by Nicole Hall
He relocked the first drawer and moved on to the second. Inside, he found a pad of paper and several pencils. His brows drew together as he pulled the pad out into the light, revealing a rudimentary sketch of a curved dagger with a wooden handle. The artist had an eye for detail, but lacked nuance. Something about the weapon seemed familiar. He stared at the picture, only able to associate it with a half-forgotten memory. Runes. The blade should have a line of runes running down it.
Luc blinked and replaced the pad, carefully closing the drawer. Was that the dagger she’d wanted help finding? He knew it, somehow, but he couldn’t place from where. The sketch made him uneasy, causing a sense of trepidation to sit heavily on his shoulders.
He closed the doors to the shelves and backed away. His connection with the dagger—and with Samantha—encouraged him to abandon his strange obsession with her. The safest option would be to travel to one of his other homes for a few years. Leave the magical exiles that ended up in New York in Samantha’s capable hands.
The situation reeked of fate, but he’d never been good at taking the safer option. Fate could try to force him onto a path, but he’d choose how he traversed it. Perhaps he’d put more effort into helping Samantha with her quest.
With that in mind, he checked on her one last time—still sleeping off the magic—and went downstairs in a belated attempt to respect her wishes.
When Samantha came down the stairs more than an hour later, Luc stood at the kitchen sink straining linguine. She’d changed out of her suit, and while he appreciated the confident businesswoman, he found he preferred the approachable woman in yoga pants. Especially knowing how few got to see her like this.
She ignored him as she collected a glass and filled it with ice water, then sat down at the counter. Luc would have thought she wasn’t entirely awake yet except for the barely discernable stiffening of her shoulders when he came near.
He dumped half the pasta onto a plate and added the sauce he’d made. “Does your magic always knock you unconscious for hours?”
She sighed and rested her face against her hand. “Only when I fight it.”
“Every time then?”
Samantha snorted, but didn’t elaborate further. She’d only given him the shallowest of explanations, but her sallow complexion and tired eyes concerned him. Despite sleeping late into the evening, she didn’t appear to have gotten much rest. Curiosity burned for what she kept hidden, but he wanted her at full health more than he wanted answers to his questions.
He slid a plate of pasta in front of her, and she frowned down at it. “I thought I was out of noodles.”
“If you mean those dried monstrosities, then yes. Luckily, you had flour, eggs, and oil. I made fresh linguine.”
“You carry a pasta maker around for emergencies?”
Luc laughed, glad her spirit had returned. “Don’t you?” She lifted her brows in disbelief, and he relented. “You don’t need a contraption to make pasta. A sharp knife and a steady hand will do.”
“How did you know when I’d wake up?”
He scoffed. “I was making this for me. You happened to come down at the right time.”
Samantha tentatively tried a bite, then moaned and licked a dab of sauce off her lip. Luc hardened instantly and regretted not cooking her a meal before this point. She took a few more bites, and he busied himself making a second plate.
“Thank you, Luc. This is delicious. I’m never going back to dried spaghetti.”
“My pleasure, though I charge a steep fee for my services.”
She smiled and met his eyes. Warmth greeted him for once, not only the attraction she tried so hard to deny, but genuine delight. An answering satisfaction filled his chest. He’d made her happy, and like her, Luc didn’t want to go back.
She looped more noodles around her fork. “What’s your going rate?”
Was she teasing him? A playful Samantha could prove dangerous to his impartiality. “Consider this a free sample. It was the best I could offer you in your current condition.”
Samantha paused with the food halfway to her mouth. “What do you mean by that?”
“Magic is energy, like anything else. You depleted yours, so now we’re helping it refill.”
She set her fork down without taking the bite and tilted her head. “I’ve never thought of it that way before, but it makes sense.”
Her answer made him think she hadn’t been formally trained, despite her creative talent with magic. “You’re human.”
“Yes.”
“Your magic is elemental in nature.”
“Yes.”
“Surely you can give me more than a single-word answer, love.” A shade of hostility returned at his use of ‘love’, but he had no intention of guarding his tongue against her. The word slipped out when he spent time with her. She would have to get used to it.
He spread his hands. “I’m interested in learning more about you. Isn’t that what all the ladies want? A man who listens?”
Samantha sat back from her mostly empty plate and searched his face. “At this point, I assume everything you say comes with a heaping serving of disdain, but I’m too tired to figure out your angle tonight.”
“No angle.” Not any that he would explain anyway. What had started as an entertaining dalliance had become a mystery he wanted to unravel. One with possible connections to his past.
She didn’t appear convinced, but she sighed and began to talk while he ate. “I developed early, and my human parents weren’t prepared for a magical offspring. I prefer not to talk about it. When I became older, I sought out other magic-users who could teach me. Eventually, a mage took me in and trained me.”
Luc licked sauce off his lips, elated to see her eyes follow the movement. He grinned. Not as indifferent as she’d like. “That explains your strict adherence to outdated schools of thought.”
She glared at him. “There’s the disdain I was expecting.”
He reached across the counter for her hand. “That wasn’t disdain. I believe you to be a woman who learns from the world around her, yet you discount the possibilities of free will. Mages have a tendency to do the same.”
Her hand lingered in his, then she pulled it back and tucked both in her lap. “Is that why you profess to hate oracles?”
Luc frowned. He didn’t remember mentioning that particular quirk. “Where did you hear that?”
She met his eyes, with a hint of vulnerability beneath her confidence. “I pay attention.”
He nodded slowly. She’d shared a part of herself; he could afford to reciprocate. “The visions they see are only ever a part of the future, a possibility. The interpretation changes drastically in hindsight, and there’s no way to accurately predict the actions of creatures with free will. Oracles twist the truth to fit their own needs.”
“Have you ever met one?”
“Yes.”
She raised a brow at his one-word response, but Samantha would have to offer more than a superficial biography to earn stories of his past. When he didn’t provide an explanation, she shook her head and gathered both of their plates.
“Maybe next time you can tell me about your magic.”
Luc leaned back and watched her wash the dishes. “My magic is also elemental, I was never formally trained, and I look forward to arguing with you about it again.” He stood and approached her, removing the dish cloth to gain access to her hands. “Next time, though, we can try something vastly more pleasurable.”
He pressed a kiss to her palm, watching her eyes so he didn’t miss the flare of heat. For once, she didn’t have a sassy retort. Luc released her and walked toward the front room. She followed, and the house felt strangely silent without the click of her heels.
On the stoop, he paused. “Good night, love.”
“Good night, Luc.”
The door shut softly behind him, and Luc grinned. He’d wear her down eventually.
Luc chose to walk to Seth’s building rather than catch a cab home
. He’d been pursuing Seth to join his organization for years, but in the last few months, he’d developed a fledgling friendship with the man instead. In general, Luc didn’t opt for friends, but Seth happened to be powerful—both magically and financially—and his mate, Keely, refused to accept a polite no.
Seth answered the door with a smile, and Luc found himself smiling back. Perhaps he’d been hasty in discounting friendships all these years. There was a certain power in knowing your presence alone could alter someone’s mood.
“Still looking for information on Samantha’s magic?” Seth welcomed him inside, and his offer tempted Luc to see what else he could find out. Unfortunately, he seemed to have developed an annoying need to convince Samantha to tell him.
“No, I’ve just come from her house.”
Seth gave him a once over. “I see you managed to survive another encounter with Samantha unscathed. I’m glad you stopped by, even though you aren’t interested in pumping my mate for information.”
Luc raised a brow. “I have no intention of ever pumping your mate.”
Seth winced and glanced down the hall. “Maybe don’t mention that part to her. Either way, I have something for you.” Seth detoured to his bedroom, and Luc sank down onto the plush sofa. He heard hushed voices and a low female laugh, then Seth came back out, closing the door behind him.
“Keely says hi, but she’s not interested in putting on pants.”
Luc chuckled. “A pity. Her company is always enjoyable.”
Seth plopped down on the other end of the sofa and held out a dagger. The dagger. Curved blade, wooden handle, but like Samantha’s sketch, the runes were missing. From his position two cushions over, Luc could feel power emanating from it.
Luc frowned at the weapon and crossed his arms, unwilling to touch a magical artifact he couldn’t place. Seth let his arm fall and rested the dagger against his thigh. What were the chances that events would unfold in exactly this way? Coincidence could be explained, but the amount of convergence happening in one night made him highly suspicious. The whole situation reeked of outside influence.
“Why do you believe that dagger is for me?”
Seth shrugged. “My cousin’s scary powerful mate handed it to me on our last day in Texas and instructed me to give it to you. She turned me into a llama as a joke, so I’ve learned to listen when Maddie’s being serious.”
“I’ve never met your cousin, nor his mate. Did she call me by name?” Luc hoped there had been a misunderstanding, but he didn’t believe that to be the case.
Seth frowned and set the dagger on the coffee table between them. “Yes. I didn’t think it was weird, but now that you mention it, she said ‘make sure this gets to Luc’. You’re the only Luc I know. Did I mention she can be scary?”
So much for choosing his path. The universe seemed intent on throwing him to Samantha’s aid. For that matter, why not have Keely give the dagger directly to Samantha? What purpose did he serve beyond errand boy? “What do you know of that dagger?”
“I know Maddie used it to kill a Dark Fae and nearly killed one of my clan. I can feel the power as I’m sure you can, but I can’t access it. Maddie claims she did extensive testing with it, and after the initial success, she couldn’t get it to respond either.”
Luc sighed and prepared himself for a jolt, but when he picked up the dagger, nothing happened. He attempted to examine the weapon magically, but his power slid right off it. A vague feeling of amusement touched him, and Luc unceremoniously dropped the dagger back to the table.
Seth nodded sagely. “Potential sentience and a damn strong shield. Maddie warned me not to hold it for too long, and even I couldn’t get past the protections.”
Why would a woman he’d never met deliver him a powerful ancient artifact? After his initial shock, Luc wasn’t particularly concerned with the sentience. He picked up the weapon again, weighing it in his palm. The real problem was his indecision about whether or not he should keep it. Power was power, and Luc wasn’t in the habit of giving up something like this.
Seth watched him shift the dagger back and forth. “I have something else that you might need.”
Luc looked up from the blade to see the other man pull a golden necklace out of his pocket.
“This was stolen, several times, but it has a way of ending up where it’s most needed. At the very least, wearing it will protect you from outside magic forces.”
Luc’s brows shot up as a second wave of power emanated from the gleaming medallion. “Another artifact?”
“I seem to have developed sort of a collection.” He dumped the necklace in Luc’s hand and stood. “No offense, but Keely’s half-naked waiting for me in our bed. Unless there’s anything else you need right now, get out.”
Luc chuckled and called his satchel to him. A convenient spell that allowed him to always be prepared. He tucked the necklace away along with the dagger. “I wouldn’t dare get between a man and his mate.”
Seth glanced toward the hallway, then stopped him by the door. “If you’d already talked to Samantha, why’d you stop by?”
He’d forgotten that beneath Seth’s easy-going demeanor lurked a sharp mind. “I wanted to know if you had any information on a dagger that Samantha is searching for.”
Seth’s brows rose. “I’m not even going to ask the stupid question, but I am going to point out that it seems pretty obvious fate is pushing you and Samantha together. Maybe you should find out why.”
“I don’t believe in fate.”
He shrugged. “Then you’re going to get fucked by it.”
3
SAMANTHA
Samantha hated her visions. She’d learned to control them, for the most part, but every once in a while, one blindsided her. The last one had been the worst yet. If Luc hadn’t been there, she could have been seriously injured. Not to mention the reputation problems associated with passing out on her doorstep.
Two days later, and the images still shook her. The exhaustion had slowly eased, but every time Samantha tried to sleep, she dreamed about Luc’s weight on her, his blood seeping between her fingers. Unlike most of her visions, this one had been fairly clear. She’d seen Luc’s death.
Samantha pushed away from her desk with a groan. She’d been working in her home office the last few days, but very little actual work had gotten done. Mostly, she’d stared out her window in horror as she grappled with the reality that even if she told Luc, he wouldn’t listen.
When had she become so attached to that wretched man?
She’d recently told Dru the truth about her powers. Maybe it was time to call in a favor from the most powerful magic-user she knew. They were scheduled for a lunch date today anyway.
Samantha checked her watch and cursed. She hated being late almost as much as she hated her visions.
“Sorry about the Indian place. I know you loved their naan.”
Samantha waved away her concern. “It was bound to happen eventually. They didn’t charge enough for their food.”
The wrought-iron gate squeaked as they entered the tiny courtyard in front of the row house, and Samantha decided to just leave it squeaky. Kids would love it over Halloween, and it’d be one less thing she had to worry about.
Dru frowned when Samantha walked through the front door and straight to the kitchen table. “Aren’t you going to fix the gate?”
“No.”
She sat down gingerly and squinted her green eyes at Samantha. “That’s not normal. Are you okay?”
“Yes. No. Ugh.” Samantha dropped her head into her arms. “I have a problem.”
“Okay, first, I can barely understand you like that. You sound like you’re face deep in a pie. Second, you’re starting to freak me out because you eat problems for breakfast. Third, I’m raiding your fridge for the emergency ice cream stash because I’m starving. All my reasons have become food-related.” Dru got up and dug around in the freezer, long dark hair obscuring her face, until she emerged with a pint of red velv
et ice cream.
Samantha propped her chin on her wrist and watched her former roommate return to the table with a single spoon. “I believe the rule was that the suffering party had dibs on the ice cream.”
Dru shrugged and scooped out a big bite. “I changed the rule. I can do that now.”
“I don’t remember buying red velvet ice cream.”
“I stocked up the last time I was here. We’re still working on the ice cream portion of my reign as queen. You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to bring in some basic technology. All those magical dryads scared shitless by an air conditioner.”
Samantha chuckled. Dru bulldozed her way over melancholy with her insistent perkiness and lack of any kind of filter. “I’d think fear of your sister would be a stronger motivation.”
Dru snorted. “They revere her. I’m constantly having to remind her not to take advantage.”
“Before we get into all the ways Bri is tormenting your people, I have a request.” Samantha sat up straight and took a deep breath. “I need some of the sacred waters.”
Dru’s face softened. “Why?”
“I saw Luc’s death.”
She swallowed and her brows nearly hit her hairline. “And you want to help him prevent it? Did you finally decide he was worth getting to know naked?”
Heat crept up Samantha’s cheeks. “This isn’t about my feelings for him. This is about saving his life.”
“Ah, so you do have feelings for him.”
Samantha squeezed her eyes shut for a second and rubbed her temples. She loved Dru, but she’d had very little sleep the last few days. “I’ve seen other deaths before, but only one was ever that vivid and complete.”
Dru pulled Samantha’s hands away from her face. “You think this one was his actual death?”
“It felt like it. I don’t get random visions. What I see has always been connected to me personally, but a lot of the time I don’t know how until much later. I’ve been feeding Keris information for years, but my association with Aecantha still doesn’t make sense to me.”
