by Meg Anne
“Stop fucking around. You say it’s a spell, how can you know that and not what it says?”
Skye jumped out of her seat and shoved her finger in his surprisingly solid chest. Ouch. “Because of how they are positioned, asshole.”
Lucas glanced down at where she had poked him and then back up, his eyes widening before he straightened and crossed his arms over his chest. It was unclear who was more surprised by her outburst.
She was sick and tired of him accusing her of lying to him. She wasn’t purposefully withholding information; she’d tried to help as much as she could. The fact was, she really didn’t know. This was way beyond what her grandmother had taught her before she passed.
Skye rubbed at the base of her neck, the muscles there knotted with tension. None of this was their fault, they just wanted answers. They are just as terrified as I am, perhaps more so since it’s their family that’s under attack. She took a deep breath before explaining. “There’s purpose in the way the runes interact with each other. It’s like math; placement matters. You can recognize something as a formula without understanding what it’s for. Anyone who ever sat through basic algebra could tell you that.”
“Ancient magical math. Great.” Lucas’ shoulders sagged, and he sat down on her loveseat, taking up almost all the space. He looked silly and out of place surrounded by her sunset-colored pillows and blanket.
“He’s not going to leave us alone, is he?” Lizzie asked.
“I don’t think so, you two aren’t just some random targets. There’s something he wants from you.”
“Is there a way for us to translate these?” Lucas asked without looking up.
“There are historians that study that kind of thing. We might be able to find an expert or two that could shed some light on it.”
“Do you know any?”
“Not off hand. I mean, I work with artists, not academics, but I can check around.”
“Great. I’ll be in touch, then.”
“Of course you will. You can’t seem to leave me alone.”
He scowled, which had her biting back a laugh. If nothing else, baiting him was a lot of fun. It helped that he was also nice to look at, all those muscles showcased in fitted jeans and a black Henley. Not that Skye noticed. Not even a little bit.
“Let’s go, Lizzie.”
Lizzie stood up and wrapped her arms around Skye in a brief but tight hug. “Thank you again, seriously. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.”
Skye patted Lizzie’s back a couple of times, not entirely comfortable with the friendly embrace. Casual touch was always so foreign to Skye because she’d spent the last twenty-plus years trying to avoid it as much as possible. Thankfully, not all her visions were initiated by touch or she might be permanently curled up in the fetal position, but physical contact was the one trigger she could positively identify. Unfortunately, Skye had absolutely no idea why touch only triggered a vision in some cases, which meant that she was never prepared when it happened.
Lizzie squeezed her a final time and started to step back as familiar tingles worked their way up Skye’s neck.
“Not now,” Skye groaned, but the world was already fading away.
Chapter 10
Skye
The dark alley was suffocating, and Skye sucked in a deep breath, trying to alleviate some of the pressure. It felt as if the brick walls were closing in on her, trapping her in whatever horror she was about to witness. It’s only a vision, but the way her heart raced, and the panic she felt deep down in her soul, was real.
She searched frantically for the subject of her vision and spotted Lizzie walking past the alley in the middle of a busy day. Surely he wasn’t going to get her here? Out in the open!
The Druid took shape inside the alley, and Skye opened her mouth to scream. He pulled Lizzie into the dark with him, no one noticing the attack.
Why did no one step in? Why isn’t anyone helping her?
“You see?” he sneered, his hand over Lizzie’s mouth.
Her eyes were wide with fear as she searched for Skye in the alley.
Skye knew the Druid spoke to her even though she still didn’t understand how he could see her.
“See what? That you are a monster?”
“That I am going to win.” His smile was cruel as he said the words with almost seductive gentleness. He snapped Lizzie’s neck, and she crumpled to the floor. “Your detective is next.” He disappeared, leaving the words to echo long after he was gone.
“I’m so sorry!” Skye cried out, rushing to Lizzie, who lay in a puddle on the concrete, her eyes frozen open in death.
The vision faded away and she blinked up into two pairs of worried blue eyes. Lucas helped her sit up on the couch; his earlier anger absent. There was no trace of it in way his eyes searched her face or the gentle way he touched her.
“What did you See?” he asked, his voice deeper than she had ever heard it.
Well would you look at that. Seems that I finally found a way to scare the shit out of him for a change. Not liking where that train of thought was heading, Skye answered his question with one of her own. “Oh, so you believe me now?” Her voice came out in a rasp, taking some of the sting from the words.
“We believe you, Skye,” Lizzie assured softly.
Skye looked up into Lizzie’s kind eyes, so much like her brother’s. How was Skye supposed to tell her that death was coming for her like a freight train? This is just fucking great. I make a friend and now she is going to die, and there is probably nothing I can do about it.
“Lizzie, can you go get Skye some water?” Lucas asked his sister without taking his eyes off Skye’s face.
“Of course. Do you need anything else, Skye?”
“Some ibuprofen, please. Cabinet over the sink,” she told her.
“You got it.” Lizzie stood and walked to the kitchen.
Lucas leaned in close. “What did you See, Skye?” he whispered.
She opened her mouth to speak but closed it again. How the hell am I supposed to tell him that his sister is scheduled to die? Again? “He hasn’t given up. He is coming for you both. Lizzie first.”
“Fuck.” A muscle jumped in his jaw. “Did he see you again? Like last time?”
She nodded. “I don’t know how he’s doing it. It must be some kind of spell.”
“Maybe the one he put on the wall of that warehouse?”
Skye shrugged. “It’s possible.”
“Do you think he will come after you? Because you can see him?”
It was something she hadn’t considered before, but after seeing the gleam in his eye—the way he’d seemed almost excited about the fact that she could see what he was about to do—she didn’t think he would take her out just yet. “I think he enjoys making me watch.”
“Twisted motherfucker,” Lucas snarled as Lizzie returned.
“Here, Skye.” She offered her the water and pain reliever. “So, what did you See?”
Skye was really starting to hate that question. She’d always wondered what it would be like to have someone know about her visions. Now, she wished she could go back to the secrecy if only to avoid having to suffer through them a second time during the retelling.
“You aren’t to be alone. Ever.” Lucas’ voice held no room for disagreement.
“It was me again?” Lizzie asked, wrapping her arms around herself.
“He’s not going to get you, Lizzie.” Lucas rubbed her back, and she leaned against him.
“What about you, Skye?” Lizzie asked. “Do you think he’s going to try and hurt you since you saved me?”
She hadn’t told them about last night when he’d found her in the alley and threatened her. What was the point? It’s not like they could stop him. While she didn’t know much, she at least had some basic knowledge of Druids. Still, she had no fucking clue how she was supposed to keep them both safe.
“Neither of you should be alone.” Lucas got to his feet. “You can both stay at my p
lace, I have two bedrooms and I can take the couch.”
“Excuse you?” Skye stood. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I will not be staying at your apartment.”
“Yes, you will,” he growled. “I have no interest in adding your death to my conscience, and I’m certainly not going to let my sister die.”
“In case you’ve forgotten, he isn’t targeting me. It’s the two of you who are in danger. If anything, being near you both is dangerous for me.”
“Are you saying you aren’t going to help us stop him?” Lucas asked, the underlying threat to haul her to jail twinkling in his eye.
“I didn’t say that.”
“Good, then it’s settled. Pack a bag.”
“It is not settled. I am staying here, end of story.”
“So, you’ll be able to live with yourself if Lizzie is killed because of your stubbornness?”
Skye jerked back. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Lucas!” Lizzie protested.
“If I have to worry about you, too, I won’t be as focused. Especially if I have to come here to check on you every day.”
“That’s a low fucking blow.”
He shrugged, but there was nothing relaxed about his stance. “I’m not going to fight fair when my sister’s life is on the line. I’ll use whatever means necessary to keep her safe. Besides, it’s true.”
“Lucas, leave her alone,” Lizzie interjected. “If she doesn’t want to come, she doesn’t have to.”
“Then I guess I’ll just have to leave you alone to come check on her.”
“Damn you,” Skye spat. His stubborn ass absolutely would come check on her, and if something happened to Lizzie during those times, Skye wouldn’t be able to live with herself. She pulled in a deep breath and shook her head, not believing what she was about to agree to. “I’ll go pack a bag.”
Lucas stood, smiling smugly as he crossed his arms.
Yeah, you keep it up. See if I want to save your ass. Hopefully she wasn’t making a huge mistake.
Chapter 11
Lucas
Lucas had not thought this through. Not at all. He watched Skye sitting on his couch, petting his dog, and realized what a horrible idea bringing her here had been. Not horrible in the sense that he regretted it, but horrible in that she had already gotten under his skin and having her in his space was only making her more irresistible.
Especially the way she loved on Lucy.
Skye looked over at him and raised an eyebrow. “So, your dog’s name is Lucy?”
“Yes.” His blue eyes locked onto hers, and he wondered why the hell she was asking him that when he’d already introduced them.
“Would you say that you love Lucy?”
Lucas caught the gleam in her eye, and the way she bit down on the inside of her cheek, but he was drawing a blank. “Of course I love Lucy.”
Skye glanced at Lizzie, and they both started laughing.
“What?” he snapped. What was so funny? He loved Lucy… so? Oh. Dammit. He fought a smile.
Not only had Skye cozied up to his dog, but now she cracked jokes with his sister. He really hadn’t thought this one through. How was he supposed to get her out of his system and focus on saving Lizzie?
“Very funny, because you know, that’s the first time I’ve heard that one.” He took a seat on the couch. “You two okay with pizza tonight? I have no interest in cooking.”
“Sounds good to me,” Lizzie replied, curling her feet up underneath her body. He saw the exhaustion in the dark circles beneath her eyes. He wondered if she was feeling helpless, because he certainly was.
How the hell were they supposed to stop a man with supernatural powers?
Lucas ordered the pizza and flipped through the channels until he found a movie to play in the background. Lizzie focused on the television, while Lucas focused on Skye.
“You have a nice place,” Skye commented with a lift of her brow, as she glanced around at the unopened boxes littering the room. “Did you just move in?”
“Thanks,” he laughed. “And, no, I didn’t just move in.”
“Oh.” Skye looked around once more, her eyebrows slightly bunching in the middle.
“Job takes up most of my time…”
Skye met his gaze, offering a small smile.
“Lizzie can take the credit for anything that’s actually decorated.”
“Does she live nearby?”
He nodded. “Down the hall.”
“That must be nice to have her so close.”
“It is.” His voice was strained, and he tried to curb his tone. Skye had done nothing to deserve his being short with her.
His entire body was on edge after the events of the day, and it begged for release. Usually, after a particularly rough day, he’d stop at the gym and let off some steam, but there hadn’t been time with everything that was going on. Perhaps that explained the reaction he was having to the woman sitting across from him, because as he sat there beside her, all he wanted to do was pull her close and devour that snarky mouth that both turned him on and drove him insane.
The timing was all wrong, but that didn’t make him any less attracted to her, and the more time they spent together only made her harder to resist.
“I’m sorry I yelled at you earlier,” Skye said, pulling him out of his thoughts. “And called you an arrogant asshole.”
His brow quirked. “You never called me an arrogant asshole.”
“Not out loud, anyway.” She grinned, and the brightness of her smile lit up his space. Damn it she’s gorgeous.
Someone rapped lightly on the door.
Lucas got to his feet to answer it. “Must be the pizza.” He pulled it open, expecting to see the delivery guy, and was startled to find his partner instead. Matthews was dressed casual, in jeans and a dark jacket.
“Hey man, thought you could use a drink.” He held up a bottle of good Scotch, and Lucas accepted it without hesitation.
“You thought right, come on in.” Lucas stepped to the side to let his partner inside.
“Hey, James,” Lizzie greeted him with a tired smile.
Matthews returned it with one of his own. “Hey, Lizzie. How are you?” he asked, walking over to the couch where she sat.
“I’m okay, a little shaken up.”
“I bet.”
Lucas watched Matthews take a seat next to her, and his hand reached out to touch her leg. Lucas cleared his throat, stopping Matthews’ hand in mid-air.
Matthews may be his partner, but Lucas would be damned if Lizzie became the next notch on his bedpost.
“Why are you here?” Lucas asked.
“We didn’t get any prints off your sister’s diner. There weren’t any at the warehouse either.”
Lucas nodded. While he was disappointed, he hadn’t thought they’d find any. Do Druids even have fingerprints?
“We ordered a pizza,” Lizzie offered. “Would you like to stay for dinner?”
Matthews looked up at him, and Lucas cursed inwardly but nodded. He liked his partner, just not in the same room with his baby sister.
“That’d be great, thanks.” Matthews smiled and noticed Skye for the first time. “Ms. Giovanni, it’s great to see you again.”
“You, too, Detective.”
“James, please.”
“Only if you call me Skye.”
Matthews winked at her. “Fair enough.”
Lucas set the bottle down on the counter before taking a seat next to Skye. He sat closer than he normally would have, feeling the inane need to claim his territory. He put his arm across the back of the couch, so it rested just behind her shoulders. Lucas was perfectly aware that he was turning into a caveman, but he couldn’t care less. The woman was getting under his skin and tearing down all the carefully erected walls he’d built to keep himself from getting too close to anyone again.
His cell rang, and Lucas checked the ID before answering. “MacConnell.”
; “We got another body,” the beat cop on the other line informed him. “Chief said to call you in. It’s like the scene at the warehouse.”
Lucas’ blood chilled. “Where?”
“I can text you the address.”
“Okay.” He ended the call and looked to Matthews. “We’re up. They found another body.”
“Like the warehouse?”
Lucas nodded, his jaw clenched.
“Alright.” Matthews started to get up—
“Actually, can you stay here with Lizzie?” He may not want his partner to put the moves on his sister, but there was no one else he trusted as much with her safety.
“You’re going to go by yourself?”
“No, Skye is a historian. She thinks the symbols might be tied to an occult ring,” he lied and ignored the way his stomach flipped with the weight of it. He hated lying, especially to his partner.
Skye looked up at him with wide eyes, but she didn’t contradict him, a fact for which he was thankful.
“Alright. At least there’s pizza,” Matthews agreed, settling back into the couch.
“Pizza better be the only thing you’re having.” Lucas glared at his partner who grinned up at him.
“That’s the only thing on the menu, isn’t it?” he joked.
“If you value your dick, it is.”
Matthews winced and placed his hands protectively in his lap.
“You going to threaten him with your shotgun too, Dad?” Lizzie snapped as she folded her arms.
“I think I made my point, but I can if you want me to.”
“Fuck off,” she muttered, turning her attention back to the TV.
“You ready?” Lucas asked, turning back to Skye.
She got to her feet and followed Lucas out into the hallway. “You’re taking me to a crime scene now?”
He closed the door to his apartment, turning to look at her. “Look.” She looked up at him, fire behind her whiskey-colored eyes, and his breath caught in his chest. “I need you, Skye. You said earlier that this isn’t my world, and you’re right. It’s not; I’m in way over my head.”
