Aric was dead weight on top of me, his body so heavy I had trouble breathing. That was the least of my worries, though, because I was certain he wasn’t breathing.
“Zoe, what’s happening?” Kelsey asked, appearing at my side. Her face was dirty and streaked with tears. “Someone is trying to cross into the yard but they’re fighting them. I thought you were dead.”
“We were close,” I said. “I … come on, Aric!” I shook him with my blue fingers, exhaling heavily when I heard him gasp. “There you are. Come on … come on … come on!”
I poured everything I had into him, not stopping until the blue haze disappeared. Aric groaned as he rolled to his back and touched his forehead.
“What happened?”
“I told you I would save you, and I was right,” I hissed, grabbing his chin and planting a huge kiss on him. “Now stay there where it’s safe. I have to deal with whatever this other problem is and then you’re going to bow down and tell me how I’m always right.”
“Gladly,” Aric muttered. “Be careful.”
“I’m through being careful,” I shot back. “Now I’m going to torch whoever is out there and then do a little dance when I’m done. Kelsey, watch him. If he has trouble breathing or anything, yell for me.”
Kelsey mutely nodded as she braced Aric’s shoulders and helped him to a sitting position.
I stalked down the low slope of the back yard, not stopping until I was between Rafael and James. They were battered by magical bolts zinging in from the woods, but they were on their feet.
“Zoe, what are you doing?” James asked. “I thought … .”
I cut him off. “I know what you thought,” I said. “We’re fine. I healed myself in a … dream … and then I healed Aric when I woke. He still seems shaky. I’m fine, though.”
“You are certainly a marvel,” Rafael said. “Can you do something about this?” He grabbed his shoulder as a magic bolt – a sizzling red zinger – zoomed into him shoulder. “Son of a … .”
“What is it?” I asked, confused. “I don’t know how to fight it if I don’t know what it is.”
“Yes, you do,” Pemberley screeched back, pink light arcing out from his fingertips as he sent it in a hundred different direction in search of an enemy to smite. “Don’t think about what you’re fighting. Think about what you have to do.”
Realization dawned on me. “I don’t have to get out to them,” I said. “I have to keep them from getting into us.”
“For now, yes,” Pemberley agreed. “We can regroup and think of a plan after that. Do you have anything in your arsenal to cut them off?”
“Just one thing,” I said, tilting my head to the side and glancing around the yard. “I’ve never done it on a scale this big, but it’s worth a shot. Everyone, move away from the trees! I need room to do this.”
I extended my arms, my eyes flashing as a purple magic bolt zoomed out of the thick trees and headed in my direction. I didn’t move. I didn’t try to fight it. Instead I swept my arms up, encompassing the house in a magical dome that not only protected us from outside attacks, but also prevented whatever was out there from seeing inside.
The dome settled at the exact moment the purple bolt should’ve struck me down. Instead it rammed into the dome and careened back into the woods.
For a few moments I watched to make sure the dome worked, smirking as a barrage of magical bolts fired against it glanced harmlessly to the side.
“That was very good, my dear,” Pemberley said, dusting off his clothes and grimacing. “What is it?”
I shrugged. “I kind of created it when we went camping a few months ago,” I answered. “I didn’t want to carry a tent.”
“And people say laziness isn’t a virtue,” Rafael said, tipping my chin to the side so he could study my face. “You’re pale. How do you feel?”
“I feel fine,” I answered. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m about as angry as I could possibly be, but I’m okay.”
“What about Aric?” James asked, turning toward the spot on the lawn where Kelsey and Helen doted on him.
“I don’t know,” I said, scampering in that direction. “I’ll fix him if he’s not okay. I just … had to save you guys, too.”
I dropped to my knees in front of Aric and ignited my hand, blue energy softly glowing as I reached out. “Where does it hurt?”
“Here,” Aric said, grabbing me and forcing me in for a hug. “I didn’t think I would see you again.”
“That will teach you to not have faith in me,” I grumbled, rubbing my glowing hand across the back of his head. “What hurts?”
“Nothing hurts,” Aric replied, his voice cracking. “I have you. Nothing hurts.”
“That’s sweet,” I said before slapping my hand to his back and massaging it. He growled in delight at the feeling. He loved a magical massage. “What hurts?”
“If you’re going to rub me, everything hurts,” Aric said, his eyes twinkling. I was glad to see the playful spark was back.
“I guess we should get you inside and out of these clothes if I’m going to rub you,” I said. “We also have to talk about … well … this.” I gestured toward the dome.
“I don’t know what this is, Zoe, but it’s ingenious,” James said, helping Aric to his feet. “You gave us time to figure this out. No one could’ve done better given the circumstances.”
I preened under the compliment, and then remembered our secondary problem. “We have to find a place with absolutely no light to keep Rafael,” I said. “Once the sun is up he’ll be vulnerable. Aric built this house so it gets natural light every hour of the day that it’s possible.”
“And you were going to give him my house,” Aric grumbled.
“I only said that because I needed you to hold on,” I countered.
“I know that,” Aric said, offering me a watery smile. “It’s still annoying.”
“What are you guys talking about?” Kelsey asked, frustrated.
“It’s a long story,” I said. “We’ll tell it inside … as we’re finding a place to stow Rafael in six hours. No matter what happens, I don’t think we’re going to have our problem solved before he needs to go down for the day.”
“I’d really rather not burn if I can help it,” Rafael said.
“We’ll figure it out,” James said, gesturing toward the house. “Everyone move this inside. People might be listening in the woods.”
“They can’t hear us,” I said, glancing over my shoulder. “I built the dome to be sound proof.”
“You’re a genius,” Pemberley said. “I’m sorry I underestimated you.”
I cast a sidelong look at Aric. “Did you hear that? I’m a genius.”
“You’re my genius,” Aric said, pulling me in for another hug. “Thank you for saving me.”
“I saved us,” I clarified. “There is no me without you.”
“Right back at you, baby.”
21
Twenty-One
Aric and I showered and picked comfortable clothes to change into, pausing long enough for me to shoot more healing power into his back. He purred like a kitten, which was mildly funny given his wolf roots, and then reluctantly put on a shirt.
I knew what he was thinking. He wanted to crawl into bed and find solace in living. We couldn’t do that given what lay beyond the dome.
“I promise to give you a happy sex memory when we get back here,” I said, keeping my voice low as he opened the door. “I’m sorry you don’t get a chance to rest.”
“I’m not,” Aric said, kissing my forehead. “You saved me, Zoe. I will have faith in whatever you say for the rest of our lives. I knew you were special, but what you just did was … amazing.”
“It was pretty good,” I agreed, bobbing my head happily and causing Aric to smirk. “I am starving, though. I feel … empty.”
“That’s probably because you expended enough power to burn the entire forest down,” Aric sad. “You saved my life, so I shall feed you. I f
igure it’s the least I can do.”
“Can I have some of those lobster tails in the freezer that you’ve been saving for a special occasion?” What? If I couldn’t ask for favors now, when could I?
“Baby, you can have the entire box if you want it,” Aric said, kissing my nose. “Come on. Let’s see how the rest of our troops fared.”
I linked my fingers with Aric’s as he led me into the living room. Everyone looked refreshed and comfortable – for the most part – with only Pemberley frowning at his new ensemble. Apparently he was closest to my father’s size, which meant he had to wear a tracksuit. Pemberley looked utterly dismayed by the turn of events.
“Is everyone okay?” Aric asked.
“I think we should be asking you that,” Helen said, hurrying to her son’s side. I didn’t miss it when she wedged herself between us and forced me to take a step back. “You were utterly insane doing what you did. What did you think would happen?”
I pressed the heel of my hand against my forehead, tugging on my limited patience as I reminded myself that Helen probably thought Aric died during the attack and was reacting as any worried mother would. It wasn’t personal. That didn’t stop it from feeling personal.
“I thought I might have a chance to save Zoe,” Aric answered honestly. “That was worth it to me.”
“Well, it was a stupid thing to do,” Helen said, refusing to look in my direction.
“What happened to you guys?” Paris asked, shifting the onus of the conversation away from Aric and his stupid decision to risk himself for me. “Where did you go?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Aric thinks … .” I trailed off, unsure how I wanted to answer.
“I think Zoe realized we were dying and protected us the best way she could,” Aric interjected, causing Helen’s head to snap up. “She created a spot in our minds where we weren’t in pain and could talk. I thought I was dying, though. I said my goodbyes. Zoe wouldn’t hear of it. She told me if I died she would move Rafael into our house.”
Rafael snorted. “Yes, if anything would’ve kept you alive, that’s it,” he said. “How did you get out?”
“Zoe healed herself in the … place … where we were,” Aric replied. “I didn’t think it was possible, but she did it.”
“She started glowing,” Kelsey supplied. “Everyone left me to watch you because I’m human and helpless, and I thought you were both dead because you weren’t breathing or moving.
“Then … poof!” Kelsey continued, waving her hands for emphasis. “Zoe’s body ignited in a blue flame. I seriously thought it was bad magic burning you guys alive. Then she opened her eyes and kind of … hugged you, Aric. I think she was dousing you with magic.”
“Healing magic,” Rafael confirmed. “I saw it from where I was standing but wasn’t close enough to get a really good look. No offense, wolf, but I thought for sure you were dead given the way Zoe was panicking.”
“I think he was,” Kelsey said. “I think Zoe brought him back to life.”
I shook my head. “No. He was almost dead. He wasn’t dead.”
“Are you sure?” Kelsey pressed. “He wasn’t breathing. I don’t think his heart was beating.”
I racked my mind for memories of the moments right after I woke. All I could focus on was the weight of Aric’s body. He’d been heavy – too heavy.
“What are you thinking?” Aric prodded.
“You weren’t dead,” I said. “I would’ve felt that.”
“Zoe, you’d just healed yourself and were in the middle of a magic fight,” Aric said. “Can you be sure you would’ve felt it?”
“Yes,” I said. “I knew I was running out of time. That’s why I poured everything I had into you. It was close, but you weren’t dead.”
“Okay, he wasn’t dead,” Dad said, shooting Mom an odd look before returning his attention to me. “The big question is: What are we dealing with?”
“I think it’s a coven,” Paris volunteered, causing a multitude of heads to swivel in her direction.
“Why do you think that?” I asked, rolling the idea through my head and trying to come up with something to refute it. I couldn’t.
“That was a coordinated attack,” Paris said. “There was more than one person out there. Whoever it was – whatever faction or group – knew Zoe was the biggest threat. They wanted her out of the way.
“I didn’t get a good look at the spell that hit her, but it looked like it was designed to kill her on impact,” she continued. “That didn’t happen, but the spell was strong enough to drain Zoe, and it would’ve killed her if Aric hadn’t jumped on top of her and absorbed a lot of the energy.”
“Should it have killed Aric?” Rafael asked.
Paris shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“I think we can all agree that it almost did kill me,” Aric said, tugging a restless hand through his hair. “I’m only alive because Zoe thought fast. She expelled a lot of energy, though, so we need to take this conversation into the kitchen so I can feed her.”
“I can cook,” Mom said, hopping to her feet. “I need something to keep my hands busy.”
“There are lobster tails in the freezer,” Aric supplied. “Whatever you cook, make sure you get those out and give Zoe as many of them as she wants. After what she did today, she’s earned whatever her heart desires for dinner.”
“That’s three thousand dollars’ worth of lobster tails,” James protested. “You’re going to let her eat them all?”
Aric shrugged. “Is my life worth three thousand dollars?”
“That’s not what I’m saying,” James argued.
“What are you saying, dear?” Helen asked, narrowing her eyes. “Personally, I think if Zoe wants to eat a million dollars’ worth of lobster tails she’s earned it.”
That was the nicest thing Helen had said about me since we emerged from the bedroom.
“Of course, it wouldn’t have been necessary if Aric wasn’t willing to sacrifice himself for her,” Helen added.
Ah, there she was. “Do you think I wanted him to risk himself for me?”
“Zoe, don’t,” Aric said, waving his hand to ward off my anger. “Mom is upset, and you’re on the edge because you’re drained. For the record, Mother, I would die a million times over to save Zoe. It’s no different than you dying for Dad … or Dad dying for you … or you dying for me. Don’t you dare make a thing out of this.”
Helen had the grace to look abashed. “I didn’t mean … .”
Aric cut her off. “Yes, you did,” he said. “Zoe is going to be my wife. She’s already my wife in my heart. I will die for her if it becomes necessary. Zoe put her life on the line to save everyone tonight. I don’t want to hear another word about it.”
Helen pressed her lips together and tugged on her shirt to smooth it. “You’re right. I was out of line.” She turned to me. “I’m very sorry for what I said and how I’ve been acting. Seeing Aric like that was a shock. It’s not your fault, though.”
“It’s a little my fault,” I said, earning a scowl from Aric. “We’re under attack … again … because of me. We have to figure out who it is and why they’re coming after me. I think Paris is right. This feels like a coven. Something about the attack – the way the magic swirled – reminded me of the night Laura died.”
“Who is Laura?” Pemberley asked.
“That’s a long story,” I muttered.
“We appear to have plenty of time.”
Everyone followed Mom into the kitchen and settled at the table as she and Helen set about making dinner. I was tired so I let Aric relate the Laura saga, delving into her time as my roommate, her past as Paris’ childhood friend and her ultimate attempt on my life at a sorority house sophomore year. When Aric was done with the story, Pemberley was dumbfounded.
“You sure know how to make enemies, don’t you, girl?”
I shrugged. “I think the magic knows how to make enemies,” I clarified. “I don’t think my attitude helps.
”
“I like your attitude fine,” Aric said, shifting his chair closer to mine and moving his legs to the side so he could embrace me from behind. “Your attitude is what saved both of us tonight.”
“That’s a fact,” Rafael said. “You’re the only person I know who could’ve figured out a way to heal yourself in a trance and then pool as much energy as you needed to bring Aric back from the dead.”
“He wasn’t dead,” I snapped.
“He was close,” Rafael shot back. “He was closer than you want to admit. I think, if we’re talking clinical terms, Aric was dead. He probably didn’t have time to move on, but you yanked him back into his body and saved him. There’s no reason to be modest. You wowed everyone tonight. That should make you happy.”
“Do you really think I’m happy that I almost killed him?” The words were out of my mouth before I could ascertain the intelligence behind uttering them. “Do you think I should throw a party?”
“Zoe, you didn’t almost kill me,” Aric said, pressing his lips to my cheek. “It’s okay. Don’t freak out and blow up the house. We need it to survive the night.”
Rafael arched his eyebrows. “You can blow up the house?”
I shrugged. “Only when I have PMS.”
“That will be enough of that,” Dad said, wagging a finger. He hated period talk as much as Aric. “We need to figure out which coven is out in the woods and how we’re going to get them.”
“We need a spell to bind their powers,” Paris said. “After dinner, I’ll go through the library and see what you have. I’ll call my mother, too. Since we can’t get close to them, we’ll need something we can cast from a distance.”
“Zoe is powerful enough to make that work,” Rafael said. “We know that. If we can find the right spell, she should be able to deliver it from a distance. That will be safer for everyone.”
“Agreed,” Aric said. “For now I want her fed and put to bed. There’s a wine cellar in the basement and we have an inflatable mattress. The cellar is lightproof, so Rafael should be safe in there for the day.
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