by Ivy Sinclair
I had never thought of that possibility, and I could tell that Paige hadn’t either. “It’s an interesting idea,” I said. I could tell that Klein was feeling pleased with himself. “But it’s a risky theory.”
“It’s the first real plan I’ve ever heard,” Paige said. “Proctor said that if I knew how to control the magic, he’d be able to show me another way. But I don’t think he’s telling me the truth. Everything I’ve been told was that I needed the item that was on Calamata Island.”
“You still have to agree to be her vessel too,” I said. “Don’t forget that. The decision can’t be made under duress.”
“You don’t know how it felt when Fernando and Abigail had me trapped in that summoning circle,” Paige said. “It wasn’t duress by any means, but the ability to resist just fell away. The spell stripped me of any kind of logic and rationality besides a kind of strange gratitude toward the idea. I would have surrendered if you hadn’t stopped me. If they can do that with a spell, then I’m toast if it happens again.”
I reached across the short distance that separated us and took her hand in mine. “Your ability to control your magic is getting stronger every day. Think about it. Less than a week ago, you didn’t even know you had magic. Yesterday, you healed both me and Klein and saved our lives. A week from now, who knows what you might be able to do.”
“We don’t have a week,” Paige said. I could tell that she was tired again. Her sleep had been fitful the night before, but at least I didn’t think she had any nightmares. “Tell me you don’t feel it, Riley. This is all coming to a head, and it’s going to happen soon.”
“Yeah, and now it sounds like we have a new bad guy to worry about,” Klein said. “What’s up with that?”
“We have no idea if that being, whoever he is, is still around,” I said. “He could have been knocked off years ago. We have no signs that he is involved in any of this. His beef seemed to be with Eva, and he more than settled that score when he cursed her and killed her Protector.”
“What about the demon plague?” Paige asked. “Proctor didn’t know anything about where it came from. Abigail was afflicted by it. It seems like something that would be the result of being around the relic, but Benjamin is supposed to have it.”
Klein and I exchanged a long look in the rearview mirror. Paige shook her head. “No. Benjamin isn’t responsible for that,” she said vehemently.
“How do you know?” I asked. “I told you what he was capable of, and he hates demons. Angels and demons don’t mix, but archangels hold an even bigger grudge because they view demons as little more than bugs to be squashed beneath the heels of their boots.”
“I may not have known what he was, but I knew him,” Paige said stubbornly. “He is a good man. Angel. Whatever. He wouldn’t wipe out an entire species because he felt like it.”
“Well, I guess you’ll be able to ask him soon enough,” I said. I looked at the GPS. “Give or take ten hours.”
“We’re making good time,” Klein said.
“Not a good thing in this situation,” I said grimly. “We have an archangel to find, a demon official to kill, my family to save, and a Goddess to repel from possessing Paige. I’d say our plate is full, and so far we don’t have a solid plan to do any of those things.”
“This would be so much easier if I knew how to use my magic,” Paige sighed. “We need every advantage that we can get. So let’s assume that Klein’s right and I can take on Eva and possess her instead of the other way around. I’d be basically immortal, right?”
“I see where you’re going with this,” Klein said, tapping on the back of her chair. “If you are immortal, then you’re badass. Proctor won’t stand a chance. You’d be on the same level as an archangel. But…”
“But you can’t even think of trying to take on Eva until you have the relic. Which brings us back to Benjamin. We’ve seen firsthand what that thing can do. There’s a reason that it’s being protected by the angels. Even if we can somehow either sweet talk or steal it away from him, there is no guarantee that it wouldn’t turn us on each other in addition to driving us insane.”
“Major bummer,” Klein said.
I ignored him. “Benjamin must know of a way to shield the effects of the relic if he’s had it as long as I think he’s had it. So let’s add that to the list of things that we have to get out of him.”
“Don’t you think it’s strange that Proctor never required us to not harm him as part of our blood pacts?” Paige asked.
“That’s just how arrogant he is,” I said. “He doesn’t consider us a threat.”
“We’re gonna show him!” Klein said, pumping his fist in the air.
I caught Paige’s wry smile, and I couldn’t help but mimic it. “At least we know that we’ll have a cheering section,” I said directing my comment to her.
“All superheroes do,” she replied.
“Hey, we’re a team,” Klein said. “I’m not deserting you guys.”
“Well, that’s a new turn of events,” I said. “Aren’t you going to bring up what happened yesterday? Or Barcelona?”
“That was before we had a near-immortal on our side,” Klein said. I noticed that when he looked at Paige now, there was a mooning type quality to it. Normally, I wouldn’t put up with anyone eyeing my woman like that, but I knew that Klein wasn’t even close to a threat. In fact, if he felt any kind of affection toward her that meant that he’d be more likely to act on her behalf to keep her safe. That’s the kind of man I needed on our side.
“There’s a rest area up ahead,” Paige said. “Can we stop for a minute?”
I pulled the van off the highway and into the deserted parking lot. “Let me do a quick scan,” I said. “Wait here.”
I kept a pair of Plythen knives under the driver’s seat, and I pulled them out as I got out of the van. Klein slipped into the driver’s seat and gave me a thumbs up. If something happened to me, he’d get him and Paige away from there.
Moving in slow circles radiating out from the van using it as center, I swept the parking lot and restroom buildings. The air was still, and I didn’t sense anyone in the vicinity other than the wildlife who moved at night. I gave Paige and Klein a wave, and they joined me on the sidewalk.
“I’ll wait here,” I said. “Give a yell if you need me.”
Paige put her hand on my shoulder as she passed me. A warm sensation ran through me. With each passing day, we grew more and more comfortable with each other, and I felt as if I could already tell so much about her and her moods. At the moment, she was happy. That made me happy.
She returned to my side a few minutes later. I could see that she had something on her mind.
“What is it?”
“I’m tired of feeling defenseless,” she said. “Yes, I’ve been able to use magic to heal myself and others, but I need to know how to use it as a weapon.”
“There is a part of you that does. Remember what happened at the lake on Calamata after we were attacked?”
“That wasn’t me, though,” she said. “I remember it, but it’s like those memories are enveloped in some kind of fog. I think somehow Eva was reaching through me and did that.”
I shook my head. “I think you’re not giving yourself enough credit. I don’t think that was Eva at all.” She looked surprised. “Your mind was still protecting you from the memories of your past. Your subconscious found a way to take control, but still protected you just like it did the night you were hit over the head and tossed into the bay.”
“I need to know how to consciously protect myself. And you. And Klein.” The way that her hands waved in the air, her agitation was evident. “I can hold my own against humans. But supernatural superbeings are a completely different story. I need a supernatural edge, and that is magic.”
I pulled her into my arms. “If you want to learn magic, I can teach you what I know.”
She looked up at me suspiciously. “If you could do that, why haven’t you offered to teach
me before this?”
I shrugged. “Because I’m a shitty teacher in general. Ask Klein.”
“The worst ever,” Klein agreed as he passed behind us on his way back to the van. “You’d probably be better off trying to learn on your own. Trust me.”
“I’m guessing you’re better than you think,” Paige said, softly touching my cheek.
“Well, for you, I’m willing to try.” Then I lowered my head and claimed her lips with mine.
CHAPTER TWELVE – PAIGE
I felt empowered for the first time in memory, new or old. Riley might not think that we had a plan, but I was starting to see things coming together. Even more than that, I was starting to think that it was possible that we could win. I wouldn’t have thought that before Riley came into my life.
My fingers wrapped around the fabric of Riley’s t-shirt, and I pulled him in closer as his kiss deepened. I heard the low growl in his throat as I did so, and it warmed all the parts of my lower body. It was ridiculous how he could turn me into a puddle of mush with one kiss, but he could.
The sound of a throat clearing filled the air. “Seriously, guys? The world as we know it might be ending? Can you get a room some other time?”
I broke the kiss suddenly feeling self-conscious. Riley’s arms squeezed around me, and he dropped a kiss on the top of my head. “Next time we take a road trip, we’ll leave the kid at home.”
I giggled against his chest. There was something wonderful about his innuendo of a deeper relationship between us. He kept an arm around me as he escorted me back to the passenger side of the van. Klein had already climbed up inside. Riley opened the door for me. As I moved past him, he stopped me. Then he kissed me again, and all time stopped for a moment.
“If the world is ending, you can be sure that I’m going to do that at every opportunity I get. You’d better get used to it,” Riley said in a low tone. I heard the note of possessiveness in his words, but it didn’t bother me one bit. With each passing moment, I was growing more possessive of him as well. I thought if I saw a woman looking at him with any kind of appreciation, I might scratch her eyes out.
“No arguments here,” I said as I tried to catch my breath. The man could kiss.
“Klein, you’re driving,” Riley called out over his shoulder. He helped me climb into the back, and then slid the door closed behind him. “We’ll start small, and maybe I can help you with something basic that will make you feel better.”
I was delighted that my lessons were apparently about to start right away. I settled into the chair next to him.
“If we can make sure that no one blows up the van during these lessons, that would be awesome,” Klein said from the driver’s seat. He looked unhappy at the thought of what we were about to do.
“Relax, Klein,” Riley said, rolling his eyes. “Nobody is blowing anything up.”
“Is that something that you could teach me though?” I asked eagerly. I didn’t have to play the part of the victim any longer. As long as I could use magic, I could protect myself.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Riley said with a chuckle. He reached over and rested his hand on my knee. I felt a lovely sense of calm travel up my thigh. “The first lesson is simply about controlling your thoughts and emotions.”
“I can do that already,” I said. “What’s next?”
“Slow down,” Riley said. “If it was that easy, I think that everyone who had any kind of magical inclination would be able to use magic whenever they wanted. But this isn’t just about being able to touch magic. It’s also about being able to control it. In the heat of a fight, it’s easy to lose your head, and then things spiral out of control before you even realize what happened.”
“I know how to shoot a gun,” I argued. “It’s the same thing, right? You have to empty your mind and leave emotions out of it.”
“Yes, I can see why you’d make that comparison,” Riley said. “But when you are using a physical weapon, it’s like the world deadens around you. Everything collapses down into that one singular target, and that’s all you are aware of. Harnessing magic is different. Once you see it and feel it, everything around you comes alive. You’ll be able to feel the pulse of energy inside of you and all around you. It’s wildly distracting. And I’ve only ever touched a very small piece of what you can touch. Because you are a source, you will find that you attract other energies that are outside of you to you. It’s like you call it to you, and you’ll be able to draw on those energies as well.”
“So I can make myself even more powerful,” I said.
“Alice always warned me that drawing in too much magic can be detrimental. That it’s very difficult to control that much magic even for the most experienced of those who have those abilities. You have to be careful not to open yourself up completely. It’s the same for my necromancy. If I open myself up too much when I have a soul bound to me, it’s possible for them to overwhelm me.”
“That’s horrible,” I said. “But I can handle it. This isn’t the first time I’ve used magic, Riley. I think we can skip the kindergarten stuff.” I was impatient. It was as if I could feel time slipping through my fingertips. I still hadn’t figured out what I was going to say to Benjamin to convince him to help us. I didn’t want to think about what we’d have to do if he didn’t want to. Obtaining the relic was the key that everything hinged on.
“Oh boy,” I heard Klein murmur from the front seat. He slid down as if trying to hide.
“I’m not going to get upset,” Riley said, glaring at the front of the van. Then he turned back to me. “Paige, this stuff is important. Alice had me meditating for a month before she allowed me to even try harnessing enough magic to light a candle. That was after I had inadvertently been summoning spirits to me for months. ”
I wrinkled my nose. “I thought that candle lighting thing was just how it’s done in the movies and on TV.”
“There are more than a few witches and warlocks in Hollywood,” Riley said. “My point is, I know you are impatient, and I understand it. But I need you to work with me.”
“No, Riley, I won’t if you are telling me we have to go slow,” I argued. “We don’t have a lot of advantages going into this fight. Benjamin said he loved me. We might be able to exploit that.” It made me sick to even say those words out loud, but I had to push that sentiment to the side. He had been my friend, but if lines were going to be drawn, I didn’t know whose side he would choose. “Proctor has both of us by the balls due to our blood pacts. He didn’t make us promise not to hurt him, which is the only advantage we have there. And as far as Eva, well, I think my only advantage is that I haven’t given in yet. So there is still a sliver of hope that I can come out on top of that one. I need magic.”
“As long as we pick the right place for any showdown, we’ve got more than that,” Riley said. “And Calamata Island is basically an all you can eat buffet for someone like me.”
“I don’t want to force the dead to fight for us,” I said. “Not when I can fight for myself. I just need to know how.”
Riley pushed back in his seat and ran his hand through his hair. “Paige, you said it yourself. We need every advantage that we can get. If that means calling up a fucking army of the dead, then that’s what I will do. I almost kicked Proctor’s ass in the church. During one of my sabbaticals, I learned how to mind-jump into someone’s head. I almost had him.”
“Is that something that you could do again?” The whole idea of hijacking someone’s mind and will was entirely distasteful to me even though I understood it might be necessary.
He rubbed his eyes. “Probably not,” he admitted. “I had the element of surprise going for me. He’ll be ready for that trick next time.”
“And I’m guessing that if he catches any whiff of what you are thinking of doing, he’ll revoke the blood pact,” I said. “Be logical about this. We need the element of surprise again, and that’s me and my ability to do magic. On my own. Without any help.”
The silence between us lasted for what seemed like forever. I wasn’t even sure if Klein was still breathing in the front seat. Then Riley put his arm down on the table with the palm of his hand upturned toward me. “Take my hand.”
“I appreciate that you like holding my hand, but I’m starting to agree with Klein. We don’t have time for the lovey-dovey stuff,” I said.
“Take my hand,” Riley said again.
I reached out and grasped his hand. Then I gasped and let go as a shock of electricity bolted up my arm. “Hey! That hurt!”
“You’ll get me back. It’s your turn,” Riley said.
“I don’t know what you did,” I protested. The muscles in my arm twitched from the shock.
“Maybe we’ve been looking at this all wrong,” Riley said. “You were able to heal me because you used me to bridge to your magic. If I know how to use the magic, maybe that’s all we need.”
“I don’t understand,” I said.
“Use me,” he said. “I am sure that as your strength grows, you won’t need me anymore. But for now, use me. Add your energy to my knowledge, and we’ll do it together.”
“I don’t know how,” I said again.
“Try.” His voice was calm. He winked at me. “I believe in you.”
That was the first moment that I knew for sure that I had fallen in love with Riley Stone. Before the words could tumble out of my mouth, I reached out and let my hand settle over his and closed my eyes. I couldn’t let him read the naked truth of how I felt about him on my face. Not yet.
I took a deep breath and thought about Riley. If what he said was possible, then I needed to connect with him even as I built the energy inside of me. I let images of the last several days play through my mind. I pulled forward those where Riley looked at me with gentleness or kindness. The way that he touched me so reverently, as if he was afraid that I’d disappear.
I felt the vibration of the hum before I heard it. Then the hum turned into a pulse that took me a moment to recognize. It was a heartbeat. It was Riley’s heartbeat. The warmth of a new kind of energy grew inside of me, and it swelled as it moved through me. Then I heard a soft whisper inside my mind. It was words that were vaguely familiar.
