Lure

by Alyssa Rose Ivy

  “This is incredible.” I took another bite of the linguine and clams. The clams were perfectly cooked, and the sauce was to die for. I had no idea how he’d gotten fresh clams in Colorado, but he told me to thank Cade. I guess there’s nothing you can’t do when you have a private jet and connections.

  “I’m glad you like it.” Owen smiled at me across the table. He was different than I expected him to be. There was a vulnerability about him that didn’t fit with the strong exterior he wore.

  “Of course I do.” I still couldn’t believe I was sitting at a table with him.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “You seemed to be zoned out for a second.”

  “I was reflecting on things.”

  “Reflecting on them?” He raised an eyebrow. “In other words you were analyzing the situation.”

  “Just thinking about things.”

  “What kind of things?” He sipped his red wine.

  “On why you never looked for me.” I looked down, instantly regretting the words. Was I going to ruin everything?

  “Daisy?” he said my name quietly.

  “Yes?”

  “You really don’t know why?”

  “No. I don’t.”

  “Because I assumed you wouldn’t want to see me. Eventually you’d have gotten over the shock of things and realized you kissed someone who wasn’t human. I didn’t want to deal with your rejection.”

  Was that really it? He was worried about me rejecting him? “That’s ridiculous. How could you think that? I’ve searched for you for years!”

  “I didn’t know that.” He put his hand over mine. “And now I wonder if I’m a disappointment.”

  “You seemed a lot more confident last night.” I sipped my wine.

  “It was easier.”

  “Easier when you were naked?”

  He laughed. “Easier when I could let our physical urges rule.”

  “Stop worrying. It’s true you’re not exactly what I was expecting, but that’s a good thing. You’re so real and complicated, and everything I want.”

  “And you’re everything I want. You know that, right?” He scooted his chair closer to me. “I’m not using you or anything. I want to see where this goes.”

  “I’m just glad you admitted you remembered me.” I forced a laugh. He had no idea how terrified I’d been when we arrived at his place.

  “Of course I remembered you.”

  “Am I what you remembered?” I’d assuaged his fears. It was my turn to ask. I braced myself in case his answer wasn’t the one I was expecting.

  “You are everything and anything I’ve ever wanted in a woman. I knew you were special back then, but now? Well, now I know you’re perfect.”

  “I’m not perfect. I’m far from it.”

  “Perfect for me. You feel it too. I know you do. This isn’t normal, but what is?”

  “What’s not normal? Our attraction to each other?”

  “The chemistry between us.”

  “Do you think it’s the magic?”

  He cupped my chin in his hand. “No. It’s not magic. I’m immune to it, so you never have to worry that my feelings aren’t real.”

  “So I can feel confident that you’re going to ask me on a second date?”

  “Of course, but this date isn’t over yet. You ready for the next part of our evening?”

  I looked down at my completely cleared plate. “Yes, I believe I am.”

  “Great.” He stood and walked around to my chair. He held out his hand. “Ready?”

  I accepted his hand. “Ready once we clear the dishes.”

  “Hailey said she’d take care of it. I’ll pay her back later.”

  “You sure?” I hated leaving things a mess.

  “I’m sure.”

  We walked outside, and I broke into a grin. He’d set up a huge movie screen along the back of a large shed behind the house and spread out a blanket in front of it. “I brought the movies to you.”

  “Wow.” Now I knew why Hailey had asked about my favorites.

  “How does Cat on a Hot Tin Roof sound?”

  I laughed. “I have no idea how you figured out I loved Tennessee Williams.”

  He led me over to the blanket that was laid out on the freshly cut grass. “It was a lucky guess.”

  “Such a random one.”

  He laughed. “She means well.” He sat down on the blanket, and I sat right next to him. He pulled me back so I was leaning into his muscular chest.

  “I can tell.” I rested my head against him.

  The movie started and I took advantage of my proximity to Owen by running my hands down his arms. I’d never get tired of touching him.

  “I want to know everything about you.” His lips trailed down my neck.

  “Everything?”

  “Everything.”

  “Most of it isn’t very exciting.” Almost none of it was.

  “Sure it is.” He returned his lips to the most sensitive spot on my neck.

  “I don’t even know where to start.” I stopped trying to pay attention to the movie. It was no match for his lips.

  “What’s your favorite color?” he whispered against my skin as though he were asking a highly intimate question.

  “Blue.”

  “Like the ocean or the sky?”

  “Like your eyes.”

  He turned me so I was straddling him. “If anyone else had said that I might have considered it corny.”

  “What was it coming from me?”

  “Wonderful.”

  “I aim to please.”

  “Do you?”

  “Not always.” I put my hands on his shoulders. “What’s your favorite color?”

  “Brown.”

  “You better not say because of my eyes.”

  “The color of your hair…”

  I laughed. “Ok, technically different.”

  “Favorite season?”

  “Spring. I love the weather, the flowers, even the rain. Yours?”

  “Winter.”

  “Really?”

  “Does that surprise you?” He covered my hand with his.

  “I’m not used to people saying that much.”

  “Maybe it’s because I grew up in New Orleans, and we have mild winters. Whenever I get the chance to go somewhere with snow, I jump on it.”

  “Do you ski?”

  “I have, but it’s not really a Pteron thing.”

  “I guess it isn’t as exciting when you can fly.”

  “Kind of.” He put a hand on my hip.

  “My turn. What’s your favorite number?”

  “Two.”

  “Mine’s four.”

  “Two and two make four.”

  “Really? I had no clue.”

  Without warning he started to tickle me. I moved off his lap, and he gently pushed me down on the blanket while I burst into a fit of giggles. “Going to play it that way, huh?”

  “Maybe.”

  He ran his lips over my neck again. “Your skin is so soft.”

  “So are your lips.”

  He slipped his hand under the hem of my dress. “What about my hands? How do they feel?”

  “Good. Very good.” All thoughts of watching the movie disappeared as his hands and lips continued their journey.

  “Sorry to interrupt.” Violet’s voice carried over the sound from the movie.

  Owen moved his hand immediately, and I quickly worked to reposition my dress.

  “What is it?” Owen asked impatiently. He didn’t like getting interrupted any more than I did.

  “We have to go.” Violet stared down at us.

  “Why?” I forced my eyes to stay on her even though they wanted to wander to the screen behind her. I really did love that movie.

  “Louie found Kalisa.”

  “Already?” I sat up straighter. “How did he find her so quick?”

  “Louie has his ways, and Owen’s tip paid off. It does
n’t matter. She’s been found, and we need to get back to his place immediately.”

  “Does he still think she can help me?”

  “If she can help, she will. Louie isn’t someone anyone says no to.” Violet’s words sent a chill through me. I hoped I never had a run in with him. In the back of my head I heard a voice telling me that without question I eventually would.

  “I will obviously be accompanying Daisy.” Owen wove his fingers through mine.

  “You can come on the plane, but if Louie tells you to leave, you will listen.” She gave Owen a knowing look.

  “We’ll deal with that when the time comes.” He moved to standing, helping me up in the process.

  “The plane? I guess that means you’re taking mine?” Cade appeared with Hailey.

  “Yes. We’ll need it.” Violet kept her eyes on Owen.

  “I’m coming too.” Hailey walked over.

  “Not a chance.” Owen shook his head. “This isn’t a game, Hailey.”

  “You might need me.”

  “What I need is for you to stay here.”

  “Why?”

  “So I can contact you to get help if we need it.” Owen had snapped into protective older brother mode, and it seemed really natural on him.

  “Don’t worry, Hailey.” Cade put an arm around her. “I’ll stay and keep you company.”

  Hailey huffed. “Fine, I’m only doing it once though.”

  “We’re still taking your plane.” Violet wasn’t asking a question.

  “It’s fine, I’ll have the pilot fly back. Hailey and I have our own wings if we need to leave before then.” Cade grinned.

  “Either way, we were taking it. Have your pilot ready the plane.” Violet turned to us. “Sorry to cut your date short, but we don’t have any time to waste.”

  “Once we do this, we’re out. Do you understand?” Owen asked her.

  “You may be, but she’s not.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Daisy

  “Are you sure it’s really Kalisa?” I asked as I found myself on a private jet for the second time in my life. I had a passing thought about how cool it would be to tell my friends and family, but then I realized they probably wouldn’t believe me. It wasn’t worth even bothering to share it. Besides, I already had a dozen voicemail messages from my mom checking on me. I needed to call her back before she called the cops.

  “Yes.” Violet nodded emphatically. She was sitting across from where I sat next to Owen. “She’s been found.”

  “And what’s going to happen to her?”

  “She’s going to help you if she can and answer for her crimes.”

  “Which means we need to call Levi. He’s the only one authorized to handle a trial of this sort.” Owen shifted in his seat.

  “No. Allures don’t answer to Pterons. We’ll be doing our own trial.”

  “That’s not allowed.”

  “Owen,” Violet crossed her legs. “How would you handle things if a witch killed a Pteron? Would you hand that witch over to someone else?”

  He nodded in understanding. “Not a chance.”

  “Exactly.”

  “But are we sure that’s what she did? What if she got the essence from someone else and didn’t know what it was?” I wasn’t happy with what Kalisa did to me, but I also had no clue how much she knew.

  “Not just anyone can make the paste she made. She knew what she was doing.” Violet crossed her legs in the opposite direction.

  “We have to protect Daisy in all this.” Owen put an arm around me. “If this witch was powerful enough to take out an Allure, she’s dangerous. We can’t let our guard down.”

  “She’ll be fine. Daisy is stronger than you give her credit for.”

  “I understand she’s strong, but she’s still human.”

  Violet crossed her legs yet again. “I’m not going to let anyone hurt her.”

  “Can I ask you something?” Owen ran his fingers up and down my arm but looked at Violet.

  “You can ask me anything, but it doesn’t mean I’m going to answer.”

  “I thought the Allure’s were all gone… how many of you are there?”

  “Enough of us.” She pressed her lips together for a second as though she were debating whether to say more. “Any other questions?”

  “None that are polite.”

  “Then don’t ask them.” She stood up. “I’ll give you guys some time.”

  I rested my head on Owen’s chest. “Hopefully our second date won’t end so eventfully.”

  “Or at least not in this kind of event.” He stroked my back. “I should have expected it. My life rarely stays calm.”

  “Neither does mine.”

  “You’ve had some rough years.”

  “I have.”

  He leaned in close. “We’re going to see this witch and figure everything else out. Even if she can’t help, that doesn’t mean it’s time to give up. I have some ideas of who can help.”

  “I hope so.” I tried to hide my fear, but it wasn’t going anywhere. The one benefit of hanging out with only Allures and Pterons was that I didn’t have to worry about accidently manipulating someone again.

  “What are your plans? We haven’t talked about that yet.” He continued to gently rub my back.

  “I don’t have any other plans now. The only thing I wanted to do was find you. I did that.”

  “That you did.” He ran his lips up and down my jaw line.

  I closed my eyes, focusing on his touch rather than the craziness that was likely to ensue. I was beginning to understand that quality time was fleeting. I needed to enjoy every second I could. Still, I had questions to ask. “What about you? What are your plans?”

  “Right now my plan is to make sure you’re okay.”

  “I mean beyond that. Before me.”

  “Before you isn’t as simple as it sounds, but if you mean before last night, I planned to go back to New Orleans eventually.”

  “Are you still going to?”

  “That depends.”

  “On?” I opened my eyes.

  “Whether you’re going with me.”

  “Once again expecting me to stay around for more?”

  He smiled. “Not expecting. Just hoping.”

  “If I ever go back to that city it’s going to be with you.”

  “I’ll take that.” He snuggled me against his side.

  ***

  I must have dozed off because before I knew it I was lurched awake as the plane started its descent.

  Owen put his arm around me. “You okay?”

  “Yeah. I just don’t like flying.”

  He smiled. “I hope you mean on planes. If so, I agree with you there.”

  “Yeah, I wouldn’t mind flying with you again.”

  “Good.” He kissed my forehead. “I wouldn’t mind taking you with me again.”

  The plane lurched again as the landing gear made contact with the tarmac. I glanced out the window at the desert landscape. I squeezed Owen’s hand. Part of me was ready to get this confrontation over with, but the rest of me wanted to stay on board. What if Kalisa struck against the one person she could—me?

  “You ready?” Owen asked as we unbuckled.

  “I don’t really have a choice, do I?”

  “You always have a choice.”

  “Not always.”

  “Always.” He led me up the aisle toward where the Allures had already disembarked.

  “He really has a landing strip at his house?” I glanced around at the field. The plane was on the one strip of pavement.

  “We told you his house was opulent.” Hugh put and arm around Violet. “Let’s find Louie.”

  “A landing strip goes beyond opulent,” I mumbled. Focusing on a detail like that helped me forget I was about to come face to face with the woman who had changed my life so completely.

  Owen seemed to sense my discomfort and grabbed my hand. “I can get us out of here in seconds if I have to.”
<
br />   “That’s very convenient.” I hadn’t adequately considered the benefits of dating a guy with wings.

  “I know.”

  “Welcome!” Louie met us before we’d made it halfway to his house.

  I stopped. “Where is she?” I wasn’t going to play around and act like we were there for any other reason.

  “That excited to see the witch?” he asked.

  “I’m ready to get rid of this magic.” I’d been ready for years.

  “I already warned you it wasn’t likely she could help.” He looked me square in the eye. “I told you not to get your hopes up.”

  “You didn’t say that exactly, but either way I still need to find out. Have you asked her yet?”

  “She says she can’t.”

  “And you believe her?”

  “Yes, but not because I’m taking her word for it.”

  “Where is she? Can I see her myself?”

  “If you want to see her, I’d be happy to let you see her before she’s transported.”

  “Transported? Where? Where are you taking her?”

  “It’s nowhere that needs to concern you now.”

  “What about the trial?” I looked at Violet. “You promised a trial.”

  She looked away, avoiding my gaze.

  “If she can’t help me, then why am I here? Owen and I might as well go.”

  “Go? Why would you go anywhere when this is where you belong?” Louie gestured to his property.

  “Where I belong?” I asked. “I don’t belong anywhere but where I want to be.” I was filled with a sudden burst of confidence.

  “So she hasn’t figured it out yet?” Louie asked. “And no one’s told her? And what about her Pteron over there? Is he blissfully unaware too?”

  “Violet wanted to give them time.” Roland walked over. “She had a good point about letting Daisy build some good memories now so she wouldn’t hate us later.”

  “Hate you?” Louie appeared taken aback. “What could she possibly hate you for?”

  “It’s been a long time since you were human.” Violet finally looked at me. “It’s been a long time for me too, but I’ll never forget.”

  Louie turned to Owen. “Pteron, you need to leave. We appreciate you escorting Daisy here, but that’s where your role ends.”

  Owen tightened his hold on me. “Fine. Daisy and I will be on our way.”

  “Daisy is not leaving with you.” Louie turned his head to the side slightly. “Haven’t you figured it out? They told me you were the king’s advisor.”