But still, he had to try. “The Collective wouldn’t allow it, no. But they’re not here. And most movers don’t have the gifts to pull it off.”
Most movers had simple skills. Potion making, maybe an occasional spell casting. They could summon magick to make life a little easier, but not enough to do any real damage. His family, however, was a rare breed. Their gifts were much stronger than most. Manipulating the lines took skill and practice. He was almost certain he could make the daylight-to-darkness spell work.
Rho frowned.
He brushed a finger along her cheek, trying to ease the worry from her thoughts. “Just try it. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.”
“No, if it doesn’t work, I turn into a fucking french fry.” She leaned forward and kissed him on the lips then pressed her hands into the mattress on either side of him. “Not gonna happen.”
“How do you plan on walking through the airport, then? You want me to wrap you in a blanket and sling you over my shoulder?”
She opened her mouth then shut it again. “Maybe.”
“You’re serious? That’s the better option?”
Her brow furrowed as she ran a hand through her hair. “Well, no. But…” She stared up at him then down at the magick mark on her palm. “You really think it’ll work? There have to be risks.”
“There are always risks. This one happens to be worth the reward.”
“Still. It just…it isn’t natural.”
As she shoved away from him, he broke his hold and let her go. “Wouldn’t you like to watch a sunset someday?” Living in surrender to total darkness probably took its toll, even though she was young in vampire years.
She paused at the edge of the bed and drew a deep breath. A few moments passed before she answered. “What would I need to do?”
He motioned to the closet. “Get dressed, and I’ll go brew you some wake-up juice. I want to try this before everyone gets up.”
She nodded and rolled out of the bed. He could only pray this worked.
As she milled through the hangers in the closet, she realized nearly ninety percent of her wardrobe consisted of black leathers, jeans, and dark, long-sleeved tees or tank tops. Aside from her inherent love of shoes, she exhibited little to no fashion sense whatsoever. She tried, of course, but the problem remained that she didn’t care.
Hell, right now it was too early in the morning to give a shit.
She got dressed quickly and followed the scent of fresh coffee into the kitchen, where Eldon stood with a travel mug in each hand.
He extended one to her. “I’m redeeming myself for the early wake-up call.”
Her eyes narrowed. “It’s going to take more than one travel mug’s worth, buddy.”
“Good thing I have an excellent work ethic.” He wiggled the mug in his hand until she finally took it. “Drink. You’re always more pleasant after the first cup.”
She shot him a dirty look, even though he was probably right. “You’re mean.”
“And you’re grouchy. Drink.” He eyeballed her cup as she followed his orders. “So you never really told me, how did the meeting with the Council go?”
Damn. Guilt slivered up her spine as she tried not to lie…completely. “Oh, pretty good. Really more of a status update than anything.”
“Oh?”
She pulled out a chair from the kitchen table and settled into it as he did the same. “Yeah. Your boss was there, along with a few other people.” Like Rhyannon. No big deal. Right.
“What do you update them about?”
Ugh, so many questions. “It was just that—an update. I didn’t tell them about the Kamens we’ve found, but I did tell them we’re actively searching. Oh, and that the magick mark the Collective leader gave us is effective, and we’re working together just fine.”
His eyes narrowed, as if he were considering the validity of her statement.
“Tell me something.” She needed to change the subject, and fast. “Why would you bring up this daylight thing now? Won’t the Collective be pissed?”
Excellent diversion. Besides that, she really was curious. There was no way in hell the Collective would approve this maneuver.
He shook his head, his expression clearing. “They don’t know about the spell.”
“Then how do you know about it?”
A wistful smile crossed his face, as if he recalled a memory. “My father was a brilliant magick mover. He left me a book of every spell he’d ever cast.”
“And one of those spells will allow me to walk during the day?”
“That’s the plan.”
There was no way this would work. Sure, he was obviously a gifted mover, but what if the spell didn’t take? She could step outside for a split second and end up with third-degree burns for a week. Stay any longer, and she’d literally be toast. Worse yet, what if it backfired? What if Eldon ended up hurt because he tried to help her?
“Have you ever done this before?” Rho asked.
“No.”
Oh, great. Didn’t that just make her feel all warm and fuzzy. “And you want me to just trust you on this?”
He folded his arms across his chest and arched a brow. “Yes.”
This was a horrible, horrible idea. One she wanted to work more than anything.
As a human, she’d never really appreciated a sunrise or a rainbow, or even color. The day she’d turned, it had been as if someone had traded in her Technicolor for whole bunch of black, white, and boring. Nothing looked the same at night, and a huge part of her missed the vibrancy.
Even more importantly, what if they were attacked during the daylight and someone on the team was killed trying to save her from burning up? She couldn’t have that on her conscience. Not if she could prevent it.
“What do you need from me?” She took a sip of her coffee and wrinkled her nose. It definitely required some major cream and sugar action.
Eldon rose from his chair and ambled toward the stove. “The spell requires me to protect you with my aura,” he said over his shoulder.
“And that means?”
He returned to the table and held up a little jar, a carton, and a spoon. “Cream and sugar?”
She nodded. “Please.”
His brow pinched in thought as he added the sugar to her mug, then the milk. “You remember when the elves attacked, and I threw up that wall of energy?” He stirred the mixture with the spoon. “Or when we walked through that house in a protection circle?”
“The bubble of ley line energy?”
“Exactly. I’ll have to do the same thing for you outside, to protect you from the daylight.”
“Seems pretty simple.” Almost too simple.
He took his seat again and gave her a slight smile. “You’ll have to hold my hand again.”
“Why?”
“We have to be touching or it won’t work.” He took another sip of coffee and met her eyes. “And this time, when I say hold on to my hand, you have to do it. Absolutely no letting go.”
She cringed. The last time he’d instructed her to hold his hand, she’d accidently let go and he’d been smacked with a death mark. The memory of the moment she’d nearly lost him had been burned into her brain, a reminder of what she couldn’t afford to lose again.
“You protected me from the elves without touching me, though.” Rho frowned. “How is this any different?”
He shook his head. “Different type of defense. Those attackers weren’t powerful enough to require much focus.” He lifted a hand. “Rhyannon’s magick was extremely powerful. So just like with her, because of your nature, I’ll need to hold your hand to help me focus.”
This had disaster written all over it. Even if the magick worked and she didn’t fry to a crisp, the Collective could find out and they wouldn’t approve at all. Being on the Collective’s watch list by herself was unnerving enough, but she couldn’t let him get dragged down with her.
“I don’t know if this is a good idea, Eldon.”
&nb
sp; He set his coffee down and extended his hands across the table, palms up. “The daylight is your weakness, and it’s one we can’t afford. If we can find a loophole around it, it’ll give us an advantage against our enemy.”
A part of her wanted to be stubborn and refuse, but they needed every advantage if they were planning on recovering the Kamens quickly. So far they’d only recovered one, and three more were still out there.
She set her coffee down and leaned across the table to place her hands in his, giving them a gentle squeeze. “I see your point, but—”
Eldon frowned. “Do you want one of us to die trying to protect you? Turning our back on the enemy just to keep you from burning alive?”
“Well, no, but—”
“I want to protect you, Rho. Whether you like it or not.”
Not was more like it. But they needed the element of surprise more than she needed to be stubborn. “And we’re going to do this today?”
Rising from his chair, he pointed to the back door. “Right now, actually.”
Rho rose from her seat. Creeping slowly around the table, she tried to shove away the countless negative thoughts swirling around in her head. There were a million reasons not to do this, but all of them were trumped by one possibility.
She’d see daylight again. It had been two years since she’d joined this world to live in the shadows, and finally, she could be free of this prison of darkness.
Eldon extended his hands, and she took them both, wrapping her fingers in his. The warmth of his flesh centered her and replenished her confidence at once. She glanced up at him, reminded of his towering height.
His determined eyes met hers with a gentle smile. “You ready?”
CHAPTER SIX
As Eldon peered down at Rho, warmth spread through his chest. She was so petite next to him, her tiny frame tucked perfectly against his. Her cool fingers twitched as she faked a smile.
He could tell it wasn’t real because it didn’t touch her eyes. “Don’t be nervous.”
“Easy for you to say.”
“If it doesn’t work, we’ll come right back inside,” he promised. Vamps didn’t burst into flames unless they were out in the sun for a few minutes. He only planned to keep her out for a brief moment. That was all it would take to know whether this would work. If it didn’t, she’d have a wicked sunburn, but she’d live.
A sliver of his brain worried about the what-ifs, but he shoved the cautions aside. This would work. A part of his father lived on inside him, which meant he should be a legacy mover. The daylight-to-darkness spell should work for him, just as it had for his father.
Should, of course, being the operative word. The last thing he wanted to do was harm Rho, even if by chance.
“How will I know what’s going on?” Rho squeezed his hand. He tried not to flinch. Vampires were strong, and sometimes she forgot her own strength.
He gave her a gentle squeeze back. “I’ll do the spell in English.”
“Don’t you need to do it in that other language?”
“Latin?” He shrugged a shoulder. “Latin is the native spell language, but it’s not necessary. It’ll work just the same.”
“Are you sure?” Rho’s brows knotted in concern and she bit her lower lip. Tension poured off of her in waves, so thick it was nearly palpable. “It doesn’t need to be in English just for me.”
He tilted his head and gave her a long stare. “Rho, stop worrying. It’ll be fine. The language of the spell is irrelevant. Old-school movers like the native tongue, but us younger ones know it makes no difference. Just try to relax.”
She nodded and blew out a long breath. He hated to see her so nervous, but if he were in her shoes, he’d feel the same way. If this didn’t work, he wasn’t sure what they’d do. They were under a time crunch already.
“Our flight leaves at nine.” Eldon glanced at the metal-shielded windows then at the clock on the stove. It was already six in the evening. “We’re running out of time. You ready?”
“Hit me.”
Eldon took a step toward her. They were toe-to-toe, her hands wrapped in his as she stared up at him. Her grip tightened and he gave her a reassuring squeeze. She sucked in a shaky breath and let it out slowly, her brow creased with worry as she squared her shoulders. He wished he could pull some of the panicked energy out of her.
A sense of total unification ran through him. He allowed his aura to wrap around hers, binding them together despite the fact that vampires weren’t supposed to have auras.
Rho did.
He tapped a line, and she stiffened as the electric charge ran through her. “In the light you cannot see, I shall take the place of thee.”
A hum rang in his chest, like the tine of a tuning fork after being struck. The sensation was barely present but very clear.
“And let the veil that covers me, by my power set you free,” he continued softly.
The vibration strengthened, the connection between his chest and hers somehow joining without touching. His hands began to glow, the vibrant blue of the ley lines being called forth by his gift. She stared at her own hands with wide eyes, now blanketed in his power.
“For in the dark you shall not stand, so long as you can hold my hand.”
The energy swirled around their joined hands then shot to the ground and started circling at their feet. Rho met his eyes again, and he held her gaze. They needed that connection now more than ever.
“For over you my power shall pour,” he said.
The ley lines twisted around their bodies until it was as if they stood in the center of a tornado of electricity. Tendrils of light shot around the room, begging for his attention, but he kept his focus on her. Manipulation was entirely about focus.
He summoned his strength for the final declaration. “And you shall walk by light once more!”
The room erupted with blue light. Eldon dropped her hands and crushed her to his body. At once, the light vanished into the ground, going back to its rightful home. The spell was done.
As she started to shake, he held her closer. “Shhh,” he tried to comfort her.
“I’m fine.” Her voice was muffled as she spoke into his shirt.
“You’re shaking like a leaf.”
Rho shook her head and pulled away to look at him. “That was…weird.”
“Line magick can be like that.”
She sighed and rested her head against his chest. “I’m pretty tired now.”
He frowned. “You shouldn’t be. You slept forever.”
“Maybe I just need another coffee.”
“Maybe.” It sure seemed like she was more tired than usual lately. Just yesterday she’d been acting strange at dinner, and now she was tired, despite a full night’s sleep. His eyes narrowed as he surveyed her body. Any changes of mood or strength had to be monitored closely now that she sported his death mark. “Are you ready to test the theory?”
Her breath caught as she craned her head toward the doorway. “Okay.”
Taking her hand, he guided her toward the back porch entrance. “Remember. Do not let go.”
She nodded.
As Eldon set his hand on the doorknob, he looked back at her. Her eyebrows were drawn as she pursed her lips and studied the doorway. Nothing he could say would help, so he kept his mouth shut.
The line beneath his safe house was strong, and he tapped it once again. The spell he’d cast was a standing spell. He only had to cast it one time, and then he’d be able to call on it forever.
Showtime.
He allowed the magick to bubble around him, encapsulating him in his own power. With care, he pushed the bubble outward, painting the circle of energy around Rho with his mind.
Satisfied with the strength of the circle, he set a hand on the doorknob. Then he cranked the handle and let in the first sliver of light.
A ray of light flooded the room, and Rho jerked backward. Eldon snapped his head toward her, his chest pounding loudly in her ears, echoing her own fea
rs without a word.
She took a step toward the light on shaky feet. It had been so long since she’d seen the sun. As Eldon pulled the door farther open, the brilliant glow of daylight filled the kitchen.
With careful steps, she squinted against the light and ventured through the doorway. The moment her foot touched the concrete patio, she felt it. Warmth flooded her senses, the intense rays of sunlight filtering through the bubble of energy and melting her heart. She’d forgotten the touch of sunlight on her skin, the sensation pure bliss.
No burning. Just blessed heat.
Blinking furiously, she lifted a hand to shield her eyes. She tried to survey the yard around her, but the sensory overload was so intense, she had to shut her eyes and take everything in pieces.
Birds chirping. Grass rustling in the breeze.
“You okay?” Eldon stood behind her and to the left, his hand clutching hers tightly.
She gave him a short nod then cracked her eyes open. Greenish-yellow grass waved in the wind. The trees lined the backyard perfectly, a canopy of strong, ancient oak trees woven into the landscape of the home. The winter had stripped them of their leaves, but still they stood proudly against the setting sun. An exquisite blend of peach, pink, and orange tones streaked across the sky as they gave way to the impending night.
“This is so…beautiful.” The word didn’t quite cut it, but nothing could be great enough. This was far beyond any beauty she could remember.
Eldon nuzzled his nose against her ear. “You’ve seen a sunset before.”
True. But this was special. “Yeah, but…when you haven’t seen it in so long…” She tried to put into words the sensation in her chest. “You just forget. You forget what you’ve missed.” With a deep breath, she turned to look up at him. His eyes were even bluer in the light of day. “Don’t you feel that?”
“What?” His brow lifted as he stared down at her.
She closed her eyes and lifted her chin to the sun. “The sun on your face. And the colors. Those are my favorite part.”
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