Burned

by Kensie King

  “So Dylan is letting you rent one of his houses?” Grace asked.

  “Yeah, for now.”

  “You need furniture, then, right?”

  “It’s only temporary,” I reminded her.

  “Yeah, but still. You need things—at least a few pieces of furniture. I can help. I know a guy.”

  “You know a guy?”

  She laughed. “He owns the consignment store around the corner. He has furniture and he’ll probably give us a discount.”

  I considered this for a moment and nodded. “Sure. A few things would be good.”

  “Good.” She stood again and slid on her glasses. “Let’s make a list and I’ll see what he has.”

  “But what about the spell?”

  “Yep. We’ll get supplies, too, and try to do the spell this afternoon or tonight. I can leave in a few hours.”

  “Sounds good.”

  It did. Better than sitting around waiting for Gage to come after me. If I had a plan, at least I’d feel a little more prepared. Of course, how prepared could you really be against an evil vampire?

  #

  “Do you think you could figure out how to levitate this thing?” Grace asked as we tried to muscle a queen-sized mattress up the front steps. We got a few pieces delivered from her guy, but he had to get back to work and he couldn’t help carry them in.

  “Aren’t you super strong?” I asked.

  She grunted with a laugh. “Yeah. My end is fine. It’s yours that we’re having a problem with.”

  I rolled my eyes, but the joking felt good. In fact, being stuck in Knob Creek didn’t feel as bad when Grace was around, too.

  “What the hell?” I heard from behind me.

  I aimed a quick peek over my shoulder and found Dylan with his hands on his hips.

  “I said I’d help you this afternoon.”

  With a grin, I said, “It’s afternoon. Will you please help?”

  His low noise of frustration reverberated through my body, giving me chills. Fuck, he was hot. Even hotter when he snagged my end of the mattress and carried it through the house like it weighed no more than a cup of coffee.

  How come I was the only one who didn’t get super strength?

  But, to be fair, it wasn’t exactly a hardship watching him carry things around for me. Although I’d like it more if he had his shirt off.

  Ten minutes later, he walked into the room as I was making the bed. He propped his shoulder on the wall and did that sexy lean that made me very happy I had a bed now.

  “You know,” he said, voice low, “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone as frustrating as you.”

  I flashed a grin, even though I knew he hadn’t meant it as a compliment. “Thanks. Where’s Grace?”

  “She said she needed supplies and alcohol. I didn’t ask questions.”

  I put on a pillowcase and then smoothed my hands over the surface before propping it against the wall at the head of the bed. “We’re going to try to do a spell tonight.”

  “What kind of spell?”

  “A location spell for the Book of Shadows. It must be important if I dreamed about it.”

  “Is it dangerous?”

  I turned to face him, my voice teasing. “Are you worried about me?”

  He only frowned, keeping his arms crossed. “You know I am.”

  I stopped joking and walked up to him. He kept his arms folded, so I set my hand on his arm over warm, hard muscle. “I’m sorry.” It was an apology for earlier and for joking with him just now. “No, I don’t think this spell is dangerous. But you’re welcome to stay and watch.”

  He shifted to reach up and touch my face. His thumb brushed my jaw then smoothed over my lips. “I think I will.”

  I started to lean in, to lose myself in a kiss, when he abruptly turned and walked out of the room. Damn, he was still upset. I got it. I was frustrated with him from earlier, too, but I guess I got over it faster than he did.

  When Grace returned, she had a load of bags in her arms. She set most of them on the coffee table in the living room but handed the last one to Dylan.

  “Beer,” she told him, “since you helped move.”

  The corner of his mouth moved in a smile. “Thanks. Looks like I’ll be staying a while.”

  I was grateful, though I wasn’t going to tell him that. Doing a spell—any spell—made me nervous. Mostly just because I had no idea how it was going to turn out. What if I blew something up? Or worse, what if nothing happened at all and I was no closer to stopping Gage?

  Dylan walked to the kitchen and came back with two beers, popping the top on one before he passed it over to me.

  “I brought wine, too,” Grace said.

  I shrugged and drank. If I was going to be doing this, I needed to relax, and this was a good first step.

  Crouching at the coffee table with Grace, I watched as she reached into a bag and pulled out candles and crystals. All items I’d seen witches use before in the past but didn’t know specifically what each one was for.

  “I hope this is all up for interpretation,” I mumbled.

  Grace smiled at me. “I think it is. It’s more about the power from within, not exactly how you say something or do something. Dylan, can you close those blinds?”

  Evidently we needed ambiance because Grace told Dylan to make it as dark as possible while she set up candles in the shape of a pentagram, much like the one she had on a mat she’d set down in front of us. Then she opened a book and moved her finger over a page, peering down from her cat-eyeglasses.

  “You’ve seen someone do a spell before, right?” she asked.

  “Yes. I have to stay relaxed and open, call to the elements, say words to activate a spell, then close the spell.”

  I got a boost of courage saying the words out loud. I knew what to do, I just needed the practice.

  Dylan leaned forward from his spot on the couch, his beer in one hand and the other rubbing his jaw. “Close the spell?”

  “Yes,” Grace said with a firm nod. “He can give thanks to the elements or show appreciation.”

  It was a reminder that magic wasn’t done lightly. There were people who did it for bad reasons or to take advantage of power. But we were trying to use it for good, and I didn’t want any bad karma after me.

  “It doesn’t have to be a whole ceremony,” I told Dylan, then took another swig of beer. “All right. We’d better do this now before I change my mind.”

  Grace reached for her lighter to light the candles, but I channeled my energy, the same spike of emotion I’d felt earlier with Gage and aimed it toward the candles.

  They each sparked and then flickered with a high flame before settling to a normal size. Dylan and Grace both jerked back in surprise.

  “Shit,” Dylan said under his breath. His eyes skimmed my face before going back to the candles.

  And Grace just looked impressed. “Good job. Let’s do this.”

  I breathed in deeply and then closed my eyes. I tried to feel the room, the air, the presence of earth all around me. After a moment, I felt a hand on my back. Dylan.

  I wasn’t sure whether he was encouraging me to move on or giving encouragement in general, but it was appreciated.

  “I call on the elements,” I said aloud. “Earth, air, wind, and fire.”

  When I opened my eyes again, Grace was nodding at me. The flames flickered slightly, and I felt the air shift around me. A small hum of energy traveled through my body, moving all the way down to my fingertips.

  I said a simple spell to ask for the location of my Book of Shadows. It felt weird saying the words out loud, but I remembered to will them into existence. Then I waited nervously.

  The flames started flickering again, jumping to various heights around me. I almost expected Savannah to start whispering to me from the shadows.

  Instead, it felt like I was shoved over by a rough wind, knocking me to the ground. I closed my eyes as visions raced through my head.

  There was a sliding
panel and dark, dank walls. A book wedged in between a crack. Cold surrounded me, air sharp enough to—

  “Link.”

  My eyelids fluttered and I heaved a sharp breath, my lungs constricting. Grace and Dylan both leaned over me, worry on their faces.

  “Link,” Dylan said again, voice anxious. “Wake up.”

  His hands moved over my arms, and then one brushed my cheek. I reached up to stop him.

  “It was working,” I told him. “I was starting to see something—”

  “You were out for ten minutes.”

  “What?” I winced when I tried to sit up, feeling completely used. Dylan put his arm beneath me and pulled me to a sitting position. I slumped against him, the world spinning around me.

  He turned his head and his breath touched my ear when he spoke. “You said this wasn’t dangerous.”

  I breathed in deeply once again, feeling like I’d been holding my breath for a long time. “It isn’t,” I assured him. “I saw the book.”

  Grace’s eyes widened. “Really?”

  “Yes. It…” I felt the cold around me, like I was back in the vision. And when I remembered the familiar sliding panel, I nodded. “I think I know where it is.”

  Dylan’s eyes locked on mine. “Where?”

  “The Knob Creek Hotel.”

  CHAPTER 20

  “No way,” Dylan said, crossing his arms.

  “But—”

  “No,” he repeated. He stood next to the couch where I sat, his mouth in a deep frown. “There’s no way in hell we’re going over there right now. You look like you’re going to pass out.”

  I felt like I might, too. My hands trembled and the world wasn’t quite steady yet. “I was just surprised,” I told him. “I wasn’t expecting that to happen.”

  Grace blew out candles and gathered items to return to a basket she’d brought. She smiled at me, though I could see the strain at the corners. “It was a little scary. I mean, I thought maybe you’d just have a quick vision, not pass out.”

  “I did have a vision—not pass out.”

  Dylan’s jaw clenched. “You stopped breathing.”

  I straightened on the couch, my mouth dropping open. Grace stood and held out her hands in a soothing gesture.

  “Hold on,” she said, voice calm. “Let’s not be dramatic. It’s—”

  “Dramatic?” Dylan nearly spit out. “Fuck that. It was dangerous. Grace, he stopped breathing. What the hell? Is that worth it? I mean, God, he doesn’t need a vampire to kill him—he can just die in a vision.”

  The talking fell away, and I stood from the couch, clenching my fists when dizziness hit me again. Dylan turned in my direction, apology written all over his face. “I didn’t mean that,” he said, taking a step closer to me. “I just don’t want you to get hurt. This isn’t—I’m not used to what’s going on here.” He reached out slowly, cautiously, and took my shoulders. “Just hear me out for a minute. I want you to take a breath, make sure you’re okay before we do anything else. Maybe eat something or…” He frowned. “Maybe just wait until tomorrow and you feel better.”

  “We don’t have much time,” I reminded him. “If we wait until tomorrow, that’s one less day to figure out what else we’re going to do to stop Gage.”

  There was a visible struggle on Dylan’s face. He knew it was true, but I could see where he was coming from.

  This was unfamiliar territory for all of us and Dylan struck me as the kind of person who liked to keep it simple and straightforward.

  And safe.

  Grace settled it for us by gesturing to the couch. “Sit down. Drink something. I’ll go get something to eat and then we can decide.”

  Dylan nodded at me. “Right. Even an hour break.”

  When I finally gave in and sat, Grace left. I leaned back on the cushions and closed my eyes, unwilling to admit that it felt good to be off my feet. “At least I have a couch,” I mumbled.

  I heard Dylan’s quiet laugh beside me. He was crouching by the couch, staying close. I felt his hand brush my arm, and then move up to my shoulder, rubbing softly at the knots there.

  “We don’t have to go anywhere today,” he said softly.

  I opened one eye and frowned. “You’re not going to change my mind.”

  When I closed my eyes again, I felt his breath on my ear. It sent a shiver down my body.

  My eyes whipped open. “Dy—”

  He stopped me with a hard kiss, his tongue plunging into my mouth and making me groan. I reached for him automatically, my hands sliding over his shoulders as I leaned up to match the kiss.

  He moved to sit on the couch and then lifted me easily to sit on his lap. I straddled him, going rock hard. Amazingly, the dizziness vanished as well.

  “You’re trying to distract me,” I said, my lips brushing his.

  “That’s what you want, isn’t it?”

  “Yes.”

  I couldn’t say anything else because he was doing such a good job taking my mind off of all of it. His hands moved beneath my shirt, running along my spine and then back down over the muscles on my back.

  “I need you naked to really distract you,” he whispered. His lips moved over my neck, my jaw, and then to my ear. “Can you do this?”

  It was there, the fire, simmering in my veins. “I’m trying.”

  But it always felt like it was about to come out.

  Dylan cupped my face in his hands. “What is it?” I hesitated, but he only brushed his thumbs on my cheeks. “Link, tell me what happened.”

  I fisted my hands on the cotton of his T-shirt and dropped my chin. “The fire didn’t start until college. Before that, I was with someone—I had a boyfriend. We were young, but half in love. And we could be intimate without anything happening. But we split up before college and…” I swallowed and looked up, meeting his eyes. “I met another guy at a party. We’d been drinking a lot and…it was nice at first, but we got carried away. And—I told him I wasn’t ready. But he wouldn’t stop.”

  “Link,” he said, voice rumbling in my chest. He curled his fingers around mine, strong and steady.

  I lowered my gaze again. “He was bigger than me and he wouldn’t get off. He was totally wasted. I panicked, I guess. I didn’t want it to be like that, and when he wouldn’t stop…”

  “The fire came?”

  “Yes.” I swallowed. “His arms caught on fire. He started screaming and I didn’t know what to do. The flames went out, but he was already burned. I called the police and—and the ambulance came—” I broke off, consumed by emotion. Guilt.

  “Link,” Dylan said softly. His fingers lifted my chin and he kissed me gently. “It wasn’t your fault.”

  “It was. And he was in so much pain—and I couldn’t stop it.”

  “It was self-defense.”

  I started to shake my head, but Dylan nodded firmly.

  “Listen to me,” he said. “It’s not your fault.”

  He held me tight against his chest. I was still straddling him, and I leaned into his embrace. His fingers rubbed in hypnotic circles on my back and he murmured words I couldn’t make out.

  When he spoke again, he sounded regretful. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made you do this.”

  “You didn’t make me do anything.” When he gave me a doubtful look, I put strength in my voice. “I do what I want. Nobody is forcing me to do anything. I want this. Us. I want you.” I ran a hand through my hair. “God, just know that I wouldn’t do or say anything I didn’t want to. I just don’t want to hurt you.”

  “You won’t.” His voice was as firm as mine. “I trust you.” When I started to protest, he shook his head. “No. You’re learning to control it. You can do this.”

  I couldn’t argue with that. It wasn’t just his faith in me, it was the passion smoldering in his gaze and the ache inside of me saying it was about time I made the next move. I couldn’t be afraid forever.

  I moved my hand under his shirt and felt his abdomen tighten. “Help me
do this,” I whispered.

  His breath hitched when I undid the button on his jeans. “Nice and slow. You can do this.”

  He rubbed his palm on my cock, making it strain in my pants. Fuck, yes. The flames stayed where they were, and I pushed my hand inside Dylan’s jeans.

  Then we heard a car in the drive. Grace was back.

  “Dammit. Fuck,” Dylan said, bowing his forehead against mine. “I swear, I’m going to die.”

  I felt the same way, but I had to laugh. At least I knew I wasn’t the only one being thwarted at every turn.

  I kissed him softly. “I think you’ll survive. I’ll make it up to you.”

  Before I could stand, he gripped my hips and held me in place. “Tonight,” he said firmly. “Tonight I’m going to stay here and tonight we’re going to do this.”

  A thrill of excitement ran through me. “Tonight.”

  #

  Grace and Dylan followed me into the Knob Creek Hotel as the sky faded to black.

  “How do you even know there’s a secret panel here?” Grace asked.

  I glanced at Dylan and tried to stay casual. “I accidently found it when I was walking around with Gage. I leaned against the wall and the panel opened.”

  Dylan’s jaw clenched but he didn’t say anything. I led them through the lobby, feeling conspicuous because there were so few people around. It didn’t matter. This was far more important than potentially arousing suspicion.

  We walked down the same hallway I’d toured with Gage.

  “I think it was Savannah,” I told Grace. “She gave me the necklace before and it’s like…she’s been trying to speak to me. I think she wants me to find my Book of Shadows.

  Fortunately, the hallway was empty. I slowed and tried to remember the exact spot where the panel was.

  Dylan followed my lead, pushing against the wall. “You sure it was here?”

  I gave a wry grin. “Yeah, I guess it does feel kind of ridiculous randomly pushing against the wall.”

  I stopped and stood still. Grace gave me a questioning look.

  “See if you can feel a draft. That’s why I stopped here the first time.”