Druid Vices and a Vodka: The Guild Codex: Spellbound / Six

by Marie, Annette

  Forgetting what I’d been about to say, I caught his mouth and kissed him with all the pent-up need I’d denied, with all the desperate urgency I was trying to conceal. His mouth devoured mine, taking everything, wanting more. His tongue slid across mine. His hands clutched my legs, his torso crushing me into the wall.

  I tore my mouth away a second time. “Ezra,” I gasped. “The bed is over there.”

  Hazy, hungry eyes raked across my face, then he stepped back from the wall. Sliding down him, I got my feet back on the floor, grabbed his shirt, and pulled it over his head. He released me just long enough to free his arms from the fabric, then his hands were on my waist, sliding under my top, fingers gliding over my skin.

  Plastering myself against his hard chest, I pushed him backward, steering him across the room. He moved with me, hands exploring, mouth locked on mine while I greedily traced every inch of his skin. As we stumbled toward the bed, my fingers found the waistband of his boxers, and I slid my hand across the fabric, taking advantage of those undone jeans.

  Spinning us, he leaned me back over the bed. I fell onto it, aching, burning, needing him. Standing between my knees, he paused, his gaze roving over every curve of my body, drinking in the sight of me lying across his bed, damn near ready to beg.

  He put a knee on the mattress between my thighs. Ran his hand up my leg to my hip. Leaned down.

  The front screen door banged loudly.

  “Ezra?” Aaron called, hoarse with exhaustion. “You up?”

  Ezra’s eyes went wide. We stared at each other for a long heartbeat—then we both lurched off his bed. As I grabbed his shirt off the floor, he did up the fly of his jeans—with difficulty, the sight making my breath catch. I handed him his shirt and he pulled it on.

  Aaron’s voice echoed up the stairs. “Ezra?”

  Ezra brushed his fingers across the back of my hand, then rushed out of the room. His footsteps thudded down the stairs.

  “Aaron, how did it go?”

  “It was a nightmare. Any word from Tori?”

  “She turned up around four. She’ll be down in a minute. She’s just changing.”

  Oh, right. I still hadn’t changed. I dug into the closet, searching through my stash of clothes. Stripping naked—Ezra’s door was still open, but oh well—I dressed in cotton pants, a tank top, and an oversized sweater. I’d change into leather if or when we were ready to kick some ass. Grabbing a pair of socks, I hurried down the stairs.

  “Where did that prick take Tori last night?” Aaron asked, his voice coming from the living room.

  “I don’t know yet. She fell asleep on the sofa before she could tell me, and we only woke up a few minutes ago.” Ezra yawned. “She seems okay, but disturbed about something.”

  I breezed into the room, but my carefree attitude faltered at the sight of Aaron. He was slumped in the middle of the sofa, his face pale, haggard, and smudged with soot. Sharpie, safely in its sheath, lay across the coffee table, and his combat gear was dusted with ash and dirt. The stench of smoke clung to him.

  “Holy shit, Aaron.” I hastened to the sofa and sat beside him. “Did Shane take you for a stroll through hell?”

  “Seemed like it,” he muttered, head resting against the cushions and eyes closed. “The Pandora Knights’ guild was leveled. It was all on fire. Bodies … the Pandora mages didn’t hold back. Those idiot rogues paid a heavy price for … whatever they were trying to do.”

  Ezra perched on the edge of the recliner, elbows braced on his knees. “Any casualties from the Pandora Knights?”

  “Some injuries. No deaths. They’re tough as shit. Still, they lost their headquarters and everything in it. All their gear, training equipment, personal belongings … They’re pissed.” He rubbed a hand over his face, leaving streaky fingerprints in the soot. “It’s been dead quiet around here for weeks, then out of nowhere, this. I don’t get it.”

  “What does Shane think?” Ezra asked.

  “Who the hell knows? The guy is a steel trap when it comes to information. He said he’s here for the Ghost’s bounty, so I can’t even guess why he’s so interested in this attack. He was all over the scene, then he dragged me across downtown, chasing clues and rogues.”

  Heaving a sigh, he sat up and opened his eyes. “But enough of that. Tori, are you okay? Where did that dragon take you?”

  “We visited Zak’s farm—or what’s left of it. You remember Varvara, right? She obliterated it, stole all his stuff, and killed the person he’d left to watch over it, his horses, and at least one fae he had a relationship with. And she’s using his grimoire to leak information about him to MagiPol.”

  Aaron scratched at the five o’clock shadow roughening his jaw. “Where is he now?”

  “Downtown somewhere, hunting Varvara.” I unrolled my socks and tugged one on my foot. “I think I have an idea why Shane is so keen on the attack against the Pandora Knights. One person connects everything.”

  Aaron’s brow crinkled. “Who?”

  “Zak.” I pulled on my other sock. “The crime lull, the rogue attack, Varvara, even the Yamada activity in Vancouver are all connected to Zak.”

  Aaron and Ezra leaned forward, watching me intently.

  “You said before that the power landscape is shifting. Red Rum was driven out, and Zak went into hiding. That left a big gap in the Scary People of Vancouver group, and the Yamadas—or, I guess, the Miuras, since it’s Makiko’s family running things here—began a takeover. But then Varvara got involved.”

  “Varvara is involved?”

  “She lured all the little guys over to her side. That’s why the rogues and rogue guilds got so quiet. She was taking control of them. According to the guy Zak questioned last night, Varvara was behind the Pandora Knights attack.”

  “Shit,” Aaron muttered.

  “Why?” Ezra looked between us. “What’s the point in attacking a guild?”

  I grimaced. “That part I’m not sure about, but Varvara’s got to have some sort of evil plan. Evil plans are her thing. Considering she spent fifteen years secretly raising an abducted kid to be her apprentice, we’ve got to assume it’s both nasty and sneaky.”

  “Hmm.” Aaron gazed thoughtfully at his sword, then his face twisted. “Damn it! We need Kai. He understands this stuff.”

  I nodded fervently. “Yes, Kai. We need a plan for him.”

  Aaron flopped back onto the sofa.

  I waited a moment. “Aaron?”

  “I’m not sure we can make a plan.”

  “What? Why not? We can’t just leave him—”

  He slanted his head toward me, still limp with exhaustion. “I don’t want to leave him either, but we can’t protect him from an international crime syndicate. Whatever we might attempt will only make things worse for him.”

  Disbelieving fury bubbled up in me but I choked it back. “If Kai got away from them once, he can do it again. We just have to—”

  “But he didn’t get away,” Aaron corrected heavily. “He never confronted them, or even told them he was done. He just stopped going home, and they allowed it. I have no idea why, and neither does Kai. He didn’t expect it to last more than a few months, but his family decided that if he was going to ignore them, then they’d ignore him too—with a few exceptions.”

  “What exceptions?”

  “If he tries to date anyone, mainly, or if he interferes in their business. We found out about the second one when we tagged a Yamada associate without realizing who the guy was.”

  My forehead scrunched anxiously. “What happened?”

  “Kai vanished one night on his way home.” His voice went oddly flat. “I found him on the front lawn the next morning, unconscious with his left arm and left hand broken in six places.”

  Ezra’s face lost all expression, the air around him chilling.

  Aaron stared broodingly at his clenched fists. “All the freedom Kai had was freedom they allowed him, and they’ve taken it away. I’m not sure there’s anything we can do
.”

  “We have to do something.”

  “I know, but we can’t just rush in with magic blazing. We need to be cautious.”

  I sighed miserably. “Those are words I never expected to hear from you.”

  “I have to be the responsible one since Kai isn’t here to do it.”

  “Wait.” Ezra gazed between us, extra serious. “If you’re Kai now, is Tori you? Or am I you and Tori’s me? Or—”

  “Please don’t torture my poor brain.” Aaron pushed off the sofa. “I need to shower and get some sleep.”

  “Do you want to eat?” Ezra asked.

  “Too tired. Save me something to warm up in a few hours.”

  As he headed downstairs to the shower, my eyes met Ezra’s—and we both quickly looked away. A blush warmed my cheeks and I bit my lower lip. Talk about bad timing for an impromptu make-out session.

  I glanced at the front window. Pale sunlight streaked through the drapes, marking a new day—and bringing me that much closer to my deadline with Eterran.

  Ezra. Kai. Zak. Too many dudes in distress and not enough time—or enough power—to save them. They needed a superwoman, and it was becoming all too clear I wasn’t up for the task.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Perched on my spare stool behind the bar, I stared at my laptop, the MPD’s hideous white website filling the screen, open to a list of cold Demonica bounties. My thoughts churned nonstop and anxiety bubbled in my stomach.

  No word from Zak.

  No word from Kai.

  Only three more nights until the full moon, at which point I would be having words with Eterran, whether I wanted them or not.

  My conversation with Ezra spun through my head—a heartbreaking tale of two teenage demon mages. He’d learned control. She hadn’t, and they’d killed her. It was the most messed-up thing I’d ever heard. As much as I wanted to know what sick bastards would turn fourteen-year-olds into demon mages, it was Ezra’s other comments I couldn’t shake.

  It feels like I’m drowning, like I’m disappearing.

  All that’s left is the fear and the rage.

  Eterran might survive it, but I won’t.

  Only once had I seen Ezra really lose control of his emotions. It had been at Aaron’s house, during Zak’s first visit. I’d been hysterical and screaming, and Ezra had shattered the doorframe.

  That was why Aaron and Kai were so protective of Ezra. That was why his fear and anger were so dangerous. It wasn’t just an opportunity for Eterran to slip into the driver’s seat. It was so much worse than that. Eterran seemed logical, even reasonable, but the emotional feedback loop Ezra had described, that breakdown of all control that could ensnare both demon and mage …

  “Hellooo? Tori?”

  I jolted, my gaze snapping up.

  Sin stood at the bar across from me, her eyebrows pinched with concern. “You okay?”

  I smiled wanly as I shook off my apprehension. Her new hair color was still a shock—a silvery purple-gray that set off her fair complexion, the dramatic look accentuated by smoky makeup.

  She looked enigmatic and gorgeous, but the timing of her makeover worried me. I hadn’t seen any of her bright tops or swirly skirts lately either. Her sweater today was long and very black, paired with warm black leggings and knee-high boots I’d never seen before.

  She slid onto a stool. “What’s going on?”

  I almost said “nothing” but changed my mind. “I can’t get into it.”

  “Hmm.” She propped her chin on her hand. “Got anything to do with this crowd tonight?”

  I glanced around. The pub was hopping. Not unusual for a Friday evening, but last night’s attack on the Pandora Knights had brought over half the guild out. Everyone was chatting, but the gossip was underlaid with unease. Rogues combining forces to attack a guild was unheard of.

  Adding to the crowd was the Odin’s Eye team who’d been working with our guys to solve the mystery of the crime lull. Izzah and Aaron sat at the head of a cluster of tables, collecting notes on what everyone had learned since the Pandora Knights assault.

  It looked all wrong without Kai there, cool and competent and smart.

  Sin leaned sideways, putting her face in my line of sight. “You’re spacing out again.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Sorry? What, no sassy comeback? Are you feeling under the weather? Do you need a vitality potion?”

  Not unless Zak made it for me. Every other vitality potion I’d tried had tasted like ass.

  “I’m just tired. It’s been a long couple of days.” I’d fallen asleep again after breakfast, but even sleeping until three hadn’t cured my fatigue. Shaking off my self-absorbed lethargy, I focused on her. “What about you? Are you okay?”

  “Of course. I’m fine.”

  I frowned helplessly. Should I outright ask if she’d changed her appearance in response to the events over Christmas? Leaning across the bar, I lowered my voice. “I mean, how are you, really? Sleeping all right and stuff?”

  Her gaze dropped. She tugged on a lock of silvery hair. “For the most part, yeah. I’ve been okay. Aaron’s been checking up on me too.”

  He had? As far as I could tell, her crush on him had gone nowhere since our return from the academy—though, as Aaron’s ex-girlfriend, I wasn’t in a position to ask either of them about it.

  “If you want to talk, I’m here.” I smiled encouragingly. “Anytime, just say the word.”

  “Thanks, Tori. And I’m here for you too, you know. You can tell me what happened with Ezra.”

  My mouth fell open. “What? Who said anything happened?”

  She nodded as though I’d confirmed her suspicions. “Did you tell him how you feel?” She pursed her lips, painted a deep red to go with her new look. “You kissed him, didn’t you?”

  My eyes bugged out.

  Another nod as she fought back a grin. “When did it happen?”

  I considered lying until my tongue turned black, then muttered, “That stupid pixie mistletoe got us at the Christmas party.”

  “Oh my god! I had no clue. What …” The excited light in her eyes died as she looked around the Ezra-less pub. He was upstairs, staying out of sight while the Odin’s Eye mythics were in the guild. “You two aren’t dating, are you?”

  “No.” I drew in a deep breath. “He wants to be friends. I think.”

  “You think?”

  “That’s what he said. He might … but however he feels, he doesn’t want to be more than friends.” Aside from, you know, that super-hot make-out session this morning.

  “I’m sorry,” Sin said softly.

  I drooped. “Yeah.”

  “Well, at least—”

  Huffing angrily, Sabrina stormed up to the bar, yanked out a stool, and dropped into it. “Do you mind if I join you?”

  “Uh …” I began.

  She slammed her purse down on the counter. “I am so sick of Rose!”

  Sin and I looked past her. At the other end of the pub, the elderly diviner was leaning over a table where Lyndon, Bryce, Taye, and Gwen were drinking. She thrust a pale crystal ball under Lyndon’s nose, speaking emphatically.

  “She just won’t shut up,” Sabrina growled, raking her fingers through her neatly styled blond bob. “Apparently, she did an amazing séance for Robin Page a few weeks ago, and she keeps going on and on about how she’s a true mouthpiece of the fates, unlike some young and inexperienced diviners.”

  I composed my expression into one of sympathy. “That’s just rude.”

  “She’s way out of line,” Sin agreed supportively.

  “Thank you.” Sabrina’s indignation melted and her features softened into her usual good-natured cheer. “I’m so sorry for butting in. What did I interrupt?”

  Damn, was this girl ever in a bad mood for more than five minutes? I should take notes.

  “Nothing,” I answered at the same time Sin said, “Boy troubles.”

  “Whose boy troubles?”

  “Sin�
�s,” I said, while Sin replied, “Tori’s.”

  Sabrina’s forehead wrinkled in confusion. “Both of you? … Same boy?”

  “No,” we answered simultaneously.

  “Oh,” Sabrina breathed. “That’s good. It’d be awful if you were in love with Ezra too, Sin.”

  My jaw dropped for the second time. “Are you in love with Ezra?”

  “Of course not,” she said serenely. “You are.”

  I didn’t know what to say. I had nothing. Brain. Buzzing. Blankly.

  Sabrina’s small smile faded as she studied my face. “Doesn’t she know?” she asked Sin.

  “I think she’s surprised that you know,” Sin replied dryly.

  “Oh.” Sabrina dipped her hand into her bag and pulled out a bundle of silk. Unraveling it, she revealed the black and gold tarot deck. “Don’t you remember, Tori? Your last reading? The most unexpected card …”

  Pressing her fingers to the top card, she slid it off and flipped it over.

  My stomach dropped. The Devil. A horned beast, holding a man and a woman in chains, and I could see Ezra and me so clearly in that illustration. I even had a name for the demon now.

  “Temptation,” Sabrina declared. “Infatuation. Addiction. You’re in love with Ezra.”

  “I—I’m not … not in …” I tried to compose myself. “I’m just … He’s …” I shrank on my stool, my shoulders curling inward. “I don’t know.”

  “Tori …” Sabrina touched the deck again, then flipped the card. A naked couple was passionately entwined across its face, the name at the bottom declaring The Lovers. “Falling in love is always a little scary, but you have to make yourself vulnerable. Otherwise, how can you open your heart to him?”

  “But …”

  “Do you remember your very first reading? The Six of Cups? The reversed Hermit? The Eight of Swords? And—” She flipped the next card on her deck. “The Knight of Swords. Your past and your fears are still holding you back.”