Irresistible Magic (6 page)

“Mom, I—”

“No excuses. I know you probably have a million reasons why you kept me in the dark, but I don’t want to hear them. You’re in danger and I’m here to make sure you’re protected.” Her tears had dried and she wore her mom face.

“No excuses,” I said weakly. “I’m sorry.”

Mom, being Mom, smiled at me and seemed to let go of all her anger right there. She never was one for grudges unless the person in question had hurt one of her loved ones. “I know, sweetheart. You had a lot happen in a short period of time. I’m sure you’re still processing.”

I nodded and glanced at David. “You could say that. But why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I would’ve picked you up at the airport. Cleared my schedule. You know, all those things normal people do.”

Her pale, ice-blue wings, identical to mine, flexed. She cast a nervous glance at David. “Does she know?”

He shook his head. “Not yet. We were waiting for you.”

“Mom?” What could possibly be so terrible she’d flown two thousand miles to tell me in person…and why did David know before I did? Damn them! They were all keeping things from me again. Then fear took over. What if something had gone terribly wrong? “Is it Carrie? Or Beau Junior? Did something happen to them?” Carrie had been my brother’s fiancée, and unbeknownst to us, she’d been pregnant at the time of his death. Allcot had been protecting her and my nephew for the past four years from the vampire Asher. If Asher found out about Beau Junior’s existence, his life would be very much on the line.

Asher was a human-loving, religious zealot of a vampire who’d made it his mission in life to track down and kill the first males of my bloodline—the ones who had the power to sense vampires and turn them into daywalkers. His sole reason was to prevent humans from being at an even bigger disadvantage. If vampires could daywalk, they would be more powerful than ever.

Mom’s eyes filled with tears again, and my heart almost stopped. I took a deep breath and braced myself.

“I saw Beau today,” she whispered. “He looks exactly like your brother.”

The nausea that had taken up residence in my gut vanished. It was the first time she’d seen her grandson. I couldn’t imagine what that must have been like for her.

As my twin, Beau’s loss would never leave me, never get easier. He was my other half, the one who’d protected me, made me laugh when I was sad, and always pushed me to be better when working my spells. He’d challenged me in a way no one else could, always confident I could come up with a kickass version of whatever concoction I was working on at the time. Meeting Beau Junior had stitched back together a small piece of my heart that would always ache for my brother. I hoped Mom had experienced something similar.

“He’s okay then?” I glanced around at David, but he was busy watching Mom with fascination. I settled my gaze on her.

“He’s perfect,” Mom said.

Thank the gods for that. “And Carrie? Is she okay?”

Mom’s eyes clouded over with fear, which was then replaced by a hardness I rarely saw in her.

My heart skipped a beat and a tremor snaked down my spine. “What is it?”

Mom sucked in a steadying breath. “Sorry,” she forced out.

I grabbed her hands and squeezed. Whatever had happened, I needed her to just say it. Otherwise I was going to jump right out of my skin. My wings vibrated with barely contained terror and a dark desire to unleash revenge on anyone who dared cause Carrie harm. Starting with Allcot. He was supposed to be protecting her, dammit! “Mom?”

“She’s fine,” David said from behind me and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder.

I jerked away and cast him a death glare, angry with his comfortable and familiar touch. “Don’t do that.”

He held his hands up in front of him. “Sorry. Habit.”

“Break it,” I snapped. Not tonight. He wasn’t allowed to touch me as if we meant something to each other. We didn’t. Or shouldn’t. And I didn’t want to. Tonight was supposed to be about Talisen and me. But if something had happened to Carrie…

“She was attacked on her way to the dentist this morning.” Mom sank into one of the pristine white chairs as if it was suddenly too hard to stay upright. “He was a human, but he all but knocked out her bodyguard before he disappeared.”

Bodyguard? I knew Allcot was keeping an eye on her and letting her live in a luxury apartment above his club, but I had no idea she had a personal bodyguard. I’d assumed she rarely went out. “This morning? In the sunlight?”

Mom’s brows furrowed. “Yes. Why?”

I shrugged. David was a daywalking vampire now. Sure, I’d made him that way, but a few weeks ago I believed such a thing wasn’t possible. Now I wasn’t so sure what else was out there. What the possibilities could be. Allcot’s hired guns were giants. I mean, if actual giants existed, they were the types of dudes I’d expect to be part of that race. Always over six foot tall, with enough bulk and training to take down five average men. Usually only vampires could beat them in hand-to-hand combat. “How did one random dude get the jump on Carrie’s bodyguard?”

I glanced at David. He raised both his eyebrows and gave me a look, clearly waiting for me to make the connection.

Hello, lightbulb.

The attacker wasn’t another supernatural—he just worked for one. Another vamp. Allcot was hardly the only vampire with hired guns. “It was one of Asher’s people, wasn’t it?”

“It had to be,” David said and Mom nodded.

I clutched at my throat, horrified. “What happened?”

“She was leaving the dentist’s office when a man jumped her. After her bodyguard barely managed to fend him off, the asshole sped off in a white SUV.” A fierceness settled over Mom’s features. I hadn’t seen her with this much fire since before Beau died. She’d become a shadow of herself after we’d found him lifeless in her lavender fields. Now she was the strong, determined single mother I remembered from my youth. The one who’d fearlessly raised two kids on her own, without help from anyone, at the tender age of twenty-two. And had done a damn fine job. No question about it. Beau and I had enjoyed a safe, happy, loving household, and while we hadn’t had luxuries, we’d had each other and had never gone hungry.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, something broke free inside me and fluttered with joy. I’d lost my brother and my mom that fateful day. Now she was back.

“It’s almost exactly what happened to you today,” David said, his voice full of anger.

Mom’s frown deepened. “What?”

I sighed and rubbed my forehead. My wings fluttered a bit, lifting me off the ground. I forced myself to settle down. Both of them knew what the fluttering meant. I was nervous and unsure of what to say.

“Willow.” Mom placed her balled fists on her hips and raised her chin. “Tell me what happened right this moment.”

Shit. This wasn’t the conversation I wanted to have in front of David. He wouldn’t let me sugarcoat anything. Not with my life on the line. “A human tried to abduct me, as well, today. Phoebe stopped him. He’s currently in lockup at the Void while they try to pump him for information.”

“He won’t talk,” David said matter-of-factly.

“You don’t know that.” I glared at him and wished with everything I had he’d just go away. How was I going to reassure Mom I’d be fine if he kept this shit up?

“You have to come home,” Mom said, her eyes narrowed in determination. “You’re not safe here.”

My chest started to ache. Mom had never wanted me to leave Eureka, the coastal town on the northern California coast I’d grown up in. It was a fae’s dreamland. Lots of trees and the ocean right there, both of which were vitalizing. But after my twin’s death, I couldn’t breathe there. I’d had to get out. I’d moved to New Orleans two months later to live with my best friend, Phoebe. Six months later I’d opened my shop, The Fated Cupcake.

“I can’t, Mom. You know that. What about my shop? Besides, the people who are after me already know where I’m from. Going back won’t help.”

“But I’ll be there. And all the fae community. You know they’ll all band together to keep you safe.”

Like they’d kept Beau safe? I buried the thought. No one had known he’d been in danger. Even if they had, a master vampire had been after him. He would’ve found a way to get to Beau. Just like he’d find a way to get to me if he wanted. I’d be a fool to leave Allcot’s protection. The only way to fight a master vampire is with another master vampire.

Before I could express those thoughts, David jumped in, “She’s far safer here with Father and me to protect her than anywhere else in the world. It’s the same with Carrie and Little Beau. I think you know that, Bry.”

Bry? He was calling my mother by her nickname. What the…?

Mom put a soft hand on his forearm. “You’re right. Of course you are. It’s just a mother’s nature to protect her only child.” Her voice broke on the word
only
. The ache in my gut widened.

“And I have to be here to protect Little Beau,” I said softly. If I ran away from this problem and anything happened to my only nephew, I’d never forgive myself.

Mom glanced at David with a calculating look, and I knew what she was thinking. Beau was our flesh and blood. She wanted Carrie to bring him back home to her. New Orleans was a terrible place for a boy who had faery blood. He needed woods and trees and Fae School to learn his skills. “He shouldn’t be growing up around vampires.” Mom’s tone was cold and full of judgment as she stared pointedly at David. “Look at what happened to you.”

Oh, holy fae. She had a point. And dammit, the thought made my blood run cold. David had asked to be turned not too long ago. As Allcot’s adopted son, there was no question he’d be turned if he wanted to be. Normally fae couldn’t be turned into vamps, but Beau was half-fae and half-witch. He could be turned and would be a powerful vamp if he chose that life. Like it or not, Beau Junior was related to Allcot. Sort of. Carrie was cousins with Allcot’s consort. Beau wouldn’t be rejected.

“Ms. Rhoswen, with respect, my life choices are mine and mine alone,” David said. “I have my reasons for choosing this path. I assure you they are not what you think.”

She took a step toward him, fire in her hazel gaze. “It doesn’t really matter what your reasons are, does it? Being a part of Allcot’s family pretty much lays the groundwork for an immortal life. Even if you feel you chose it, I can assure you that turning vampire was a foregone conclusion.”

David never broke eye contact with my mother. “Everyone thinks they know my life, but I’m the only one who knows the truth.”

Mom held her ground, but then after a moment she stepped back with a nod. “Fair enough. But you can’t deny my nephew shouldn’t be exposed to this world.”

“I—” David started.

“Actually, he should be,” I interjected and turned toward Mom. “If he has the same powers I inherited from Beau, he’s going to need to understand the vamp world. Not only so he’ll understand what his power means, but also to understand the politics of it all. I’m not saying you did anything wrong with raising Beau and me. But I can’t help but think if he’d known anything about the vamp world, maybe he would have been prepared when they came for him.”

Mom’s mouth opened in a shocked O. “You have to understand, I was trying to protect you. It’s not as if I didn’t want to tell you about your father’s abilities.”

She’d known.
All those years, she’d known about Dad’s ability and that Beau would inherit his gifts. She’d known why they both were killed and had left me in the dark.

“Mom?” The word came out sharper, more accusatory than I’d meant. But I couldn’t stop myself. Anger was boiling in my gut, rising to the surface. She’d lied to us, and no matter what her rationale was, she’d put Beau in danger by keeping the information to herself.

She brought her hand up, cupping her cheek as if I’d physically slapped her. Then she crossed her arms over her chest defensively. “It was best to keep Beau out of the line of fire, and that’s what I did. There was no indication any vampires even knew where we were. Up until that point, we’d never known a single day of fear. You can’t ask for more than that.”

I opened my mouth to argue but clamped it shut before I said something I’d regret. Then in a quiet, controlled voice, I asked, “How about honesty? Or a chance for Beau to protect himself?”

Her face crumpled into a pool of pain and guilt. “I should have told you. Your father didn’t know about his ability. I found out years later when I was researching your family history.” She swallowed. “He had a happy life. I wanted that for Beau. I moved us to a place where vampires don’t go. I thought.” Her voice cracked on the word
thought,
and she cleared her throat. “I thought we’d fly under the radar. That I’d have time to tell you both. But there weren’t any warnings. After Beau’s death, I couldn’t bring myself to tell you because you had enough to deal with.”

Righteous outrage seized me. I’d spent the last four years agonizing about what had happened to Beau, and she’d never said anything. Not once had she hinted she had a clue. How could she keep something like this from me? By not telling me, she’d put me in danger as well, though she had no way of knowing I’d inherit Beau’s gifts. No one did. I cast David a death glare. He’d done the exact same thing. He’d known the whole time we’d been dating. The betrayal I’d worked so hard to overcome after I’d found out came roaring back.