by Rose Pressey
Nicolas reached for my hand again. Maybe it was my imagination, but I thought he was staring at my neck with a hunger in his eyes. Did he want my blood? It would make sense that he did. After all, he was a vampire.
I peeked over my shoulder again. The ghosts had moved closer. There was no more time left. I had to get out of there.
I pulled away from Nicolas. “I have to go.”
He touched my arm. “Halloween, don’t go. It’s not safe.”
Yeah, he was telling me. It wasn’t safe anywhere I went. My life wasn’t safe anymore. I felt like the walls were closing in on me and I was running out of places to go.
I ran toward the house and didn’t look back. If Nicolas followed me, I didn’t know. It didn’t matter. I burst through the door and toward the stairs.
Isabeau was standing in the foyer. “You look like hell.”
I didn’t hurl the insult at her that I wanted to. I bit my tongue and continued upstairs. Maybe I was just jealous of Isabeau’s flirting with Nicolas, but it was my home and I could toss anyone I wanted out on their butt.
I’d take a shower and get ready for my evening with Liam. Maybe he could help me figure out what was going on. I could trust him, right? After all, he was a witch like me. Witches had to stick together. He wouldn’t lie to another witch. He’d done nothing but offer to help me since he arrived at the manor.
I slipped under the water and tried to erase the crazy thoughts from my mind. It was no use though. I was more confused than ever. My thoughts were consumed with Nicolas’ lips pressed against mine—the heat from his body and the tips of his fangs touching my mouth.
I climbed out of the shower and into a blue dress and heels. I wasn’t sure where Liam was taking me, but I hoped it was away from this place for the evening. If I had some distance, maybe I could stop thinking about it for a while.
But the reason for my date was to find out more about what was going on and nothing more. I’d push romance away. Discovering Nicolas and Liam’s true agenda was my main concern.
When I stepped out of the door, I heard movement coming from Isabeau’s room. I walked over and pressed my ear against the door again. She was reciting another spell. What was she up to? I needed to ask the Coven about her. Surely someone knew of a witch who had died and was possibly haunting the manor. Perhaps if I tried to find out more history about the manor it would give me clues about Isabeau. There had to be more information about the manor other than the rumors I’d heard over the years.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Liam was supposed to meet me in the parlor. When I reached the entrance to the room, he was already there, looking out the window. He seemed deep in thought.
“What are you looking at?” I asked.
He turned around and drank in my appearance. “You look beautiful.”
I smiled. That was a good way to start the evening. Had he been looking at the ghosts? I hoped they weren’t waiting for me when we went outside. I was glad that Nicolas hadn’t been downstairs when Liam and I left for our date. It would have been awkward to see him.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked as we stepped out onto the veranda.
“I thought we’d eat at a great little place in town.” He held the car door open for me.
“That sounds lovely.”
We slipped into Liam’s sleek black car and eased down the driveway. When I glanced in the side mirror, I saw Nicolas looking out the library window at us. My heart sank. What had he tried to warn me about? Why was I in danger?
A strange vibe buzzed around us, but I wasn’t sure what feeling was or where it came from. It was a different sensation from what I felt from the books. I glanced over at Liam and he smiled. Could he be what Nicolas was warning me about? No, he just didn’t want me to go out with him. Nothing more.
“Have you always been great with your witchcraft powers?” I asked.
Liam glanced over at me as he steered around the corner. “Um, I suppose so. Like with everything I improve with practice. Why do you ask?”
“I don’t think it’s any secret that my magic wasn’t the best before I got the spell book.”
He stared at the road. “No, it wasn’t a secret. But that’s the past now. I wouldn’t worry about that.”
I studied his handsome profile. “Speaking of past, you and Nicolas are still enigmatic about your past. Why don’t you tell me more about yourself? After all, people having dinner together usually talk about themselves and share details.”
He glanced over again. “There’s not much to say. I’m just a boring guy. After college I began working for the Underworld. I’ve been there for ten years now.”
“Do you have a ton of cases?”
“I keep busy, yes. You’re the most interesting so far though.” A smile played at the corners of his mouth.
I would have said that he and Nicolas were the most interesting guests I’d had so far, but they were the only guests. If any future guests were more interesting I would definitely reconsider the bed-and-breakfast business.
We made it into town and parked along the curb in front of the little restaurant. Liam opened the car door for me and I slipped out. With his hand on the small of my back, he guided me toward the restaurant’s entrance. Stars sparkled in the black ceiling of sky.
“I’m glad you agreed to go out with me.” Liam’s presence was resilient as he walked along beside me.
I glanced over at him as we walked into the restaurant.
“I wasn’t sure if you just wanted to go out because of your weird competition with Nicolas.”
“There is no competition,” he said with a smile.
Checkered tablecloths covered the tables dotting the room. Candles were placed in empty wine glasses with wax dripping down the sides in the middle of the tables. Luckily, Liam had made reservations or we probably would have been waiting for a long time. We weaved around tables full of people and were seated at the back of the restaurant. We ordered pasta and wine from the menu.
Taking a sip of my wine, I studied Liam’s handsome face. “Why did you come to LaVeau Manor?”
I didn’t want to beat round the bush any longer. I’d just come out with it.
He sipped his wine then offered an easy smile. “You don’t waste any time.”
“I feel like I’ve waited long enough to ask. I trust you’ll give me honest answers.” I folded my hands in front of me on the table and waited for a response.
He set his glass down. “The law in the Underworld doesn’t want a witch to rule who shouldn’t be in that position. They sent me to make sure the book didn’t get in the wrong hands.”
“Then why do you want to destroy it? Wouldn’t that end law and order?”
He shrugged. “Maybe it’s time for a change in the Underworld.”
“A change for the worse? How long have things been tumultuous?” I asked.
“Not long,” he offered. “It didn’t take long for things to get out of control.”
“So why change now?”
He shrugged. “Things change. Why not make it now?”
“I haven’t seen anyone show up other than you and Nicolas who want the book. So why should I take your word for it?” Maybe there was too much distrust in my voice, but I felt it was justified.
Well, no one other than the men and Isabeau had shown up. But I didn’t think she had any interest in the book other than wanting to make sure she wasn’t turned back into a ghost, although I didn’t know that for sure. She had been performing a lot of spells.
“Mara hasn’t tracked you down yet, but she will.” His tone was apologetic.
“How were you able to find me before she was?”
“That’s my job. That’s why I was hired as a detective for the Underworld and she wasn’t.”
I guessed he did have a point.
“Who is this Mara?” I asked as our food was placed down in front of us.
I didn’t waste any time sinking my fork into the food. Planning the Halloween
Ball, running from ghosts and vampires, and having dinner with mysterious gorgeous men was hard work. It made me hungry.
“She’s the estranged sister of the last leader. Mara feels she should be the one in charge, that her sister’s death somehow made her in line to get the book. She’ll eventually be able to track down where the book is,” he said.
“Why wouldn’t she be the new leader then? How is this decided?”
“It’s usually decided by the current leader and a team. That’s if the leader retired, but if something happens to the last leader, then it’s a completely different scenario. Apparently the last leader felt that her sister would get the book—that was why she had your aunt hide the book.”
“What happened to the last leader?” I asked, almost afraid to find out the answer.
“She was murdered,” he replied softly.
Chapter Thirty-Five
I choked on my wine.
“Who murdered her?” I asked when I’d recovered.
He stared at me. “We don’t know. It was rumored that her sister killed her.”
I swallowed hard, then asked, “For the book?”
He nodded. “Yes, for the book.”
And now she was coming for me? This couldn’t end well. And I thought I had problems before. If what he said was true, I had a lot more to worry about than a few botched spells.
“Have you always lived in New Orleans?” I’d play the same question game with Liam as I had with Nicolas.
“No, I lived in Bayou L’Ourse,” he offered casually.
My eyes narrowed. “So you are both from the same town? You know each other well, don’t you?”
“No.” He didn’t meet my stare.
“You are both from the same town, currently live in New Orleans and show up on my doorstep within hours of each other, but you don’t know each other?”
“I didn’t say we don’t know each other,” he said.
“Yes, you did. When I first met you all.” I pointed my fork at him.
“I may have crossed paths with Nicolas at the coven meetings.”
My heart rate increased. “Wait. Why would a vampire be at the coven meetings?”
“Didn’t he tell you? He’s a witch too,” Liam replied as if this was common knowledge.
“He didn’t tell me,” I said softly.
Why had Nicolas left out that detail about his life?
“So if you didn’t ask me out just because of Nicolas, then why did you ask me out?” I cast a glance his way.
He smiled. “I asked you out because I think you’re a fascinating person. With a name like Halloween how could you not be?”
I tried to hide my smile. “Having a name like Halloween isn’t easy.”
“You certainly make it seem easy.” He grinned then took another drink from his glass.
“Why does Nicolas tell me that you’re dangerous, then you warn me that Nicolas is dangerous?”
“I can assure you I am not dangerous.” He placed his hand on mine. “I’m a sucker for a pretty face though.”
“Flattery will get you nowhere, Mr. Rankin.” I pointed with my fork.
“It’s not flattery, Hallie. It’s a fact.” He took a drink of wine.
“That doesn’t really answer my question though. Why should I be afraid of Nicolas?” I wouldn’t take my eyes off him until he answered.
He leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table. “I’m just not sure he has your best interest at heart.”
“But you do?” I asked with a raised brow.
“Absolutely.” He took another bite from his plate.
I’d taken the last bite of my tiramisu when I felt eyes on me. The ghosts had entered the restaurant. This was not good. How had they gotten in? If they could come in here, then I would probably no longer be able to keep them out of the manor. I had to find a way to protect myself from them. With scowls on their faces, they looked like they were completely pissed off. This was no longer about being reanimated. This was now more about revenge against me.
“Do you see them?” I asked with a tilt of my head.
Liam looked toward the restaurant’s entrance. “You mean the gang of ghosts over there?”
“Yeah. They want me to reanimate them.” I blew the hair out of my eyes.
He shrugged. “So do it.”
“What? Are you crazy? I don’t want the one I’ve got. Why would I want to add more to my list?” I loudly whispered.
He finished his last bite. “Did you tell them to go away?”
“Of course I did,” I said.
“I’m not sure there’s anything else you can do then,” he said.
“Can you please get me out of here? And without the ghosts seeing us?”
“Come on.” He grabbed my hand and I couldn’t deny that this touch felt fantastic. “We’ll go out the back door.”
“I don’t think we’re supposed to do that,” I warned, glancing over my shoulder.
“We aren’t supposed to do a lot of things, but sometimes it’s necessary.” He pulled on my hand.
I hid my smile. Liam was definitely the bad boy type. And that was a bad thing for me. With some dirty looks from the chef, we slipped through the kitchen and out the back door into the alleyway. We made it around the side of the building and Liam peeked around the corner.
“Are they there?” I whispered.
“No.” He shook his head. “The coast is clear.”
Running from ghosts was getting the better of me. Something had to be done.
“I’m so sorry, but I think I need to get home so I can find a spell that will protect me from the ghosts.”
“If you say so,” he said. “I still think it wouldn’t do any harm to help them.”
“I’ll make my own decisions, thank you very much.”
Before I had a chance to step forward, he grabbed my hand again and swung me into the circle of his chest. His arms held me in a tight embrace. Then he pressed his lips against mine. My heart raced. This was crazy… kisses from both men. Liam’s lips moved across mine with a sense of urgency. I reluctantly pushed at his hard chest and backed away him away.
“We need to go,” I said softly.
The warmth of his lips lingered on my mouth. Liam nodded and helped me into the car.
During the ride home Liam tried to keep the conversation light. I knew he sensed my tension. He asked about the process of running a bed-and-breakfast and about my mother’s business. I was thankful for the easygoing chat.
Nicolas’ car wasn’t there when we’d returned to the manor. My heart sank a little. I was so torn as to what to do.
Liam held the door open for me. “Do you want me to help you with the spell?”
I shook my head. “I think I have to do this on my own.”
He brushed my cheek with his hand. “Let me know if you need help.”
I nodded. Liam walked up the stairs. When he turned the corner, I slipped into the kitchen. I’d been through the spell books and hadn’t seen anything to keep the ghosts away. I was sure Aunt Maddy had a protection spell though. It would have to do.
I pulled the book from the shelf, then collected the ingredients that I needed.
After performing the spell, I headed upstairs. It had been a long day. Tomorrow I had to begin preparing for the Halloween Ball. There was only a day until the party. I should have told them that there wasn’t enough time, but I had been so thrilled that they’d asked that I couldn’t possibly have said no. How pathetic was I? I’d show them how to really throw a party though. It would be the party of the century.
Chapter Thirty-Six
I woke in the middle of the night with a strange pull willing me out of the bed. The overwhelming desire to go outside compelled me from bed, down the stairs and out the front door. The wind was cold against my exposed skin. I had no idea what was bringing me out here.
I stopped in the middle of the front driveway. I looked up at the rolling clouds. They zoomed past at a million miles a minute.
Was I dreaming? No, this seemed all too real. A tingling sensation started at my feet and moved slowly up my body, flowing up my legs, through my torso, over to my arms and up to my head.
I collapsed to my knees. My body was drained and my limbs were lifeless. I fell forward onto the ground and couldn’t move. The smell of grass and dirt assaulted my senses. It felt as if something was draining all the energy from my body. The clouds zoomed past above me. The wind whipped around my body, yet I still couldn’t move. I willed my body to move, but nothing happened.
