Covetous: An Urban Fantasy Romance (The Marked Mage Chronicles, Book 2)

by Victoria Evers

  Raelynd’s cronies carried everything up the steps, neatly filing it beside the front door. Blaine grumbled, “Thanks,” but the tone sounded an awful lot more like “Piss off” as he hooked his arm around mine and escorted me up the front steps. Without so much as a key, the door opened on silent command the moment we reached the porch.

  Every muscle in me locked up as I stared inside the darkened foyer, and I didn’t budge, even as Blaine tried to coax me over the threshold. The only thing I wanted to do was run in the opposite direction. Run down the driveway, the street, the coast. Run as far as I could until my feet bled and my lungs gave out. I could even feel myself slowly easing a step back.

  Go now! that little voice in my head demanded. Run!

  But Blaine’s thumb traced over my left ring finger, and something in me settled. “It’s okay,” his voice assured to my mind. Those two simple words, and suddenly my feet were moving forward.

  No.

  No!

  Go back!

  But neither my feet nor my legs was listening to me, carrying me inside. I rubbed my arms, for the temperature of the interior wasn’t fairing much better than outside. With a wave of Blaine’s hand, embers roared to life in the fireplace to my right. Okay…that was both really cool, and really unsettling. And it was the only real light in the vast space, considering that all the windows were closed and covered.

  The golden glow highlighted what I assumed was the sitting room. Rich oak furnishings, plush leather couches, and matching sofas filled the living space, accessorized by hanging pendant lanterns, candle chandelier wall sconces, and wrought iron fixtures. There was even a full-sized medieval suit of armor, along with mounted filigree blades, and red tapestry curtains on display by the fireplace, assisting the manor’s wood and brick elegance. It was like being in a modernized renaissance manor, seeing as how there was still a flat screen television and sound system residing on the back wall.

  “You can choose whichever bedroom you like,” Blaine said, pulling my attention back to him. “Just let me know. I’ll take everything up when I get back.”

  I looked behind him, noting he’d already carried all the luggage into the main foyer. “You’re leaving?”

  A small smile. “Why? Are you gonna miss me?”

  “What? No!” I realized I sounded weirdly defensive, and all I wanted to do was kick myself. The outburst earned Blaine a chuckle, bringing heat to my cheeks. God, what was wrong with me?

  “I’ll be back in a couple hours. Don’t invite anyone in, alright?”

  The moment he exited the front door, I immediately threw all the locks into place and fished around for any light switches. Ebony wood decorated everything from the vaulted ceiling rafters to the intricately hand-crafted panels and railings of the main staircase. The same gorgeous woodwork domed the entire entrance hall and appeared to carry on up to the second floor.

  Two hours. That’s all I had. And this place was enormous. It hadn’t looked like much on the outside, but I discovered as I walked the main hall that the property extended so much further back than I had anticipated. I had to be fast.

  The more rooms I investigated, the more Victorian décor I uncovered. Reese would’ve loved this place, if not for the Dark Prince currently residing in it. Not one inch of the manor went underappreciated. Beautiful wood parquet floors, rich red carpets, stunning crown molding… There was a freaking library! Not just a room with some bookshelves. An actual library. It was even equipped with one of those rolling ladders to reach the higher ledges, along with a spiral staircase that led to an upper level.

  Spectacle after spectacle, and yet… no sword.

  The only blades in the house belong to the coat of arms above the fireplace, but there was nothing special about them. Although, they were a hell of a lot heavier than I’d expected, especially when I pried them off the wall, shield and all. I’d wasted ten minutes alone just trying to get it back up.

  And my frustration wasn’t doing me any favors. It had sparked a couple runes, resulting in three ruined door knobs, a shattered drinking glass, and me nearly tearing down a shelf full of antique porcelain plates. Unless I wanted it to look like King Kong threw a hissy fit in here, I had to give my investigation a rest, even with an hour still left before Blaine came back.

  I collapsed on the couch in the sitting room, practically sinking into the plush cushions. If I got to take anything with me from this experience, I called dibs on this baby. It was like falling onto a cloud. Just as my eyes began to sink closed, a sharp ring sent me startling upright. I scrambled off the sofa, scouring the room for a telephone, but the only one was an antique handset, which wasn’t connected to anything. Following the sound, I made my way back into the foyer, discovering that it came from inside one of my bags.

  I pulled out a phone from a side pocket of a carry-on, but it wasn’t my own. Neither Val nor Blaine had been kind enough to give that back to me. The cell in my hand was a cheap plastic thing that I quickly realized was a burner phone. “Hello?”

  “Hey, Princess.”

  I outright squealed. “Reese?”

  He laughed. “Miss me?”

  “I could kiss you right about now!” Without my phone, I had no idea how I would have been able to get in touch with him. “You’ll never guess where I am.”

  “Mystic Harbor?” It really wasn’t a question.

  “Dare I ask how you know that?”

  “I may have overheard a certain phone call from a certain leather-clad asshole whose name rhymes with Pal.”

  Now it was my turn to laugh, recalling what he had told me before I left this morning. I told him I wouldn’t know when I’d see him again. His response: “Oh, I wager it’ll be much sooner than you think.”

  “Do you think you’ll be able to sneak away for a little bit?”

  “I’ve only got about an hour before Blaine returns,” I grumbled. “Where are you?”

  “Heading over to Carly’s beach house.”

  “Carly?” I nearly choked at the name drop. Reese and she had always gotten along about as well as lead and gunpowder.

  “Save the sarcasm,” he said. “Nobody really knows about her parents’ place off the coast, so she’s letting us use it when we all need to meet up.”

  “All?” I questioned.

  “Dr. Madsen’s making a special trip down here, says he has something you may want to see.”

  I had stayed at the beach house with Carly for a girls’ night-in after she and Daniel got into a fight. If my calculations were correct, it was only a few miles away. “I’ll be there.”

  Darting over to my luggage, I changed into a set of workout clothes and sneakers before gathering my hair back into a ponytail. With an oversized hoodie pulled on over my head, all my runes were concealed, along with my face. I didn’t see any cars left out front, but I didn’t want to take my chances getting caught, so I slinked out back through the family room.

  Holy Moses!

  Stepping right out on the wraparound porch, I realized there wasn’t any land backing the property. Overlooking the ocean, the stormy Atlantic tides crashed against the rocks beneath me, sending chilling droplets to splash up within arm’s reach. The scenery was downright breathtaking.

  It took considerable effort to tear my attention away from the view, but I snuck a peek around the bend, checking to see if the coast was clear. No one appeared to be on the property, so I took off running. The trip was a bit longer than I’d anticipated, by another couple miles, but one benefit to being Supernaturally-inclined: endurance. Between my speed and prolonged energy, I reached the property in under twenty-five minutes, leaving me about ten minutes to visit.

  Trotting up the driveway, I immediately spotted an unfamiliar black Benz pulling in behind me. Madsen, probably. Only…

  “Hey there, Doll Face.”

  Shit!

  Chapter 24

  I Write Sins, Not Tragedies

  I pitifully turned on my heels, finding Val stepping out of the v
ehicle.

  “Whatcha doing?” he teased.

  “Visiting a friend,” I snapped. “You?”

  “I may not be allowed in the house, but that doesn’t stop me from keeping an eye on you. And my brother thought you may require some looking after, so I obliged.”

  “Kat!” Footsteps trampled down the porch, and I barely had enough time to turn before being tackled into a hug.

  “Hey, Car,” I choked out. With my irritation still flaring from Val’s little drop-in, I didn’t dare hug her back, afraid that my unruly magic might accidentally make me snap her spine. Instead, I just patted her as gently as I could.

  “Who’s your friend?” she asked, biting her bottom lip as she pulled away from me. Add in her batting lashes, and it was evident she liked what she was seeing.

  And Val didn’t seem the least bit opposed to her flirtations either.

  I rolled my eyes. “Carly, Val. Val, this is my friend, Carly.”

  The ruffian took in my beautiful blonde friend, admiring her from head to toe. Car had an odd way of appearing both posh…and a bit risqué. Her butterscotch hair and lash-grazing bangs were bone straight with such gloss that every silky strand shone in the simplest movement. She wore a simple black top adorned with lace sleeves, not an inch of cleavage on display. It was the red plaid mini skirt, whose length just barely met with the school’s dress code, that had Val ogling. With the black thigh-high nylon stockings, matching lace garter, and towering stilettos, she looked like a sophisticated, yet naughty schoolgirl.

  The Mage bowed—literally bowed, before taking her hand into his and planting a kiss atop it. “Pleasure.”

  Her smile only broadened.

  “This is Blaine’s brother,” I interjected, watching Carly instantly blanch. The girl outright scowled as she ripped her hand free from his.

  “He’s not here, too, is he?” she growled.

  “No,” I assured.

  “I’ll be inside.” Car spun around and stomped back up the steps, slamming the front door behind her.

  Val knew precisely why I’d thrown in that little fact and he shot me a dirty look in response. I only smiled back at him sweetly.

  “Was that really necessary? I can play nice,” he said, looking over my head into the front windows, as if he could see through the drawn curtains.

  “Considering your brother’s responsible for turning her boyfriend into a murderous monster who tried to kill her, yes, it’s entirely necessary.”

  “So she’s single, then?”

  I didn’t care if my runes were lit or not. I all-out punched him in the arm.

  He didn’t so much as grimace. “What? It’s a legitimate question.”

  “Did you miss the part about Daniel being a Hellhound?”

  “Who?”

  “Remember the guy who started harassing me at the Hideaway?”

  “That halfwit?” Val snickered. “Blaine didn’t do that. That was m…” He glanced down at my arm, seeing more runes glowing beneath the sleeve of my hoodie. He couldn’t even keep a straight face. “I mean… That was m-my friend.”

  “Your ‘friend’?” I derided.

  “Uh-huh.”

  “And pray tell, what’s your friend’s name?”

  “…Bob.”

  “Bob? Bob the Mage?”

  His shoulders shook in silent laughter. “Yep.”

  “Sounds fearsome.”

  “He is.”

  I punched him again, this time nailing him in the face.

  Val, being the cold hearted bastard he was, may not have felt pain, but his ego could still certainly be bruised. Along with his vanity. And by the blood pooling down his upper lip, he knew the damage had been done. “Son of a motherf…”

  “Now, be a good little lapdog for your brother, and stay put,” I scoffed, retreating up the steps. My victory was short-lived, however, as I pulled the front door open—and slammed into an impenetrable wall of air.

  “Missing something?” Val drawled behind me.

  I didn’t even bother turning to him as I hit the doorbell, simultaneously flipping him off.

  Carly appeared in the front entrance a few seconds later, still scowling at the jackass in the driveway. She did seem appeased though, noting the blood he tried and failed to clean up. “What’s up?”

  “Can you invite me in?” I murmured.

  Her nose scrunched up in confusion before realization hit. “Oooh, sorry! I totally forgot!” She pushed the door all the way open. “Please, come in.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Does that invitation extend to me as well?” Val drawled.

  Carly tilted her head, as if contemplating the inquiry. He wasn’t using his creepy powers of persuasion, was he? Crap! I reached to yank her inside, but she brushed me off.

  Car gestured down the stretch to where a small boating dock rested over the water, and said all so sweetly, “I invite you to take a long walk off a short pier.” She even imitated his sugary smile before pulling me inside and slamming the door shut.

  Either Val liked a challenge, or he may have just met the first human immune to his ‘charm’.

  Hands grabbed a hold of me from behind, and I gasped, feeling heat flood my chest. The scent of honey and musk tickled my nose, and I sighed, letting myself melt into the embrace.

  “Hey, Princess.”

  I’d gotten so used to that feeling being associated with Blaine, the surprise was beyond welcoming.

  “Your doctor friend is in the living room with Mark,” said Carly, pointing to the left.

  “We’ll be with you guys in a minute. I just want a quick word with Reese.” I prepared to steer him away when a hand fell on my shoulder.

  “I’m afraid I have to request that ‘minute’ first,” declared Doctor Madsen in that distinct Danish lilt. “Please.”

  He looked just as I remembered, down to the tweed blazer and oxford button-down. Even the same earnestness remained in his russet eyes as he guided me toward the back of the house and into the kitchen, easing the swinging door shut to make sure we didn’t have an audience.

  “I know this is a delicate subject, and I can only suspect you’d prefer not to have Mr. Blackburn privy to the exact details, but I have to ask,” he said softly. “Have you experienced any…warning signs, that perhaps the hex is taking effect?”

  I didn’t even realize I’d been gripping the counter until I felt the quartz surface splintering beneath my pressing palms. He seemed to notice the same moment I did, because he rubbed his eyebrows jadedly as I yanked my hands away.

  “How bad is it?”

  “I keep having dreams…”

  This seemed to pique his interest. “What kind of dreams?”

  “The kind where I keep getting killed,” I murmur, “along with some other…intimate ones.” I was probably blushing from head to toe, and for the life of me, I couldn’t bring myself to look him in the eyes, settling my gaze instead on his shoes. I felt too ashamed.

  “You know this isn’t your fault.”

  “I know.” But it didn’t change anything. It didn’t help ease my trembling hands. It didn’t help erase the tears building behind my eyes. It didn’t help me forget the things I’d seen last night, the details no one else knew about Blaine. Before I could react, Madsen’s arms were wrapped around me, pulling me into a hug. His jacket smelled of coffee and cigars. He smelled like my dad. The thought made my knees buckle. I tried to find something else to say, something constructive. But I couldn’t, not as my mouth trembled. “I’m scared.”

  It was barely a whisper, and the Light Mage only held me closer, so wholly unafraid that I’d hurt him.

  “We’re not giving up on you.” A floorboard creaked somewhere behind Madsen, and he finally pulled away, looking less than pleased. “It’s not polite to eavesdrop, Mr. Blackburn.”

  The swinging door leading to the main hall eased open, only to reveal Carly, along with my other old friend Mark McDowell, standing on the threshold.

 
“Sorry,” Carly lamented. “It’s just us.”

  Madsen only deflated all the more. “If only.” He strode across the kitchen to the other door that headed into the dining room and pushed it open. Sure enough, Reese was on the other side, looking just as guilty as Mark and Carly. “What did you hear?”

  Reese just kept his eyes fixed on me, sorrowful in a way I’d never seen before. Madsen turned to the others when it was clear he wouldn’t answer.

  “Nothing,” Car blurted, “I mean…not much, anyway.”

  “Yeah, apart from Kat having the hots for Blackburn whilst fantasizing about a psychotic nutcase,” Mark added impassively. “Nothing.”

  ***

  “Since it appears nobody here can respect boundaries, I suppose we shouldn’t waste anymore of what little time Katrina has left before she has to go.” Madsen gestured for us all to take seats as we congregated in the living room before handing me a manila envelope. It didn’t have a return address, but it was addressed to:

  Dr. Jonathan Madsen - Whitmore University, 418 Winsor Rd. Creighton, Maine.

  I looked up at him, but he merely gestured for me to open it. Adjusting the prongs, I tilted it until an old piece of parchment slid into my hand. There were words dictated all across the aged paper, but it wasn’t written in English…or even Latin for that matter. “What is it?” I asked.

  “Something I suspect only a well-connected sibyl would be able to find.”

  “Lucinda?” Well, hot damn.

  “It’s an ancient ritual, inscribed by pagan high-priestesses.” The doctor reached into his pocket, thumbing what appeared to be a necklace. On closer inspection, I could see the pendant was in fact a stone of some sort, made up of green jasper and flecks of earth red. “And this is what they call a Bloodstone amulet. When performed with this, the ritual is said to be one of the most powerful casts known in natural magic.”

  “What does it do?”

  “With a blood offering, it can allegedly remove even the deepest rooted hexes.”