by Day, P. J.
All Mercy could see was that thick, wavy hair, those eyes and his firm chest and shoulders. What would it feel like to put hands on that chest? His arms, his waist, and much lower and lower...
“Stop it!” she quietly scolded herself. She’d entered the bathroom for a specific reason, and it wasn’t to ease her bladder either. Mercy looked in the mirror. Her face was flushed, eyes dilated. The anti-potion.
Mercy fumbled through her bra, barely remembering which side she’d hid it. Finally, with hands shaking more than ever, she found it underneath her padding and drew it out carefully.
Mercy held the slightly colorized liquid up to the light, ready to unscrew the cap and drink. She tried not to think of him, Ariel. She wondered if he felt as she did right now. Would he have the strength to stop this lust, this hunger to be together, know each other in the most intimate of ways? To ask everything and anything about him, to feel his very heart beat?
Mercy shook her head, still holding the vial. She could feel him waiting just outside. Was it because he didn’t trust her, or that he couldn’t stop the blood flow?
Mercy took a deep breath. Things had gotten out of hand. She looked in the mirror again and saw herself in full glory, at the peak of health, at the peak of her virility. Her eyes shone, her lips moist.
And then, Mercedes Cruz tossed the vial into the toilet and flushed it down. She reached into her purse and applied more lipstick, and opened the door. She was now face to face and up close to Ariel Caliban.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
It was all Ariel could do not to take Mercy in his arms up to his bedroom. As it was, he offered her his hand, and she took it. He led her back into the living room, this time sitting next to her on the sofa.
“So, you came here to bargain.” His voice so velvety smooth.
“Javier. I offered you all I can,” Mercy answered.
He touched her bare shoulder. “Have you?”
“Y-yes, I have. I’m asking for a little compassion, Ariel.” God, it feels good to say his name, she thought to herself. But whatever happened, the idea of extracting Javier stood out in her mind like a prickly thorn. “Surely you can let one man go? How long is this business going to go on, anyway?”
“You’re awfully curious,” he said, smiling with glassy eyes. “But I think you could give me something more. And I think I could give you something in return?”
Mercy was practically gone now. The potion, or the Scotch, or both, had robbed her of all logic and common sense.
Fortunately, Ariel was in the same condition. Under normal circumstances, he’d never consider letting a worker go. But Mercy’s wide and full lips, smooth skin, and witchy charm proved irresistible. An epiphany overcame Ariel, compelling him to promise Mercy everything and anything she’d ever want. And it wasn’t just love-making that roiled his mind. He felt he had finally found a woman he would never grow tired of. Someone who understood his powers...his soul.
“For you, my gorgeous Mercy, I will let him go. For you, and only you.”
She was speechless. Somewhere in her mind she knew it was the potion, but she didn’t care. “Thank you. Thank you...you, dammit, I just want to...”
“Hold that thought,” Ariel interrupted, slurred. “Let me make the arrangements.” He drew his cell phone out and punched a number. He had to look away from her to concentrate. “I want the one named Javier removed from his work. Feed him, give him clean clothes, and wait for further instructions. Yes. Oh, and, I’m not to be bothered right now. Not under any circumstances.”
Mercy smiled into his eyes. “You’re a good man, Ariel.”
“Perhaps I could be a better one, with someone like you.”
And just like that, Mercedes Cruz reached over, pressed her warm hand against his chiseled face, and planted her lips on the once menacing warlock.
Chapter Thirty
Spent, Mercy laid her head on his bare chest. He stroked her hair and feathered her back with his fingertips. A sated churn filled her deep within.
It was, without a doubt, the watershed moment of her love-making career. He’d been so slow, so gentle, methodical in the way he drove her mad with lust until she begged for him, all of him, and after Ariel had given himself to her in his entirety, he still managed to bide his time, but with rhythmic movements of contained power. Three times he’d sent her mind and body into an ecstasy, catapulting her into a quiver...longer and stronger than she’d ever thought possible.
Now, she looked at the clock. She’d been here a good four hours. Her phone rang several times but she ignored it. She wondered why the potion hadn’t worn off but paid no mind.
“Mercy,” Ariel whispered, breathing into her ear. “You are stunning.”
People didn’t think of Mercy as beautiful. Pretty, yes, but the way he said it, made her feel truly, lusciously vibrant.
But something pulled her focus away from Ariel. Mercy sat up and shook her head. “Javier. I’ve got to get him home.”
Ariel waved his hand. “I’ll have him delivered,” he said. “Stay...”
“He’s not a package to be delivered,” she said, trying to focus. “And I must bring him back to his family. It’s part of my job.”
“But I don’t want you to leave, not now, not like this,” he said, kissing the back of her neck.
“Let’s lay low. Don’t worry, I keep secrets well.”
Ariel sighed. He knew women and knew he couldn’t hold on too tightly. He wanted Mercedes to remember, as well. He wanted her to come to him. A smooth veteran in the art of romance, he was sure she’d be back, by not yanking too hard, but with the occasional and intermittent tug of the heart strings.
“I’ll be back,” she said, gathering her clothes. “I promise, believe me.” They locked eyes. A quiet moment, but Ariel couldn’t help it; he pulled Mercy one last time and kissed her long and hard. She pulled away from him, breathless, like a playful feline during estrous.
“I have to check on my daughter, as well. I’m not sure if I can come back tonight. It’s late.”
“Give me your number.” Without thinking, she pulled a business card from her purse and gave it to him. “If you’re not back tonight, I will call you. And you’ll feel my presence.”
“I know.” Mercy smiled. “No more whispering, alright? That was creepy as hell, not good for the libido, kinda stalkerish.”
“Never again. I swear to you, Mercy,” Ariel said, with a smile. “Whatever else I am, I am a man of my word.”
Mercy used his bathroom to tidy up. She didn’t want to leave this place. It was strange, and she felt an unwavering need to stay.
“But you have to do this, and you have a daughter,” she whispered at her reflection in the mirror. Terra came first, that would never change, ever. Yes, falling in love with a warlock might make things a little complicated, but as was always the case for Mercy, it would work itself out in the end.
They stood in embrace in front of the elevator downstairs. Mercy stood on her tiptoes and kissed Ariel one last time before the elevator door opened and out stepped Javier. He was clearly frightened, until he saw Mercy.
“Javier!” she cried as he hugged her, tears immediately rolling down his cheeks.
“Mercy,” Javier exclaimed. “I knew someone would find me. And I thought, if anyone could, it would be you. How can I thank you?”
Mercy hugged him again, and Ariel stood a decent distance away. Known as a man with a vicious heart, tonight, for whatever reason, he was compelled to see a woman, who just a few hours ago was nothing but a stranger, smile.
Javier looked up at Ariel. Fear checkering his thick face. “Can I really go? Sir?”
“Yes. And when you get home, you will not remember any of this. It’s but one gift I am giving on behalf of Miss Cruz.”
Javier wrung his baseball cap in his hands and nodded. “I thank you, Señor. Gracias. All I want is to get back to my family.”
There was an awkward silence in which Mercy and Ariel held a warm gaze.
Javier looked from one to the other with a bit of curiosity.
Then Mercy took Javier’s hand. “Come on, let’s get you to Julia.”
They walked to the front entrance, and Ariel opened the door for them. Javier was eager to be out of there, but Mercy hesitated. She couldn’t kiss him one last time in front of Javier. “You’ll call me, if I’m not back tonight?”
“Trust me, I will,” Ariel responded, softly.
Again, Javier caught something between the two. Was it possible? Mercy and this monster of a man?
But Mercy turned to Javier and said, “Julia has been worried sick.”
She didn’t look back as the two walked down Ariel’s long driveway, but Mercy felt Ariel’s gaze, a benevolent one this time, until both her and Javier were finally out of sight.
Chapter Thirty-One
Mercy and Javier pulled up to Lily’s driveway. “Listen, Javier, I would like nothing better than to take you home right now. But I’ve got a lot of things to take care of, my daughter’s here, just a bunch of things. I’m going to have my friend Lily take you home...I hope that’s okay with you? I trust her, and you can too.”
“Of course,” Javier answered, but he seemed a little disappointed. Although grateful that Mercy had rescued him, he wished she’d take him straight home as he knew every minute that passed by, his wife, Julia, continually grew out of her mind with worry.
“We’re not far from your place.” Mercy read Javier’s mind. “You’ll be home in twenty minutes. I promise.”
Javier nodded, and they got out of the car.
Lily opened the door as soon as Mercy knocked. She hugged Mercy then held her at shoulders’ length. “Where the hell have you been? I’ve been calling and calling. Are you okay? What happened?”
Only then did Mercy step aside so Lily could see Javier. “I got him out,” Mercy said with a grin.
“Oh! Please come in, come in, both of you.” Lily changed her tone immediately. Lily had no idea how much Javier knew of their endeavor to free him from Ariel.
“Can I get you anything? Are you hungry? How about a cup of coffee?”
Javier held a hand up but Mercy spoke. “Lils, I really need a favor from you. I still have some...things to take care of. Can you please take him home for me? It’s not far.”
Lily’s brows drew together with doubt. She assessed her friend and recognized that special glow about her, brimming with energy. Something was wrong or something was definitely right. She took a glance toward Javier who wrung his hat in his hands with polite impatience.
“Please, Lily? I really need to get some things done.”
Then came a gruff and haggard female voice that made Mercy jump. “You have no idea, you fool.”
Mercy turned to face her Aunt Itzel. She paled when she saw the look of anger and disappointment on her aunt’s face. “Tía! What are you doing here?”
“I’m saving your ass, young lady. And don’t look at me that way. You and I are going to have a long talk.”
Itzel ignored Mercy’s pleading eyes. “She’s right about one thing,” she said to Lily. “She’s got some work to do here. It would be well, Lily, if you took Javier home, and let me have some time alone with my niece.”
Lily and Javier were stunned into silence by the old woman’s tone. It was more of a command than a request. Lily had met the old woman, and respected her greatly. She’d been surprised when Itzel had shown up on her doorstep a couple of hours ago, and both had been waiting for Mercy to return. Itzel had been angry at first about the potions, but understood that Mercy had asked for them.
Javier crossed to the old woman and bowed. “Señora, whatever you have done to help Mercy, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. She is an Angel. I can see that you are a wise woman, and if you are her aunt, she is very blessed.”
Itzel smiled, despite her irritation with Mercy. “Thank you, young man,” she said, as she placed her wrinkled thumb on his forehead and pushed. “All is well now, for you. Be at peace.” She turned toward the girls in a huff. “Lily? Could you please take him home?”
“Of course,” Lily answered. “When do you want me to return?”
“You can just come back. What I have to tell my niece shouldn’t take long. And when you get back I’ll have a chat with you too, my dear.”
No sooner than the door closed and niece and aunt were alone, did Itzel sneer at Mercy. “Sit down. Now.”
Mercy sat. It wasn’t often she’d seen her Aunt Itzy this angry, and she was more than a little nervous. Her aunt looked down at her, disgusted. But Mercy was almost as tall sitting down as Itzel was standing up, and while the old woman put her hands on her hips and frowned at her with that fire in her eyes, Mercy managed to sneak in a smile.
“What?” Itzel asked. “You think this is funny? I don’t know exactly what you’ve gotten yourself into, Mercedes, but I know it’s nothing good. And nothing to take lightly.”
“I’m sorry, Tía,” Mercy said. “It’s just that—look, everything is fine. I got Javier back. And without the huge battle I was expecting. You see, Lily made this love potion...”
“I know all about what Lily made for you. And I can tell you it was not the right potion for the occasion. She doesn’t know what she’s doing any more than you do. You’re both fools. What did I ask you to do?”
“You asked me to practice, to study and learn.”
“And what did you do?”
“I, uh...”
“What did you do? Did you study? Did you practice? With a man like that, really? Tell me, Mercy, what did you do?”
“I went to his home along with the potions Lily made, and used them as planned.”
“And, did they work?”
“Well, yes. I got Javier back, didn’t I?”
“And at what price, my niece?”
“I don’t know what you mean. He’s not as bad as I thought. As a matter of fact…”
Itzel dug her hag nails into her niece's shoulders and shook her with intensity. Mercy gasped at her aunt’s strong hold—unbelievably powerful for such an old woman. And she didn’t even see the transformation coming. Lightning quick, Aunt Itzy’s face took on her most merciless and true form; that of an angry saint possessed. Mercy’s eyes bulged with terror, then filled with frightful tears.
Before Mercy could recover from the shock, Itzel’s pleasant, grandmotherly features returned, and she proceeded to cock her baggy eye, placing it an inch away from her niece’s half-opened peeper. The old witch suddenly drew away in disbelief. “Madre de Dios, save us!” she cried. “He took you to his bed, didn’t he?”
Mercy lifted her head high, her own eyes blazing with fire. “Yes. Yes! He did. We did. Are you happy to know this? Because everyone’s telling me how I need to date more, and the minute I’m attracted to a man...”
“You are not attracted to him, Mercy. You are under a spell. And your actions tonight might be irreversible. What happened to your anti-potion?”
“I’d had a little too much to drink, and the potion was working. Aunt Itzy, I didn’t take it. But you don’t understand him like I do. He loves me, I know he does.”
“You’re a fool, Mercy,” Itzel’s voice was cold as she turned from her niece. She crossed the room to a large bag she’d brought with her and began digging through it. “I don’t know what can be done now. Maybe something. Maybe nothing. Let me see.”
“But, I don’t want to do anything!” Mercy burst out. “Look at me Tía. Do I not look healthy? I can feel my skin glow. I feel better, more alive, than I have in years. He said he wants to be a better man because of me.”
Itzel sighed. “My dear heart,” she repeated. “You are under a spell. Do you understand? It’s not real. The potion was amateurish. Lily conned you, it has turned into a spell. The earthly spirits are the only ones who know what will happen to him. But I can try to help you. You’re not thinking straight.”
Mercy rose from her chair, angry now. “No, Tía, it is you who does not understand
. I don’t want any help from you. I’m going to him.”
“What about your own daughter?” Itzel asked. “You’d leave her for this man?”
“I’m not leaving her,” Mercy shot back. “I’ll be back. But I have to leave. You cannot help me, nor do I want you to.”
The two women faced each other, each with their own set of powers. Neither smiled. For once in her life, Mercy didn’t quite trust her aunt. It saddened her, but it was the truth.
Just then the door opened, and Lily stepped in. She took in the scene. Mercy grabbed her purse, ready to leave. She couldn’t wait to get back to her lover, Ariel.
Suddenly Itzel yelled, “Get her, Lily!”
Mercy darted for the door, and the blurred candlelight inside Lily’s home suddenly went dark.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Mercy opened her eyes slowly. Everything was hazy and Mercy felt a little sick. As she gained focus, she saw Lily and her aunt staring down at her with concern.
“Oh, Mercy,” Lily whispered.
“What...what happened?” Mercy asked.
“Well, we had to do something,” Itzel answered, frowning again. “How do you feel?”
“Nauseous, thirsty. What did you do?” Everything was coming back to Mercy now, the evening with Ariel, bringing Javier back. She sat up, anger growing inside of her.
“What did you do?” she asked again.
“I tried to remove the spell. I hope it worked. What do you remember, Mercy?”
Lily brought her a glass of water, Mercy drank deeply. “I remember everything. I think.”
Itzel sighed and glanced away. Lily kneeled down in front of Mercy. “What do you mean, you think?”
“I’m sorry, I think…I…I remember,” Mercy said. “I went over to Ariel’s place. We talked, both of us were a little guarded, you know? But we had some drinks, and he went into the kitchen to get some limes, and I mixed the potions together and poured them into the decanter, and then we drank some more.”
