back and frowned at the amethyst clutched in his other hand.

“Maybe there’s too much vampire energy here. We can try again when we get back to my house.” I flicked the light on and rubbed my gritty eyes.

Talisen cleared his throat and his voice came out low and husky. “Am I still allowed at your house?”

I peered at him, trying to focus. “Of course you are.” I stepped closer and grabbed his hand. “About what happened last night…”

“Forget it. Like you said, I have no right to judge you. I was worried and in my overprotectiveness, I didn’t stop to consider the circumstances.” He squeezed my fingers and let go.

Circumstances? What did that mean? My war with Maude or the fact that I was forced to work with my vampire ex? Or the not-so-subtle insinuation that I just might be interested in Tal if he wasn’t such a commitment-phobe? I put the entire question out of my mind. I didn’t want to talk about Maude, and I definitely didn’t want to argue about David or my relationship with Talisen.

I glanced at the clock. Seven a.m. “Where’s Phoebe?”

She’d shared the other half of the bed with me, but now it was empty.

Talisen shrugged. “She was already gone when I woke up.”

I strode into the empty bathroom and then returned to the foot of the bed. All the shopping bags were gone except for the one filled with my clothes. “Shit. She took off.” I glanced at Link. “You couldn’t have woken me when she left?” Who knew what time she’d fled? Link put his head on his paws and glanced away.

“Be ready in five minutes,” I told Talisen as I grabbed my clothes and headed to the bathroom.

***

David caught up to us as we headed down the front walk. With the sun burning bright, he was the only vampire who could stop us. I braced myself for an argument. Allcot had said we could leave at nine, but I wasn’t waiting another minute to find out what Phoebe was up to.

“The car’s this way.” David pointed to a long driveway.

I stopped. “You’re not going to try to make us stay?”

Talisen moved a half step closer, and I held back a frustrated sigh. I hated this new display of dominance he had going on. We were just friends and always had been, despite how he made me feel sometimes. This new Talisen confused me.

David cut a glance to Talisen but ignored the subtle challenge and told me, “The deal is done. No need to hang around here any longer.” He started walking up the driveway. “You can wait here. I’ll bring the car.”

Talisen and I stared after him. “Something’s brewing,” I said.

He draped a light arm over my shoulders. “Do you think he knows where Phoebe went?”

He’d wrapped his arm around me in the same fashion hundreds of times before, but it felt different this time. Like he was claiming me. I bent down under the guise of tying my shoe. “I doubt it. She doesn’t check in with anyone when she’s on a mission.” When I stood, I stepped aside, putting distance between us.

“Then why do you think something’s off with him?”

“He’s not mad I didn’t tell him I was leaving. This is too easy.” David seemed as if he’d expected me to try to ditch him. Had he been watching for us?

Talisen chuckled. “Maybe he’s started to pay attention.”

“What does that mean?”

His lips twitched as he squeezed my shoulder. “You’ve never been one to ask permission from anyone. And you sure as hell don’t wait around for a man to do anything. It’s not a surprise you’d disregard any plan put in place by anyone other than yourself or Phoebe.”

Momentarily stunned at his assessment, I gazed up at him, my head tilted. Finally, I asked, “Was that a compliment?”

He snorted a laugh. “Your call.”

A silver Mercedes zipped down the driveway and stopped beside me. David lowered the window. “Ready?”

I raised my eyebrows. “New car?” I’d only ever seen him drive a Ford truck.

He nodded and his expression turned blank. “A gift from Father.”

The hollow ache in my stomach returned. Another turning gift, just like the house. Of course he got a fancy new car. Eadric couldn’t have a new vampire driving anything less. There was an image to uphold.

Talisen held his tongue as he climbed in the back with Link. I really wanted to join them but forced myself to take the front seat. I slammed the door and stared out the window, unable to even look at David. After what happened the night before and having Talisen in the car, the whole situation was just too awkward.

“Where to?” David asked, peeling out of the driveway.

“Home. If Phoebe stopped by there, she may have left me a note.”

“Okay.” The inflection in his tone made it clear he thought the idea highly unlikely. I concentrated on the traffic, never once glancing in his direction during the fifteen-minute ride.

The second the car came to a full stop behind Phoebe’s, I jumped out and ran to the house.

Before I could get the door unlocked, David placed a firm grip on my arm. “Let me check to be sure no one’s waiting inside.”

“Like who? Every other vamp is hidden behind blackout shades.” I pressed forward, but his iron grip held me in place. “Let go.”

Talisen strolled up the walk, an amused smile lighting his face.

“Stop it.” I glowered at him and then back at David.

“Maude could have people waiting.”

“Allcot said he cut a deal. Maude’s not supposed to be a threat anymore.” I yanked my arm back, trying to get away from him.

David let go, probably realizing his caveman act wasn’t helping his appeal. “Right. But it doesn’t hurt to be cautious. At least let me go in first.”

“Fine.” I threw my hands up and stepped aside. “But hurry up.”

David brushed past me through the unlocked door. He froze mid-step in the threshold, his body filling the space.

“What is it?” I pressed forward, trying to peek around him, but couldn’t see past his solid shoulders.

“Phoebe,” he said carefully. “What’s going on?”

Phoebe? My internal panic button went off full steam, and I barreled into David’s solid form. “Ouch!” I cried, holding my shoulder. Damn him and his chiseled vampire physique. He glanced down at me once, then stepped aside, giving me room.

I stumbled inside, gasped, and backpedaled right into David. His cool hands gripped my arms, keeping me steady on my feet. Every inch of the place had been ransacked. End tables lay on their sides with broken legs, stuffing from the couch cushions covered the wood floor, and papers from Phoebe’s desk had been scattered everywhere.

In the middle of the room sat a dark-haired, wide-eyed, college-aged girl tied to a chair with duct tape covering her mouth. And right in front of her stood Phoebe, in her low-cut satin top and four-inch heels, a small chocolate-orange wedge in one hand.

“It’s about time you got here,” my roommate said. “We were just about to find out who put a hit on Willow.”