To Spell With It

by Amanda M. Lee

  “Also not true. If you want me to get my badge, though, it’s upstairs. I will happily get it and drag you out of this lighthouse by your hair if you’re not careful. Is that what you want?”

  Darlene’s expression didn’t waver. “I’m here to discuss a topic of great importance with Hadley. It has nothing to do to you.”

  “That did it.” Galen moved as if he was going to physically attack the woman. I grabbed his wrist before he could.

  “Don’t. It’s not worth it.” My voice was still raspy and made me sound pathetic, but I didn’t care. “Say what you have to say, Darlene, and then leave us to our morning. We had a long night and yours is the last face we wanted to see this morning.”

  “The last face,” Galen echoed, his expression sour.

  “Oh, get over yourselves,” Darlene snapped. “Is this how you were with my son last night? I’ll have you know you hurt his feelings. I mean ... leading him on the way you did was despicable. It’s not as if I want him with a witch, but you should show some respect when dealing with a member of the upper echelon of cupid families.”

  “I didn’t lead him on.” I was horrified at the thought. “I barely said two words to him.”

  “That’s not what he said.”

  “Then he’s lying,” Galen snapped. “I saw the whole thing. They almost ran into each other when Hadley was coming out of the bathroom and he was going in. He realized who she was and immediately started hitting on her. Hadley didn’t encourage him.”

  Darlene narrowed her eyes until they were nothing more than slits. “Are you calling my son a liar?”

  “Yes,” Galen answered without hesitation. “He was persistent to the point I could’ve arrested him for harassing her. I was a witness. If you don’t like that, I don’t know what to tell you. Your son is hardly a victim, so get out.”

  “He wouldn’t make up the fact that his feelings are hurt.” Darlene was clearly determined to win a nonexistent argument. “Why would he?”

  “I don’t know. Why did you make up that story about Hadley cursing Mark Earle to go into the ocean the other day? Perhaps Byron learned it from you.”

  I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing at the murderous glare Darlene managed to muster. She barely came up to Galen’s chest, yet she stood toe-to-toe with him. I had to give her credit for her gumption. She was stupid, but she had guts.

  “I didn’t make that up,” Darlene hissed. “I still maintain she was the one responsible for Mark’s actions.”

  “And I maintain that you’re full of it,” Galen growled. “I want you out of here. Hadley is supposed to be taking it easy — doctor’s orders — and I don’t want you around bothering us. Do you understand?”

  For the first time since she’d entered the lighthouse, Darlene actually spared me a lingering look. It was as if she was seeing me for the first time. “What’s wrong with you?”

  “Nothing.” I didn’t particularly want to share my woes with her. “Galen and I were up late being wild and crazy. I’m sure I’ll be fine by lunch.” That was a bit of an overstatement, but I didn’t want to look weak in front of her.

  “It’s also none of your concern.” Galen was firm this time as he grabbed her arm and directed her toward the door. “If you want to fight with someone, I suggest you track down your sister. You and Judy have been spoiling for a good fight for decades. I think now is the time to see which of you is the true master of your little cupid universe.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Judy is not my sister. She’s an accident of birth.”

  “I thought she was older than you,” I argued. “That makes her the true family heir, right? Wouldn’t that mean you’re the accident of birth?”

  Her glare was so hot I had to check my face for scorch marks. “Judy was never the daughter she should’ve been. I was the better daughter. Me.” She thumped her chest aggressively. “She only inherited the crown because she was born first. That’s a stupid rule.”

  “I think most rules are stupid.” I leaned back in the chair and enjoyed the view as Galen muscled her out of the lighthouse. “It was nice seeing you.”

  Galen fixed me with a dark look as he slammed the door and locked it. “Don’t say things like that to her. Then she might come back.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” I held out my hands to him. “Help me up.”

  “Why? I thought you might just sit in that chair all day and pretend you’re a queen.”

  “Oh, yeah? Are you going to hang around and be my servant?”

  The look on his face told me that wasn’t the case. He almost appeared guilty as he shifted from one foot to the other. “I’m going on a hunt this afternoon. I don’t have much choice in the matter.”

  I understood what he wasn’t saying. “You’re not going to leave me here alone. There’s no way after last night. Does that mean Booker is coming to babysit me?”

  “No. I’m taking Booker with me.”

  “Did you call Wesley? Wait ... you couldn’t have called Wesley. I’ve been with you all morning.”

  “I did not call Wesley. He has his hands full on the farm. Besides, I don’t want him yelling at me because I allowed you to get hurt. I’m hoping to put off that argument until after the incubus is dead.”

  “Then who does that leave?” I was genuinely at a loss. “Lilac can’t leave her bar. You better not have called her. That’s not fair.”

  “I did not call Lilac. But she was my backup plan.”

  He was dragging it out. That meant it had to be good ... or bad, depending on which direction you were looking at it from. “Then who?”

  “Let’s just say I don’t think you’re going to be happy, but I’m convinced you’ll be safe, so I’m happy.”

  “How is that a compromise?”

  “I’m winning today. You can win tomorrow ... or next week if we don’t find the incubus right away.”

  I glowered at him. “I don’t think that’s how compromises work.”

  “What if I make you blueberry pancakes and bacon?”

  My stomach picked that moment to growl and betray me. “Fine,” I said when it rumbled a second time. “Once my back is feeling better, you’re going to be the one compromising all over the place.”

  He swooped down and planted a kiss on my lips before helping me stand. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  IT TURNED OUT, GALEN’S IDEA of a babysitter wasn’t so bad. I pictured him parking one of his deputies in my living room and leaving me to entertain him all afternoon. Instead, two minutes before he left for the day, there was a knock at the back door.

  “Who is that?”

  He didn’t immediately answer, instead leaving me at the table so he could usher in Aurora, who looked like she would rather be anywhere else.

  “I’m here as ordered,” she drawled, pinning Galen with a dark look. “Next time you want a favor from me it might help to ask. I don’t respond well to texts that summon me to places at a specific time. Just saying.”

  His face expressed contrition. “I’m sorry. It’s been a really long twelve hours.”

  “Yeah. I heard what happened at the cemetery last night.” Her eyes traveled to me. “How are you feeling?”

  “Sore,” I admitted. “My back hurts like nobody’s business.”

  “Oh, yeah?” She moved closer and ran her hands over my sore back without invitation. She didn’t look impressed with anything she found. “You know what will probably help that?”

  “Not getting thrown over a twenty-foot-high wall?”

  She snickered. “I was going to suggest a leisurely swim. It will help stretch out those back muscles. Seawater is naturally buoyant and has healing properties. I think you’ll feel ten times better after an hour in the water.”

  “I don’t know,” I hesitated, chewing my bottom lip as I glanced at Galen. “Are you going to put up a fight if we swim?”

  He sipped his coffee, probably to give himself time to consider the question. Finally, he shook
his head. “Actually, I think it’s a good idea. An incubus won’t be in the water during the day. You should be perfectly safe there. The saltwater really will help your back.”

  He turned to Aurora with expectant eyes. “She really is sore. It could’ve been a lot worse if she landed differently. Don’t take her out too far ... and don’t expect miracles from her on the swimming front. She knows she needs to work at that but now is not the time for a heavy workout.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of your precious witch.” Aurora snagged an apple from the counter and shined it against her shirt. I was just glad she was dressed. She tended to swim everywhere she went, and she preferred doing it in the buff. “I’m assuming you’ll be hunting for an incubus all day.”

  “I will,” he confirmed, his eyes filling with malice. “I’m going to rip that thing’s head off when I find it. Then I’m going to put his head on a spike and set it on fire.”

  I cringed at the visual. “I’m glad you’ve given this so much thought.”

  He winked at me. “Booker and I are hitting every spot we can think of today. We’ll be back for lunch because I want to check on Hadley. Other than that, she’s all yours.”

  Aurora rolled her eyes but she didn’t look especially put out. “While you’re checking places, you might want to stop in at that old shack by the hotel development. I haven’t seen anyone hanging around, but that doesn’t mean it’s not in use. I thought I sniffed something weird when I was swimming the other day but it was gone fairly fast.”

  Galen furrowed his brow. “I thought that shack was gone. I was under the impression that the hotel construction folks were going to get rid of it.”

  “I’m sure they are ... eventually. They haven’t done it yet. We’ve found more than one creature hiding in there over the years. I doubt the incubus would stoop that low, but it can’t hurt to check.”

  “No, it can’t,” he agreed. “I’ll add that to the list. Thanks for the tip.”

  “No problem.”

  “And thanks for this.” He laid his hand on Aurora’s shoulder to express sincerity. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”

  “You’re not going to get schmaltzy, are you?”

  “Maybe a little.” He flashed Aurora a smile and then crossed to me. “As for you, take it easy. I’ll be back for lunch. Do you have any requests?”

  “Middle Eastern.”

  “I think I can make that happen.” He leaned over and gave me a soft kiss. “I would take you with me if I could. You know that, right?”

  I knew what he was getting at. He didn’t want me to be upset in his absence. I couldn’t blame him. In my current condition I would do nothing but slow him down. “I do. I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.”

  “I think that’s part of the package now.” He smoothed my hair and pressed another kiss to the top of my head. “I love you. Be safe.”

  I waved as he left, waiting until I heard the front door shut to turn to Aurora. She was watching me with expectant eyes. “What?”

  “You guys are saying ‘I love you’ now, huh? That’s kind of cute.”

  I shot her a dirty look. “Don’t make fun of me. I don’t know how much I can take today.”

  Sympathy replaced smugness. “Yeah. Let’s get you in a swimsuit. I bet I can do something about that back.”

  “That would be great. Then Galen won’t be able to leave me behind tomorrow.”

  “One thing at a time. We’ll get you in the water and see how that goes.”

  24

  Twenty-Four

  Swimming with Aurora was hardly relaxing. She was something of a drill sergeant when she corrected my strokes. Apparently I’d been swimming the wrong way my entire life and she was determined to shake me until the bad technique fell out of my head.

  “You’re not rotating your shoulders the correct way,” she complained after we’d been in the water for a full hour. The waves were calm today, which was good because I wasn’t in the mood to be jostled.

  “I can’t fully rotate my shoulders because my back hurts,” I complained. “It feels better than it did — so kudos on that because the saltwater and stretching helped — but I’m hardly up to swimming marathons.”

  Instead of plying me with sympathy, she rolled her eyes. “Stop whining.”

  “I’m not whining. It really does hurt.”

  She knit her eyebrows and stared hard, as if willing me to break. Finally, she let loose a sigh and pointed to the beach. “Fine. We can rest a few minutes. Then you’re going right back in.”

  Aurora wore a swimsuit today — I swear it looked like she’d purchased it in the eighties because it was gold and shiny — but anything was better than her normal choice of swimwear ... which was nothing.

  “Have some water,” she insisted as she cracked a bottle and handed it to me.

  I greedily drank it before carefully lying on the blanket I’d laid out and stretching my back. “I don’t know what it is about swimming in the ocean, but it always makes me thirsty.”

  “It’s the salt.” She sat next to me and corrected my stretching form. “Put your feet under you — yes, like that — and arch up. That will ease some of those aches and pains you’re feeling.”

  I wanted to snap that I didn’t need help stretching, that I’d been doing it my whole life without incident, but when I tried her method it actually felt better ... and I was floored.

  “It feels like something has loosened up back there,” I admitted as I tried the stretch again. “I honestly do feel better.”

  “See.” Aurora looked smug as she sipped her own water and stared out at the ocean. “I notice things with you and Galen are progressing nicely. When did you start telling each other you love one another?”

  I expected the question. I also expected it to feel invasive when she finally asked. Oddly enough, it didn’t. “Yesterday. It sort of just happened.”

  “Just happened, eh?” She looked amused. “That doesn’t sound like something that usually just happens.”

  “Well, it did.” I rolled my shoulders. “He said it first.”

  “Does that bother you?”

  “No. I just didn’t realize it was going to come so fast. It popped out of his mouth, and before I knew what was happening I was saying it back. It was kind of nice.”

  “It sounds nice. I’m happy for him ... and for you.”

  “Why? I mean ... why are you happy? I don’t get the feeling that you always like me.”

  “It’s not that I dislike you,” she said quickly. “I just ... don’t trust easily. You have to understand, sirens have been hunted by other paranormals for years. There have been wars. I’m the naturally suspicious sort.”

  I could see that. “I don’t have any inclination to hurt you, Aurora. I like you, at least most of the time.”

  She snickered, seemingly amused. “I like you, too, at least most of the time.”

  We lapsed into silence and stared at the water. Aurora finally stood. “We should head back for another twenty-minute session. Galen and Booker will be back for lunch after that.”

  I would’ve preferred resting on the beach for those twenty minutes, but I reluctantly allowed her to pull me to my feet. I was feeling much better. “Okay, but I don’t like it when you yell at me. How about asking instead?”

  Her lips quirked. “Maybe. It depends on how much effort you give.”

  “I just need to finish my water.” I swiveled with the bottle in my hand and halted when I turned in the direction of the lighthouse, the hair on the back of my neck hopping to attention.

  “What are you looking at?” Aurora stepped next to me. “I ... what is that?” She pointed at the same shadow that had caught my attention.

  “I’m not sure,” I said, my frown deepening when the shadow detached from the wall and scurried into the bushes that led to the driveway. I couldn’t see much of it, but there was no doubt it belonged to a human.

  “That was a man.” Aurora looked over
her shoulder, probably to make sure we weren’t about to be jumped from behind, and then focused on the lighthouse again. “Do you think he went inside?”

  That was a good question. “I don’t know. We locked the door.”

  “We did.” She gnawed her bottom lip before bending over to grab her phone from the bag at the edge of her towel. “Hold on. I don’t like this.”

  I wasn’t a big fan of our predicament either. I didn’t have to ask what she was doing because I already knew. She feigned patience until someone answered the call.

  “It’s Aurora,” she announced. “No, she’s fine. Didn’t I say I would keep her safe? Do I ever break my promises? No, she’s not driving me nuts with questions. She’s been stretching her back and feels better.”

  She paused for a moment and rolled her eyes, using her free hand to flap her fingers to mimic someone talking. “Yes, I’m sure she’s the center of your world and you don’t like my attitude. That’s not why I’m calling”

  She laid out what we saw in a short, precise manner. When she was finished she had to pull the phone away from her ear so Galen didn’t explode her eardrum with his curses.

  “Yes, we’re on the beach. We’ll wait for you here,” she drawled when he stopped yelling. “Please hurry. I don’t like feeling as exposed as we are.”

  IT TOOK GALEN AND BOOKER FOUR minutes to get back to the lighthouse. That meant they were close. Booker carried bags of food and placed them on the picnic table outside the lighthouse as Galen stalked in our direction. He didn’t look happy.

  “Tell me exactly what you saw,” he instructed as he pulled me in for a hug. He was so agitated I could feel the tension radiating off of him.

  “We weren’t even paying attention,” Aurora admitted. “We were talking and getting ready to go back in for twenty minutes when something caught her attention by the lighthouse. I was curious, so I looked ... and that’s when we saw the shadow. He disappeared into the bushes on the other side of the driveway from where you parked and we haven’t seen him since.”

  “Well, I don’t like that.” Galen was grim as he kept me tight against him. “Did you check it out?”