Irresistible Magic (Crescent City Fae: Book 2)

by Deanna Chase

  But that didn’t stop the ache that formed in my chest at knowing he needed her more than me at that moment.

  Stop it!

  Talisen told me he loved me. He’d just been through a terrible ordeal. Whatever he needed, I’d make sure he got it. I turned back around, listening in on their conversation.

  “Nicola and I think we can perform a spell to help us track your boss.”

  Tal raised a skeptical eyebrow. “I’ve never heard you talk about a tracking spell before.”

  She shrugged. “They’re highly unpredictable and dangerous if the witch doesn’t know what she’s doing. I’ve cast a few while in Void training and Nicola was present once when her grandmother cast one, so she knows what they’re supposed to feel like. We’ve worked together enough this past week that I think we’ll be okay to at least try it. But I need something to tie us to him. Do you have anything at all that belonged to him at one point?”

  Tal frowned and rubbed a hand over his face. “There are a ton of items at the lab.”

  Phoebe shook her head. “Can’t. There’s a team of at least three men watching the place in case one of us shows up looking for your new drug.”

  “There are?” We hadn’t seen any earlier.

  Phoebe cast a glance in my direction. “Yeah. I have a contact at the campus keeping me informed. They were there when we were, but thanks to our undercover mission, we went through unnoticed. It’s too late for that sort of thing now. There aren’t enough students to help us blend into the crowd.”

  Tal eyed us both and I knew he wanted to know what we’d been doing there, but he didn’t ask. Instead he reached into his pocket and pulled out a worn black leather wallet. “Here.” He handed Phoebe a battered business card. “He gave me this the day I interviewed.”

  Her eyes lit up like she’d just been presented with a new set of vampire cuffs. Or a supercharged sun agate. “Perfect. This is more than perfect. Thanks.” She stood and smiled down at him. “Rest up, Talisen. We’re going to need you in about thirty minutes.”

  “Thirty minutes!” I cried and ran forward. “No. Tal needs—”

  “Willow,” Tal cut me off. “I’m not broken. I just need a few minutes to myself.”

  I’d never seen him appear so shattered before, so depleted and on the edge of life, yet determined to force his way through whatever came next. His condition had to be hard for him to accept. I nodded once, not meeting his eyes.

  “We’ll be in the library if you need anything.” Phoebe held the business card at the very edge with two fingers and joined me in the next room. “Try not to worry so much,” she said to me.

  “Easy for you to say,” I grumbled.

  “Actually, no. It isn’t. I like Talisen. And he’s important to you. So I’m worried not only about him, but you, too.”

  I gave her a weak smile.

  “Try to remember he’s in love with you. He doesn’t want you nursing him or seeing him like that.” Her lips quirked up into a knowing smile. “Imagine what it’s doing to his ego.”

  I bit back a tiny surprised laugh. She was right. He was usually putting me back together, not the other way around. And to top it off, this was his skill. The thing that set him apart from everyone else. To seem so broken in front of everyone must be killing him inside.

  “Okay. I’ll stop treating him like an invalid. But I swear to the Goddess, if he rushes into something he can’t handle because of what that vamp did to him, I’ll kill him myself.”

  She laughed and shook her head. “Whatever you say, Wil.”

  My running shoes squeaked on the hardwood floors while Phoebe walked soundlessly. “What kind of soles are on those boots?”

  “Leather. Why?”

  “I don’t get how you can be so quiet.”

  She grinned. “Silencing spell. It comes in handy for a tracker.”

  Witches. Was there nothing she couldn’t do?

  I flexed my wings, lifting myself a few inches off the ground, and flew beside her down the long corridor.

  “Feel better?” she asked.

  “Yes,” I said smugly. I didn’t have fancy spells, but I had my own talents.

  Outside the library, I frowned at the raised voices inside. “What in the world is going on in there?”

  “One way to find out.” Phoebe yanked the door open and everyone inside turned to stare at us.

  I felt the blood drain from my face as I stared right into the angry eyes of my vampire ex David.

  Chapter 21

  Nicola, barely five foot two, was standing between David and Harrison, her arms held out as if she could keep them from ripping each other apart.

  “I told you to stay away from her,” David roared. “And not only did you disobey a direct order, you almost got her abducted.”

  “David!” I ran forward and yanked on his arm. He didn’t budge, but Harrison backed up.

  “I had nothing to do with her showing up,” Harrison said in a cold, hard voice. “She came after the fae all on her own.”

  David stared down at me. I cocked a defiant eyebrow. “Why did you go without backup?” he asked.

  “Not that it’s any of your business, but I had Phoebe and Link.”

  He glanced around the room and then fixed me once again with his intense gaze. “It’s always been my business. But as soon as you brought everyone back here, you solidified that argument.”

  “Oh, shut up, David.” I dropped his arm and backed up. Would he ever stop pretending to be a dominating asshole? Or had his vampireness really turned him into this hardened shell of his former self?

  Phoebe chuckled at my response to David. “I called in Nicola and Harrison, remember? She was hardly without backup.” She turned to Nicola. “Are you up for some serious spell work?”

  “Absolutely.” Nicola secured her wispy blond hair into a clip, left her place near the sunroom door, and joined Phoebe in the middle of the room.

  I ignored everyone and headed for the glass door. Inside, the vampire sat stoically peering at the door, though I knew he couldn’t see us. It was a two-way mirror and a button needed to be pushed before those in the inside could see into the study. The two humans were still knocked out. I had a moment of wondering if they’d ever recover, but then one of them twitched in his unconscious state.

  They’d be fine…eventually.

  “Has anyone interrogated them yet?” David said from a few feet behind me.

  For the second time in ten minutes I nearly jumped out of my skin. “Don’t do that.”

  A ghost of a smile flashed on his face but quickly disappeared. “Sorry. Vampire hazard.”

  Phoebe and Nicola started a low chant, something in Latin. I fixated on the pair and the business card levitating in front of them.

  The longer I stood next to David, the angrier I became. The knowledge that he wanted me to turn Allcot into a daywalker had fled my mind while we were trying to find Tal, but now that he was safe, I couldn’t block out the implications of what David wanted me to do. Finally I grabbed his arm. “We need to talk.”

  He didn’t put up a fight. Why should he? I wasn’t a threat to him. If he didn’t want to go, all he had to do was stand there like a marbled statue. But he followed along, pretending to let me march him out of the room.

  It only pissed me off more.

  I avoided the living room where Tal was and instead stormed into David’s bedroom. Again.

  He followed and closed his door with a soft click.

  I rounded on him, fluttering off the ground a few inches. “Explain yourself. What did Harrison mean you turned because of me?” Shit. Where had that come from? I’d intended to ask him about Allcot. Instead my subconscious was stuck on why he’d turned vampire. Why couldn’t I let that go? I hadn’t wanted him to turn vamp. Hell, I hadn’t even known it was an option. I’d had no idea Allcot was his father until after he’d already turned. “I didn’t have anything to do with this.” I waved a hand at his solid form.

  He nodded so
lemnly. “You’re right. You didn’t.”

  “Then why was Harrison so pissed off? Allcot coerced you, didn’t he? Did he know I possessed this power?” A bolt of betrayal wound through me, and I trembled with frustrated energy.

  His deep, midnight-blue eyes bored into mine and then something soft, almost tender flickered over his features. “I already told you Father didn’t force me.” He paused and seemed to gather his thoughts. “I’m sorry, Wil. I know I’ve left you in the dark for entirely too long. But believe me when I say I was only trying to protect you.”

  My fingers curled tightly into his crisp gray button-down shirt, my nails digging straight through the fabric and into my palm. “Stop keeping things from me.” I gazed up at him, imploring him to finally let me into his secret world and all he thought he had to keep hidden.

  After a long pause, he nodded. “I’ll tell you as much as I can.”

  I shook my head. “Everything, David. I don’t want to do this anymore. There are enough people trying to control me. I can’t be wondering if you’re one of them, too.”

  He raised his hand and cupped my cheek. The gesture was so tender and heartfelt that I couldn’t bring myself to step away.

  “Everything,” he said.

  I returned his intense stare. Would he really tell me the truth this time? Our entire relationship was built on lies. I was afraid that no matter what he said, I’d still be suspicious.

  “Give me one more chance, Wil?”

  I held back the natural inclination to cringe at his use of my nickname. He used to call me Wil all the time, but once we’d broken up and he’d turned vamp, it was too painful to hear him use the endearment. I knew it was stupid. What difference did it make if he called me Wil or Willow? After what happened, I shouldn’t be talking to him at all. And yet, we were intimately connected since the night I’d turned him into a daywalker. I didn’t think I could ever truly shut him out for good. Not unless he abducted me and forced me to turn his father. Then I’d probably find a way to cut his presence from my heart and soul.

  “All right. But if I find out you held anything back, anything about me or my family, it’s the end of whatever this is.” I waved a hand between us, indicating our odd relationship. “My trust can only be stretched so far.”

  “That’s fair,” he said, his tone serious.

  “Okay then.” I moved across the room to a chenille armchair.

  David walked slowly, keeping his gaze riveted to a spot over my head.

  I glanced back, but only saw a darkened window. Was someone out there? I waited to see if he would say something before I asked. He didn’t. Sitting in the chair next to mine, he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and shifted his attention to the pristine white carpet. Then that piercing blue gaze met mine once more.

  “Harrison’s right. I never wanted to turn vampire.”

  The blunt statement made me blink. My mouth hung open in shock. Not because I was surprised by the truth behind his words, but that he’d actually come out and said it. I had known him. Had known he’d never wanted that life. “Then you were forced. One way or another, you were manipulated into this. I knew it.” All the rage I’d built up throughout the day came bubbling up in my throat, and my next words were ground out with fierce venom. “Allcot’s a monster. He was never your father. A father wouldn’t do this to his son.”

  David’s eyes never left mine. If they had, I would’ve missed the tiny hint of pity swimming in their depths.

  “Don’t do that,” I said, my voice low. “Don’t feel sorry for me because of your choices.”

  “I’m not.”

  “Then what was that look about? Do you think I don’t understand politics or how ruthless your father is? Because I do. I work in a political organization, remember? I see it every freakin’ day.”

  He pitched forward until our knees were almost touching. “No. That’s not it.” He cleared his throat, though I knew there was nothing to clear. It was a nervous tic I hadn’t noticed before. “I already told you that I chose to become vampire. That wasn’t a lie.”

  “No? Allcot probably gave you a choice, and turning was the lesser of two evils, right?” I didn’t believe for a minute he wasn’t manipulated.

  He frowned. “No. That’s not it at all.”

  “Then spit it out!”

  “Dammit, Willow. I did it for you.”

  “What?” I sat back in the chair, stunned. “Why?”

  He stood up and started to pace the room. This was an action I was familiar with. I’d seen David do this dozens of times when he was trying to find the words to tell me something. It took all my effort to hold my tongue, to not demand more answers.

  I clutched my arms around my knees and waited.

  David stopped abruptly and leaned against the casing of the window across from me. He crossed his feet at the ankle the exact same way Allcot had done earlier in the day. The gesture startled me. It was harmless yet stood as a stark reminder that no matter how much I wanted to believe David was different because he was adopted, he really was Allcot’s son. “I already told you I’d been assigned to keep an eye on you when we first met over a year ago.”

  I nodded and tried to push down the hurt that pierced my heart. He’d only dated me to get close enough to protect me from Asher. It was a shitty thing to do to a girl. I’d fallen in love with him and then one day, he disappeared. Talk about a dick move. He might have protected me physically for a while, but he’d shattered my heart. If it wasn’t for Talisen, I was certain I’d still be picking up the pieces.

  Talisen. I took a deep breath. We were supposed to be finding his boss, not dealing with this bullshit history. But now that David was finally talking, I couldn’t bring myself to walk away.

  “Willow?” David’s voice pulled me out of my haze.

  “Yes?”

  “In late spring, before you left for California, we started getting word of Asher taking an interest in you. Then the death threats surfaced. Father wanted to take me off the case and dedicate a couple of our trained guards to watch over you. But I couldn’t let that happen. This was Asher’s people we were talking about. I couldn’t risk losing you.”

  “Okay. You wanted to keep looking out for me. So?”

  “It wasn’t enough.” He took two strides and knelt down in front of me. “Don’t you see? I couldn’t let humans try to protect you from Asher. He’s too dangerous.”

  “But you were human, too…” Oh no. No, no, no. My insides turned to ice and I shivered. “Are you saying you turned to protect me?”

  “Yes.”

  I jumped out of the chair, my finger pointed at him. “What in the world were you thinking? How could you do such a thing?” Tears burned my eyes and I did nothing to stop them from spilling down my cheeks. “You ruined your life. For me. Why? Dammit. Why?” The words came out choked through my sobs.

  Though he’d been taking pains to not touch me, he got to his feet and gently circled his fingers around my wrists. “You know why, Wil. I love you. It was the best way to keep you safe.”

  “Not like this.” I ripped my hands from his grasp and pounded my fists on his chest. “We would’ve found another way. You shouldn’t have sacrificed yourself for me.”

  “You’re not hearing me,” he whispered in my ear.

  “I heard you,” I shouted. “You turned in order to fight off a psychotic vampire who wants me dead.”

  “But you’re not hearing why.” His voice was a soft caress against my cheek.

  I wiped the tears from my eyes and met his intense gaze one more time. “Why?”

  “Because I knew I couldn’t live without you. And I couldn’t live with myself if I ever let anything harm you. This was my choice. Once I turned vampire, I could choose my own path. It gave me the freedom to work with you and protect you and myself from the most dangerous among us. As a human, Father wasn’t willing to risk his only son. As a vampire, it’s considered a duty to protect what is ours.”

 
; “What is ours? Do you think of me as yours?” I took a step back, wondering what exactly this all meant. Was I vampire property now? Never. What he did for me was incredibly unselfish, but also crazy. No one should ever turn vamp for someone else. Guilt hit me like a wave of thick summer humidity, weighing me down. All this time I’d been so angry at him, when all he’d wanted to do was keep me safe.

  “Of course not. But in the vampire world, you are mine in their eyes. It’s sort of like a territorial claim.”

  I opened my mouth to argue the ridiculousness of his point, but he held a hand up, stopping me. “You belong to no one. Never have and never will. But try to understand that by playing along this is an easy way to keep you safe from at least some of the rogues. No one wants to fight Cryrique. And everyone at Cryrique knows the boss’s son will kill anyone who messes with you. Think of the situation as a friend watching over another friend.”

  I understood what he was saying. David had never treated me as if I belonged to him. Not while he’d been human and not while he’d been vampire either. He’d only tried to keep me safe. I owed him something for that. But still…“David, you can’t imagine how incredibly overwhelmed I am. What you sacrificed for me…it’s crazy. I don’t think I can get over the fact that you gave up your life for mine.”

  “I didn’t give up my life. I chose eternal life for you.”

  I stared up into his soft gaze and the tears started to flow silently again.

  Very softly, he brushed his thumbs over my cheeks, wiping away the tears. Then he lifted my chin so our gazes met. “I have no regrets. I’d do it again today.”

  Then he leaned down and brushed his lips over mine.

  Chapter 22

  “Don’t cry, Wil,” David murmured against my tingling lips. The marbled softness made my toes curl with anticipation. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”