by Bianca D'Arc
Dante felt his chest tighten. They were one step closer to solving this mystery. He got the woman’s address from Kevin before thanking him and ending the call. He had to decide on his next actions though everything in him wanted to go tearing over there to confront the woman.
He had others to consider now and a deeper game to win. He needed to know more about this Siobhan Vabian before he could devise his next move.
Dante had gone back to his chamber below ground for what was left of the afternoon, leaving Duncan to investigate the Vabians further while Megan supervised repairs on the kitchen. Dante had a reliable work crew that he used for household repairs and all he’d had to do was place a call and a team of carpenters showed up fifteen minutes later. Duncan left Megan in charge of them while he headed for Dante’s home office.
Dante had state of the art computer equipment that Duncan was learning how to operate. Of course, getting information the old fashioned way—by actually speaking to people—was something he had mastered a long time ago.
Back then, there had been no telephones. The modern conveniences made his task much easier.
“It’s really amazing how easily you mortals can speak with each other over vast distances. The last time I was in this realm, things were quite different, I assure you.”
Megan laughed at his fascination with the cell phone Dante had given him. He was never without it and usually jumped when it decided to ring unexpectedly.
“Without magic, the human race has had to rely on science. Personally, I don’t think they’ve done too bad for themselves.”
The carpenters had done a great job of beginning repairs on the kitchen. It wasn’t back to the showplace it had been yet, but it was usable and even comfortable. Megan had begun cooking the moment the last carpenter had left and the meal was almost ready when Duncan joined her, pitching in to help her finish. She stirred a heavenly smelling sauce on the stove while he drained perfectly cooked pasta over the sink.
After the excitement of the earlier part of the day, she was glad to have the mundane task of making dinner. She assumed Duncan had been on the phone most of the time she was supervising work on the kitchen. She didn’t want to pry into his activities, so she didn’t ask. Guilt crept up on her every time she thought about the upsets of the past few days. She had an almost unreasonable feeling that she was at fault for having brought such danger to Dante’s doorstep.
It was one thing to be a spy. It was quite another to be an assassin—albeit an unwitting one. She didn’t know how she could have lived with herself if the poison in her blood had killed Dante or Heath. It didn’t bear thinking about.
They shared a delicious dinner and were cleaning up when Dante appeared in the kitchen doorway. He looked much better than the last time she’d seen him just a few hours ago. In fact, he looked downright delicious.
He came to her and the look in his eyes could have melted stone. His head dipped as he drew her into his arms for a long, hungry kiss.
Dante was the only man in the universe who could make her feel this way. He turned her on with just a look from his dark eyes, a touch of his knowing hands. She was powerless against him even without the added vampire mojo that she knew he could bring to bear. It was a sign of respect that he’d never used his powers on her.
She was dizzy when he let her up from the kiss. He held her while she swayed, an amused smile playing around his sexy mouth.
“Good evening, sweetheart. I like waking to find you in my home. Only one thing would be better.”
“What’s that?” She was in a daze, under his spell.
“Waking to find you in my bed. That’s the only way to improve on this feeling of perfection.”
His low voiced words zinged right to her hopeful, foolhardy heart. For a timeless moment, they just stared into each other’s eyes, lost.
“Ahem.” Duncan banged the last pot he’d been washing in the stainless steel sink, making a noticeable racket.
Megan blushed as Dante released her by slow degrees.
“I hate to break this up, but we’ve got a battle plan to discuss.” Duncan sat at the newly cleaned kitchen table and reached for a notebook he’d been scribbling in earlier.
Dante released her and graciously pulled out her chair for her as she sat. He took the chair next to her and twirled it around, sitting on it backwards, across from Duncan.
“This place looks a lot better,” Dante commented, looking around at the kitchen for the first time. “Did the work crew give you any problems?”
“Not a one. They were eager to help for the kind of money you’re paying them.” She looked once again at the progress that had been made in the kitchen that day. It was amazing how much the group of skilled carpenters had been able to fix in such a short time. “They did a really good job.”
“Thank you for overseeing them.” Dante touched her hand, drawing her attention back to him.
“It was the least I could do.” The silence stretched as she lost herself in his gaze. Only an impatient rustling of papers from Duncan’s direction brought her back to her senses. She shook her head, chagrinned as Dante released her hand and turned his attention to Duncan.
“What did you discover today?” Dante rested his forearms along the back of the chair. He was so casually sexy he made her mouth water. Urbane and classy one minute, masculine and tough the next.
She had to focus. She couldn’t sit here daydreaming about Dante when they had important plans to discuss. She’d hadn’t felt comfortable asking Duncan what he’d learned before Dante rose. Now was her chance to find out, as Dante did, what they might be up against.
Duncan flipped through his notes. “I don’t think you’ll be surprised to learn Siobhan is our boy Patrick’s older sister. In addition to her, there are parents—Viktor and Una. There may be other siblings. The full report hasn’t come back yet on that. The Vabian family has a long history of mage craft, going back hundreds of years. They fancy themselves the dynasty. They actually call it that—the Vabian dynasty.” Duncan paused to snicker. “Kevin’s people got Siobhan’s address from her Department of Motor Vehicles registration. Handy thing, making all owners register their vehicles. Finding people seems to be much easier in this age than it was when last I was here.”
“Yes and no,” Dante said. “You’ll find there’s a lot more information recorded about each and every person. We’re also much more mobile. We can travel vast distances at the drop of a hat and there’s no telling whether the addresses are current since it usually takes some time for records to be updated once made.”
“I see the difficulty,” Duncan allowed, turning to his notes. “Nonetheless, we at least have a place to start in our search for Siobhan. I also have the address of the family compound, though I would caution against laying siege to their castle, so to speak. The mansion and grounds have been in the family for generations. It is their seat of power and liable to be well fortified with magical defenses considering how many Vabians have lived there over the years.”
“Good point,” Dante agreed, snagging a wine bottle out of the huge wine cooler a few feet from where he was seated. He had to lean out, tipping his chair precariously. He managed to open the frosted glass door with little fuss though secretly, Megan worried about the solidity of the groaning wooden kitchen chair. “How long has Siobhan been at the address you have for her? Were you able to find out?”
“A little under two years, according to title records. Before that, the house was owned by a mortal couple.”
“Not mages? You’re sure?” Megan couldn’t help asking. This entire thing made her nervous.
“As sure as I can be. I used the telephone,” Duncan paused to smile at his accomplishment in using the new technology. “Kevin gave me some recommendations. He was able to point me toward a private investigator who is well aware of the supernatural world. She has a bit of mage blood in her and agreed to allow me to test her. She passed my test, and I believe she provided me with good information and will
continue to, if needed.”
“You did all that in only a few hours? I’m impressed.” Dante tilted the bottle and poured a second glass of wine for Duncan when he nodded. He offered to Megan as well, but she declined with a shake of her head.
“It’s the telephone you gave me. I’ve become quite proficient with it and am enjoying it immensely.”
“Good. I’m glad.” Dante toasted his friend silently, then drank. “Technology is sometimes even better than magic.”
“Bite your tongue.” Duncan pretended outrage, but Megan saw his grin. “My fey brethren would have your head for speaking such blasphemy.”
“Good thing they aren’t around then, eh?” Dante sipped his wine, a smile playing about his lips. “So, do you feel up to a road trip tonight? I think we should check out Siobhan’s house. What do you say?”
“My thoughts exactly. If we’re cautious, we should be able to learn a great deal, whether she’s there or not. Of course, I hope she’s there. Then maybe we can end this quickly.”
The men made a few more plans, and Dante warned her explicitly about taking chances and rushing in where immortals feared to tread. Megan was glad he hadn’t decided to leave her behind while the men went off to deal with the sorceress. She wouldn’t have put it past him to be a chauvinist. After all, women had only achieved relative equality in the past century or so. He’d no doubt been raised, and had lived most of his life, in much different circumstances.
Not that she’d cut him any slack on that score. She was a capable woman. More than that, she was a shapeshifter, fully able to take care of herself and shielded from most magic by her very nature. If anything, he was probably in more danger from Siobhan’s fireballs and hellfire then Megan was.
Dante surprised her by choosing to drive one of his own cars for the hour-plus trip to Long Island. Dante had several vehicles garaged in a mechanic’s shop a few blocks over from his brownstone. He paid the owner to care for his sports car, luxury sedan, SUV and even an oversized van of some kind, and bring one of them to him when he called.
A few minutes after Dante placed the call, a shiny black Mercedes pulled up at the curb. The mechanic brought the keys to the door, passing them to Dante. The man left with a smile and a hefty tip in his hand as he sauntered down the street on foot.
The three of them left shortly thereafter. Dante drove and Duncan had chivalrously given her the front passenger seat, while he spread out in the back. They talked sporadically as they left the city, battling traffic here and there on their way out of town toward the suburbs.
“When we get there, let me take the lead,” Duncan requested. “If she’s got any otherrealm magical traps around the place, I should be able to locate them without setting them off.”
Dante looked as if he would argue, but Megan could almost see his thought process reflected in his expression. He wanted to say no. His calmer, rational side saw the merit in Duncan’s request.
“It is a sound plan,” he finally admitted, taking the curve of the exit ramp. They managed to escape Manhattan in record time by using the 59th Street Bridge and the Long Island Expressway. It was uncharacteristically smooth sailing for early evening, but it looked like the worst of the rush hour was over.
After everything that had come before, the actual house was a bit of a disappointment. It was set slightly back from the road in a thoroughly middle class community, fenced in with a gate and walkway leading to the front door. Only one light shone through the window, looking more like a night light than an overhead light. Dante parked the car across the street and let Duncan take the lead, though Dante wasn’t far behind.
Megan stuck with Dante for a few reasons. First, Duncan was undoubtedly the most magical of them and would more than likely be able to see any traps before they’d been sprung. Second, she had a vague idea of protecting Dante—both with her natural were immunity to certain magics and from any ill-advised action he might decide to take. Third, and most troubling, was that she felt safe with him. She wanted to be with him, at his side, to both protect and be protected. It didn’t make any sense, but there it was.
Putting aside her thoughts, she tried to focus on the here and now as she and Dante cautiously followed Duncan across the street. They were several yards behind him, moving slowly as he appeared to scan the area.
He paused at the gate, holding up one hand to indicate they should stop. Duncan retreated a few steps to confer with them.
“What is it?” Dante asked in a low, urgent voice.
“There is a protection in front of the gate. It is something…very old and very dangerous.”
“The spell is old?” Dante’s expression was troubled. “I thought she’d only been living here a couple of years.”
“Not the spell,” Duncan clarified. “The magic itself. If I’m not much mistaken, what I saw is a variation on the Elspian Ring.”
“Son of a…” Megan cursed. Even she had heard of the ancient, deadly spell. It was the stuff of legend. Part of every campfire story meant to frighten children into behaving.
“A variation, you said?” Dante looked thoughtful. “What sort of variation?”
“One I have never seen before. I can only guess what it’s meant to do. Stop anyone who might want to intrude, of course, but I have no way of knowing how until the spell is tripped. Moreover, from the little I could See of its patterns, it’s keyed to supernaturals, not regular mortals.”
“That’s one good thing at least,” Megan muttered. “The postman won’t set it off. Your friendly neighborhood werewolf might be toast, though, before he even realizes what is going on.”
“I doubt it would be anything visible. After all, she wouldn’t want to attract any unnecessary attention from her mortal neighbors. Chances are, despite her use of the Elspian Ring to power it, the consequences of this spell might be a stern warning—or the magical equivalent.”
“All right then.” Megan squared her shoulders and studied the gate. “I’ve got the most natural immunity of our little club, so the task falls to me. Otherwise, we’ll never even get past the sidewalk.” She began walking purposely toward the gate when Dante caught her arm, spinning her around to face him.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“I’m doing my part as a member of this team. What did you think—that I would sit on the sidelines while you brave men did all the heavy lifting?”
Dante cursed. Duncan, surprisingly, came to her rescue. “She’s right, you know. Of the three of us, she’s got the best chance if this thing does turn out to be nastier than we think. And we can pull her out if it is.”
“See?” Megan re-appropriated her arm.
“I don’t like this,” Dante bit out between clenched teeth.
“Duly noted,” she said shortly. “But unless you want to get in the car and go home, this is something I’ve got to do.”
He reeled her in for a lingering kiss, his grip on her strong yet gentle. She was swept under his spell almost immediately, falling into his kiss like a drug addict looking for her fix. He was that powerful.
When he released her, he caught her attention. “Be careful, sweetheart. I’ll be here to pull you out if you need me.”
“I’m counting on it.” She gave him a saucy smile and turned once more to the gate only a few yards away. It looked innocent but could prove to be deadly. She prayed for her sake it turned out to be the former.
Duncan gave her some last minute advice as she stepped up to the gate. “Use only one hand and try to keep one foot outside the circle, just in case. As near as I can tell, the boundaries coincide with the lines in the cement of the sidewalk.”
It was awkward. She approached the gate from the side rather than head on. The latch was on the left side, so she stood just left of center, straddling the concrete line. Bracing herself, she took a deep breath and raised her right hand.
“Here goes nothing.” She reached for the latch.
A split second later the ground was pulled out from under
her, and she was falling. A strong hand gripped her left hand, keeping her from the beckoning abyss. It was Dante. He’d caught her, just as he’d promised.
She realized a few things as she looked up and met his gaze. Her left leg was still on the cement sidewalk, bent at a sharp angle and not holding much of her weight. Her right leg—the one on which she’d had most of her weight—was no longer being supported by the sidewalk. Instead, a hole roughly the size of the sidewalk square had opened, trying to swallow her up.
With Dante’s help, she managed to use her left leg to pull herself out of the threatening hole. Her right hand was still on the latch, and she spared a moment to lift it and push open the gate.
Duncan, meanwhile, had his nose to the concrete and was chanting.
“Don’t move,” he counseled when she was standing again, all her weight on her left foot, her hand in Dante’s, and her right foot held above the swirling chasm that had magically opened in the sidewalk. “Hold it open for just a minute longer.”
Megan raised her eyebrows as she looked at Dante. He shrugged and gave her a faint smile of encouragement. His strength was hers in that moment, and she could have kissed him for it.
Duncan made a quick motion with his hands and a sharp crack sounded from beneath her feet. A moment later, the hole was gone and the sidewalk was back. It sported a brand new crack in the cement however, as a byproduct of the magic that had been used on it.
She watched as Duncan picked up a few odd bits of debris—twigs and leaves—snapping and crumbling them into dust. They disintegrated with little pops of magic and left behind an acrid smell.
“Nasty piece of work, that.” Duncan sighed as he stepped in front of Megan, taking the lead as they walked into the front yard. “There are bound to be more surprises if that was just the front gate obstruction. Stay sharp.”
He didn’t need to warn her twice. Megan stepped cautiously, following his path as exactly as she could in the dark. Luckily, as a wolf, she had excellent night vision. Dante stayed close but didn’t crowd her. She liked the way they had worked together so far. She wasn’t used to having anyone along on the prowls she had sometimes engaged in for her keeper. This was different. This was by her choice and for the first time in her life, she wasn’t going it alone.
