“Hello, Denise?”
“Yes.”
“Hey, Denise, this is Caleb.”
“Caleb? What are you doing calling me? Where’s Mica? Is he in trouble again?”
“In a manner of speaking, yes, Mica’s in a little trouble.”
“What’s wrong with your voice? Are you drunk?”
He laughed. “I’ve had a couple.”
“What kind of trouble is he in?”
“Woman trouble.” Caleb snickered at his own resourcefulness. “I need you to run interference for me.”
“Caleb, Mica and I broke up ten years ago. He’s still angry with me. He doesn’t want me back. Besides, I’ve moved on.”
“Mica doesn’t have to know you moved on,” he remarked in frustration. “I just need you to show up and pretend you’re in love with him to break ‘em up.”
“Why do you care, Caleb?”
“She’s a human.”
“A human? But what’s he doing with a human?”
“Do you see now why I need you to run interference?”
“Okay, okay. Where are you?”
Caleb looked around, turning to whisper in the receiver. “We’re in the Forbidden Caverns in Sevierville.”
“You’re in Tennessee?”
“Yes, that’s right. We’re in Tennessee.”
“It’s already too late for me to head out tonight. I’ll be there in a couple of days. Tell me I’m not going to regret this.”
“You’re saving him from himself. You won’t regret this.”
“Okay, if you say so.”
“I do. We’ll see you in a couple of days. Bye.”
“Good-bye, Caleb.”
He snapped the cell phone shut and handed it back to Johnny. “Thanks buddy. You’re a life saver.”
Johnny smiled. “Don’t mention it.”
Caleb stood up, stretching. “I’m going to go sleep this off. I hope to see you around.”
“Goodnight, Caleb. It was nice meeting you.”
“Same here.”
Caleb walked up to the bar, throwing the bartender a $50 tip. “This place has great service. Thanks.”
“I’m glad you had a good time,” remarked the bartender. “Can I call you a cab?”
“No. I’m going to go sleep it off in the back of the Express Van. I promise I won’t drive like this.”
“Come back again.”
“I just might do that. Thanks.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The damp cave air chilled Desiree’s bare skin, wrenching her from her peaceful slumber. She opened her eyes, finding herself wrapped tightly in Mica’s arms. She looked up into his sleeping face. In slumber, he looked so innocent, more like a sleeping god than a vampire. She sighed contentedly, trying to snuggle closer to get warm.
She smiled, remembering the last couple of hours. I wonder what he meant when he said that he was mine. A thrill of hope coursed through her, and she suddenly felt fiercely possessive. She kissed him gently on the cheek. “Sleep, love,” she whispered softly.
She tried to disengage his arms so she could get up. His grip tightened. Looking up, she stared into his beautiful blue eyes.
“Are you trying to sneak away from me?” His voice held a tone of amusement.
She grinned. “It’s about time I started to work on that spell.”
“What if I’m not ready to let you go yet?”
She cocked an eyebrow, biting her bottom lip. “Are you teasing me? Or are you holding me captive?”
He laughed. “The thought of holding you captive does sound appealing.” She grinned. “But I am teasing you. Besides, we need to get up anyway. Caleb should return soon.”
She pushed away from him, scrambling to her knees. “I don’t want Caleb to find us like this.”
“He’s going to find out about us sooner or later.” He rested his arms behind his head, crossing his feet at the ankles.
Grabbing her pants, she slipped back into them. “That may be true.” She reached for her bra, slipped it on, and snapped it. “But I want to be fully dressed when he does find out.” Slipping into her flannel shirt, she fastened the buttons on the front. “First I couldn’t get you out of your clothes, and now I can’t get you back in them.” She smiled and put her hands on her hips. “Come on, Mica, get dressed. As much as I enjoy the view, I don’t want you to piss Caleb off.”
Picking up his pants, she tossed them to him. He caught them in midair, giving her a crooked grin. “Yes, ma’am.” He stood up and pulled on his pants so fast he was a blur.
She reached up, tenderly placing her hand on the side of his face. “Thank you.” She grinned.
He slipped his arms around her. “Just one more thing before I let you go…” She looked into his eyes expectantly. He brought his mouth down on hers in a fiercely demanding kiss. Her knees gave way and he had to hold her up. Pulling back, he looked into her eyes again. She looked thoroughly dazed. “I just wanted to remind you of your promise to me.”
“I made you a promise?”
He gazed deeply into her eyes. “Yes, you told me that you were mine.”
She smiled. “Yes, I did. And if I can remember the conversation correctly, you said the same to me.”
He grinned. “There’s nothing wrong with your memory.” He ran his hand down her back, squeezing her butt possessively. “Just remember I protect what is mine.”
Her heart skipped a couple of beats. “I protect what is mine as well, and on that note, I need to go work on that spell.”
He kissed her forehead and laughed. “You are persistent.”
* * *
Mica walked through the pitch-black cavern to check their security. It was completely dark outside and Caleb should have been back by now. He walked around to the side where they had been hiding the Express Van, and it was still gone. He surveyed the entire area. Everything appeared to be normal. He was on his way back when the ground trembled. There was a flash of bright white light that shone through the cave entrance with a thundering boom.
“Desiree,” he shouted in alarm, running back into the cave. He rounded the corner, coming to a screeching halt. Desiree stood in the middle of a circle with lit candles marking the parameter. The flames flickered in the wind. Her arms were stretched to the heavens with the wind whipping around her, and she was smiling.
She faced to the east, chanting. “Hail to the Lords to the Gates of the East. Lords of Spirit, hear me. Come to me, I summon thee.” She turned to face the south. “Hail to the Lords to the Gates of the South. Lords of Will, hear me. Come to me, I summon thee.” She turned to face the west. “Hail to the Lords to the Gates of the West. Lords of Death and Initiation, hear me. Come to me, I summon thee.” She turned to face the north. “Hail to the Lords of the Gates to the North. Lords and guardian of the Northern Portals, hear me. Come to me, I summon thee.”
Light flashed again, and the walls trembled. Rocks and boulders bounced on the rocky floor. Mica looked all around him in amazement.
She went down on her knees, grabbing the bat she had trapped in a small cage. Pinning it down, she cut off its head, sprinkling the blood all around her. “With this blood sacrifice, I ask that my will be done. Bless this Altar and place of power. Let this be a place of strong magic and protection.” The amulets she had in the center to bless levitated in the air and started to glow. “Earth, Air, Fire, Water, I call upon you now. Spirits hear me. In this circle rightly cast, hear me. Let this spell allow the bearers of these amulets permanent passage in the sun.” She threw a handful of powder she had concocted into the fire. The amulets glowed brighter, rotating in the air around her. “From this cave, I call upon you now. Spirits, hear me. This is my will, so mote it be!”
Mica walked into the room. Whipping her head around, looking him in the eyes, she held up her hand to stop him. “Stop, stay back, it is not safe for you. Leave me. I will be fine. I cannot leave the circle yet.”
“I will protect you.”
She laughed
at the irony. “You cannot protect me from myself and the things I conjure. They are both magical and spiritual, and both are beyond brute strength. I will not put myself in any danger. I promise this to you.”
“You almost brought this cave down on top of yourself.”
She laughed again. “Mica, pick up a stone and throw it at me.” Giving her a strange look, he picked up a stone, and pulled his hand back to throw it. “You might want to duck after you throw it.” He threw the stone and it bounced forcefully back in the direction it had come from. He had to jump out of the way. “You see,” she remarked, raising her hands, “the circle protects me.”
“I’m just supposed to stand here and let these walls come crashing down on top of you, and do nothing about it?”
“If it is the Spirit’s will, even you couldn’t stop that,” she remarked seriously. “I come to this circle with an open heart and respect. The Spirits will not harm me.”
“Desiree…”
“Mica,” she whispered softly, “we can argue about this later. I must finish what I have started. The amulets are blessed, but I still need to respectfully close the circle.”
“I’m not leaving,” he remarked stubbornly.
“You may stay, but please refrain from speaking or reacting until I close the circle.”
He set his jaw, nodding once in a jerky movement.
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you.” Standing, she raised her arms, facing the east. “Hail to the Lords of the Gates to the East. Thank you for attending me. I respectfully release you.” She turned, facing the south. “Hail to the Lords of the Gates to the South. Thank you for attending me. I respectfully release you.” She turned, facing the west. “Hail to the Lords of the Gates to the West. Thank you for attending me. I respectfully release you.” She turned, facing the north. “Hail to the Lords of the Gates to the North. Thank you for attending me. I respectfully release you.” She knelt down on her knees, grabbing a hand full of earth, letting it slip through her fingers. “Thank you, Spirit of Earth; I release you.” She looked up, spreading her arms wide, and the wind whipped around her. “Thank you, Spirit of Air; I release you.” She picked up a burning candle, and the flame grew. “Thank you, Spirit of Fire; I release you.” She scooped a handful of water, letting it dribble on the ground. “Thank you, Spirit of Water; I release you.” She stood, looking to the heavens, raising her arms. “Goddess and God, I know you. Please bestow your blessings on this work. I came to this circle true and free. I do so will it, so mote it be!” Dropping her hands, she picked up a candle, blowing it out. All the flames extinguished at the same time. She stepped out of the circle. “It is done.” She smiled brightly at Mica.
His anger grew stronger by the second. “It’s done. Is that all you have to say for yourself?”
Her mouth dropped open at his tone. “Say for myself? I have nothing to explain. I was just doing what Drake was demanding of me.” She slammed her hands on her hips. “You remember him. The one who sent you to rescue me in the first place?” She shook her head in irritation. “What’s your problem?”
“My problem”—he clenched his fist—“is that you were almost buried by an avalanche of rocks, and I was powerless to stop it.”
She raised her chin defiantly. “I was perfectly safe.”
“Well, you could have fooled me,” he growled.
Suddenly, she found the whole situation amusing. Hiding her smile behind her hand, she turned away from him. She knew he was very angry, and she did not want him to see her laugh. Her shoulders shook with her silent laughter. “Just leave me alone for a while,” she remarked in a choked voice.
Mica did not know what to do. His anger was replaced by a sudden concern that he had hurt her somehow. “Desiree…”
She continued to look away from him, throwing up her hand. Her amusement tried to take over. “Don’t…”
“Desiree, please look at me,” he whispered softly. She shook her head violently no. His irritation came back. “Desiree… Look. At. Me.” He enunciated each word.
She turned to him, her hand still covering her mouth, tears streaming down her face. She looked up into his eyes, and that was where she lost it. Her laughter rang out, to his shock.
His eyes flashed with anger. “Here I was worried that I had hurt you, and you’re laughing at me.”
She shook her head, laughing harder. She had to will her composure back. “Mica, I assure you, I’m not laughing at you.”
He crossed his arms, raising his eyebrow. “What’s so funny then?” he remarked sarcastically.
“I’ve been practicing magic for over a hundred years.” She threw her hands out, shrugging. “It’s like breathing air to me. I just found it funny that you were upset with me for doing the one thing that will make Drake happy and assure my freedom from him. I wasn’t in any danger.”
He took her shoulders in a firm grip, glaring into her eyes. “I protect what is mine,” he remarked possessively. “All I could see was you in danger. If you must conjure Spirits, as you call it, please don’t do it in this cave. Do it outside under the stars, and I won’t have to worry about you being buried alive.” He let go of her shoulders, pulling her into his arms.
Smiling, she gazed into his eyes, reaching up her hand to caress his face. “I protect what is mine as well.” She placed an amulet attached to a heavy gold chain in his hand. “You will now be safe in the sunlight.”
He looked at the amulet in his hand and then back into her eyes. “Desiree, I don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t say anything.” She closed his fingers over the amulet. “Just put it on and wear it. Let me protect you for a change.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
With the sunrise, Caleb slowly opened his eyes. They burned intensely and felt like they were filled with gritty sand; his head felt three times its normal size. “Where am I?” he groaned. He lifted his head, looking around. “How did I get in the back of the van?” The smell of alcohol was almost overpowering.
Opening the back hatch, he stumbled out onto the pavement, going straight to his knees and taking huge gulps of clean fresh air. Closing his eyes to the brightness of the rising sun, he hung his head. His head felt like he had a jackhammer doing a happy dance behind his eyes. Placing the heels of his palms over his eyes, he applied pressure.
“How’s your head doing, partner?”
Caleb whipped his head around to the voice, which caused it to hurt worse. Squeezing his eyes shut, he winced miserably. “Not so good.”
“You shouldn’t drink so much, partner.” Johnny placed his hand on Caleb’s shoulder. “It’s not good for you.”
“Do I know you?” Caleb asked with doubt.
He stepped back in surprise. “We drank together for about four hours last night. Don’t you remember?”
“No, I don’t remember,” Caleb muttered. “Who did you say you were again?”
“I’m Johnny. I hate it that you don’t remember last night. You and I made some plans.”
Caleb peeked up at him. “Plans?”
Shoving his hands deep into his pockets, he smiled. “Sure, sure, we made great plans last night.”
“What kind of great plans did we concoct last night?” He swallowed back his dread. His stomach was suddenly queasy.
“We made plans on how you were going to steal the little lady back away from your buddy Mica.”
“I told you about Mica?” he asked hesitantly, feeling apprehensive. He had way too much to drink last night and didn’t remember a thing.
Johnny bobbed his head in agreement. “Sure, sure, you said that you and Mica have been buddies for years.” Caleb felt relieved. “You said he didn’t normally date human girls, that he dated vampires because he was one himself.”
Closing his eyes, dread washed all over him. Apparently, he had done way too much talking last night. He opened one eye, looking at Johnny. “What else did I tell you?”
“You said that the little lady in question was, in your w
ords ‘so hot.’”
Caleb nodded; he could hear himself say something like that about Desiree. His stomach wrenched, and he scrambled to his feet. He stumbled behind the building; going to his knees, he heaved.
Johnny followed him behind the building. “That’s right, let it all out.”
When Caleb was sure he had nothing left in his system, he stood back up on shaky knees, eyeing Johnny suspiciously. “If all this happened last night, why are you still here?”
“I told you already. We made big plans.”
“Okay, okay, what else did I tell you?”
“You said the little lady wasn’t quite human either.”
He swallowed hard. “What did I say about her?”
“Not much.” He shrugged as if it wasn’t important. “You just said she was a witch.”
He cringed, wanting to kick himself in the ass because he definitely said way too much. “How much did you see me drink last night?”
He shrugged, grinning. “About a case of beer and a bottle of Crown.”
Caleb squeezed the bridge of his nose between his fingers. “No wonder I feel like crap.”
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