“No. But I’m sure Brenna can,” Hilda replied. “I’ll ask her.”
“Thank you,” Carina murmured. “I’m going to rest. It’s a lot to take in.”
Hilda stepped into the hall, leaving her alone. She was almost to her room when she ran into Brenna, who had just come up the stairwell.
“Everything okay?” Brenna asked. “I heard screaming.”
“It’s fine. Carina was having some trouble…adjusting. I took care of it.” Hilda sighed. There was no easy way to say this. “So apparently Carina is Agnes’s sister.”
“What?” Brenna moved closer to Hilda, searching her face. “Come again? Agnes’s sister’s been dead for a century.”
“No. Not really. She’s been trapped in the Void.” Hilda grimaced. “And she wants a meeting with the coven. Apparently, she was their original leader, not Agnes.”
“Great.” Brenna leaned back against the wall. “That could cause…issues.”
“So you’ll do it? Set up the meeting?” Hilda mentally crossed her fingers. So much could go wrong, but, if Carina was as powerful as Hilda thought, there was so much that could go right.
“Yeah. I’ll do it. It’s not like I have a choice. If she’s as powerful as Agnes, she can find them on her own. At least this may make things go smoother.” Brenna straightened, turning back toward the steps. “Give me a few hours.”
“Thanks,” Hilda called after her. When Brenna was out of sight, she turned to make her way back to Cade. Right now she needed his arms around her more than anything else in the world.
He was standing in the hallway, waiting. “You look entirely too serious.” He tugged on her hand, leading her into their room. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“Just wondering if we’re on borrowed time. I’m happy to be home, but something isn’t right. Sometimes I feel like something is tugging on me like a leash, pulling me back.”
He stopped in the doorway of their room, pulling her against his chest. “Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck, tilting his head down. His hands went around her hips, pulling her closer. As their bodies met, it was as if no time had passed. They had been so good together, partners in crime and lovers in truth. It had been the happiest time of her life. She wanted it again, more than anything.
He brushed away the tear trailing down her cheek. “We got this. What’s a few pissed-off Guardians?”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “All these years, and you’re still nuts.”
He leaned forward, his breath hot against her lips. “And you’re not?”
“Stop talking.” She stood on her tiptoes to claim his mouth. He tasted like her favorite dessert—a tantalizing concoction of spicy and sweet. And she wanted to savor him until she had drunk every drop, enjoying him while she could.
She wasn’t an idiot. At some point the floor would drop out beneath her, and this dream would come to a screeching halt. Stuff like this didn’t happen, especially to people like her. The urge to connect to the world in a tangible way—to feel human—was overwhelming.
Without breaking the kiss, Cade guided her into the room, shutting them inside. His skin was damp with tears she hadn’t even realized she had shed. He shuddered as she licked them off his neck, her hands sliding down his chest to pull the thin T-shirt up and over his head.
This was Cade. The only man she’d ever loved. And she’d be damned if she wouldn’t be with him at least one more time before she lost this body. He kissed her and the world fell away. All that remained was his mouth fused with hers. He was insatiable, and her body and mind exploded with need. He lifted the hem of her shirt, pulling it over her head then cupped her breasts in his hands. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, his eyes glazed with need.
She grabbed his waistband and pulled him toward the bed. When the back of her legs hit the mattress, she let herself fall. They landed in a tangle of limbs. Blinded by need, she wrapped her arms around his back to pull him closer. It had been too long. Foreplay be damned. She wanted him inside her. Her fingers fumbled at the fastenings of his jeans. If she was stronger, she’d have ripped them off. When, finally, they were naked, he took her mouth, hot and fierce, pressing her against the mattress with his body and burying himself inside her. She’d never felt anything like it, the sense of belonging as their bodies connected.
But then he stopped and lifted his head. His gaze locked on her, questioning.
“Don’t stop,” she said brokenly. She clung to him, wrapping her legs around his back, pushing him deeper.
When he began to move, the friction was exquisite, dancing between pleasure and pain. The pressure in her lower belly built higher, overtaking rational thought. Even in her wildest imaginings she hadn’t believed it could be like this. They shattered together, riding a roller coaster of sensation until they collapsed into the afterglow.
Chapter Nine
Hilda rolled onto her belly, unable to resist snuggling against Cade. Being with him like this, she could almost forget the hell that lay outside their door.
“You always seem lost in thought.” Cade rolled onto his side, pulling her closer. “I don’t remember that from before.”
“I guess death made me more contemplative.” She stretched languorously and rolled away to see him better. “Puts things in perspective, and makes you realize what’s important.”
“So where do we fall in that equation?”
“Oh we’re definitely important.” She kissed him, lingering for a moment. “You’re stuck with me now.” She unhooked the chain from his neck, letting the emerald ring fall into her palm. “I’ll never forget the night you gave me this. I’ve replayed it a thousand times in my memory. It’s amazing that one simple question could make me so happy.”
He took it between his fingers. “Maybe I’m reading you wrong, but I’d swear you want me to ask you again.”
She shrugged. “Maybe I’ve realized how short our time together could be. We should take advantage of it.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” he said as he laid the ring on the nightstand. “But when I propose, it will be on my own terms.”
“Still a control freak.” She grinned, sitting up. “Some things never change.”
“Look who’s talking.” He tackled her, trapping her beneath his body.
Rolling her eyes, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Maybe. But that’s why you love me.” She kissed him softly. “I wish we could stay here forever.”
As if on cue, someone knocked on the unlocked door. Her heart jumped into her throat as Keegan popped his head in, took one look at them, and then stepped inside.
“I love reunions.” He grinned. “They make me so emotional, all that happily-ever-after crap. We should get the others. They’ll be so happy.”
“Get out, Keegan.” Hilda winged a pillow at the dragon. “Don’t you have some bad guy to skewer?”
“Sure. But this is much more exciting.” He threw himself on the chair beside the door. “So you’re a thing again? You gonna walk down the aisle and make an honest man out of him?”
Cade growled, but Hilda squeezed his arm in warning. Keegan was a pain in the ass, but he was her friend. And he was sensitive. If Cade said the wrong thing, it would take the dragon years to forgive him. He could hold a grudge like none other.
“What do you want, Keegan?” she demanded.
“Thought you’d want to know.” He leaned back, crossing his arms. “There’s a circle of magic surrounding the house. It feels like a boundary spell. Pretty sure it’s the witches, so you probably want to put some clothes on.”
“Damn it. How did we miss it?” Cade jumped from the bed and pulled on his jeans.
“We were distracted,” Hilda replied. She flung her legs off the bed and stood. Naked, she winked at Keegan.
“Damn,” he repli
ed. “Are you sure you want to take him back?”
Cade growled, tossing her some clothes. “Are you sure it’s them? Close your eyes and tell me what you feel.”
“I feel all warm and fuzzy.” Keegan grinned. “Like a hot toddy.”
Cade glared at him. “From the magic or looking at my girlfriend naked?”
“Both,” Keegan replied. “So she’s your girlfriend now? What happened to fiancée?”
Hilda stepped between them. They could kill each other later. She glared at them both. Closing her eyes, she did as Cade asked. She recognized the magical signature. “It’s the witches.” She pulled on her clothes. “They probably freaked out when Brenna called them and wanted to make sure Carina didn’t leave.”
Keegan uncrossed his legs, leaning forward. “So why didn’t anyone bother to tell me Carina was a blood witch? The coven is our strongest ally. What if they hate her?”
She ignored Keegan, focusing instead on Cade. He was testing the magic outside, making sure she was right. “Carina was Agnes’s predecessor,” she said, grabbing a piece of ripped cloth from the dresser and tying her hair back. “We need to smooth this over as much as possible. We don’t have time for any power plays, not while things with the demons are heating up.”
“If the coven pulls out of the fight, it will weaken us. The demons will push their advantage, and we could lose everything.” Keegan jumped to his feet. “I say we give Carina to them with a big red bow around her neck. Let them decide what to do with her.”
“You’re forgetting one important fact. The witches may want her.” Hilda moved past Keegan and stepped into the hallway. “She’s strong and that makes her an asset. They’ve got to be floundering without a leader,” she continued as she walked down the stairs, Keegan and Cade following. When Keegan didn’t answer, she turned on the bottom step.
Keegan was staring at her, eyes widened.
“What?” She shrugged. “I’m not useless. I actually have a fully functional brain.”
“That’s new,” Keegan replied. “When did that happen?”
She tried not to let the words hurt. He was right. She’d been a complete mess as a ghost. “You try being dead for fifty years. See how you act.”
“No.” Gray shook his head as he rose from the sofa. “No Keegan ghosts. That would be my own special hell.”
“I’d second that, and I barely know him,” Cade added.
“Come on. It would be fun,” Keegan replied. “You’re both immortal. I could haunt you for an eternity.”
“I’ll pass.” Gray motioned for them to join him. “The witches will be here in a few moments. Several of them were close, and they didn’t want to wait. If there are power plays, we deal with it. But there shouldn’t be. After Agnes’s death, there was no one powerful enough to control the coven. They need a leader, and Carina is their first decent candidate.”
“So no worst-case scenario? That’s a first,” Keegan called before he disappeared into the kitchen.
“Does anyone actually like that dragon?” Cade sank onto the other sofa, pulling Hilda with him.
Hilda grinned, playfully pushing him away when he tried to nuzzle her neck. “Give him time. He’s an acquired taste.”
“Must be,” he replied, grinning. “I don’t see the appeal.”
“Right now we need to focus on the witches.” She shifted so she was sitting sideways facing Cade. “They’re incredibly powerful because they’re half-human and half-deviant.”
Carina and Brenna stepped into the parlor from the kitchen, Keegan trailing behind. “Seraph went on a call. Something attacked a group of humans near the caves on the west side.”
“Any idea what it was?” Hilda asked.
Brenna shook her head. “No. But it wasn’t a demon. Seraph’s worried another deviant faction may have joined them.”
“Great. That’s just what we need.” Cade started to say something else, but a wave of magic spread through the room. It saturated the air, resting lightly against them.
Brenna moved forward. “I’ll never get used to those witches’ calling card. Creeps me out,” she said as she threw open the door. “They already set up a perimeter. It’s a bit much.”
Fresh air streamed inside causing the magic to dissipate. But Hilda barely noticed, she was so entranced by the woman who stood in the threshold. Her long white hair fell almost to the ground, her bright green eyes glazed with age. “I hope we’re not imposing. But when you called us with the news, we couldn’t wait.”
She glanced around the room almost frantically until her gaze fell on Carina. She rushed forward, tears falling freely. “It is you. I’d recognize you anywhere. You haven’t changed at all.”
Carina grasped her outstretched hands. “Gwen,” she murmured, pulling the other woman into a tight embrace. They held each other for several extended moments in the silence, both wiping away tears as they separated, not taking their eyes off each other. “I missed you. I didn’t think I’d see you again.”
“Agnes always thought you’d find a way back, but we never believed her.” Gwen hesitated, turning to Gray. “May I bring Igor inside? It’s important.”
For a minute, Hilda didn’t think she’d heard right. There was no way Gray would let that hell hound inside the boarding house. He’d barely tolerated it with Agnes.
“Sure. Just make him mind.” Gray grinned. “I was thinking about getting my own hell hound. Think you could help me with that?”
“Absolutely.” Gwen matched his grin.
Brenna stepped between them. “I know the two of you bonded in battle, but no more hell hounds. Igor’s fine. We’ve got an understanding.”
Hilda couldn’t believe it. She’d only been gone a few weeks, but it looked like she’d missed a ton. She had no idea they were so chummy with the witches.
Gwen murmured an incantation, and a large black dog appeared at her side. His lips were curved in a sinister smile, while his thick tail thumped against the tile floor. Carina squealed—actually squealed—and dropped onto the floor to wrap her arms around the beast. Igor’s smile widened to reveal more razor-sharp teeth, his tail thumping on the floor in an erratic rhythm.
“Agnes took care of him, but he was never really hers.” Gwen smiled at them, clearly pleased. “He’s missed you.”
“I’ve missed him too.” Carina leaned back, pressing a kiss on the top of Igor’s head. “I’ve been gone for so long. So much has changed.”
Gwen threaded her arm in Carina’s and pulled her to the couch. “We’ll catch you up. But you have to take over the coven. We’re falling apart.”
“I will, eventually.” Carina settled beside her on the couch. “But not until I get my bearings. If the coven can’t survive without me, then it’s got bigger issues than not having a leader.”
“Agnes did her best, but she wasn’t meant to lead.” Gwen absently petted Igor’s back. “But she was the strongest, so the others followed.”
Carina leaned forward, squeezing Gwen’s hand. “I’ll fix it. I promise. But you’ll have to give me time to adjust.”
Hilda could only stare, bemused at how the pieces of the puzzle were sliding together. She’d always believed in karma and fate, now more than ever. For the first time in years, her life finally seemed to make sense. She reached over to give Cade a kiss, but, before she could, she was overtaken by a wave of nausea. It doubled her over, the room spinning around her.
“What’s wrong?” Cade bent down, pushing back her hair to peer into her eyes, but she was too sick to respond.
Another wave hit, and she pressed against the back of the sofa, fighting to stay upright. She glanced across the room to see if Carina was suffering as well. To her horror, the other woman was writhing on the ground in silence, Gwen and Igor at her side.
Their time had expired. The Guardians had decided to send them back.
She reached out for Cade, somehow managing to grab his hand. “I love you,” she whispered. If they had only had more time. There was so much she wanted to tell him, so many things she wanted to do with him. But their time was over, almost before it had begun. She held on to him as long as she could, but soon the pain took over.
Her stomach felt like it was filled with acid. Her throat burned. The pressure on her chest increased until she couldn’t breathe. Helpless, she slid down the wall. Pain streaked through her temples as she hit the floor, narrowing her vision.
Cade and the others gathered around her, horror on their faces. She wanted to reassure them, but the words wouldn’t come. Brenna was chanting something, probably a healing spell, but it wasn’t working. The pain increased until she was cocooned inside. She closed into herself, everything else fading away. Then she felt it. Familiar magic wrapped around her like a mosquito net, pulling her into the darkness, until she felt nothing at all.
Chapter Ten
It was the worst kind of déjà vu. Hilda pushed onto her hands and knees, pain radiating to her extremities. She glanced around to get her bearings and to verify what she already knew.
She was back in the Void.
Carina lay a few yards away. Her long red hair was wrapped around her body like a blanket. She looked drained, but it was too soon for the Eversors to have fed from her, even if the bastard Guardians had served her to them on a silver platter.
The air was as thick and sticky as syrup. It caught in her throat, restricted her breathing. Gasping, she moved through the darkness toward Carina. They had to find shelter. They were sitting ducks out in the open. And she had an idea. It wasn’t a good one, but it was something.
She crouched beside the other woman, shaking her gently. “Wake up, Carina. We need to move.”
She groaned, curling into a tighter ball.
Hilda cursed. They were running out of time. She grabbed Carina and pulled her onto her back, slapping her hard on the cheek. “Get up. We’re going.”
This time Carina stared back. Her eyes were glassy, but semi-coherent. “You hit me again and you won’t have to worry about the Eversors.”
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