“Okay. Chill out, dude.”
Galen rolled his eyes until they landed on me. “What were you saying?”
I opened my mouth to answer but giggling a few feet away caught my attention. This time it was two women walking past, and they were clearly fixated on the men we’d just seen. I watched them go, my lips curving down.
“It’s busy out here tonight,” I said finally. “We usually have the whole place to ourselves.”
“I noticed.” Galen stiffened, his head whipping around as if he sensed someone following us. He growled — no, he actually growled — when he realized the men were circling back. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
I followed his gaze. “They’re probably just heading back to where they came,” I offered, although I had my doubts. Those doubts were reinforced when I realized they were both staring at me, and walking with a purpose. “Or they’re idiots.”
“They clearly want me to beat them,” Galen groused. “Seriously, I thought we would have a nice walk. You know, a little light romance out here before I romance you the proper way in the lighthouse. They’re ruining it.”
The night definitely wasn’t going as planned, but I very much doubted it was ruined. “Just ignore them.” I tugged on his arm. “Focus on me.”
Nothing could force him to stop glaring at the men. They slowed their pace as they approached, but they didn’t turn away this time. “What do you want?” Galen demanded, his voice dropping an octave.
“We’re just curious.” The blond man spoke. He appeared to be the designated speaker of the group. “What are you?”
The question was directed to me. “I’m an Aquarius,” I replied. “What about you?”
“That’s not what I meant.” He shook his head and ignored the giggling behind him. The women had returned, too. They seemed engrossed in the men, though, and paid us little heed. “Why aren’t you attracted to us?”
That’s when I put it all together. “You’re cupids and you’re playing games. That’s why those girls are acting like morons.”
If the women heard me they didn’t show it. They remained solely focused on the men.
“We’re just having a little fun,” the blonde replied. “You didn’t even bother to look at us. I find that ... fascinating.”
“Oh, yeah?” Galen had had enough. “You know what I find fascinating? Tying cinder blocks to cupids’ ankles and dumping them in the ocean to see if they can swim.”
“That was a little over-the-top,” I noted.
He ignored me. “Keep going,” he gritted out.
“We’re not after your woman,” blondie argued. “We’re simply curious about what she is. This is a paranormal island, right? She must be something special.”
“She is,” Galen agreed, tugging me so I was directly in front of him. “But she’s with me, so I think you should take your game someplace else.”
“And if we don’t, will you call the police?” The man played it coy. “I mean ... would you take it that far?”
“I’m the sheriff,” Galen countered. “I don’t have to call the police.”
That was enough to have the man take a step back and swallow hard. “I’m sorry. We were just playing around.”
“Well, knock it off.” Galen prodded me in the direction of the lighthouse. “I know you see it as a challenge because she’s not susceptible to your charms, but she’s off limits. Spread the word.”
“Consider it done.”
Galen let loose a smile more grim than welcoming. “Great. Then we shouldn’t have a problem.”
15
Fifteen
Galen was alert the entire way back to the lighthouse. He kept one arm around my back and both eyes open for any signs of movement. He pushed me through the door before locking it and then proceeded to prowl to each and every window to make sure it was locked before following me to the bedroom.
“You’re kind of taking this to a weird level,” I offered finally. “There’s no reason to get as upset as you are.”
He pinned me with a furious look. “Oh, really?” He shook his head so hard I thought he might fall over as he stripped off his shirt. His naked chest, I’m ashamed to admit, was enough to distract me. He looked like one of those men in a beefcake calendar he was so defined.
I lost my train of thought. “Um ... what was I saying?”
Despite the fact that we were on the verge of a fight, he smirked. “Come over here and I’ll remind you what we were talking about.”
His flirty tone snapped me back to reality. “Oh, right. We were talking about you acting like a Neanderthal with those guys we saw on the beach tonight. Don’t you think your reaction was a bit much?”
“No.” He answered without hesitation. “Didn’t you see the way those guys were looking at you?”
“Um ... yeah. They were looking at me as if they were guys. That’s fairly normal.”
“No, they were looking at you harder than that. Word is spreading that you’re seemingly immune to the cupids. That will make you a challenge for them.”
He looked legitimately worried. “Are you afraid I’m going to run off with some guy I just met? I can promise you that won’t happen.”
“I know. It’s just ... I don’t like it.” He looked so petulant I couldn’t swallow my laughter.
“Well, you have to let it go.” I was serious. “Believe it or not, despite your show of testosterone, I only have eyes for you.”
He smiled. “That’s a very nice thing to say. I wish you would come over here and show me.”
“In a second. I want to talk about what happened tonight first.”
“Oh, man.” He rolled his eyes. “You aren’t going to let this go, are you?”
“Not until I better understand what you’re so afraid of. Don’t you trust me?”
He balked. “I wouldn’t be with you if I didn’t trust you.”
“So, what’s the problem? If you trust me and we have free will in all this, what did you think was going to happen with those guys?”
“Well, it was a long shot, but I thought it was possible one of them — or maybe both of them — were the guys we were looking for. They were extremely intent on you and their location made me suspicious. I wanted to make sure they didn’t try to hit you from behind and take you or anything.”
“Oh.” Well, crap. I hadn’t even considered that. “I’m glad that didn’t happen.”
He lifted an eyebrow, amused. “I’m definitely glad that didn’t happen. The thing is, I’m worried things will get worse. As word spreads that you’re immune to the cupids, they’ll turn it into a game.”
“What sort of game?”
“The sort where they all compete to see which of them can seduce you.”
“And, again, you have nothing to worry about.”
“I’m not worried about you cheating on me.” He was matter-of-fact. “The thing is, with that many cupids trying to invade your mind, you might not be able to hold them all off.”
I was intrigued. “I thought you said free will always won out.”
“With individual cupids, that’s true. I’m betting you could even hold off three or four of them because you’re you. What happens if seven of them try invading your mind at the same time? I would like to believe you’d have the fortitude to stand up, but we obviously don’t know the answer to that.
“I want you safe, Hadley, and if that makes me a testosterone-fueled maniac, I’m not all that sorry,” he continued. “The more attention you draw from the cupids, the more worried I get. If they see you as a challenge, they’ll want to win that challenge.”
I hadn’t even considered that, but it made sense. “Huh.” I tugged a tank top over my head and grabbed a pair of tiny sleep shorts as I shuffled toward the bed. Galen waited until I was under the covers to hit the light and join me. He wore a pair of boxer shorts and nothing else.
“Come here,” he murmured when I was quiet for a long time, his arm slipping around my waist as he tugged
me to him. His fingers were gentle as he brushed them over my face. “I trust you. If I’ve been making you feel otherwise, that’s on me. It certainly wasn’t my intention.”
“I just don’t want you thinking you can make all my decisions for me.”
“When do I think that?”
“Occasionally, like when you order me to stay in the lighthouse and stuff.”
“I always have your best interests at heart when I do things like that. You have a point, though. I’ll try to request you do the smart thing for your safety instead of ordering it going forward.”
That sounded too good to be true. “Can I ask you something?” I rested my head on his chest as he stroked his hand down my back. He was trying to lull me into sleep so I wouldn’t keep him up all night with inane questions. I knew him.
“Sure.”
“Have cupids ever banded together before to overwhelm certain individuals?”
He hesitated for far too long. Finally, he heaved a sigh and nodded. “Cupids aren’t exactly respected in a lot of circles. They’re considered tricksters of the highest order. Very few paranormals trust them.”
“Why didn’t you mention that?”
“Because you’re very fond of Booker,” he replied after a moment’s contemplation. “At first, I didn’t want to color your opinion of him. He and I don’t always see eye to eye, but we respect each other. I doubt we’ll ever be the best of friends because of everything that’s gone down between us, but we’re not enemies. We could’ve easily grown up to hate each other.”
I could see that. “I think you’re both too good to let personal grievances get in the way of the greater good.”
“And I think you’re giving us too much credit.” He tweaked my nose. “We both love the island. We have a lot of the same friends. We respect one another. I think that’s as good as it will ever get. Still, I trust him, and I didn’t want you to be suspicious of him without reason.
“After you were already fond of him, well, there didn’t seem to be a need to tell you,” he continued. “This has only come up because so many other cupids are on the island. If he was the only one, you probably would’ve been saved this entire ordeal.”
It was a lot to think about. I pressed my ear to the spot above his heart and closed my eyes. “You don’t think whoever has been outside will come back, do you?”
“Not if he wants to live.” He tightened his arms around me. “I’ll be right here, Hadley. Don’t be afraid to sleep. I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.”
I could tell he meant it. “Okay. We never did get the romance, huh?” I was sliding into sleep faster than I’d imagined possible.
He rubbed his hands over my back and kissed my forehead. “There’s always the morning to look forward to.”
I SLIPPED UNDER QUICKLY. I didn’t immediately dream, which was probably a good thing. When my mind grew animated hours later, though, I recognized right away that something was going on.
“What the ... ?” I woke in a circular room. The design had me believing it was a castle of some sort, although I had no idea if it was medieval or Disney. “Hello?” I called out even though I was certain no one was near. “Galen?”
I didn’t expect him to answer. A rush of warmth washed over me as I remembered exactly where I really was. I was asleep, in bed, and Galen was still wrapped around me. This was the dream I had every night since the cupids showed up. I was well aware of my surroundings at this point.
“It’s a castle with nothing fun,” I muttered, tossing off the covers and frowning when I realized I was dressed in an ornate gown. This detail was different from the previous dreams. “Oh, well ... this is weird.”
The dress was an ethereal blue, so pale it was almost white. It was luminescent, which caused me to flick my eyes toward the mirror on the wall. I looked like a Cinderella wannabe, which was interesting on a variety of different levels. Matching gloves sat on the dresser and there were glass slippers waiting for me to slide my feet into them. I wisely sidestepped both and headed for the door.
“I don’t like this,” I muttered. I was talking to myself as I tested the handle. I didn’t expect anyone to answer. Still, there was a whisper ... and it sent chills down my spine.
Come to me.
I frowned at the voice, jerking my head to the left and the right. I was alone in the room. Still, I didn’t feel isolated. Someone — or more likely, some thing — was close and ready to make itself known.
“You know, I don’t appreciate games,” I called out. “This whole seduction bit you’ve got going with the Cinderella gown is nice and all, but you missed your mark with me. I never fancied myself a Disney princess.”
As if on cue, the dress I wore swirled and was replaced with something that looked authentic and straight from medieval times. “Also off the mark.”
Tell me what you desire and I will make it happen.
“Aren’t you supposed to know what I desire?” I grabbed the bedroom door handle and turned it. Unlike previous dreams, it didn’t open so I could discover another room to explore. That was even more distressing than the strange voice. “If you try to keep me locked in this room, it’ll only tick me off. That’s not much of an aphrodisiac, for the record.”
Tell me what your heart yearns for.
“You’re supposed to already know,” I shot back, frustration getting the better of me. “I don’t understand why you’re doing this. If it’s to prove that you’re the mightiest cupid on the block, you might as well stop now. This isn’t going to work. I already have a favorite cupid, and you’re not him.”
I can give you everything you’ve ever wanted.
I thought of Galen, cuddled next to me in bed. “I already have that. There’s nothing you can offer that’s better than the life I’m already leading.”
I could make you forget him.
“You can’t. He’s part of me already. He owns the largest spot in my heart. You can’t remove him from that place because he belongs there.”
Whatever lies he’s been telling you, I can make you forget him.
“No, you can’t.”
I can.
“It’s not possible.” I was firm on that. I believed it with my whole heart. Galen said I had free will and I believed him. There was a reason he wanted me to know that. It was so I could stand up to the dream monster ... whoever he was. “How about you stop hiding behind fancy smoke-and-mirror tricks and show yourself? Don’t you think you’ve been playing it coy for far too long?”
Silence, for a long time. Then, the slow hiss of annoyance. I could end him, the voice whispered. Not in this dream either. I could end him in the real world. Who would protect you then?
My blood ran cold. “I don’t need protection,” I snapped. “I can protect myself ... and him. Don’t even bother trying to go after him. He’ll rip you from limb to limb. I’ll be with him when it happens. I’ll hurt you, too.”
Ah, there it is. The voice sounded smug. Your fear is for him, not yourself. That’s interesting. It means you’re a giving person.
“I don’t care what it means.” My voice was laced with venom as I struggled with the door handle. “Let me out of here right now!”
I thought you could protect yourself. More importantly, I thought you could protect him.
For the first time since I woke in the dream, fear threatened to take over. I couldn’t help wondering if the creature was keeping me busy in the dream so he could kill Galen in the real world. The mere thought was enough to send my heart rate skyrocketing as I redoubled my efforts on the door.
“Let me out!” Magic burst forth in conjunction with my temper and the door blew off its hinges. I was through it before I could think about which direction I should head. And when I plunged through the door I landed in reality.
“WHAT’S GOING ON?”
My eyes went wide when I escaped from the dream and realized I was sitting on the floor next to my bedroom window. Galen, in his wolf form, was battling with a
man. Growls filled the room as the wolf grabbed the man’s arm and bit hard.
I scrambled away from the fight and took stock of my surroundings. The window was open, which meant I had probably opened it ... or somehow the man fighting Galen was stronger than we realized. I didn’t recognize him. He had dirty blond hair and what looked like strange talons for fingers. He was moving too fast for me to get a good look at him.
Galen, his dark fur gleaming under the muted moonlight, fought furiously. His jaws continuously snapped and he grabbed the man by his forearm at some point and viciously ripped at his skin.
For the first time since I woke, the man made a sound ... and it wasn’t happiness speaking. He shrieked in pain, which allowed me to remember that I wasn’t some helpless waif who could do nothing but cringe in a corner while her boyfriend fought to the death. No, I had a few tricks in my arsenal, too.
“Enough.” I bellowed as I got to my feet. Galen slowed his attack, as if surprised by my reaction, but the man was another story. He took advantage of Galen’s confusion to reach into his pocket and draw out a dagger of some sort. I recognized his plan a split second before he could slam the weapon into Galen’s chest.
In an instant I used the pooling magic to blow Galen clear of the man. At the same time, I wrapped my magic around the man’s throat and slammed him against the wall. “Don’t touch him,” I ordered, furious.
Galen shifted into human form and hurried to my side. “Don’t kill him,” he warned. “We need him.”
“You cannot contain me,” the man rasped, fighting against my magic. “I am more powerful than you can imagine.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I wasn’t impressed. “That’s why you have to go into dreams to get girls. You’re powerful.”
“You have no idea.” The man pushed back with his own magic, something I wasn’t expecting, and managed to loosen my grip. I reared back as something cold knifed into my head and forced me to drop him. “You’ve still got a lot to learn, witch,” he hissed before diving out the window.
I reared back, surprised at the cold clap trying to encompass my brain. Galen caught me rather than giving chase and slowly lowered me to the ground.
To Spell With It Page 14
