"You weren't in his clan. He doesn't have any obligation to protect you."
I snort. “I didn’t have any obligation either, but when it came down to it I protected him and helped him.”
“That's your problem, Olivia. You do more than you need to for people,” he says as he shifts into a lower gear to speed around a semi-truck. “You wouldn't have a felony on your record if you hadn’t gone back for that hurt cop when you were first arrested. The council wouldn't have found out about your abnormalities if you hadn't healed that necker in the cafe. Javier was using you from the beginning, but you helped him the with NWR issue. Everyone is always trying to use you, and for all your bluster about not letting anyone control you, you do let them.”
"I help my friends. Only you could make that sound like a bad thing," I say, settling back into the seat and crossing my arms.
"I'm not trying to talk you out of it," Reilly says with a shrug. "It makes what I have to do so much easier."
I glare at him. The window is down and his auburn hair is whipping around his face. He looks completely carefree, and I suppose he is. He's getting his way. I'm the one getting screwed.
"And what exactly is it that you want?" I ask. "If you just wanted to hunt down NWR members, there are easier ways. I'm not that much of an asset."
Reilly turns his head just enough to see my face. "I want to see what you can do."
"There are still easier ways," I mutter.
"This way is more efficient," he says, accelerating again. "Besides, you do best under pressure."
An uncomfortable silence falls. I have to be missing something. If he wants to see what I can do, then he has plans for me beyond this. Or, even worse, perhaps his sire does.
"Have you attempted to Find Gerard or Maybelle yet?" Reilly asks.
The welts on my arm ache even thinking about it. "No."
"Why not?"
"There's no point. I don't want to know where they are. You'd just use them against me somehow."
Reilly grins. "I guess I can't argue with that."
"Are you going to try to find them somehow?"
"Not if you tell me what Maybelle told you about your birth."
I pinch the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger and take a deep breath to keep from lashing out.
"If you know so much about me you can just figure it out yourself."
"What about a trade again? Question for a question." Reilly retorts.
"And why should I believe you won't just lie to me?"
"You can tell now," he says, putting his hand on his chest. "I suspect you'll be able to hear it."
"That's bullshit and you know it."
"Do you want to test it?”
I sigh in irritation, but nod. Maybe if I prove him wrong he'll shut up about it.
"Ask me a question. Something obvious so you can hear what it sounds like when I tell the truth. Just remember to listen very carefully to my heartbeat."
I tuck my hair behind my ears and cock my head to the side. I think my hearing must not be quite as good as his because I can barely hear it over the rumble of the engine and the tires flying over the road. It's there though, a faint and steady thump, ba-thump, ba-thump.
"Is the sky blue?"
"Yes," he says. His heartbeat stays the same.
"Is it currently nighttime?"
"Yes," he says. Ba-thump. Ba-thump.
"Are you a werewolf?"
He chuckles. "No."
"Are you an NWR member?"
"Yes," he says. His heartbeat tumps slightly faster and takes a moment to slow back down. There are no other signs that he's telling anything but the truth. He isn't sweating or twitching. There's no reason for him to be nervous though.
"This is too easy. How do I know your heartbeat isn't speeding up because you're amused?"
"So you think I'm an NWR member now?" Reilly asks, grinning as his fangs descend.
"That's not what I mean and you know it."
"Then you'll just have to trust me."
"Of course." I sigh deeply.
"How did your mother conceive you?"
"Magic," I say waggling my fingers at him.
He sneers at me. "You're not funny."
"I'm hilarious. Did you already know about my parentage before you came to town?"
"No," he says. His heartbeat ticks faster, just slightly, but enough to make my stomach twist. He was toying with me from the beginning and taunting me when he forced me to go to the coven.
"I thought you said you weren't going to lie,” I snap.
"I thought you said you didn't believe my heartbeat could give away a lie."
I consider opening the car door and throwing myself into a ditch. Death isn't so bad. Probably.
“Why are we doing any of this?”
"My sire saw fit to assign me to get as close to shutting down the NWR as possible. The best way to do that is by using the resources already in place to hunt them down. JHAPI was more than happy to accept my help and yours."
"Do they know what I can do?"
"The team lead does. The others will find out. We don't have the luxury of keeping that a secret in the middle of a fight. I did tell you I needed to see what you can do."
"You don't think they're going to want to lock me up?"
"I wouldn't allow them to."
I scoff. "So you're above the law?"
"Absolutely," he agrees. "So keep that in mind if you decide you think they could help you escape our partnership."
The threat steals away the comfort I had slipped into despite the bickering. It's so easy to forget what Reilly is. He's charming and attractive, but he's not my friend or anything else. He's my jailer. His heartbeat is beating slightly faster, but so is mine. It's strange to be able to hear it. He looks calm, but the thump of his heart betrays his irritation.
* * *
I tap my hand impatiently against the counter as Reilly checks in. We’ll be in an interior room, of course, since Reilly is a vampire.
Most newer hotels have two types of rooms. They’ll have the usual rooms, ones with windows and direct outside access, but they’ll also have interior rooms with no windows and doors that very carefully block out the light. Twenty-four-hour check-in is also absolutely necessary. They’ll let anyone book the interior rooms, no questions asked, but everyone knows they’re meant for the vampires.
Reilly hands over a credit card for the reservation.
“How many keys would you like?” The hotel clerk asks. She’s smiling at him and blinking so much she looks like she might be having a seizure.
“Two keys,” he says with a flirtatious smile.
The girl glances at me and frowns. I don’t think she had noticed I existed before just now.
“Sure thing,” she says, her smile returning.
She activates both the cards and hands them to Reilly who lifts his suitcase and heads toward the elevators. I trail behind him, annoyed that we have to share a room.
The elevator arrives immediately. There aren’t many people up this time of the morning.
“You couldn’t have gotten me my own room?” I ask as we step inside.
“It’s much easier to keep an eye on you this way,” Reilly says, unapologetic.
The elevator opens onto the sixth floor. The room is about halfway down the hall. Reilly slips his key card in and opens the door, waving me inside.
There are two beds at least. It's a nicer hotel than I've ever been in. The walls are painted a nice, neutral shade of gray instead of being plastered with dingy wallpaper. The carpet is plush and looks clean.
I toss my bag on the bed farthest from the door and sit on the end. The room smells like people and old socks. I guess no amount of cleaning can get the scent of the last hundred guests out.
I flop back onto the bed, but that only makes the odors waft up around me. I stand up and pull my shirt up over my nose so I can breathe better-smelling air for a moment.
Reilly raises an eyebrow
at me. I cross my arms and glare at him.
"It stinks."
He sniffs the air. "It's usually much worse. You'll get used to it, just ignore it until then."
I stalk toward the bathroom muttering unkind things about vampires that I hope he is listening in to. It has a shower and a clawfoot bathtub that I’ll definitely be taking advantage of tonight.
I glance at my watch. It's only ten minutes until sunrise now. Reilly certainly cut our arrival close. He has proved he can be awake during the day, but I doubt he can stand direct sunlight without burning at least a little. I turn to walk back to my bed and realize he's stripping out of his clothes in the middle of the room without any warning whatsoever. He lays his suit jacket, then shirt on the bed neatly. The muscles in his back ripple as he moves. It's mesmerizing. The scars that criss-cross his skin are more interesting though. He turns around slowly, but my eyes don't snap back up to his face until I realize he's unbuckling his belt.
"See something you like?" he asks, smirking.
"No," I say, rolling my eyes. My heart is beating fast enough that I can hear it faintly.
"Lie," Reilly whispers.
I walk quickly past him and grab my bag, then retreat into the bathroom. I hate vampires.
I turn the tap in the bathtub on. The water comes out hot, steam rising as it hits the cool tub. The running water drowns out the rustle of clothes and the quick beat of his heart. I might be attracted to Reilly, but I'm not stupid enough to let it go anywhere. I get suckered by shitty men often enough. I'm not going to start something with someone that is literally out to ruin my life.
I dump my clothes on the floor and climb into the hot water. It makes my feet sting, but I don't wait to adjust to the temperature, I just grit my teeth and sit down. After another few minutes, the bathtub is full and the hot water is slowly relaxing my sore muscles. I still have bruises from getting thrown down the hallway several times by the witches that attacked the clanhouse.
More salve would be great, but I don't have what I need to brew it anymore. I tap my fingers against the edge of the tub. Perhaps I can talk Reilly into acquiring it for me under the guise of seeing what I can do, or whatever it is that he's after. It's probably not worth it though.
Lethargy steals over me and my eyelids slip shut. I shake myself and scoot back up, but I want nothing more than to sleep. Dawn was hard for me yesterday as well. The first couple of hours after sunrise seem to be the worst. It probably doesn't help that I was up half the day and the entire night as well. I grab the soap and scrub my arms down first. As much as I don't want to sleep anywhere near Reilly, I can't afford to exhaust myself. When I get tired, I get stupid, and that's dangerous around him.
I finish bathing and slip down into the water until the only thing still sticking out are my eyes and nose. I shut my eyes and listen to myself breathe for a few moments, then sit up, water dripping into my eyes from my hair. I wipe it away and climb out.
It’s cold out of the water, so I dry off and redress quickly. I didn’t pack any pajamas, so I’ll have to sleep in my jeans. I’m not even going to consider the alternative.
I open the door as quietly as I can and peek out. Reilly is lying in bed perfectly still. He doesn’t look up or acknowledge me at all as I pad across the carpet to my bed. I slide between the covers, my legs still slightly damp. I put my back to the door and stare at him. He's facing me as well, his face slack and his breathing slow and even. I wonder, just for a moment, if I could kill him while he slept. His eyes pop open like he can read my mind. I grit my teeth and force myself to shut my own.
3
I slap my alarm off and curl into a sitting position, my elbows resting on my knees. The sun is still up, but it's going to set in about twenty minutes. I push the heels of my hands into my eyes, then push the covers back and crawl out of bed. I grab my duffel of clothes and head to the bathroom.
I change into my nicest pair of jeans and a flannel shirt. This is as fancy as I can manage for meeting the JHAPI agents today. I wasn’t paying that much attention when I was packing. I yawn and rub my hands up and down my face again. I hate this lethargy. I wish I hadn't taken Javier's magic in moments like this, but I didn't really have a choice at the time. I had no idea how it was going to change me.
I dip my hands under the faucet and splash the ice cold water on my face. It wakes me up a little more, but I won't feel completely myself until the sun sets. I look up into the mirror and freeze, my heart clenching in my chest.
There's someone standing behind me. I stare at her reflection, afraid to move. My mother is dead. I know that. She can't be here. But she is standing right behind me, staring at me with her finger pressed to her lips like she’s quieting me.
The door flies open, the lock splintering. Reilly fills the doorway with his fangs bared and his hands curled into fists. I stumble back, my hands just barely coming up in time to prevent the splintered wood from hitting me in the face.
"What happened?" Reilly demands.
The bathroom is empty other than me. I whirl around and look into the mirror again, but all I see is my own reflection.
"Olivia," Reilly says, his fingers wrapping around my arm. His fangs are still extended and his grip is too tight. "What is wrong with you?”
I lower my eyes and swallow thickly. "Nothing, I'm fine.”
"Liar," he says, his eyes searching for an injury. "Is it the welts hurting again?"
"Just a bad dream, alright?" I say hurrying past him toward the bathroom. "I'm fine."
"If it was a bad dream your heart would have been racing when you woke up, not five minutes later," he retorts, following me out of the bathroom.
"Just let it go," I snap as I toss my bag back on the bed.
Reilly rolls his eyes. "You reacted like you were in danger, something isn't right. You aren't leaving here until you explain what's going on."
"Why do you care?" I ask, hands clenched into fists at my side. "I haven't tried to run away. I'm cooperating. You don't need to know every thought that passes through my head."
"I need to know if you're about to do something stupid so that I can talk some sense into you."
I cross my arms, wincing at the sting. "Well, I wasn't about to do anything. So don't worry about it."
Reilly's lip curls up in anger and he opens his mouth to say something else, but a knock at the door interrupts.
"It's Agent Hawking," Reilly says instead.
I wrench open the door and plaster on a smile. Her suit is slightly rumpled, and her bright blue eyes have bags under them. Her belt buckle is a native Saguaro cactus today.
"Good morning, Hawking," I say with false cheer.
She raises a brow at me. “If you’re going to be that perky I’m going to need coffee immediately.”
“Coffee sounds great,” I say in a much calmer tone.
“Also, call me Elise,” she says. “The whole last name thing annoys me, and we’re going to be working together closely.”
“Noted," I say.
“You both ready?” Hawking asks, looking at us.
“I have to run an errand before the meeting, I’ll see you there,” Reilly says dismissively.
I glance back, suspicious. I notice a piece of the door is visible from where we are standing and edge a little to the left to block her view of it. Elise doesn’t seem to have noticed though.
Elise nods once, her long hair swinging around her face. “You have the address?”
“Yes," Reilly says.
"Alright, let's go get coffee for everyone," Hawking says patting me on the shoulder.
I follow her out of the room. We walk to the elevators silently, then pause in uncomfortable silence in front of the closed doors. She taps the button and glances at me.
"So is that a thing?" She asks, twirling her finger between me and the room.
"No," I say sharply, before clearing my throat. "Never has been, never will be."
“Is the council just trying to save money on hotel ro
oms or something?" Hawking asks with a raised brow.
"Something like that," I say as I shove my hands in my pockets.
The skeptical expression stays on her face. I guess she wouldn't make it very far as a JHAPI agent if she couldn't tell those were bullshit answers.
“That’s why I’m always stuck in a room with Zachary,” she says with a shrug. “He snores so much. I’ve thought about putting in a request for a new partner just to escape that.”
I laugh. “He does snore, and he doesn’t think he does, so he won’t try to fix it.”
The elevator dings and she steps inside with a groan. “I might smother him one day.”
“I’m sure the jury will acquit you,” I say solemnly.
The elevator carries us down to the parking garage in the basement, another thing most hotels offer for the vampires. If it can’t be in the basement, they always have some kind of completely enclosed parking area.
Elise drives a standard black sedan. I open the door and go to sit down, but there is a pile of paper and old ketchup packets in the passenger seat.
"Oh, just toss all that in the backseat," she says, grabbing a couple of handfuls and throwing them behind her. I scoop up all the rest and move it to the back of the car, which is also a huge mess, before sliding into my seat.
"Have you ever been to Phoenix before?" She asks.
"No, I hadn’t ever left Texas before this,” I shrug.
"It's too bad we don't have time for sightseeing."
She punches an address into the GPS in the car, then backs out of the spot. It's a weekday, and the traffic is atrocious. Of course, we're trying to get to a meeting at the same time the rest of the city is trying to get home from work.
“Oh, there’s a phone for you in the glovebox,” Elise says pointing at it. “It’s nothing fancy, but it has the team’s numbers already programmed in and it’s what you should use to communicate with us. No texting any friends about our cases from your personal phone, alright?”
“Don’t worry, I don’t have any friends,” I say as I open the glovebox and fish out the phone. It’s not a smartphone, just an old-fashioned flip phone. “Wow, I didn’t think they even made these anymore. JHAPI makes you share hotel rooms and use antiques?”
Blood Magic: Witch’s Bite Series Book Three Page 2
