Intoxicating Magic (3 page)

It took me a moment to notice her body had gone completely still. And when a terrified cry erupted from the audience, I scrambled back on all fours, desperate to fade into the shadows. Holy shit. Had I really just done that in front of a room full of witnesses? The director was going to kill me. Not literally, most likely, but the notion wasn’t outside of reality.

Purple Leotard grabbed me roughly by the shoulder and yanked me up. My feet dangled for just a moment until he dropped me. I was too stunned to remember to use my wings, and my ankle turned when my feet hit the ground, causing me to reach out and grab onto the emcee. He was cold as ice. Vampire cold.

My eyes widened as I gasped. Another one? I hadn’t felt his energy either. Was my ability broken? In pure panic, I yanked on his energy, bracing for the hellfire to come.

Only it didn’t. He wasn’t a vampire at all. The sweet rush of faery energy cooled the raw destruction caused by my attack on Victoria. My body craved the relief, reveled in it as my fingers clutched tighter.

“No!” I cried, ripping my hands from him and flinging myself backward as he crumpled to the floor. Pain shot through my knee when it connected with the edge of the piano. Unable to catch myself, I crumpled to the ground, horror filling me, my body shaking with fear.
What had I done?
I’d stolen the energy of a fae, a rare skinwalker who could morph into any living… or undead… form he wanted to.

It was the worst kind of intrusion. Utterly unforgiveable. It didn’t matter that I’d thought he was a vampire. I shouldn’t have been doing that either. Not according to our unspoken laws, anyway. But I’d done it before and I’d do it again if I needed to protect myself.

The crowd was on its feet now, worry filling their expressions as a handful climbed the stage to help Victoria.

The fae lay next to me unconscious, his face pale. I crawled to him, tears streaming down my cheeks. If he died, I’d never forgive myself, would welcome the punishment the Arcane would shackle me with. Sprawled next to him, I placed my hand over his heart and closed my eyes, settling myself. After blocking out the noise of the club, I let my magic flow, pumping his energy and mine back into him.

My stomach turned and my head spun with the effort. But I wouldn’t give in until I saw his chest rise and his eyes open.

His body heated under my hand, thawing the ice-cold shell he’d been cloaked in.

“Come on,” I whispered, sweat now prickling my neck. “Wake up. I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

There was chaos swirling around us, but I heard none of it. My entire focus was on this odd fae in his ridiculous purple leotard as I fought to save his life.

A rush of static filled my ears and a hollow pit took up residence in my chest. I was near the end. I couldn’t keep going. Not if I wanted to survive. If I’d taken this fae’s life, it was only right that I give mine for his. But if there was one thing I’d learned over the past year, it was that the will to live is a lot stronger than anyone’s moral compass. Even mine.

I moved to yank my hand back, but the fae jerked and in the next instant, he had an iron grip around my wrist, keeping my hold on him. A gasp ripped from my throat as I tried in vain to recoil.

His green eyes blazed up at me, fire raging in his demented gaze. “You’re not going anywhere, Willow Rhoswen.”

“Let her go,” Phoebe said from behind me, her tone low and dangerous.

The fae jumped to his feet, dragging me with him. “I don’t think so.”

“I’m so sorry,” I cried. “I didn’t know. I’d never do that to a fae. Never.” I tried to reason with him. “You’d taken on a vampire form. I was only trying to defend myself. If I’d known—”

His face morphed into a dangerous scowl. “Shut up.”

Well, that pissed me off.

“You’re not going anywhere until you fix whatever the fuck you did to Victoria.” His eyes cut to the unconscious vampire still sprawled on the floor.

Anger burned deep in my gut. He was working with her. I’d automatically assumed he’d been undercover or something. But no, this fae was my enemy. Suddenly I didn’t feel so bad for draining him, even if the very idea still made me sick to my stomach. “Put me down. Now, fae. Or else I’m going to tell the witch to unleash everything she’s got.”

“I said to shut up,” he growled, shaking me again. “I’m not afraid of you or your witch.” His eyes unfocused and a second later, he morphed into the marbled form of a vampire once more.

“Idiot,” Phoebe said. Raising her hand, she unleashed a blinding ray of sunlight at the fae and me. He crumpled to the ground, taking me with him.

Pain rocketed through my kneecaps as I slammed into the stage once more. His petrified hand was still clutching my neck, forcing me forward. “Son of a… dammit.” Clutching at his fingers, I finally pried a few open far enough that I was able to slip from his grasp. Rubbing my neck, I glanced up at Phoebe, grateful she’d shown up when she had. “Thanks for that.”

“Anytime. Now let’s get the eff out of here before we’re blindsided by any other surprises.”

I scrambled to my feet. “What about Victoria?” She was a vamp. We couldn’t leave her where she was. What if she woke up?

Phoebe aimed her agate at the vampire and flashed a ray of magic, ensuring Victoria would stay unconscious for hours. There was a loud gasp, followed by murmurs of confusion. The spectators milled about, asking each other what had happened. They were all disoriented. The spell had finally broken.

“Done,” Phoebe said. “Now the cleanup crew can take care of her. Let’s go before anyone from the Arcane sees you here. If they find out what just went down, you’re in for another round of testing.”

I shuddered. She was probably right. The fact that I couldn’t sense Victoria and hadn’t turned her would be very interesting to the director.

“Did you ever find the other vampire?” I asked as I followed her. There had been at least one more. The one I’d felt.

“He slipped out just as the show started. I got a picture, though. We’ll find him in the Arcane’s database.” She shuffled me out of the side entrance, tapping away at her phone.

“Wait.” I slipped loose of her hold. “I need to find Link.” He was still in there. Before she could answer, I was through the door and skirting the edges of the club. I wasn’t going to leave without my dog. The patrons were still wandering around, some leaving, some rubbernecking the scene on the stage.

I was halfway to our table when I stopped dead in my tracks as my gaze landed on David. My ex. The vampire I’d turned into a daywalker and the one I’d come to trust almost enough to consider dating again. But why was he leaning against the wall, his arms folded over his chest and ankles crossed as if he was a casual observer? Had he been there the entire time? And done nothing?

Our gazes met. For just a second, I saw alarm flash through those deep, sapphire-blue eyes. What was that about? Maybe he didn’t want me caught up in any more Arcane business, either. He’d know they were on their way to clean up this mess.

David pushed away from the wall, heading straight toward me. My body tensed with undeniable attraction. I hadn’t seen him in over a week. And whoa if he didn’t look more gorgeous than ever. Tall, sculpted vampire build, dark hair, and bronzed skin from the sun. I wasn’t supposed to be attracted to a vampire, let alone date one. Not as a fae. But I’d been flirting with the idea for weeks now. Ever since Talisen Kavanagh, my best friend and almost-boyfriend, had left me to go back to California. David wasn’t perfect, but he’d been by my side the past few months, making sure I was safe and protected from the Arcane and other powerful entities who’d do whatever it took to get a piece of me. He’d made me feel safe, cared for.

“Wil…” He hesitated.

I frowned. He didn’t seem worried. He seemed wary or even guilty. “What is it?”

He averted his gaze, focusing on nothing. Definitely guilty.

“David?” I asked, not entirely sure I wanted to know what was going on. It wasn’t as if we were dating. So if he’d been with another woman, it really wasn’t any of my business. The thought made me ill, though. “How long have you been standing there?” I tried to distract myself from the thoughts swirling in my head.

His expression went blank and his jaw worked for a moment, but he didn’t actually speak.

“David?”

“I arrived just as you and Phoebe entered the club. I’ve been here the entire time.” He glanced at the stage.

I took in his nervous body language, the way he was having trouble looking me in the eye, and then placed my hands on my hips. “I’m guessing by your behavior that you weren’t spelled like the rest of the club?”

This time he did meet my penetrating gaze. “No.”

I had to give credit where credit was due. At least he wasn’t lying. Still, that didn’t stop the bile from rising in my throat as my head started to pound with frustration. “So you just stood there and let that vamp attack me? The entire club was her puppet, including Link and Phoebe, and you left me to my own devices?”

“Wil,” he said again, reaching out to take my hand.

I pulled it away and took a step back, my chest feeling like it was going to burst wide open from my thundering heart. “Just don’t, David. I can’t imagine what your excuse is for letting a vampire almost tear my neck open while you did absolutely nothing to stop it.”

“I’m sorry.” His eyes softened and his face took on a tortured look, the one he wore when he was being forced to do something he didn’t want to.

And then I knew this had something to do with his father. Eadric Allcot went out of his way to protect my family and me, but he was also a cold bastard who would do whatever was necessary to remain the most powerful vampire in New Orleans. “What did he order you to do this time?”

David’s lips formed a thin line as he took a deep breath. “You don’t understand.”

“I think I do. You stood there and watched Victoria try to destroy me without so much as moving a muscle. But I know you well enough to know that you’d never let that happen. So I’m guessing you had orders to let her. And you followed them. Am I close?”

He ran a hand through his thick hair and blew out a long breath.

That action told me everything I needed to know. “Forget it.” I turned my back to him.

“Wait,” he said, clasping his grip over my wrist and twisting me to face him. It wasn’t aggressive, but nonetheless, Link leaped out of nowhere, snarling and snapping at David.

“You’d better let go,” I said evenly, acutely aware the only reason Link hadn’t torn into him already was because David and I had history.

David glanced at my wolf briefly and then slowly pulled his hand away. “Sorry,” he said to Link.

My wolf growled. I placed a light hand on his head, soothing him. Then I gave David a flat stare.

He closed his eyes for a moment, resigned to the fact that he was in deep shit.

I didn’t wait for him to open his eyes again. I was too damned tired of waiting around for the men in my life to explain their actions. Instead, I turned silently on my heel and left the building, Link at my side.

Chapter 3

I’d known David would show up sooner or later. I just hadn’t expected to see him a mere ten minutes after Phoebe and I walked through our front door.

He stood on the front porch of my Greek Revival home, trying to talk Phoebe into letting him inside. I mirrored the stance he’d taken in the club, my arms folded over my chest and feet crossed at the ankle as I leaned against the living room wall.

“You’ve lost your freakin’ mind,” Phoebe said without any heat. There was no love lost between the two, but she’d stopped actively hating him when he volunteered himself for the Arcane testing. They’d turned me into a lab rat, studying everything from how I changed vamps into daywalkers to what effect they had on me after the change. It had been unpleasant to say the least.

I was more than grateful he’d been with me. He’d stepped in when the testing went too far and had taken care of me on the nights I’d had trouble driving due to the pain. I’d come to rely on him again, and that’s what made this whole situation that much more unbearable.

“We had to know what the vampire could do,” I heard David say. “I swear to God, I was there, ready to engage had Victoria gone too far.”

Phoebe snorted. “Really? You didn’t think almost biting Willow wasn’t too far? You didn’t think that Willow having to drain Victoria in front of witnesses wasn’t too far? You vamps have a fucked-up sense of what too far really means.”

I couldn’t see David, but I imagined him wincing at her words. He couldn’t argue with her assessment. Allcot and his ilk did have a distorted view of reality. But the fact he’d said they had to know what Victoria could do meant they knew about her and had been watching her. What else did they know? “Phoebs, let him in,” I said.

She glanced back at me, one perfectly shaped eyebrow raised in question. “You sure?”

I nodded. “He apparently has information. And I want it.”

She pursed her lips. “Yeah, okay.”

The door swung open as Phoebe stepped back. She waved a hand in my direction. “If it were up to me, I would’ve fed you a Truth Cluster first,” she said to David, her lips curling into an evil smile. “Then I would’ve kicked you in the nuts just for good measure.”