“I remember,” Aric said. “I remember him moving in on you while we were broken up.”
“I remember that skulking dark-haired guy moving in on her,” Scott countered. “What was his name again?”
“Rafael,” I supplied, enjoying the way Aric shifted uncomfortably. “I wonder what he’s up to?”
“You didn’t invite him, did you?” Aric asked, his eyebrows flying up as the possibility flooded his mind.
“Yes,” I deadpanned. “I called a guy I haven’t talked to in five years – even though I have no idea where he’s at and we all know he’s not hanging out on Facebook – and invited him to my engagement party simply to irritate you.”
“It’s a good thing you’re cute,” Aric warned, wagging a finger in my face.
Rafael was a sore spot between us. Aric was convinced I dated Covenant College’s friendly neighborhood tanned vampire during a breakup. We didn’t – well, mostly – but Aric still disliked being reminded of our year apart.
“I see you two are exactly the same,” Scott said.
“Pretty much,” I agreed, smiling as Aric rolled his eyes. “What about you? Are you dating anyone?”
“I am dating someone,” Scott confirmed.
“Please tell me it’s a guy,” Aric muttered.
Scott ignored the dig. “I brought her in fact.” He motioned for a striking brunette to join him. I forced a smile when I realized she was thinner than me. “This is Jenna Davidson. Jenna, meet Zoe Lake.”
“Oh, it’s so nice to meet you,” Jenna bubbled, enthusiastically pumping my hand. “I’ve heard so much about you. Scott has the nicest things to say.”
“I’ll bet,” Aric said, not bothering to hide his disdain.
“Are you the guy Zoe rebounded with after Scott dumped her?” Jenna asked, her eyes wide as she took in Aric’s impressive form. “You don’t look like you have a hunched back.”
I barked out a laugh as Aric frowned. “This is him,” I said. “He had surgery to correct his spinal issues.”
“Wait a second,” Aric sputtered. “First of all … .”
I shook my head to cut him off. If Scott wanted to impress his girlfriend by twisting details of our shared past, it wasn’t our problem. “It worked out for everyone,” I said. “What do you do, Jenna?”
“Oh, I work in computer programming with Scott,” she answered, beaming at her beloved as they held hands. “We work at the same tech firm in Detroit.”
“How romantic,” Aric drawled.
“What do you do?” Jenna asked Aric. “I would imagine your back issues keep you from doing anything too physical, although … you look pretty good for a guy who shouldn’t be able to work out.”
“I manage,” Aric said, squeezing my hand. “Please enjoy the party. I’m afraid Zoe and I have to … go someplace else.”
“Why?” I protested. I was having fun. Sure, it was at Aric’s expense and I was never going to let him live it down, but I was enjoying myself.
“Because several state senators are here and we have to be polite,” Aric replied, not missing a beat. “You can catch up with Scott later.”
“But … .”
“Or never,” Aric added under his breath.
I offered Scott an apologetic smile. “Duty calls,” I said. “I’ll stop by without Aric in a little bit so we can catch up.”
“I look forward to it,” Scott replied brightly, winking at Aric in an attempt to get under his skin. I was pretty sure it worked.
Aric led me away from Scott and toward the outside deck, taking me by surprise. “I thought we had to play nice with senators?”
“Later,” Aric said, pushing open the door and ushering me outside. Once it was just the two of us, the crisp night air causing me to shiver, he wrapped himself around me to stave off the cold. “I was worried about you freaking out around too many people, and I’m the one who feels suffocated.”
“I think you’re just upset about your hunched back.”
“That guy … he’s unbelievable.”
“He’s trying to impress his girlfriend,” I said. “There’s no reason to get worked up over it. I like your hunched back.”
“Ha, ha.” Aric pressed a kiss to my cheek. “I think we’re going to have to talk to our mothers. I know they’re planning a big wedding, but that’s not what I want. This is too many people compared to what we’re used to. And none of the big political faces have even arrived yet.”
He was genuinely unnerved. “What’s wrong?”
“I honestly don’t know,” Aric replied. “There are too many people in there – a lot of them wolves – and I can’t smell danger.”
No matter how many times he sniffed people – not their butts or anything, don’t get gross – I couldn’t wrap my mind around his overloaded senses. “I never wanted a big wedding,” I reminded him. “I wanted like ten people and to call it a day.”
“My mother is going to hate that.”
“Where is your mother?” I asked, glancing back inside the packed restaurant. “I haven’t seen her since we arrived.”
“She’s probably arguing with your mother over wedding plans,” Aric said. “They’re both used to being in charge. Neither of them is going to back down.”
“I’m telling you we should elope,” I said. “We could do it right now, and then come back and announce that we’re married and thank everyone for coming.”
Aric seemed intrigued by the idea. “If I could figure out a way to get a marriage license right now, we’d be out the front door,” he said. “I’m trying to remember whether my father invited any judges.”
Wait, was he serious? “Are you saying you’d be okay if we dumped the whole wedding idea and went to city hall tomorrow?”
“Would you be okay with that?”
That was a good question. “I like the idea of not having to dress up.”
“Oh, you’re still going to have to wear a white dress,” Aric said. “You’ll just be wearing it in front of fewer people.”
“I think the white dress ship sailed a long time ago.”
“I don’t care,” Aric said. “I want to see you in a white dress. It doesn’t have to be fancy – and if you choose to wear it without underwear I’ll give you a thousand bucks as a wedding night gift – but I still want to see you in a dress.”
“Your mother would pitch an absolute fit if we got married without her,” I pointed out.
“I’m more worried about your mother,” Aric said. “I know that your parents aren’t supposed to have any latent mage powers since they decided to be human, but I still think she could take me under the right circumstances.”
I barked out a laugh, snuggling closer. “Maybe we should just sit them down and explain we want a smaller wedding. They’re reasonable people.”
“I think you’re talking about different people than I am,” Aric said. “I … .” He broke off, tilting his head to the side as he peered into the darkness. The restaurant James picked for the engagement party was only twenty minutes from our house. It was a log-cabin establishment that boasted fine dining and odd food options – like duck in orange sauce, which sounds absolutely disgusting – and it was the only place within a thirty-mile radius that James deemed worthy.
The restaurant was on the outskirts of a nearby town and almost completely surrounded by trees on three sides. Whatever distracted Aric emanated from the trees on the south side of the property.
“What do you see?” His eyes weren’t as good as his nose, but the tightness of his body told me he was worried.
“Someone is out there,” Aric said, taking a step from me. “I … something is wrong.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but in that instant something began ticking inside my head … like a clock. I swiveled quickly, focusing on the room behind us as my heartbeat increased and panic overwhelmed me. “Aric … .”
Aric took another step toward the deck railing, his eyes trained on something in the darkness only he could see. “I thi
nk we should call my father’s security team. I want to know who’s watching this place from the middle of the woods.”
I felt overwhelmed as the chatter from inside rushed into my head, all the while the ticking increasing. Something was wrong. Something was about to go horribly wrong. “Aric … .”
“Stay here, Zoe,” Aric ordered. “I’m going to get help, and we’ll find out who it is.”
Fear for his safety washed over me and I grabbed his arm before he could walk away.
“What?” Aric asked, irritated. “I … .”
He didn’t get a chance to respond because at that minute everything in our world ceased to exist as a ball of fire careened through my mind and a bomb exploded.
4
Four
Instinctively, I knew I didn’t cause the explosion. The ticking in my head melded with the internal warning system at the same moment the bomb detonated. I knew it was going to happen, but it was already too late.
The force of the blast knocked me back, and I felt as if I was falling for a long time. That’s when I remembered we were on the deck when Armageddon hit. I hit the ground hard, splintered wood and charred engagement party supplies raining on top of me.
I rolled to my side, whimpering when I felt a sharp pain in my leg. I forced my eyes open. It took me a moment to focus. Something ugly and metal jutted from my thigh. The wound didn’t look deep, but it hurt.
I reached for it, instinctively yanking it out and watching with grim fascination as blood seeped onto my skin. My ears were ringing, and I felt as if I was in a dream world. I felt hands on my arms shaking me, but I couldn’t force my mind to focus.
“Zoe!” Aric forced his face into my field of vision, his hands digging into my sore shoulders as he begged me to look at him. His face was covered in small cuts and soot, and he favored his right side as he shouted.
“I think a bomb went off,” I said. It was the dumbest statement ever, yet I couldn’t think of anything else to say.
“I know it did,” Aric said, exhaling heavily. “You’re okay. How bad is your leg?”
“I don’t feel anything.”
Aric frowned. “Can you walk? Can you move your legs?”
I bent my injured leg at the knee, crying out as pain coursed through me. “I’m not paralyzed, if that’s what you’re asking. I hurt, though. Are you okay?”
“I dislocated my shoulder, but otherwise it’s just bumps and bruises.”
“Let me fix your shoulder.” I reached for him, my fingertips already glowing blue with healing magic. Aric opened his mouth to argue but I was done before he could stop me.
He tested his shoulder, rotating it to see whether he had a full range of motion, and then focused back on me. “Baby, I need you to heal yourself,” he said. “We need to start searching for people and I need you with me when we do it. I can’t leave you.”
“People.” The fog lifted and I shifted my eyes to the mangled building. It wasn’t burning – at least as far as I could tell – but it smoldered. The blast threw us clear of the building and down onto the grassy hill below the area where the deck used to be. “Mom and Dad!”
“Heal yourself first,” Aric ordered, grabbing my shoulders and forcing me to stay on the ground. “I need to know you’re okay before we go looking for our friends and family. Do you understand?”
I nodded, pressing my fingers to my leg and exhaling heavily as the pain receded. Aric pulled me to my feet and wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tightly.
“You don’t have a head injury, do you?”
“Do you?”
“I asked you first,” Aric said.
“My head is fine,” I said, touching it for good measure. “I was confused at first. I heard … ticking … before the bomb went off. It was in my head. I tried to tell you but it all happened too fast.”
“We’ll figure that out later,” Aric said, grabbing my hand. “I wasn’t sure it was a bomb instead of a gas leak until you just said that. You stay with me, Zoe. Don’t separate from me once we get inside.”
“Okay.”
“That’s an order,” Aric said. “If you want to fight about me giving you orders, we’ll do that when we get home. For now, though, you’re going to listen.”
I let him lead me toward the building, events from before the explosion rushing through my mind. “Who did you see in the woods?”
“I have no idea,” Aric said, kicking open the hanging door and covering his mouth with his arm. “Don’t breathe in too much smoke.”
“I don’t think I’m going to have a choice,” I said, tears filling my eyes as I saw the wreckage. Bodies littered what was left of the restaurant. Overturned tables and chairs cluttered the main floor. I heard muted crying as people tried to fearfully dig themselves out of danger. “We have to split up.”
“No!”
“There are too many people to help,” I said, shaking my head as I caught sight of a dead woman near the bathroom door. Her eyes were open and sightless. I had no idea who she was. “We have to get as many people as possible out of this building. The roof could come down at any moment.”
“Zoe, I want you with me,” Aric argued. “I want you at my side.”
“Call me if you need me,” I said. “We both have jobs to do. We’ll help more people if we split up.”
“Zoe.” Aric was exasperated but let go of my hand. “If you sense anything … .”
“I’ll call out to you,” I finished. “I promise.”
I picked my way through the mayhem, stopping to help a dazed man and woman find their way out of the building and to the front lawn. I was relieved when I saw emergency lights flashing in the distance. Help was on the way. I returned to my task without thinking about it, though. My parents were inside. So were the only true friends I had.
I was almost back to the front door when I saw Aric walking out. My father was at his side, my mother sandwiched between them. I rushed over, relief washing over me. “Are you guys okay?”
“We’re fine, Zoe,” Dad said. “We’re banged up, and your mother got hit pretty hard on the head, but we got lucky. all things considered.”
I touched my glowing fingertips to Mom’s head, smiling when her eyes cleared. “Are you okay?”
“You’ll do anything to get out of wearing a dress, won’t you?” Mom managed a rueful smile.
I forced a smile for her benefit, although it was almost painful. “Wait out here,” I instructed. “We have to see who else we can find. I saw ambulance lights. Help is on the way. Stay out here and help the people we bring out.”
Aric squeezed my hand as we walked back inside, giving me a quick kiss on the forehead before moving to the right while I handled the left. I heard coughing and whispering. Many managed to move on their own and headed toward the door. I looked for familiar faces, catching Aric’s eyes from across the room when I saw him helping his parents escape the carnage. They didn’t look happy, but they were alive.
I caught sight of Paris and Kelsey when I rounded the corner near the bar, sighing when I saw both of them alert and present. It took me a moment to realize they were kneeling next to someone, and whoever it was didn’t appear to be moving.
I hurried over, determined to use my healing magic before emergency personnel made it inside and forced me to go incognito. I was almost on top of Paris when I realized who they were helping.
“Oh, no,” I said, dropping to my knee and reaching out for Scott’s bloodied head. “Has he said anything?”
“Zoe.” Paris swallowed hard and reached out to stop my hand.
“Stop it,” I hissed, nudging her out of the way with my hip. “I have to heal him before the paramedics get in here. They can’t see me doing it.”
“It’s too late, Zoe,” Paris said, grabbing my wrist.
“It’s not too late yet,” I argued.
“He’s already gone,” Kelsey choked out, her eyes swimming with tears. “He was dead when we found him.”
I shook my head
, refusing to believe what they said, even though rationally I knew they wouldn’t lie about something like this. “He’s just unconscious.”
“He’s dead,” Paris said.
I touched him anyway, my fingers glowing as I willed life into him. I’d never brought back a dead person. I didn’t think it was possible. I poured magic into Scott, willing him to live. His eyes never opened, though. He didn’t stir. He didn’t smile. He didn’t offer that reassuring wink I saw minutes earlier. Was it really only minutes? It felt like a lifetime.
I felt a pair of strong arms wrap around my waist and jerk me away from Scott’s body, and when I lifted my eyes I realized my vision was blurry because I was crying so hard. “I … he’s … .”
“I know,” Aric said, lifting me so he could carry me out of the building. “The building is clear, Zoe. We have to let the police take over.”
“But … .” I couldn’t find the words to vocalize what I felt. I couldn’t muster strength or anger. I felt empty.
“We’re going home, Zoe,” Aric said. “There’s nothing more we can do here.”
I HEARD voices when I woke. It was dark, the familiar scent of Aric’s aftershave wafting over me. I rolled and found his side of the bed empty. I panicked for a moment, thinking something had happened to him, but then I heard his reassuring voice in the hallway. The bedroom door was cracked open and he was talking with his father.
“I’m not waking her up and I’m not leaving this room, so don’t bother asking me to do either of those things,” Aric said. He purposely kept his voice low.
“I’m not asking you to leave Zoe,” James said. “I’m only checking on the two of you.”
“We’re fine.”
“You don’t look fine, son,” James countered. “The last time I saw Zoe she was a mess. The police will be here asking questions tomorrow morning, by the way. I stalled them until then. I told them Zoe was dazed in the blast.”
“Thank you for doing that, but … we’ll handle the police when they get here,” Aric said. “It’s not as if we have anything to hide.”
Dark Covenant (Living Covenant Trilogy Book 2) Page 3
