Bordello’s was about two blocks away from her brother’s flat. It wasn’t very big, and looked fairly crowded, but a couple in their fifties — clearly tourists — got up from their table just as she and Brandon approached. The restaurant’s sole waitress, who also seemed to be a civilian, smiled at Brandon and said, “I’ll get that wiped down in just a minute. Hang on.”
“No problem,” he replied.
Maybe she was imagining things, but Hayley thought she saw something a little more than simple courtesy in the waitress’s smile. Well, it wasn’t really that implausible. Just because Brandon tended to act like he was oblivious to women didn’t mean that women were oblivious to him.
The table got cleared and set with fresh silverware and napkins in lightning time. “Take a seat,” the waitress said. “Here are some menus. Anything to drink?”
“Do you have merlot?” Hayley asked.
“Sure do.”
“A glass of that, please.”
Brandon lifted an eyebrow, but only said, “And I’ll have a Lumberyard pale ale. Thanks, Mel.”
“Got it,” Mel said, and headed off to the tiny bar, which wasn’t much more than an alcove set into the restaurant’s wall.
Since it was impossible to ignore the way her brother was staring at her, Hayley remarked, “So I want a glass of wine. I am an adult, you know.”
“I know,” he said. “I’m just not used to seeing you drink. Rough day?”
“You have no idea.”
Both eyebrows went up at that reply, but he kept silent, instead studying the menu Mel had given him. Hayley decided she’d better do the same, since it would be a lot easier to place her order as soon as the waitress returned with their drinks. Everything sounded great — she hadn’t even realized how hungry she was until she started trying to decide what to have for dinner — but she decided she’d have a bison burger, just because it sounded exotic.
Mel came over with Brandon’s beer and Hayley’s wine, and took their orders after she’d set their drinks in front of them. “I’ll get those out to you as quickly as I can.”
Hayley smiled at her. “Thanks so much.” Still, pleasant as the waitress seemed to be, it was a relief to have her gone, so she could take a sip of wine and mentally brace herself for what she needed to tell Brandon.
He drank some beer, then asked, “What’s going on, Hayley?”
She set her glass down, wrapped her hands around its base. “A lot.”
“Something related to why you’re here in Jerome?”
Why such a question should surprise her, she wasn’t sure. After all, just because her brother had his head buried in engines most of the day didn’t mean he still didn’t know what was going on in the world. “Yes, something like that.” She glanced around, but her hopes from earlier seemed to be borne out, because, with the exception of the waitress, everyone else in the restaurant was clearly a member of the McAllister clan. While they might not know anything about the demons the Escobars had sent after her, they at least were privy to the general situation.
“Like that, or exactly that?”
Hayley swallowed some more wine. It felt warm going down her throat, gave her the courage she needed to answer her brother’s question. “I guess exactly that. Levi took me around Cottonwood this afternoon, but then we decided to go over to Red Rock Crossing so I could see a little bit of Sedona.” She paused there, trying to get a read on Brandon’s expression. He didn’t seem particularly disturbed by her spending an afternoon with his next-door neighbor, which she had to assume was a good sign. “We hiked along the creek for a little while, and then these people came along, saying they’d dropped their phone somewhere on the trail, and asking if we’d seen it. Only…they weren’t people.”
Brandon’s brows, several shades darker than his hair, drew together. “Then what were they?”
She swallowed, then said in little more than a whisper, “Demons.”
“De — ” Her brother caught himself there, as if realizing that bursting out with the word “demons” in a crowded restaurant wasn’t a very good idea, even if that restaurant happened to be filled with other witches and warlocks. “But — you’re okay, right?”
“Yes, thanks to Levi. He was able to drive them off.”
“With a little assist from you.”
She should have known her brother would guess at that part of the story. Or maybe he didn’t want to acknowledge that his neighbor was such a powerful warlock that he could banish demons all on his own.
Well, technically speaking, they hadn’t been banished at all. They’d been annihilated.
“Yes, I used my power to help out. And…they were destroyed. But before that, they said they were there so they could take me back to their master.”
“One of the Escobars?”
“Had to be.”
Brandon was silent for a few seconds. Then he asked, “You’re sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. No harm, no foul. When we got back to Jerome, Levi and I went to talk to Angela and Connor, to let them know what happened.”
“I assume they weren’t happy.”
There was an understatement. “Not really. I think they’re going to make some kind of an announcement at some point, but they wanted to talk to Luz Trujillo first, just to see if anything weird had been happening down in the Phoenix area.”
Again Brandon was quiet, apparently trying to absorb everything she’d just told him. “Our parents are going to flip out when they hear about this. I mean, they sent you here so you’d be safer than you were in Payson, and you’re in Jerome barely a day before you’re attacked by demons.”
Hearing it stated so baldly made Hayley wince. “Do we have to tell them? I mean, I’m fine. Levi protected me. And I’ll make sure not to go into Sedona again. Angela and Connor were wondering whether that had something to do with it — neutral territory, you know, something that doesn’t belong to any one clan.”
“If we don’t tell our parents, and they find out — that’s going to be even worse. You know that, right?”
Unfortunately, she did. All the same, Hayley didn’t want the drama of listening to her mother go off about the demon attack, because she knew it would be followed immediately by a suggestion that maybe she should come home to Payson. That was something she absolutely did not want to do…not after those kisses she’d shared with Levi. Wild horses couldn’t drag her away.
“All right,” she said, not bothering to hide her reluctance. “But let me do it. I’ll call when it feels right to call, okay?”
“Okay.” He still looked doubtful, though, as if he wasn’t entirely convinced that she’d actually make the call. Which wasn’t fair at all. If she said she would do something, she did it…even if it might take her a while to work up the nerve.
Mel came over with their burgers then, and asked if they needed anything else. Since there was enough food on the plate in front of her for at least two meals, Hayley shook her head and said she was fine, and Brandon echoed that sentiment. Once the waitress had gone over to check on a table by the window, he went on, “There’s more, though, isn’t there?”
It wasn’t exactly a question. Hayley picked up a sweet potato fry and bit into it, glad of the excuse for stalling a little, even though she knew she wouldn’t be able to avoid responding. Then she said, “I like Levi.”
“He seems like an okay guy.” Brandon seemed to check himself then, eyes narrowing as he stared across the table at her. “Wait…you mean like, like?”
“Yes. Like, like.”
Expression wry, her brother said, “Well, that was fast.”
Didn’t she know it. All right, it was one thing to be attracted to someone, to think they were good-looking or whatever, and something else to have them seem to take over all your thoughts, to consume valuable head space that, what with everything else that was going on, might have been put to better use. “I didn’t exactly plan it,” she said, knowing how defensive she sounded even as the words left
her lips.
“I didn’t say you did.” Brandon’s mouth turned down slightly, but then he shrugged and picked up his burger, took a large bite. Once he was done chewing, he said, “It’s not because he saved you from the demons, is it? I mean, gratitude is one thing, but — ”
“No,” Hayley cut in. She didn’t know exactly why it was so important to convince her brother that wasn’t the case, but it was. “I — he’s a good person. We had fun together this afternoon. Well, until….” Might as well stop there. They both knew what she was talking about.
“Am I supposed to give my blessing?”
“Of course not. I just — I just wanted you to know. Levi and I will probably be spending a lot of time together, and I didn’t want you to be wondering about what was going on.”
“Mmm.” Brandon took another bite from his hamburger, and seemed to reflect on what she’d just said. “Maybe when you talk to Mom, you can tell her about Levi first. She’ll be so thrilled that you’ve met someone you like, the whole demon thing might skate right by her.”
Not a bad idea. Dynamics of love and relationships and life choices in witch clans tended to be slightly skewed, because everyone was guaranteed a stipend that would cover their living expenses, which meant that the quest to find a career to sustain you was not quite as important as it might be for a civilian. Although Hayley knew her mother thought she was trying to be patient, her dissatisfaction with the love lives of both her children tended to bleed into almost everything she said to them. Once Brandon had moved to Jerome, their mother had seemed to give up on him, and focus all her hopes for grandchildren on Hayley, which was more than a little irritating. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to have a family…eventually…but she thought she had plenty of time. More than once she’d cursed the tendency of witches and warlocks to meet their apparent soul mates early on, and therefore settle down and start having kids at an early age. If you didn’t fit into that mold, you definitely felt the pressure.
So Hayley could see why her mother would be thrilled by her interest in Levi. But…what if he couldn’t even father children, despite his human appearance? She knew she was getting way ahead of herself, but it was still a concern that would have to be addressed at some point if they stayed together. Together. She wanted to laugh at herself. Could she even say that they were together when all they’d done was share a few kisses? It seemed as if Levi wanted more, wanted to pursue a future with her, but….
“Maybe,” she said, since she could see how Brandon was staring at her across the table, clearly expecting some kind of a response. “I’m kind of hoping that word of this demon attack doesn’t make it to Payson for a while.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” he said as he reached for his glass of beer. “If Angela and Connor want to get the word out, then they will. That means all the branches of the family — in Payson and Prescott and even down in Wickenburg. I really don’t think you’ll be able to hide it from Mom…or Dad.”
Probably not. That had just been wishful thinking. Hayley knew what she really wanted was to be able to spend some time alone with Levi, to figure out whether their connection was mere physical lust, or something deeper. Whether current circumstances would allow her that time was an entirely different proposition.
“I guess so,” she admitted, picking up another sweet potato fry. “I don’t want to give them the wrong impression, though. I like Levi…a lot…but still, we’ve just met each other.” She paused there, wondering if she should tell Brandon about Levi’s origins. Maybe not now. They had enough going on. Anyway, she honestly couldn’t say whether knowing the truth would make that much of a difference to her brother. He’d lived next door to Levi for more than six months now, had made his assessment of him based purely on their interactions and nothing else. Wasn’t that better? Did it really matter where Levi had come from? He’d admitted that his body was human, that physically he wasn’t really any different from any of the other warlocks in the McAllister clan, even if he did have a far greater range of powers. “Anyway,” she went on, trying to deflect the conversation toward something that didn’t involve her and Levi, even as she knew that Brandon would detect such deflection from a mile away, “what about you? I know you’re buried in engines twenty-four/seven, but have you really not met a single interesting female since you got here?”
He gave her a weary smile. “Besides getting hit on when I go out to eat, or to the grocery store? That’s not why I came here. I figure…if the right woman is out there, then our paths will cross eventually. In the meantime, what’s the point of obsessing over the situation? It’s not like I don’t have plenty to keep me busy.”
Hayley couldn’t really argue with that sentiment. At least he hadn’t shut her down completely, which was what he’d tended to do whenever their mother tried to bring up that particular topic of conversation. He’d adopted a Zen attitude about the whole thing, which seemed healthy enough.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t sure whether “Zen” would get the clan through an outright confrontation with the Escobars’ demons….
8
Levi found it difficult to fall asleep that night. Perhaps it was only the lonely space in the bed next to him, the one that now felt so empty without Hayley occupying it. But he knew he was getting far ahead of himself. After all, they’d only kissed. From what he’d been able to tell, there generally seemed to be a span of time between a first kiss and the occasion of a couple getting into bed together, although he knew that span was predicated on a variety of factors, not all of which he completely understood. However, he was fairly certain that Hayley wasn’t quite ready to make that next step.
Which was fine, because if he was forced to admit such a thing to himself, he didn’t know whether he was ready, either. Oh, the surge of need in him as he kissed her was real enough, as were his body’s physical responses to her nearness, to the sweet savor of her lips, and yet he knew it was probably better to wait. Something so pure and so precious shouldn’t be rushed.
At the same time, however, he couldn’t quite rid himself of the sense of time ticking past, of knowing that dark forces were massing, and if he passed up a chance to be with Hayley, he might not have such a chance again. As soon as he’d heard of the killings in the southern part of the state, of how Joaquin Escobar’s daughter had summoned dark beings to do her bidding, Levi had known that he very likely would be the one to stand between the Arizona witch clans and the sort of violence many of them couldn’t even begin to comprehend. They had lived at peace for many generations, the feud between the McAllisters and the Wilcoxes notwithstanding. Even at the height of that magical cold war, none of those involved would have ever contemplated drawing such evil beings into their conflict.
Unfortunately, Joaquin Escobar had no such scruples. He would take what he wanted, and to hell — perhaps literally — with everyone else.
Levi rolled over onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. The curtains in the flat were fairly thin, and so he could see the reflected light of a gibbous moon on the flat plaster surface, pale yellow, just bright enough to further interfere with his sleep. Was Hayley having the same difficulty in falling asleep? He ached for her in a way he’d never ached for anyone before, not even Zoe. Back then he’d been half-crazed, trying to come to terms with this new world in which he’d found himself, as well as the body he wore, a body that had been constantly changing. He’d wanted Zoe because he thought she was the key to coping in this strange and novel place…whereas he wanted Hayley simply because of who she was.
And it killed him to think that she was just across the hall, but might as well be a million miles away, thanks to her brother and bodyguard. If Levi got up now and went over to the other flat, asked to see Hayley, he doubted he would receive a very friendly reception, and not only because of the lateness of the hour. Yes, Brandon McAllister had seemed pleasant enough…but that was before Levi showed any interest in his sister.
The phone on his bedside table buzzed, and he
immediately rolled over and picked it up, squinting at the display. Yes, it was later than he’d thought, nearly midnight. But because it was coming from Angela, he didn’t even consider not pressing the green button to accept the call.
“What is it?” he asked.
Angela’s voice sounded more strained than Levi thought he’d ever heard it. “Caitlin just called me. She’s had a vision. Can you come up to the house?”
“Yes, of course.” In matters of such urgency, the time of night made very little difference. “What did she see?”
“I’d rather not talk about it on the phone.”
“I understand. I’ll be up there right away.”
“Thanks, Levi.”
She ended the call, and he set the phone back down on the table. After climbing out of bed, he went and got a pair of jeans out of the dresser, a T-shirt, and a warm fleece hoodie, since even in early May, it could be quite cold in Jerome at this hour. He dressed quickly, then slipped the phone into his pocket. For a second, he contemplated driving up to the prima’s house, since it would probably be faster. However, since she’d also seemed concerned about secrecy, he thought that walking would attract less attention, especially since his truck was parked directly below the back bedrooms of the two flats, which meant either Hayley or Brandon might hear him leaving.
Instead, he slipped out the door of his flat, and went as quietly as he could down the stairs that would take him to street level. There he had to undo the deadbolt to the door that opened onto Main Street, and lock it again behind him.
The waxing moon cast a ghostly light on Jerome’s streets, nearly deserted at this hour. Down the block, voices still carried from the Spirit Room, which would be open until two, but otherwise no one seemed to be out and about. Levi walked quickly, going past the fire station, following the hairpin curve that led up to the next terraced level of the town. From there, he cut over to the stairs that took him directly to Paradise Lane, a street of restored Victorian homes that had once belonged to the elite of Jerome’s copper-mining days — the overseers and doctors and brothel owners.
Deep Magic Page 10
