Denai Touch: Excalibar Investigations Series (12 page)

She didn’t trust herself with anyone right now. She’d taken too much energy from people in the past. Of course, she could give as well as take it, but there was no bringing someone back from the dead. With Jason she hadn’t had to worry that she would cross the line.

A workout would banish all these insane thoughts from her mind.

Heading into her home gym, Cate had a few rounds with the punching bag, giving it a few sharp kicks. She could defend herself without her powers and she wanted to make sure none of those skills had gone rusty. She punched and kicked repeatedly, but the memory of kissing Jason and how good it had felt refused to go away. She kicked again and closed her eyes, trying to force the memory away.

Cate remembered the attack, and the strange silver fire that had come out of her hand. She’d never conjured any kind of magic like that before. Was it a latent Ashrali ability?

Looking at the punching bag, she raised her hand. The bag vibrated with energy. Damn, how had she done it? Her memory was a little fuzzy. It had been more instinctual than anything. She focused her power, willing the flames to appear. Nothing happened, not so much as a spark. She tried again and this time the punching bag exploded. There went that workout.

The crackle of energy in the air made her senses tingle and the hunger inside her grew. Her eyes glowed bright silver, just as the door slammed shut. Cate blinked and shook her head, hunger and power ceasing. Jason was home.

Jason stomped into the gym, but she could already feel the waves of anger emanating from him. She wanted to dance with joy, now she could at least sense something from him, if the emotion was strong enough.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Cate gathered the meeting with Seline hadn’t gone well which was unusual. Usually, she was the one that ranted after meetings with the GM while he kept his cool.

“Your fucking grandmother is insufferable!”

Cate smiled. “Tell me something I don’t know. What did she say now?”

Jason’s hands clenched into fists. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Clearly it does. It’s not like her to upset you, so tell me what’s up.” She wiped her face with a towel. “I know she probably lectured you on all the things you should do and not do to help me prepare for the ascension,” she said. “I bet she nagged and tried to get you to convince me to run away and hide until my ascension is over with, right?”

Jason frowned. “How did you know?”

“I’ve heard it all before. She nearly had a heart attack when I told her I was training to be an Enforcer,” Cate replied. “Just ignore her. I’m not doing it and I’m not a coward.”

“Aren’t you afraid?”

“Honestly yes, but I can’t stop the ascension or ignore the fact the Covenant has a bounty on my head and is going to try to stop me from ascending.”

Jason swore again. “You remember last night?”

“Bits of the attack, yes, but I’m not going to run away nor do I want you being my bodyguard.”

“But…”

“The Covenant was bound to come after me sooner or later. Whatever happens we’ll face it.”

“We?”

“Yes, we. You’re going to be with me when I ascend and probably when I have to face Raven too.”

“We don’t know Raven is still alive.”

“She’s alive alright.”

He frowned at her. “How do you know? No one has seen her in over a decade.”

Cate hesitated.

“Cate, what haven’t you told me? If you’ve seen Raven…”

“I haven’t seen her – not physically. It was just a dream.”

“Damn it, why didn’t you tell me?”

Cate put her hands on her hips. “I don’t have to tell you everything,” she snapped. “You’d just go running off to tell my gran.”

“I thought we were past this. I’m not Seline’s fucking spy and I don’t go running off to her every time you break a nail. God, I don’t have to tell you everything I do either,” he said indignantly.

“Right, because you’re such an open book, aren’t you?”

“Maybe you wouldn’t like what you saw, if you knew the person I really am.”

“It was just a stupid dream.”

“Oh yeah, is that why I hear you crying and screaming in the middle of the night?”

“Maybe you should sleep at your own place. Oh wait, you don’t have one.” She turned away from him. “I’m going to shower.”

Jason grabbed hold of her wrist, his eyes suddenly swirling pools of silver as she looked up at him. “What happened?”

“Why would you care?”

“I care, damn it.”

They stared at each other for a moment before she grabbed hold of his shirt and pulled his head down so she could kiss him. Electricity crackled between them as their lips met.

Cate felt both her body and magic come alive. Jason pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her. She reached up and encircled his neck, moulding herself against his hard body.

The kiss felt incredible and the hunger in her deepened. Silver orbs danced around them, as he thrust his tongue inside her mouth. She moaned and ground her hips against his hard erection.

Warm energy rushed through her, but that wasn’t what she needed. Their tongues mated together and she breathed in his familiar scent of leather and sea. He always smelt like the ocean, but she never knew why.

His hands cupped her bottom and lifted her off her feet. Pushing her against the wall, she wrapped her legs around his waist. His lips trailed down her neck as his hand rode up underneath her top and over her breasts. He thrust against her, sending waves of pleasure rolling through her body.

Cate hadn’t felt this kind of intense desire in so long, if ever. “Jason,” she gasped, her hands fisting in his hair as he pulled up her top and took one taut nipple into his mouth, sucking hard.

They ground against each other, separated by only thin layers of clothing.

“Cate – tell me to stop,” he gasped against her lips.

Not bloody likely,
she thought and kissed him again.

A rush of energy suddenly passed between them. Her mind filled with an intense desire that wasn’t her own. It was as if the magic flying around them had opened up a link between their minds. She could feel what he was feeling – at least partially. He wanted her badly; she could practically feel the ache. He needed this just as much as she did.

With a new-found strength, Cate pulled his shirt, ripping the fabric away so she could touch his smooth, warm skin. His body vibrated with energy and she wanted to touch every single inch of him.

They tumbled onto the floor with her landing on top of him. She rode him hard, his tongue claiming her mouth. She was so close to going over the edge and cried out as pleasure exploded inside her, silver orbs swirling all around. Jason gave a shout and she felt his cock jerk against her. Breathing hard, Cate rested her head against his chest for a moment, overwhelmed by the intensity of what had just happened. For one blissful moment she felt closer to him than ever before. Feeling safe in his arms, before it all went to hell.

“Cate? What are you doing?” Jason asked. “What are we doing?” He quickly scrambled up.

Cate stared up at him, feeling as stunned as he looked. What had they been doing? They had almost just had sex and would have done if… Feeling suddenly vulnerable, she quickly pulled her top back down.

“What am I doing? What the hell were
you
doing?”

“I – we – fuck!”

That seemed like the operative word. What the hell had she been thinking? “I would think it was obvious.”

“This is a bloody nightmare!” Jason cursed. “We can’t do this.”

Cate glared at him. “You weren’t saying no a minute ago. Don’t blame this all on me — you’re the one that started it.”

“You kissed me!”

“You kissed me last night in the club.”

“I – that shouldn’t have happened,” he shook his head, breathing hard.

Cate felt just as confused. “You’re right. It must be the ascension,” she said. “Wait, you’re the one that started this. Why did you kiss me? You’re immune to my magic.”

“I don’t know. It won’t happen again.”

“I don’t know what’s going on with us, maybe the ascension is messing with my emotions, but there had to be some feeling there to begin with.”

“It doesn’t matter if it’s the ascension or not. It can never work between us.”

“I know this complicates things, but…”

“I think it’s time for me to move out. I’ve stayed here long enough.”

That hit her like a physical blow. “Why?” she asked and felt a sharp pang of sadness in her chest. “You don’t have to move out. I know things are awkward, but…”

“I have to. I’m here to help you through the ascension, but after that I’m leaving the city,” he wouldn’t meet her gaze as he said it.

“But what about the team? We work well together.” What she really wanted to ask was, “But what about us? What about me?”

“You don’t have to leave because of me,” she added, tears pricked her eyes and her heart ached.

“It’s for the best,” he said and turned away from her.

“I don’t get it,” Cate said to Jade as they sat outside the Riverview cafe.

Jade was going over the case files as data streamed over her tablet computer. “Don’t get what, sweetie?”

Cate’s mind was far from the case. “Jason. One minute he’s all over me and now he wants to move out. He wanted me, I could feel it and then the next second he acts like I completely repulse him.”

Jade gaped at her, dropping her tablet onto the table. “What? You slept with Jason?” She let out a squeal. “Goddess, it’s about bloody time!”

“No, I didn’t sleep with him, stupid!” Cate explained what had happened and how confused she felt.

“I don’t get it either,” Jade agreed. “That bloke is mad about you.”

“I don’t know what to think. He’s my Mavis – my partner. What if I’m just attracted to him because I’m in transition?” She shook her head slightly and frowned.

“Jason is perfect for you. He’s drop dead gorgeous and there isn’t a woman alive who wouldn’t like to have him tied to her bedpost. Including me.”

“You like anything male that breathes.”

“Probably, but I’m telling you, both the witch and the fey in you are tired of being repressed. It’s time you let them out and had some fun.”

“Yeah well, Jason isn’t interested and it would completely ruin things between us — if they aren’t already.”

“He wants you, we both know that.”

“Then why is he trying to avoid me?”

“Maybe he’s worried about ruining your friendship or he’s afraid of what the GM might do to him.”

“No, it’s more than that. He’s hiding something from me, I just can’t figure out what.” Cate took a sip of her latte. “This is one time I wish my powers worked on him.”

“You said you felt something from him earlier?”

“Yeah, we connected on more than just a physical level, but short of jumping him again, which I doubt will work, he’s still a closed book to me.”

“Aren’t all men in general? They don’t always know what they’re feeling. There must be something seriously wrong for him to turn down sex with you.”

“Maybe it’s a good thing. I can’t trust myself around anyone right now.”

“But you can’t hurt Jason and he’s like a never ending battery of energy.”

“When I feed from him I’m usually in control. During sex you lose control, so I could take too much and kill him,” Cate shuddered. “Now you know why I’m picky about men.”

“No, you sleep with men you know you could never fall in love with because you’re afraid of getting hurt.”

“I can’t fall in and out of love as easily as you do.”

“Why? It’s fun,” Jade grinned.

“It’s just not who I am and I’m not interested in finding love.”

“You don’t need to, sweetie. Jason loves you, we can all see it and behind your tough exterior I think you love him too. He’s the only guy you ever let get close to you, probably because it’s the first guy you ever took notice of.”

“That’s not true, he made that clear. I just need to find a way to break down his barriers and find out what he’s hiding. Without any kind of magical help.”

“What’s the point of having magic if you can’t use it?”

“I can’t use magic for every little problem. I want him to tell me what his secret is. Sometimes I wonder if I really know him at all.”

“But you love him, right?”

“I love him, but I don’t know if I’m
in
love with him.”

“You should let someone in. I know you’re scared because you think no one could ever love you for what you are but…”

Cate’s senses suddenly went on alert, warning her of danger. She glanced around the different races of Magickind going about their daily lives: Elves; Dwarves; Centaurs; Fairies; Witches; Elementals; Werewolves; and various kinds of Fey. A few people sent glances their way; even though her amulet was concealed underneath her leather jacket most people knew who she was. But no one came running at her with a knife or had any kind of weapon pointed at her.

Jade saw her tense and her narrowed eyes swept the room.
I don’t sense anything. Do you?

I don’t…
Movement caught her eye as a fireball came flying out of nowhere. Cate raised her hand and it bounced off her palm. People started screaming and ducking under tables, others ran in all directions.

Cate looked up at the demon. “Seriously? You’re attacking me in public now?”

The one place she hadn’t expected to be attacked was out in broad daylight surrounded by people. Clearly Jason’s message hadn’t done much good.

“Cate!” Jade hissed. “Just kill the bugger before someone gets hurt.”

“Come here, Denai bitch!” The demon gave her a fanged smile.

“The correct term is Denai witch,” she amended. “Now I’m not in a good mood, so why don’t you leave whilst you still have the chance?”

“What’s the matter? Is the little witch afraid to fight me?”

Cate rolled her eyes and smirked. “No, I’m just worried you’ll leave a mark after I vanquish you.” She flicked her wrist, unleashing her magic. A shop window exploded spraying shards of glass everywhere. This was the uncontrollable part of the transition.

Bugger,
she thought and ducked to avoid the next fireball.

I can take him,
Jade told her.

No, I can vanquish one lousy demon,
Cate gritted her teeth and raised her hand again. The whole front of the shop exploded, causing more people to run away screaming.

Come on!
she thought.
People are going to think I’m a walking disaster and a danger to them. The last thing we need is mass hysteria on our hands.

“Maybe it’s not such a good idea to use your kinesis!” said Jade, looking worried.

Fine by her. Leaping to her feet, Cate spun into a round house kick, booting the demon squarely in the chest so he staggered back, and then she punched him in the face. Pain exploded over her knuckles, but the feeling invigorated her. Her magic burned beneath the surface as the demon raised his hand to strike her. Her eyes glowed bright silver and the demon screamed as his body was blown apart, burning away in a flash of flame.

Two more males suddenly appeared, A demon and a fire Elemental; from their energy signatures Cate could tell they were much more powerful than the idiot she’d just vanquished. Good, this was the kind of workout she needed.

“The Covenant must really want me badly,” Cate grinned. “Oh well, more fun for me.” She raised her hand, blasting the demon, making him stagger back.

The Elemental shot a stream of fire straight at her. Using her kinesis, Cate deflected the flames which exploded in all directions. Heat burned against her skin, the smell of sulphur in the air as the demon fired an energy ball at her.

Cate blasted again as she tried to summon the silver fire. Any other Enforcer would have cast a spell trap and tried to contain the situation, but instinct had taken over and she wasn’t about to give up this fight so easily.

Jade was on her feet, kicking the demon out of the way. The Elemental sent another stream of fire shooting towards Cate. She let the energy wash over her as the flames struck. It only made her stronger. Narrowing her eyes, the flames were redirected at the demon, instantly incinerating him. The explosion rebounded, knocking Jade to the ground.

Cate charged forward grabbing the Elemental by his throat, her touch rendering him powerless. “Tell Raven if she wants me, she should come and get me herself.” Her eyes turned black as she unleashed the dark side of her power. Energy pulsed through the air like soundless thunder as it took hold. The Elemental’s eyes turned black and he began to choke as smoke streamed from his eyes, nose and mouth.

“No!” Strong arms suddenly grabbed Cate, pulling her back and away from her victim. The Elemental fell to his knees, struggling to breathe.

“No!” Cate cried, trying to grab hold of him again. Energy pulsed through the air around them, time freezing in place as Jason held her. She sagged against him, strength seeping away. Gripping his wrist, Cate tried to draw his on energy. Warmth flooded through her, quickly replaced by hot anger.

Pulling free of Jason’s grasp, she spun to face him. “What the hell did you do that for?”

“You’re joking, right?” Jason asked. “You just blew up two demons and almost killed an Elemental with half a dozen innocents around. You can’t just go around killing in an unprovoked attack.”

“Unprovoked? They attacked me!”

“You could have fought them off and cast a circle to contain them, whilst you assessed the situation. That’s what an Enforcer is supposed to do.”

“The Covenant wants me dead! Do you just expect me to stand back and let them kill me?”

“No, I expect you to act like an Enforcer and a Denai.”

“Both a Denai and an Enforcer would defend themselves.”

“There are rules, Cate. You can’t just go around vanquishing people.”

“Oh, you mean the way you did last night?”

“That was different, I didn’t do that when there were people around to get caught in the crossfire,” said Jason. “Maybe Seline is right. Perhaps you should go away for a while. You’re out of control.”

“I’m in control, maybe you’re the one that should leave. I don’t want you to be my Mavis anymore.”

“Fine by me.”

“Fine! It’s a damn good thing I never gave into my insanity and had sex with you. It would have been the biggest mistake of my life.” Cate turned and stormed off.

Dressed in dark blue robes, Cate joined the rest of her coven at the Goddess Temple. Having been on suspended duty all week since the incident at the cafe and spending most of that time studying and preparing for the ascension, it was nice to be out of the house for a while.

The other thirty-eight members of the coven all stood around, dressed in their silver, green, and pale blue robes. Only the Grand Mistress and her Second wore dark blue to show the rank of the High Priestess.

“Hi sweetie,” Jade hugged her as she walked in.

Cate smiled and hugged her back. “Hi.”

“Still going stir crazy?”

Cate nodded and laughed. Being around other witches always made her feel better. She felt the familiar buzz of thoughts and emotions in the air, but it was much fainter than with other Magickind. She couldn’t help but feel self-conscious as the others stared at her. She was the Second now, although she thought Seline was probably regretting that decision.

The temple was circular with large columns all around. Three beautiful stained glass windows bathed the walls in a riot of colour. One was circular-shaped, depicting the seven-pointed Denai star, the second was of a beautiful blonde-haired woman — Denai, their mother Goddess. The other was of three equally beautiful women, Denai’s daughters. The Triumvirate had created the three witch clans, which consisted of: the McCrays; telepaths and empaths, the O’Connors; seers and conduits, and the Donovans; mediums and necromancers. The McCrays were descended from the elder sister, Ellora, the first Grand Mistress.

“Nice of you to attend,” Seline murmured and motioned for Cate to follow. “I want a word before the circle begins.”

Cate followed her grandmother into the private antechamber.
Now what?

“You can’t go to a circle in your condition.” Seline closed the door behind them.

Cate frowned. “What condition?”

“You look pale. When was the last time you fed?”

“A couple of days ago. Why?”

“You need to maintain your energy levels. Marina said you could barely keep your eyes open when she visited you today.”

“I’m tired. It’s just stress.” That and more bad dreams.

“That useless Talbot is supposed to…”

“He moved out.”

“Why?”

“I thought you’d be thrilled. You said we were too close.”

Seline’s eyes narrowed. “What happened?”

Cate folded her arms across her chest. “Not everything is your business.”

“
You
are my business!”

“When my ascension is over I’m leaving. I’m going to Elaris to spend time with my dad.”

“Your place is here, you have responsibilities.”

“Mum lived in Elaris and still fulfilled her Denai duties. Why can’t I?”

“Yes, and look where that got her. Why are we discussing Ceri? Has she contacted you?”

“No. Why would she?”

“Good, because she abandoned you. She has no place in your life anymore.”

“Gran, she’s been gone for more than half my life. What makes you think she would bother coming back now?”

“Never mind that. Just resolve your issues with Talbot. You don’t have to like your Mavis, just take what you need from him,” said Seline. “Now, I must prepare the circle. Be quick.” Seline turned and swept out of the room, robes billowing behind her.

Cate groaned. She really didn’t want to see Jason, but she was starving. “Jason?” she called. She waited, knowing he was probably hovering somewhere nearby. “Talbot, get your arse over here!”