My eyebrows flick upward. “You’re telling me. Whoever this group is, they’re smart, organized, and have a level of magic at their disposal that’s keeping my abilities at bay.”
“What happened to you back there?” Dan asks.
I shrug. “I’m not entirely sure. One minute I was fine, the next minute—”
“Elira can control and interfere with sound waves. That’s her power,” Jonas says, his voice barely a whisper.
“Elira?” I say, turning to him.
He nods. “I heard one of the others call her that before everything got super nuts.”
I glance around the room. “Well, at least now we have a name.”
“So, if sound waves can knock you offline, how does that work?” Dan asks, standing up straighter.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” I say, eyeing Jonas again.
His dark brown eyes sparkle with knowing. “Brain waves can be disrupted with the right frequencies. She just manipulates that to her advantage. She can blanket it, or she can focus it like a laser.”
Blake scoffs. “If she could have blanketed the room, why didn’t she? She could have taken us all out and gotten away before we knew what hit us.”
Jonas shakes his head, locking eyes with me. “She had to take out the biggest threat.”
“How did she know I was a threat?” I ask.
“Anyone with a hint of ability can sense the power rolling off you,” Jonas says, shooting me a knowing look that only a teenager can pull off. “Taking you down took everything she had, though. Her power isn’t unlimited. Using it weakens her. It’s why he was able to take her out.” Jonas points at Blake.
“So, what do we know for certain?” Kyros asks, stepping out and raising an index finger to the sky. His gray hair is frayed and his eyes wild. “We know whoever is behind this evening’s attack is supernatural in nature. They have mercenaries that can take out Amar—Diana. And they are organized enough to at least get past her defenses.”
“We also know they’re after Jonas,” I add.
“Who’s this guy?” Dan asks, finally letting his curiosity get the better of him.
“He’s with us,” I say, swishing my thumb in the air between myself and Blake.
As if that makes total sense, Dan’s eyebrows skirt his hairline and he nods. He knows better than to ask too many questions where I’m concerned.
Kyros puffs up his chest. “Indeed, Amar—Diana is in my charge. I was resurrected to keep her in line.”
The detective’s eyes widen further as he glances from Kyros back to me.
I shrug.
“Glad we cleared all that shit up. But how about we get around to what the hell you’re all doing in my house?” Demetri says, walking over to the fridge. He gestures to Dan to get out of the way as he opens it up and grabs himself a beer.
Kyros tsks.
“I already told you. They need somewhere safe to lay low. You are the only one I know that has enough wards set up to keep them shrouded from these people,” I say, agitated that he’d have the audacity to challenge my intuition. He should know better than that.
“Yeah, well, those days are gone. Non-magical here, remember?” he says, pointing at himself with his free hand as he takes another sip of beer.
“Bullshit. You and I both know wards have nothing to do with being magical. Anyone with the right tools and words can set up wards,” I spit. “Stop feeling so damn sorry for yourself. It doesn’t suit you.”
Dan’s lips press into a thin line and he takes a step back, diverting his gaze to the floor.
“Yeah, well, it doesn’t mean I need to take on house guests. What if I just wanna wallow in peace without a judgmental crew looking over my shoulder?”
“We don’t mean to be any trouble—” Miriam begins.
Demetri’s gaze floats over to her, then drops to Jonas. Something flickers across his face, and if you didn’t know Demetri, it would have seemed like a sneer. But I know better. It was the micro-expression of a man fighting with himself.
Eh, may as well twist the knife a bit.
“Demetri, if you turn them away, how will you feel when you find out something terrible happened to this boy?” I say, dropping Blake’s hand to step into the middle of the room and point at Jonas.
Demetri never married and never had kids. It’s part of what drew the two of us together. And just like me, he’s always had a soft spot for the vulnerable. If there was one thing he couldn’t abide by, it was exactly this sort of thing.
For a moment, he stares at me with his lips pressed tight.
“Fuck.” He takes a big drag off the bottle, shaking off the after-taste. “Fine. They can stay.”
“Thank you, Demetri. It’s only until we catch who’s doing this,” I say, as relief rushes over me. In the back of my mind, a surge of energy blossoms, like some sort of energetic flower.
I may not understand it fully, but I’m on the right path. I can feel it.
“But you’re going to need to help me fortify the wards. I haven’t been keeping them up since—” He glances from me to Blake. “Since shit went sideways.”
Blake shoots me a confused look and I hold up a hand, shaking my head. We don’t have time to go into that right now. I’ll explain it all to him when the time is right.
“Fine, let’s get the wards up,” I say, walking out of the room and down the hallway.
“Can we order pizza now?” Jonas asks.
“Oh, yes. Pizza would, indeed, be appreciated,” Kyros says.
I roll my eyes.
Demetri rushes out of the kitchen after me. He tries to get past me, but I keep moving forward without adjusting my pace. “Hold on, let me just—”
Without waiting for him, I flick on the light in the living room, revealing a mess of bottles and blankets. An attempt had been made to straighten up, however. Newspapers were slightly stacked and there was an overflowing garbage bin in the corner.
“Housekeeper quit?” I chuckle.
“Something like that,” he mumbles. “Come on, let’s just get this damn thing over with. I assume you want to get on with your evening.”
I pull up short, twisting to look him in the eye. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He squares up to me. “Well, you’re clearly here with that Blake guy. There’s a lot of we’s and us’s being thrown around.”
“First of all, I don’t know how any of that matters,” I say, placing a hand on my hip and channeling Ren.
He raises his hands. “Oh, far be it from me to assume that a friend should tell another friend that they’re dating someone new.”
“Oh, right… Like you told me about the woman who answered the phone when I called you last month?” I retort.
He flinches. “Yeah, well…she and I weren’t a thing. Not really.”
“Sure,” I say, walking over to the hutch in the far right corner where he keeps all of his magical supplies. I fling back the doors to find the whole thing in shambles. Bottles are tipped over, items are shoved in weird places and at odd angles. Some of the items are even broken or snapped in half. I turn to face him.
He shrugs in response.
“You’re a two-year-old. You know that, right?” I mutter, turning back to the mess. Digging through the chaos, I pluck out the items we need to get this ball rolling. Between the two of us, there isn’t much we need, but sage, sweetgrass, and salt will amplify our intentions nicely. Plus, it should give Demetri something more to focus on than his lack of psychic abilities.
“I’m gonna head out, guys,” Dan says from the living room doorway. He grimaces slightly at the mess but doesn’t say a word about it. “I want to get eyes on the Fletcher’s house and see if that Elira chick is still there. I’ve called in backup, but I want to meet them.”
“Be extremely careful, if she is,” I warn.
“Understood,” he says. Tipping his chin to both of us, he lets himself out.
Demetri drops down opposite me as I set everythi
ng down on the coffee table. He removes the bottles and wipes back the dust with the back of his sleeve. “So, are you gonna at least explain the guy?”
I sigh. “There’s a lot to explain, but do you really think right now is the best time?”
Again, he shrugs. “Won’t know unless you try, will we?”
I shoot him a look of annoyance. He’s not going to let it go.
“Fine. His name is Blake Wilson and he’s the PI from that case last month,” I begin.
“Wow, you sure do move fast,” he mutters, shooting me a lopsided grin.
“It wasn’t like that, smart ass,” I say, leaning across the table and shoving his shoulder.
He almost laughs. “What was it like then?”
I sit up on my haunches, thinking for a moment. Finally, I say, “I think it was us. You and me. I think what we did with the Violet Flame…it sent him to me.”
He snickers. “Oh, now you’re just grasping at straws, woman. That’s ridic—”
“I remember everything,” I say, holding his gaze.
He narrows his eyes. After a beat, he whispers, “What do you mean?”
“Everything,” I say, reinforcing the word and infusing it with power.
Even he feels it because he shivers.
“But—how? I thought it didn’t—? It backfired. My abilities—” he says, unable to form complete thoughts.
I blow out a breath, trying to center myself so I say things in a way that keeps him calm. “It took time… It was like unlocking my memory had stages as the universe sent me the way in perfectly timed steps. Blake was one of them.”
As much as I want to explain about Blake being Anastasios, I get the overwhelming sense that now’s not the right time.
“You’re going to need to be less vague than that,” he mutters, scratching his chin.
“I know—and I will. But right now, we need to focus on this,” I say, splaying my hands over the items on the table.
He nods. “All right, let’s get it done.”
Both of us could ward the home with our eyes closed and no items whatsoever. We’ve been doing it long enough. In fact, the act of warding has been something we’ve taught each other how to get better at.
Despite only being half a century old, he’s taught me a lot I didn’t already know.
We set to work, utilizing the ingredients, sacred symbols, and our voices. In a matter of fifteen or so minutes, the previous wards are fortified and I feel confident that Jonas is safe here with Demetri. While I could have brought him to my place, my concern is that whoever is after him might know who I am—and what I can do. They could come for him at my house without needing much effort to find him.
Here, on the other hand…
We finish up, just as there’s a knock on the door.
I push my abilities to see if they’re back online yet. Sure enough, the image of a gangly seventeen-year-old with a wrinkled company t-shirt and rusty car comes to mind.
The pizza is here.
I glance up just in time to see Kyros run awkwardly down the hall toward the front door, followed closely by Blake.
“Goddammit, old man. You don’t just race to open the door,” he mutters.
After a quick exchange, Kyros walks past the living room, grinning triumphantly, with pizza in hand.
“You’re gonna have to explain that guy, too,” Demetri says. “He’s fuckin’ weird.”
“There are no words.” I shake my head.
He barks out a laugh.
After a slice of pizza and some sleepy exchanges, Blake, Kyros, and I finally make our way back to my place. An uneasy peace settles over me when we enter my living room.
I can tell it’s niggling at both of them, too, because neither one said much on the walk home.
As much as I trust my intuition, I can’t help but worry about Jonas, his family…and even Demetri. I only hope that this alliance hasn’t put him in more jeopardy, but only time will tell.
Kyros walks over to the couch, flopping down face-first into the cushions. He’s snoring before Blake and I even get to the hallway.
“I’ve text Aiden and told him not to expect me home tonight. If that’s…” Blake says, his eyes lingering on mine. “If that’s okay with you.”
“Of course, you can stay,” I say, running a hand along his cheek. “But how about in the bed this time?”
His eyes light up and a smile graces his lips. “Sleeping with you before the first date…”
“Don’t get too excited,” I smirk. “Just sleep. I still expect that date.”
Blake bends forward, brushing his lips against my neck. “Your wish is my command.”
A shiver of excitement rolls through me, but my body is heavy and ready to give in to the exhaustion of the day. It was all go from the moment I woke and never let up.
I can only hope tomorrow will be better. Maybe we’ll even get that date…
Together, we crawl under the covers, curling up next to each other. The feeling of his warm body next to mine is so comforting, so natural, I can’t help but relax into him.
I swear, I no sooner descend into the darkness of sleep, nestled in Blake’s arms, when my entire body vibrates into alertness, caused by a huge jolt of adrenaline.
16
Hiding from the Horde
Beside us on the nightstand, the large corded phone blares to life. I think about kicking it across the room, but I lean over and pick it up.
“Hello?” I say, my voice thick with disorientation.
“Where in the hell are you?” Renaldo asks, his voice reaching the kind of pitch that makes me pull the phone away from my ear.
When I return it to my head, my annoyance levels are reaching new heights. “What are you even on about? I just went to bed.”
“Well, I don’t know who the hell goes to bed at noon, but woman, I am not getting paid enough to deal with these people.” Ren lowers his voice and hisses, “Remember the crazies from yesterday? Well, they’re back and they brought friends. If you thank the line was bad yesterday, oh sister…you’re in for a rude awakening today. Get your scrawny ass down there.”
I run my hand over my face and groan.
How can it possibly be noon already? I lean over, directing the alarm clock to face my direction.
Sure as shit, it says 12:03 p.m.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” I say setting down the receiver before Ren can spew any profanities about the vagueness of that.
“Everything okay, beautiful?” Blake asks, rolling over and placing his arms around my waist, tugging me in tighter to him.
The heat from his body radiates down my skin. Closing my eyes, I place my arm over his, trying to give myself the grace to allow at least a few moments of peace before the chaos comes crashing back in. I trace his forearm with my fingertips, drawing goosebumps across his upper arm.
Blake props himself up on his elbow, his eyebrows tugged in. “What’s wrong?”
I sigh. “Evidently, it’s morning.”
Blake huffs out a laugh. “Yes, that tends to happen.”
I shoot him a sideways glance. “I swear, I just closed my eyes and now the crazy train is back at Inner Sanctum. Ren’s about to lose his shit over it.”
“Ah, so that’s what the call was about,” he says, nodding to himself.
“It’s too early.” I roll over, hiding under the pillow. Blake rubs his hand across my back, sending unexpected tendrils of desire rolling through me.
Before I have the chance to do anything crazy, Blake’s hand is gone. I pull the pillow off as he slides from the bed and reaches for his jeans. As he pulls them up over his hips, I let out a soft sigh.
Gods, he has a nice ass.
“I’ll get the coffee going,” Blake says, pulling his t-shirt on. I keep my eyes trained on him as he walks around the end of the bed. His lips slide into a smirk as he reaches my side.
I sigh, wishing we could just be normal people, having a normal start to the day. Who know
s what kind of direction that might have led?
“What?” he asks, his dimple emerging from its hiding place.
“You do that so well,” I blurt out.
His eyebrows tip up in the middle. “Really? You prefer me clothed? Hmmm, I have my work cut out for me, I see.” Chuckling softly, he bends down, kisses me on the forehead, then saunters out.
When he’s far enough away, I lean back, grabbing the pillow and releasing a tight scream into its stuffing. Blake and I were practically naked in bed and it never even occurred to me to make any moves. I was just so tired and relieved to be in his arms. Maybe Ren’s right—I’m so out of practice with any of this, my lady bits are going to shrivel up.
I kick my legs out, pushing the blanket aside. Making my way to my dresser, I scrounge for an outfit. I settle on my faded, ripped up denim and the gray t-shirt with a zombie unicorn.
Yep, it’s pretty much today’s spirit animal.
When I walk out to the kitchen, Kyros is belly up to the breakfast bar and Blake is in the kitchen.
“Is it Groundhog Day?” I ask, unable to help myself. It’s almost an exact replay of the day before.
Kyros shoots me a look of utter confusion, but thankfully, Blake gets the reference and barks out a laugh.
“Did I miss something? Should I have caught a sacrifice this morning?” Kyros asks, totally serious.
I itch my right eye, trying to stop it from twitching. “Gods, no. It was just a movie reference.” Pulling out the stool beside him, I take a seat.
Kyros puffs up his chest, clearly indignant. “Well, how was I supposed to know that? I’ve been dead for two thousand plus years.”
“You’re cranky this morning. Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, too?” I mutter, flitting my gaze to Blake, in search of something happy.
I sigh contently as he turns around, hunting for the coffee beans.
“I dare say not. I don’t even have a bed to wake up on the wrong side of,” he says, giving me the side-eye as he also turns to watch Blake make coffee.
“I don’t have a guest room, Kyros. The couch is as good as it gets,” I say, rolling my eyes.
Amends: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Series (A Diana Hawthorne Supernatural Mystery Book 2) Page 11
