Denai Touch: Excalibar Investigations Series

by Tiffany Shand

  “Cate is my best friend, my sister witch, and I’m not about to let anyone hurt her.”

  Jason sighed. “I can’t be with her, not like that.”

  “Why?”

  This was getting tiresome. “Just back off and stay out of it,” he snapped. Static flashed around him as he turned into the elements and teleported out of the club.

  Moving through the air, thoughts raced through his mind. What the bloody hell had he been thinking? First he’d asked Angie out, someone he couldn’t stand. The date had been a complete disaster, just as he had known it would be. He was out of his fucking mind!

  All he’d been trying to do was get his mind off Cate, that stupid dream he’d had of them being together, of her knowing the truth and accepting him for what he really was. Like that was ever going to happen! She could never know; it was too dangerous. His feelings for her were getting to be a big problem. They were too much of a distraction.

  All he had wanted was one night to forget about her and the constant struggle of pretending not to be on the run, of not wanting her. Angie had been right and Jade could see it too. Did everyone know how he really felt?

  Jason had done his best to hide his true feelings over the past several years, concealing his love behind friendship, but now they were giving him away. Both Cate and Jade had seen his eyes as they truly were. He’d become so used to projecting a glamour over the centuries that it had never been a problem. They only glowed when he felt strong emotions, and thanks to being half Denai he knew how to keep them in check. What had changed? Was he reacting to Cate somehow or her powers?

  Her powers, her aura, everything about her were growing stronger now she was in transition. Both his body and magic had been drawn to her from the beginning. The temptation was overwhelming at times and hard to resist. He wanted her with every fibre of his being and it ran far deeper than any attraction.

  Some Elementals liked to be fed on, due to the feeling of ecstasy it created, and Cate’s Touch stirred him in ways he never knew were possible. Jason had steered clear of transitioning witches before and never gotten too close to any of the McCray’s for fear they would learn his secret. But, of course, some of the Grand Mistresses had known. Marina had confided in them or they had figured it out on their own. Cate was unaware of what he really was and he planned to keep it that way. The less she knew, the safer it was for both of them.

  But then, in the club, when he had watched her dancing and drawing men to her, it had pissed him off that she’d flaunted herself. True, he’d warned guys off in the past. The thought of her being with anyone else infuriated him despite the fact he knew it was impossible. What had he been thinking?

  He tried to avoid touching her, but couldn’t seem to help it and with the music playing he’d lost himself in her deep blue eyes. For a stupid moment he couldn’t stop himself from sampling the forbidden. She had felt and tasted incredible, just as he’d known she would.

  Damn it! he cursed again. How would he ever be able to walk away from her now? How could he go back to the way things were after that incredible kiss?

  But he had to — it was the only option. They could never be more than friends. There was no hope for them. He had already stayed here far too long, it was making him complacent. After her ascension he had to walk away. It was the best thing for both them.

  Looking down, Jason saw Cate stalking through the streets. She was moving quickly, her heels clattering against the pavement. Damn her! She knew how dangerous it was to be walking alone. Her magic was like a beacon; silver orbs shimmered all around her, yet she seemed completely oblivious to it. Seline would have his head if anything happened to her.

  He never should have left her, thinking she’d be safe at home. He shouldn’t have been surprised she hadn’t stayed there; the team often went to the club for a drink to relax after a long day. Fate was a cruel bitch, bringing them together once more.

  “Cate?” Jason materialized beside her, making her jump.

  “Not now, Jason,” she snapped. “Just leave me alone.”

  Like hell that was going to happen.

  “I’m sorry. I should never have kissed you.”

  “Damn right!” She spun around to face him, looking furious. “What did you think you were doing?”

  He hadn’t exactly been thinking at all. “I – I don’t know, but you kissed me back, so don’t blame all this on me!” he said defensively.

  “I was…” Her eyes began to glow and he could feel her magic burning.

  It was like a magnet to his own powers, which came from the elements, that energy she needed to fuel herself. “It was a mistake, okay? Let’s just forget about it and go home.”

  Cate put her hands on her hips. “Forget it? You kissed me!”

  “You weren’t exactly protesting, were you?”

  Suddenly, invisible waves of energy rippled through the air, violently flinging Cate across the alley. She hit a nearby dustbin and fell sprawling on the ground.

  Two burly-looking males, dressed in black leather, emerged from the shadows. Jason smelt sulphur and knew immediately they were demons. From the look of it they were low-level and probably not too bright. He almost pitied them; they really had no idea what they were up against.

  “Now guys, why don’t you run along and I won’t have to hurt you?” Anger simmered just below the surface. How dare they attack his witch! But he kept his cool; he wouldn’t strike just yet. He’d give them a chance to run.

  Are you alright? he asked silently.

  Glancing over at Cate, Jason saw her lay there, unmoving. Now he was really pissed off. Attacking her was one thing, hurting her another.

  “Out of our way, pretty boy. There’s a price on that bitch’s head and we’re going to have a payday.”

  Price? What did that mean?

  Jason grabbed the first demon by the throat, ignoring the fireball that hit his leg. “What price?” With a flick of his wrist, the other one burst into flames, disintegrating to ash with a scream. The demon struggled, trying to wrestle free. As if this piece of filth was any match for him.

  Jason squeezed harder, making the fiend choke. “What price?” he repeated and his eyes flashed with rays of power. “I won’t ask you again.”

  “Raven – she put out a reward. Whoever brings her the Goddess Marked will get a load of cash and be a member of the Covenant when it returns to power.”

  “Raven wants to kill my witch?” he asked furiously.

  “No, she wants her brought in alive.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know. I swear! I just want the money and the power. Raven’s still a bad-ass in the underworld and we’re not the only ones who don’t want that witch over there reaching full power.”

  Jason gritted his teeth. Every demon, vampire, and other Magickind out to make a name for himself or to impress Raven would now be after Cate. She’d never be more vulnerable than right now and it was the perfect time for the Covenant to strike. This was one thing he’d always feared would happen.

  “Listen up, mate. I want you to send a message to everyone who might be out to get my witch and that is, if you want her you’ll have to go through me,” Jason snarled. “Forget the Denai coven. Their vengeance will be nothing compared to mine.” He squeezed tighter and power burned within his gaze. “Are we clear?”

  “Yeah...”

  “Good.” Jason dumped him on the ground. “Now fuck off before I change my mind.” The demon turned and fled.

  Jason hurried over to where Cate was staggering up, blood pouring from the side of her head. Damn, he should have just killed the bastard.

  “What happened?” she asked feeling dazed and unsteady on her free.

  “Couple of boys trying to act like big demons.” He held out a hand. “Come on, let’s go home.”

  Jason pulled her tight against his chest; in one stupid moment he could have lost the only person who had ever meant anything to him. Sometimes he forgot how fragile her mortal body really w
as, no matter how strong her powers might be. She could so easily be taken away and it terrified him.

  “I’m still angry with you,” Cate muttered, trying to pull away, but he kept a firm grip on her.

  “We’ll talk about it later. Let’s just go home and I’ll…”

  Jason felt her tense and his senses went back on high alert as a cold, icy feeling filled the air. “Fuck!” he muttered as a figure moved towards them.

  The question was, had it come for her or him?

  Jason shoved Cate behind him as the figure move closer. She wiped the blood seeping from the gash on the side of her head. She was weak and needed to feed, but he didn’t dare give her the energy she so desperately needed. No, if it was what he thought, he was going to need all of his powers to fight it off.

  Cate, I need you to get out of here, he told her.

  No, I can fight, she insisted.

  You’re hurt, go. Get Ian to heal you.

  I may be pissed at you, but…

  Just fucking go!

  A male, around seven feet tall with long, black hair streaked with white lightning bolts, and black eyes with no irises emerged from the shadows. This was the one thing he dreaded: a Deva. Jason couldn’t risk Cate getting caught in the crossfire or seeing something that would raise questions he couldn’t answer.

  Cate, please go! I’ll explain everything later. Just let me handle this.

  A wave of invisible energy hit him, causing him to stagger back. “Go, now!” Jason hissed.

  But she didn’t budge. Another invisible blast slammed Jason against the wall, hard. It stunned him for barely a moment, before he moved his hands in a circular motion, calling the power of all the elements to him as he prepared to strike. To hell with the consequences, he had to kill the creature before it turned its attention to Cate. Energy crackled between his fingertips, sending sparks through the air.

  What are you doing, fool? A voice echoed through his mind.

  Jason frowned. What?

  It couldn’t be the Deva talking to him; they weren’t known for chitchat. Another blast of energy sent him crashing through a brick wall. The air was knocked out of his lungs, but the fall barely winded him.

  “No!” Cate cried. A burst of silver fire suddenly shot out of her hand, striking the attacker in the chest.

  What the bloody hell was that? Jason thought as he leapt to his feet.

  Cate slumped to the ground, the fire having drained all her energy, something suddenly flung the creature away.

  What the hell is going on?

  Forget the Deva, go and take care of Cate.

  Jason cast his senses out to find the unknown presence, but felt nothing. Who are you?

  Just go, Talbot, and do your duty.

  As much as he wanted to stay, he simply scooped Cate into his arms and teleported away.

  She was still unconscious. He used his powers to clean the wound and energy to force her body to heal itself. He put her to bed, wondering how the hell he was going to explain all of this when she woke up.

  Cate walked into the kitchen, no doubt in her usual search for morning coffee. She looked a bit worse for wear, but at least she was better than the night before. Jason hadn’t had much sleep, but fortunately he didn’t need it the way other Magickind did. He braced himself for what was about to come.

  “Ow, my head! I feel like I was hit by a lorry,” Cate groaned as he passed her a mug of coffee. “What the hell happened to me?”

  “I just want to say I’m sorry. Last night will never happen again.”

  Cate frowned. “What you mean?” she asked. “What happened?”

  It was his turn to look confused. “You don’t remember?”

  “I remember going to the club, and having a drink with Jade and Mel. Goddess, I must have had one too many. I feel like hell.”

  “You only had one drink.”

  “I did? Were you there too?”

  “Let me get this straight. You really don’t recall anything from last night?” asked Jason, hardly daring to hope. “The club? The attack?”

  Cate shook her head. “No, everything is a blur. Did you say attack? Tell me everything that happened.”

  “We left the club together and a couple of demons attacked us. You hit your head and I took care of them.”

  “Why would demons attack us?”

  Jason hesitated; she had enough on her plate without having to worry about the Covenant coming after her. She would find out eventually and he hated lying to her, but sometimes it was necessary to protect the people you loved. It seemed to be one falsehood after another lately and he hated it, but he could never tell the truth. He wondered how long her memory of the night before would stay gone.

  “I must have hit my head pretty hard. Are you sure I only had one drink?”

  “Yeah, I think so,” he held out his hand, “here, you should feed.”

  Cate took Jason’s hand and his skin automatically tingled at her touch, their magic hummed and his body burned with desire. Blue static flashed between their palms and his mind instantly went back to that kiss. How good she had felt in his arms and how sweet she tasted.

  Colour filled her cheeks and she looked brighter. “Thanks.”

  A shrill ringing made them both jump. Cate groaned and swore. “What the hell does Gran want now?”

  They both went into the living room, where the crystal ball was flashing brightly. It had to be Seline, or possibly Cate’s father, since they were the only ones who liked to communicate this way. Jason silently cursed too, Seline must have found out about the attack. Nothing ever got past the Grand Mistress. He’d meant to contact her, but had been too worried about Cate.

  Cate touched the crystal and a small hologram appeared. “Gran, it’s eight o’clock. We’re not late for work.”

  “Good, because you’re not going to work this morning, Catherine. You are taking the day off.”

  “What for?”

  “To prepare for your ascension, of course!” Seline snapped. “You cannot work, given how unpredictable your powers are.”

  Jason silently prayed to any gods that might be listening, that Seline wouldn’t mention the night before.

  “But you said I could carry on!” Cate snapped back. “We still have a case to solve.”

  “You’re not the only Enforcer in the Tower or Denai in this city, Catherine. Miss Fabre and the team can manage without you for a while, or shall I assign the case to Angela?”

  “No fucking way!” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop himself. Talbot, you are a fucking dead man!

  Cate gave him a bright smile and it made impending death seem worthwhile.

  “Forgive me, my lady,” he bowed his head. “I only meant that we can manage without any assistance. Cate might need my help, but I’m sure Jade can manage.”

  “Yeah, and Jade can always find a partner.”

  “Very well, but you must prepare. I expect you to attend the circle tonight.”

  Cate rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. “Fine, I’ll meditate and be a good little witch.”

  “Talbot, I expect you to be in my chambers within the hour.”

  Cate frowned and Jason knew he really was a dead man. “What for?” she asked.

  “I’ll be there, my lady.” Jason replied, and the image blinked out.

  “Why does she want to see you?”

  “Probably to lecture me on how to help you prepare for the ascension. I’d better get moving.”

  CHAPTER 12

  Jason stood nervously outside the doors of the Grand Mistress’s private chamber. Seline would no doubt have heard that something had happened the night before, and even if she didn’t know very much, she would grill every last detail out of him. The Grand Mistress was not someone you could hide anything from, nor would a wise man dare try if they valued their life and sanity. He had known a few Grand Mistresses in his time, but Seline was by far the scariest one of all. She was pure steel, cold and unyielding
. Strange that Cate could be descended from such a woman, but McCrays could be sweet one minute and cold bitches the next.

  Jason took a deep breath as he walked in. He’d tell her the truth, of course, but he prayed she wouldn’t find out about the kiss.

  Seline sat on her throne-like chair, looking every inch a Queen, but a Grand Mistress was so much more than any monarch could ever be.

  Jason bowed low; only a stupid man would dare disrespect this woman. “My lady.”

  “I heard about the incident last night. Why was I not informed Catherine was injured?”

  “I planned on coming to tell you this morning. Cate is fine, I healed her.”

  “She is in transition! Her powers could protect or completely fail her!” Seline slammed a hand down on her throne. “You should have contacted me immediately — it is your duty to…”

  “With all due respect, my duty is to take care of Cate and that’s exactly what I did.” He was signing his own death warrant.

  “Tell me everything that happened. Everything.”

  So he did. He told her everything about being at the club – even the part about Angie – and then how they had left and been attacked. He missed out the part about the kiss and hoped Seline wouldn’t pick up on it. She wanted to know every single detail and could usually tell when someone wasn’t telling the whole story.

  The moment he mentioned the price on Cate’s head the lamp on Seline’s desk shattered and her eyes flashed with power.

  “Whose was the voice you heard?” Seline demanded, her hands clenched into fists as she tried to regain her composure.

  “I swear I don’t know. I couldn’t sense who or what it was.”

  “Did Catherine sense anything?”

  “She was unconscious and doesn’t remember what happened.”

  “Doesn’t she now?” Seline frowned. “Did anything else happen?”

  Jason hesitated and she automatically pounced. “What happened, Talbot?”

  “Well, she – sort of threw some kind of silver fire from her hand.”

  Seline’s eyes widened. “Interesting.”

  “I’ve never seen anything like it. Could it be an Ashrali power?”