Dark Secrets: A Paranormal Romance Anthology

by Colleen Gleason

  “You’re such a girl.” Closing the distance between us, my lips met his.

  The kiss was brief but hardly chaste. His mouth on mine, his tongue searching, teasing, eluded to things to come.

  “Are you going to tell me what happened now?” Pulling his shirt back on, he tried to get at the real reason I’d thrown myself at him.

  Graive walked in before I could answer, buying me some time to think of exactly how much I wanted to tell Oberon. I didn’t want Mahalia or the rest of the Council knowing that Lachadiel and the Inquisitors were hot-wired into me. At least not until I was sure they wouldn’t try to use me as bait again. They’d tried that before against Morrigan, and all hell had broken loose. Literally.

  Graive took one look at me with Oberon and stormed out.

  “Mahalia’s waiting for you in the backyard!” Her voice carried from halfway down the hall.

  I smiled a little at the idea she thought something more happened between us. Maybe she’d take the hint. She’d had her shot already.

  Oberon was already off the couch, waiting for me. He helped me into my coat and whispered into my ear, “You’re going to tell me what happened after we talk to Mahalia.”

  Despite crushing my ego on the couch, his warm breath on my neck made me ache for him. He may have been close to the real reason behind my attempt at seduction, but he had to know I truly wanted him. The attraction was obvious when we were together.

  Thinking hard about what had almost happened with Oberon on the couch; I didn’t realize he stopped walking. I bumped into him, pushing him forward and giving me a better view of what had stopped him dead in his tracks.

  Mahalia stood in the middle of the yard, her heavy cloak pooled around her feet. A symbol was burned into the ground beside her. The mark in the blackened grass was the same as the brand on my neck. Lachadiel had been here. He wasn’t just inside my head. He had physically been here. Did he need to be close to me to make the connection? The footprints scorched into the ground that led toward the house seemed to say so. I instinctively reached for the mark on my neck.

  “Tell me what happened, Maurin. Right now,” The one-eighty in Oberon’s demeanor had me running in circles to catch up. Cold on the couch, his was suddenly full of fire.

  He turned around to face me. The look in his eyes said he wasn’t going to let this go. Neither would Mahalia, not after her wards had been broken. So I told them everything there was to tell, which wasn’t much. I didn’t know what he looked like or where he was. I knew nothing that we could actually use. Oberon’s face was a mix of emotions. Anger, disappointment, and fear were all present. This wasn’t the end of the explaining for me.

  Mahalia was quiet for a moment.

  “Take her to Idiosyncrasy.”

  “The oddities shop?” What could we possibly need from there?

  “Take half of my allicorn with you. That should be more than enough for the amulet.” Mahalia looked like she was still tallying out the trade, tabulating it all on her fingertips.

  “Why not just pay cash? Half your store of allicorn is worth a lot more than one amulet.” Oberon arched a brow in question.

  “Not if it is elven made. They’ll want more than cash for it. Allicorn is the only thing I have valuable enough to trade for it. You’ll want to keep an eye on her until morning, Oberon. It’s best if she stays awake until after she has the amulet.” Mahalia’s warning stirred visions of coffee cups dancing in my head,

  “So we get the amulet, and then what?” As much as I hated everyone talking around me, I had to admit I was clueless.

  “And then we find the Inquisitors and put an end to this once and for all.” Mahalia turned, walking the perimeter of the backyard, setting the wards back in place as she went.

  If she had a plan, then she wasn’t sharing it. We’d been officially dismissed. Oberon and I left her to the wards and headed back inside.

  Chapter 10

  It was going to be a long night. Well, technically, it was going to be a long morning. It was already after two a.m. when I followed Oberon to the kitchen, thankful that he needed coffee as much as I did.

  “So, were you planning on telling me about Lachadiel?” He leaned back against the counter, arms crossed over his chest, as we waited for the coffee to finish brewing.

  “Yes.”

  “Really? When?” He was skeptical and with good reason.

  “I don’t know, Oberon. When the time was right, I guess.”

  “So never, then.” His eyes gave away the anger and frustration he struggled to keep out of his voice.

  “How about after I was sure the Council had come up with a plan to get rid of the Inquisitors without using me and the link between Lachadiel?”

  “You could have told me. I’m not on the Council.”

  “You wouldn’t have kept it from Mahalia. You’d have made me tell her, or you would have told her yourself.”

  And there it was. The reason I wasn’t entirely sure I could trust Oberon. No matter how much I wanted to, no matter how much we shared, he was obligated to his coven. To Mahalia.

  “You’re sure of that? I can’t help you if you won’t let me. You’re going to have to trust me.”

  “So, if I told you and asked you not to tell Mahalia or anyone else then you wouldn’t have? You’d have lied to her and the rest of the coven about something that could finally be what leads us to the Inquisitors?” I knew I was putting him in an impossible situation.

  “Yes.”

  “You’re sure of that?” I threw his words back at him.

  “I won’t let them give you up to Lachadiel, but it isn’t going to come to that. We’re getting the amulet tomorrow. Mahalia obviously thinks that it will shield you from him.”

  “Come on, Oberon, we both know where this is headed. If Mahalia doesn’t come up with another way to find the Inquisitors, and we’re kidding ourselves if we believe that she will before tonight, then she won’t have a choice. The amulet’s just to stop Lachadiel from using me, not the other way around.”

  “So why did you tell her, if you’re so sure that she’s just going to figure out a way to use you?” He rubbed his temples, struggling to keep up with my logic.

  “It wasn’t fair to keep it from you. I mean, if I had to draw energy from you every time Lachadiel came for me then you’d have figured it out anyway.”

  “I knew there was more to your little seduction.” He smirked. “Do you think that you need the physical contact to fight him off?”

  “Um, I don’t think so, no. Why?” I tried to hide the embarrassment in my voice.

  “Just making sure. I wouldn’t want someone trying to fill in for me if I wasn’t around.”

  “You’re hilarious,” I said dryly. “No, the energy boost I got from you was enough.”

  “Why did you need to pull energy? You’re strong enough now, and you shield your mind better than anybody.”

  “My shields aren’t that great. Seamus got through them.” I reminded him, tapping the side of my head for effect.

  “Seamus got through because you opened yourself up to him first, and because you hadn’t come into your full power yet. Now that you’ve finally accepted who and what you are, that shouldn’t be a problem.” Oberon looked at the coffee pot, willing it to brew faster. “There’s something else, isn’t there?”

  “I already told you, he said he had marked me. He claimed I was his to call. I guess it means he can get inside my head whenever he wants.”

  “Maybe not whenever he wants. Maybe you’re most vulnerable to him when you’re asleep,” Oberon tried to put things together.

  “But I wasn’t asleep. I was in that in-between state. Not asleep but not awake,” I was unintentionally poking holes in his theory.

  “Close enough. That’s why Mahalia wants you to stay awake. What made you reach for the link between us?”

  “I don’t know. It felt like he was draining me. When he pulled on my energy at first, and I resisted, it seemed to make
him stronger. Then I thought of how I was connected to Scota and to you. He went from being a crushing force inside my head to almost nothing. I pulled energy from the link to push him completely from my mind.” I shrugged my shoulders.

  “So he used your energy to get stronger, but he didn’t know you had a way to pull more energy to fight him off” Oberon scratched his head, trying to put it all together.

  “Yeah, he underestimated me. It happens a lot. He knows now, though, so I don’t see how any of this helps.”

  Grabbing two mugs from the cabinet, I fixed us both a cup of coffee. I handed Oberon his before taking a sip of mine.

  “It doesn’t, I guess.” He sighed, sounding defeated.

  “What I can’t figure out is how the Inquisitors are even using magic. Do you think they have a witch working for them? You know, like Stockholm syndrome. Maybe they tortured someone for so long that he or she went nuts or something?”

  “They believe the Key was given to Solomon by God. If God gave it to Solomon, then it isn’t evil. Therefore, it is unlike our allegedly heretic magic. It's a loophole in their beliefs. It gives them a way to turn magic against those of us who were born to use it.”

  “Hypocrites.” I set my empty coffee mug down.

  Oberon nodded in agreement as he poured me another cup.

  We sat at the kitchen table talking and drinking coffee until well after the sun came up. We talked about everything and anything, except Lachadiel and the Inquisitors. It was definitely a first for me. I had never stayed up all night talking before. Oberon officially knew more about me than anyone else. I couldn’t help wondering if that was a good thing.

  Oberon looked at the clock and stifled a yawn.

  “It’s a little after eight. By the time we get ready and drive over there, they should be open.”

  “Okay, cool. I’m going to hop in the shower real quick.”

  I slammed down the last of my umpteenth cup of coffee and tiptoed up the steps to the shower. It looked like the remnants of a frat party in here, minus all the trash and toilet paper decorations. There were witches curled up asleep everywhere. I stepped over half a dozen just getting to the stairs.

  I found the spare room with my things and Amalie fast asleep. I grabbed a few things out of my duffel bag and headed for the bathroom at the end of the hall. I set my stuff down on the counter and turned the water on. Steam quickly filled the bathroom. I had already undressed and was about to jump in the shower when I realized I’d forgotten a towel. I went over to the little closet to get a towel and stopped when I heard voices in the hall.

  “I heard you two talking last night, Oberon. She’s going to end up killing you!”

  “Drop it, Graive. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Afraid one of their coven members might overhear their argument; they fought to keep their voices low. I was thankful for thin walls and hollow doors. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to eavesdrop.

  “Yeah? Well, she doesn’t know what the hell she’s doing. I’m telling you right now, she’ll end up draining you dry. She’s no better than a vampire right now, except instead of your blood she’ll be draining your power. But mark my words, she’ll kill you nonetheless. Don’t expect me just to sit back and watch her do it.”

  “It’s fine Graive, don’t worry about it. She’ll have the amulet, and then it won’t be a problem.” Oberon tried to reassure her.

  She wasn’t going to let it go. I heard them walk away from the bathroom door. Oberon was probably worried I’d get out of the shower and hear them. Too late. I turned the lock on the door. I didn’t want anyone to walk in—especially Oberon.

  Sick to my stomach, and in need of time to think, I got in the shower, hoping the water would wash my worries away. Was Graive right? Would I end up hurting Oberon, or worse? The amulet was supposed to keep Lachadiel from finding me, but I wondered what would happen when Mahalia told me I had to take it off? Would I be able to steel my mind against Lachadiel without draining Oberon? She’d have to use a coercion spell because I wasn’t going to take the chance. The sooner I got to Idiosyncrasy and the amulet, the better.

  I got out of the shower, got dressed, towel dried my hair and quickly ran a brush through it. After brushing my teeth, I was done.

  Oberon was waiting in the hall when I opened the door.

  “Your turn.” I tried to act as if nothing was wrong.

  “I’m done. I used the shower in Mahalia’s room.” He gave me an easy smile, completely unaware I’d heard everything he and Graive had said.

  “I see that now,” I found myself suddenly distracted by the way that his black shirt clung to his muscles and how good he looked in his jeans. If I didn’t need that amulet so badly… My thoughts drifted to Oberon on the couch with his shirt off, and the weight of his body pressed against me.

  “So you’re ready to go then?” The question drew my attention back to his blue eyes and mischievous smile.

  “Yeah, let’s go.” I sighed.

  I led the way downstairs. Oberon was right behind me, grabbing his keys off of a small wooden table in the foyer. He shut the front door quietly behind us.

  We got in his black Chevy Avalanche and headed into town. I was quiet on the ride to Idiosyncrasy. Too quiet, I guess, because Oberon quickly realized something was bothering me.

  “You okay?” he asked, shifting his gaze between the road and me.

  “Yeah, just tired.” It wasn’t a complete lie. I was physically tired from the lack of sleep and mentally tired from everything else, but that wasn’t the reason that I was so quiet. I didn’t want to let it slip that I had overheard him and Graive. I had a feeling he’d tell me not to worry and try to convince me that taking off the amulet would be fine.

  “Me too. We’ll get the amulet, and then we can crash when we get back to Mahalia’s,” he said, buying my excuse.

  It was early enough that we easily found parking right in front of the store. Not much was open before eleven. Oberon put the truck in park, and I hopped out immediately, not wanting to waste any time getting the amulet. The sooner I put it on, the better.

  Saying Idiosyncrasy was an unusual vendor was an understatement. They had everything you’d expect an oddities store to have and more. It was like a circus sideshow and a medical museum all rolled into one. There were two-headed baby pigs in jars and some medical equipment that made me thankful I wasn’t alive in the eighteenth century. There was even a couple of real shrunken heads on a shelf behind a complete skeleton. None of that interested me. I had eyes for only one thing, and I didn’t see it displayed in any of the cases.

  The girl behind the counter didn’t look all too thrilled to be working, much less awake, before noon. She sat on a stool, fiddling with her lip ring, and didn’t give so much as a good morning. I looked at Oberon. He just shrugged his shoulders.

  “I’m looking for an amulet. I don’t see any in the cases,” I said, trying to get a little help from goth girl.

  “Look around, lady, do we look like a jewelry store to you?” She didn’t make eye contact, just continued to text.

  “It looks like a place that needs to put a ‘Help Wanted’ sign up to me,” I stepped forward, closing the distance between me and the smartass behind the counter.

  Oberon stepped in front of me. “Mahalia sent us.”

  The girl just rolled her eyes. “You need to talk to Rhyan.”

  “Is he here?” Oberon used his most polite voice.

  More flies with honey and all that.

  “She is in the back.” Apparently her phone was still more interesting than us.

  “Maybe you could get off your ass and go get her then.” Hands clenched into fists, this girl was moments away from eating a knuckle sandwich.

  “Can I help you?” A friendly and obviously retail-oriented voice asked from a room behind the counter.

  “Mahalia sent us. We’re looking for an amulet.” I assumed the mystery voice belonged to Rhyan.

  �
�Come on back.”

  Oberon and I walked behind the counter and into a small back room. It was half storage, half office. The shelves were a mix of more jars, weird collectibles, printer paper, and paper towels. Rhyan’s desk sat in the middle of the room.

  She peered over her tortoise-shell rimmed glasses and gave us a once over. Everything about Rhyan, from her small features, pencil thin lips, tan sweater, and brown tweed pants was the complete opposite from her merchandise and her goth salesperson. She looked like she should be working in a bank. Instead, she was sitting in her storeroom, surrounded by pickled body parts and taxidermy.

  “Nice try, Miss Kincaide. I didn’t think you were with SPTF anymore. It doesn’t matter. I’ll tell you the same thing I told the other officers. Everything I have here is legal. I do not buy or sell stolen property.” Rhyan ran her tongue under her upper lip, sucking air between the small gap between her two front teeth. .

  “I don’t recall having met you before. How do you know my name?”

  “I know who you are, Maurin Kincaide. We all know who you are.” Her lip curled, almost to a snarl.

  “I’m not here on police business. And you’re right; I don’t work with SPTF anymore. I’m with the Council now.” I hoped that would carry some weight with her.

  “The Council doesn’t scare me, Miss Kincaide. I belong to a much older organization.” She gave me a menacing glare.

  “Cryptic.”

  Rhyan was starting to get on my nerves. I was running on empty and wasn’t getting any closer to finding the Inquisitors or Lachadiel hanging out in her storeroom. I didn’t have time for games.

  “Mahalia really did send us here to get an amulet Oberon stepped in to defuse the tension.

  “Did she now? Why didn’t she come here and ask me herself?”

  “You’ll have to ask Mahalia that. She told us to come here to buy the amulet. So now we’re here. Are we going to be able to make a deal or not?” Oberon slipped a hand in his pocket.

  “If I believed every witch who came in here dropping Mahalia’s name…” She laughed.