Deadly Morsel: Rosewood Academy of Witches and Mages (Darkly Sweet Book 5)

by Juliann Whicker

  Viney came in with Oscar. They were scowling at each other and the rest of the movie theater before they moved to the back row. They probably wouldn’t be paying much attention to Penny or the movie. It was good to see them together.

  Zach came in with more popcorn than a human could possibly eat, so Penny would have no problem with it. The movie started, previews of other horror movies that Penny didn’t quite watch. She gripped Missy’s hand more than Zach’s. How did I feel about that? I should be next to her, stealing her popcorn, or buying it, or both. She was tense, and not just from the promised horror. Ever since we’d come back from the island, she’d struggled to maintain the bubbly macaron personality. She missed me. Now she missed me and Señor Mort.

  I cursed under my breath. The swamp tourney was still weeks away. I’d need to get video or a visit or something to make certain Señor Mort was okay. I hadn’t seen Teddy. I should hunt him down, see what game he was playing, but if it was a ‘catch a witch’ game, I’d kill him. Killing him would take a lot of effort.

  I shifted in my seat as I watched Penny.

  Someone walked down the aisle to my left. Ian. Good. He’d gotten my messages. He nodded at me and kept walking, heading into the aisle directly behind Penny. He stopped a little to her left, diagonal from Missy. She turned around to see who it was and froze. She must have recognized that he was a mage. She turned around quickly and gripped Penny’s hand. Missy leaned close and whispered, “This is going to be a long hour.”

  It wasn’t, not particularly. The movie was an hour and a half. Penny screamed eight times, and almost knocked over the popcorn three times, but Zach was diligent and captured every kernel, except the three that were in her hair. I stared at those kernels of popcorn while my mouth watered. My heart pounded while my chest ached to snatch those stupid bits of puffed corn.

  When she turned and buried her face in Zach’s chest, pretty much climbing into his lap, Zach patted her absently, and snagged the bits of popcorn, dropping them to the floor. He didn’t eat them. What was wrong with him? They tasted of Penny? How could he possibly not eat them?

  He turned his head and looked at me. An almost apology before he faced front and wrapped his arms around her more tightly.

  Ah. He was doing it for me. I leaned back and kicked my feet up because watching Penny without touching her was the most exhausting thing in the world. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep through the rest of the movie. Finally, the final scene left Penny screaming for a solid eight seconds which was impossible to even pretend to sleep though. I glanced at Ian, sure he’d be watching Penny with amusement we could share, but he wasn’t watching Penny. He stared at Missy. Stared wasn’t the right word. Stalked. Staked out. Focused and isolated her as though she were the only thing in this world. Even when Ian was intent on seduction, he didn’t use that level of focus.

  I stood up and yelled, “Darksider!” at the same time I cast a spell. It struck his shield and glimmered silvery blue against the sphere in that moment, showing that it surrounded both the Darksider and Missy. Narcollo. I’d bet my top hat on it.

  I let my glamour break because I hadn’t sounded like a cute blond human. The Darksider didn’t even look at me. All the Rosewood students did. They started moving towards the Darksider, Penny’s Chem girls stumbling over themselves.

  Narcollo’s Ian glamour faded and revealed himself, well-groomed for a Darksider, but still gnarled, eyes sparks of pewter beneath his protruding brows. He took Missy’s hand. She turned her head to look at him, staring as though he were the most beautiful thing in the world.

  He was going to take her to Darkside with him, and I wouldn’t be able to find him. Or her.

  Penny stepped through the shield like it didn’t exist and took Missy’s other hand. She said something to him while Zach screamed and cursed the sphere and took out a gun, almost shooting before he realized that Penny and Missy were vulnerable.

  The Darksider glanced at Penny, nodded slightly then raised Missy’s hand to his mouth. He was going to bite off a few fingers. No. He kissed the back of her knuckles, whisper soft and slow before he vanished, the shield along with him.

  Missy collapsed and Penny knelt in front of her, completely ignoring Zach who was still yelling mostly expletives and waving his weapon around. Someone should be calm. Was that me?

  I lightly leapt to the top of the chair and after five jumps came down beside Zach. I put my hand on his shoulder, lowered his weapon and holstered it, ignoring his shaking hand and the fact that he couldn’t stop yelling. Finally, I shoved him at Lester who obligingly stepped Throughside with him, taking him somewhere else. The theater was surprisingly quiet without Zach. So quiet, I could hear Penny breathe in and out like she’d been in a race. She’d been afraid.

  “Well, Missy, it looks like you’ve had quite the outing. Let’s get you home. Penny, feel free to ride with us.” I scooped up Missy and started walking out of the theater. Missy was so small, so fragile, but her heart beat so strongly, so loudly, more than it had the entire time she’d been with me. Would that much beating break her heart? I stowed her in the backseat and then got in the driver’s side. I waited until Penny scrambled in next to me before I took off. I drove moderately well considering the fact that inside I was screaming and waving even more weapons around than Zach.

  Missy sobbed from the backseat and I turned my head to shoot Penny a look of complete and utter irritation.

  “I would charge you with willful destruction of my personal property, but Missy doesn’t belong to me. You met her master. You took her to him. Why?”

  Her eyes went wide before they narrowed. “It’s none of your business.”

  “Missy and the other humans that I bothered to retrieve and rehabilitate are precisely my business. You are not, Missy is.”

  “Who is the Devil of Darkside?” Missy asked in a soft voice from the back.

  I slammed on the brakes, shoved the SUV into park and turned to loom over Missy.

  She held a small note in her fingers. She didn’t protest when I retrieved it, and she didn’t look at Penny. I looked at Penny and she was torn between fury towards Missy and anger at me. So much anger sizzled over her skin, but most of it was directed towards herself. She knew better than to get Missy mixed up in her games.

  I read the note. How nice. The Devil of Darkside was willing to deliver what Penny requested personally at whatever time she found convenient in the next week.

  “What did you request?” I asked, glaring at her.

  She lifted her chin. I was going to break it with my lips if she pointed it at me for very long. “It’s none of your business.”

  “As long as I own you it’s my business. This whole thing is a game to you, but dragging in Missy? You don’t take advantage of the vulnerable!”

  She lunged towards me, barely stopping short of my face. She smelled so delicious, so sweet and spicy and angry. I wanted to lick the anger off her skin until she drowned in a pool of my acid. I swallowed while she glared.

  “Drake, what do you call dumping me at the altar the minute you found out I had no magic? What do you call everything you do at Rosewood, making girls love you, mocking them for it, reveling in adoration that you will never return?”

  “I call it rational. I couldn’t possibly love all the girls who love me. How could I possibly choose? It would be an exercise in cruelty to have only one witch, and I lack Ian’s stamina. I can’t have them all.”

  She got such a sad look on her face and the anger drained out of her leaving her slumped against the door. “You’re right. I never should have involved Missy. It was a mistake. I thought he was going to take her. I never would have forgiven myself. He’s terrifying. He wants her. Wants isn’t a big enough word.”

  “Mages possess,” Missy said quietly, putting her hand on Penny’s curls. “Like your mage craves to possess you. Here’s the other one.”

  Penny’s door was ripped open and Zach was there. He grabbed her arm and hauled her out. I
very nearly caught her other arm and held her back, but that would probably rip her in half, and I’d worked so hard to let her go.

  It was a long time later before I realized Missy was still in my car, and I was sitting there, staring out the open door where Penny had been. I shook my head and closed the door before pulling out and heading back towards the hospital.

  “I’m fine,” Missy said in a voice tinged slightly with amusement.

  I glanced over at her, Her one eye sparkled and she had a small smile on her lips. “That’s good to hear. Why did you do it?”

  “I needed to see him again, to know if the memories of him were better than the reality.”

  “And?”

  “The memories are not nearly as good. I still love him, but not because I’m his slave, because he’s Narcollo.”

  “Does that make you happy?” I asked, facing front. Something made her happy.

  “A little. There are different kinds of Darksiders. It’s nice to know that I loved the best kind. Also, Penny is amusing.”

  I sighed. “Isn’t she?”

  “She arranged that entire meeting so she could get that message, and you didn’t even notice her steal it out of your fingers. She has very quick hands.”

  I glanced down at my hand where I’d been clenching the note and she was right. Empty except for a lollipop. I undid the cellophane wrapper, which crinkled pleasantly in my fingers, before I sucked on the ominously gray looking thing. It tasted like love.

  Chapter 10

  Witch

  He’d written it in Darksider. That meant I headed to the library in search of the books on Darksider. Fun, fun. Most of the Darksider symbols were what a witch used in spellcasting, but I didn’t need to know any of that. While I was searching out the symbols that matched the marks on my letter, Lester came over and sat beside me.

  I didn’t expect him to speak, but his large forefinger was over my shoulder, pointing at a symbol.

  “Darkside. It’s a title word. Like ‘The Finder of Darkside,’ or ‘The Devil of Darkside.’ That’s devil.” He pointed to the other word.

  I turned to frown at him. I’d specifically covered the whole thing with my body so he couldn’t read it. “Did you want something?”

  “You’re meddling in sticky business. Would you like a hand?”

  “Only if you chop it off first.”

  He smiled a slow, sleepy, utterly seductive smile. “I could grow another one.”

  I couldn’t help laughing. “I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you for coming to the movie.”

  “You screamed a lot.”

  I winced. “I do that. Horror movies freak me out. Zach thinks it’s hilarious.”

  “It was very funny. Are you going to marry him?”

  I stared at him, the calm way he asked, like it was a math problem. I hesitated then nodded. “I think so. I’m trying to work out a loopholeless contract.”

  “The Devil in Darkside will help you with that?”

  I shrugged. “I hope so.”

  “Can I see? Reading it through your body is a little distracting.”

  “Distracting?”

  “If I’m not careful, I start seeing through your clothing instead of all of you, or your skin, or other layers.”

  I stared at him. “You could not look at the letter.”

  He hesitated then shook his shaggy mane, his half-shut eyes glimmering slightly. “Did you see Ian? He’s under an oath not to disclose where he’s been, but he’s extremely upset. I don’t think that he’s going to take another message for you.”

  I stared at him. That’s right. Narcollo had been wearing Ian’s glamour, but I had no idea where Ian was. “He’s back?”

  He nodded. “He looked fine, just a little irritated. He could have been much, much worse if your Darksider friend wasn’t feeling friendly.”

  I started tapping on the desk with my pencil. “And you’re offering to deliver my messages? Why? Isn’t it dangerous to you?”

  He shrugged and pressed his large hands against the table. “I’m still interested in an alliance with you. You’re a very interesting witch.”

  I wrinkled my nose at him. “Now you’ll have to ask Zach for permission.”

  He smiled back, a half smile that was terribly attractive. He was no doubt completely wicked. “I suppose you’ll have to work it in your contract.”

  “How can I trust you?”

  “You can put me under mage oath,” he said like that wasn’t incredibly invasive. It was. Mages hated anything that kept you honest.

  I narrowed my eyes as I stared at him. How did I know he wasn’t some other mage wearing a Lester glamour? I leaned over and inhaled the skin of his neck, tugged on his hair and then gripped his hand. I sank my energy into him, searching for his spark, his core. Lester. Nice and black, just how I liked them. I let go of him and then realized that I’d been acting a little bit like a lunatic.

  “Sorry, I was just…”

  He covered my hand with his. “I’m Lester Creighton. I will deliver your message for you, if you’d like.”

  “And you’ll die if you ever touch my witch again.” Zach’s voice was strangely cheerful.

  I rolled my eyes and gave Lester a half-apology before turning to my idiot master/slave. “This isn’t any of your concern.”

  He pulled out a weapon and aimed it at Lester. His smile was seriously unbalanced. “If you move or shield, the blast will ruin the bookshelves and some books.”

  I moved around him, yanking the weapon out of his grasp and smashing the butt into his face.

  Blood dripped from his nose while I backed away, then Lester was there, a very sturdy, comfortable presence. Lester stood in front of me and started talking to Zach in Darksider. I really should learn that language or something. To be honest, I didn’t want to deal with Zach. He’d lectured me the entire ride back, how stupid and irresponsible I was and how I was going to give him a nervous breakdown before he was twenty and how could I risk one of my stupid pets, anyway, too much. I turned and headed out of the library, Zach’s weapon in tow.

  I got to my room and started a batch of hurters. If Zach came in, I’d shoot him and hurter him. By the time I had a row of pretty little hurters on my shelf curing, I felt like a serious idiot. I really shouldn’t have sent Ian to make contact with Narcollo. I’d been so sure the Darksider was going to bite off Missy’s fingers and swallow them whole, but he hadn’t. She’d kind of betrayed me to Drake. Not entirely, but she still thought I should make Drake help me. I couldn’t. Even if he wore my initials, he didn’t belong to me. He couldn’t or he’d be tied to my father.

  I scheduled a delivery and went to bed with a copy of my favorite marriage contract tome.

  The next morning I waited for Signore, holding my packages to my chest. What if he didn’t want packages? What could I possibly give him? He wouldn’t like delivering messages for me to some terrifying Darksider who happened to be my grandfather any more than Drake or Ian. I could have asked Lester sometime when Zach wasn’t watching, but it would be dangerous for him.

  When Signore drove up in his brown delivery truck, I stood up, brushing the dust from my skirt.

  I smiled brightly as he got close. He seemed tired when he got out of the truck, moving slowly.

  “Cara Mia. What do you have for me today?” He smiled at me, a flash of dangerous brilliance before he resumed his professional façade.

  “What do I owe you for saving me from Teddy?”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Nothing. You take my pain. It is more than you know.”

  I took a step closer to him and held out the hurters. “Please. I want to ask you for a favor and I hate owing people. I’d rather pay you.”

  He narrowed his eyes and studied me for a long time. “There is something you could give me, but you wouldn’t like it.”

  I shivered but only shrugged. “Name it.”

  “A kiss.”

  A kiss? My heart kind of lurched at the thought of kissing my
Deliveryman. I’d been half in love with him as long as I could remember. He’d always treated me like a little sister or cousin, something not romantic however passionately I declared my love.

  “Why do you want to kiss me?”

  He laughed, a low growl that rumbled. “Ah, Cara Mia, not a pleasant kiss. But it is something I desire.”

  I licked my lips and stepped closer to him.

  He gripped my shoulders, holding me still. “You give too easily without holding back. You could give too much one of these days.”

  “I already gave Drake my heart. It was too much but I can’t even regret it.”

  He scowled darkly. “You should. A waste of time is what he was, and introducing you to the worst sort of mages.”

  I took his hand. “I thought that was you.”

  He laughed again, throwing back his head. “Ah, yes, Teddy Prince would be like me if he had a darker heart.”

  “Why can’t I marry him, other than it turning me into a mass of angry death?”

  “Ah, Cara Mia, he would take you to Darkside. Death waits for you there.”

  I remembered my father and felt a bit dizzy. “Right. Because you’d kill me. Although, he offered to kill me for you, so that would be a bit of a mess. He’s out then.”

  “Very out. What favor do you require? If it’s in my power, it’s yours.”

  I licked my lips. “So, there’s this guy, the Devil of Darkside, and I’m going to have dinner with him at the Chinese place tomorrow night, but he doesn’t know it yet. So I’d like you to deliver my message.”

  He stared at me for a long time. “He doesn’t know it yet?”

  “He doesn’t know where we’re meeting. He knows we’re meeting. I mean he offered to meet me and I’m agreeing to it. Hopefully he doesn’t steal the rest of my ribs or something.”

  I winced because I hadn’t meant to admit I knew about that, but Signore didn’t say anything only gazed at me with his solemn eyes and nodded.

  “I will. I will also stay for the encounter and ensure your safety.”

  I exhaled before I leaned my forehead on his shoulder. “Thanks. I’m kind of freaking out about this. I’m playing a very scary big game. If I lose you’ll kill me.”