“Is that a compliment?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Of course.” He kissed her hand, lingering a beat too long. Was this his M.O. or was he onto her?
“You’re enchanting, Goldilocks,” she said. He seemed bemused that she had a nickname for him. She leaned in and noticed his eyes flickered to her breasts before looking at her face. He was trying to be cool, but she felt him trying to work a lust spell on her with his mind. She couldn’t repel it without him sensing what she was doing, so she had to distract him. “I came with two men tonight. That’s about all I can handle.”
“On the contrary, I think you can handle as many as you want.” He kissed her hand again. “But when you return, you’ll return just for me.”
He rose and bowed again. “You will return.”
It was an influence spell, to compel her to come back to Defiance, alone.
She responded the way she was supposed to. “Yes, I think I will.”
Rex smiled at Carter and Rafe when they approached with red wine. “Gentlemen, you have a lovely woman. If you need anything, please come to me. I am available to ensure you have a pleasurable evening.”
Rafe handed Moira the wine. “It’s safe,” he said.
“I hate wine,” she said, but sipped.
“What happened? You had an odd look on your face.”
“I was trying to repel an influence spell without him knowing what I was doing.”
Rafe sat next to her. Carter sat on the other side, putting his arm around her shoulders. Rafe glared at him. “I told you at the bar,” he said in a low voice, “don’t overstep.”
“Down, boy. It’s just an act.”
Rafe’s jaw tightened and Moira leaned over and kissed him next to his ear. “Rex is a magician,” she whispered. “But he’s not responsible for the dark energy I felt outside.”
“You can tell that?”
“His magic was simpler. The other energy I feel all around is unfocused and dormant, but much more complex. And I’m almost certain it has the same signature as the spell I felt at the camp.” She looked around. Some of the people were ignoring them, but most were curious and making obvious appraisals of the three of them. “I need to draw out whoever is generating it.”
“How?”
“The dance floor. I can touch people without it seeming suspicious.” She glanced at Carter. “Do you dance?”
“I do now.”
Rafe frowned. “We don’t need him.”
“Yes. It’ll draw attention, and that’s what we want.”
“We wanted to find out if there was dark magic here, and there is.”
“There’s far more. Whoever is in charge is here. I know it.” She hesitated, knowing Rafe wasn’t going to be happy about her next admission. “I had another vision. Brief, when Rex touched my arm. It matched the earlier flash. I was looking through someone else’s eyes. I thought it was Amy, but it’s not—because I saw her at the willow tree. I’m pretty certain I’m looking through the eyes of the woman generating all this energy.”
Carter was watching their exchange with an odd expression. Rafe said, “Go, we’ll be there in a minute.”
“Whatever,” Carter shrugged and walked away.
“Are you okay?” Rafe asked Moira.
“Yes, but you—”
“I’m just seeing another side of you I haven’t seen.”
“I don’t normally act like a slut.”
“I don’t like it.”
“Just for tonight. It’s not like I’m going to do anything.” She touched his cheek, surprised and a little amused at Rafe’s jealousy.
“It’s not you. It’s all the men, and some of the women, in this room looking at you as an object. And it’s more than a little creepy that they are focused on your neck. I’ll dance with you.”
“You know that won’t work. When you touch me, all I feel is you.” She rose, but Rafe pulled her back down and kissed her with a raw passion she hadn’t felt from him in quite this way.
The song changed, the lighting dimmed dramatically and a red spotlight moved languidly over the crowd from the corner of the DJ booth. It was the perfect time for her to get out on the dance floor.
Rafe stood, pulling Moira with him, and turned her around, wrapping one arm around her waist, her back flat against his chest. He danced her over to the floor where Carter was doing a full-body dance with a leather-clad brunette in five-inch heels.
“Rafe, I don’t know—”
He whispered in her ear. “I’m not risking you. You’re going to deal with it tonight. Find a way. I’m not letting you go.”
She couldn’t explain that she was fine, that the magic wasn’t going to touch her. She was on full-alert now, every nerve hyper-sensitive. But none of her explanations would get through the new, jealous Rafe.
Carter almost didn’t notice them approach. “Excuse me,” Moira said to Ms. Leather Pants. “He’s with me.”
“He wasn’t when I found him,” she said, but stepped aside.
“What’d you do that for?” Carter asked.
“You’re not safe here,” Moira whispered directly in his ear. Rafe was right behind her, and she was sandwiched between the two men. Carter smiled at her and he took one of her hands, dancing them through the crowd toward the middle of the dance floor.
Carter leaned over and whispered in her ear, “Don’t be obvious, but there’s a woman standing next to the DJ. She’s been watching us since we came in.”
Moira didn’t know why she hadn’t felt someone watching, but she’d been so wrapped up in keeping Rex from casting a spell over her. She kissed Carter’s cheek, leaving a nice mark with her lipstick. Rafe tightened his grip. She made a point of looking all over the dance floor, until her gaze scanned the stage.
Recognizing the woman, she did a discreet double-take. The woman next to the DJ was in the camp photo with Amy and Beth.
Except, she looked older, maybe twenty-eight, not much younger than Moira. In the photo she had looked like a teenager. Had Grant spoken to her today? What had he thought? Why hadn’t he mentioned her age? Had she cast a spell on him so he only saw what she wanted him to see?
She couldn’t tell if the dark energy was coming from the woman, but it was all around the dance floor. She needed to get closer.
With her body, she backed up, directing Rafe toward the stage. Carter followed, but was pulled into another threesome. Moira was concerned, because even though there was a lot of partner swapping on the floor, Carter’s safety was her responsibility.
“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Rafe said.
They were almost to the stage when Rex tapped on Rafe’s shoulder. “May I?”
Rafe didn’t let go immediately, then he dropped his arms and stepped aside. Another girl took his hand and pressed her body against his while Rex took Moira’s right hand and put his other hand on the small of her back. He didn’t speak, but danced her away from Rafe and Carter, over to the edge of the floor.
A voice behind Moira said, “Thank you, Rex.”
The dark energy increased tenfold. Moira immediately put up her shields, but it wasn’t enough, nor fast enough. The blonde from the stage turned Moira to face her, then wrapped her arms around Moira’s neck and pulled her body close, swaying to the beat of the music. When she smiled, Moira saw the fangs. Her canines had been carved into sharp points, sharp enough to puncture skin.
“Let go, you freak,” Moira said.
The sudden vision was painful, evil exploding in her mind. Moira did her best to control her reaction, but the blonde knew. Blackness wrapped around Moira, choking her.
“What do you want?” the blonde asked.
“I came to have fun,” Moira said, each word excruciating as she tried to block the horrific vision of blood, screams and laughter.
“You’re lying to me.” The woman tightened her grip. Her lips skimmed Moira’s ear. To any observer, they were two women very interested in each other. But Moira had to fight to keep the
woman out of her mind. She felt Rex’s energy building a spell around her, the same command spell he’d failed earlier, and she wouldn’t be able to battle both of them in such close proximity.
“Don’t interfere with me,” the woman said.
Moira gathered the strength to push her away. The witch stumbled in her tall heels, and Moira said, “I’m out of here.”
“Not yet.” The woman reached for her, getting a firm grip on her wrist before Moira could jerk away. Another vision, this one of a bleeding moon, hit her. She didn’t see anything except blood, and she closed her eyes, shaking her head in an attempt to block it.
Fighting the black magic weakened Moira. Had the wine been cursed? She’d only had one sip. Rafe said it was safe … what if he had been wrong?
Chapter Seven
Rafe stood at the edge of the dance floor as Moira and Rex disappeared on the far side. Voices clamored for attention in his head, and he repelled them. He started to look for Moira, then in his peripheral vision he saw the woman in the leather lure Carter into a dark corner. He trusted Moira—she had the fortitude of any of the demon hunters trained at Olivet, and cunning instincts. Carter was a cop unversed in supernatural danger. He didn’t want to leave Moira for even a minute, but he had to get Carter out of here.
He strode over to the cop and said, “We’re leaving.”
Carter grimaced. “You’d kill me if I touched your woman, so let me have my own fun.”
The brunette grinned, her long red fingernails running up and down Carter’s neck. She leaned over and kissed him full on the mouth. Rafe would have left Carter to his own fate, except that the cop wouldn’t have been here if it weren’t for Rafe and Moira.
An overwhelming knowledge of immediate danger to Moira swelled within him. He couldn’t explain it, didn’t want to think about where it came from, but he trusted his instincts. He said to Carter, “Drink nothing,” then he turned and ran back to the dance floor.
At first he couldn’t see her. The lights were almost completely out, but then the spotlight flashed on something in the far corner. He pushed his way through the crowd.
Moira was struggling. One of her hands was raised as if she were holding a dagger turned to reflect magic back to her attacker, but there was nothing in her hand. If someone was attacking Moira with battle magic, she was unprotected.
The blonde from the stage had a grip on her and for a moment Rafe saw fear cross Moira’s face before defiance.
He twisted the blonde’s arm until she let go of Moira’s wrist, then he put himself between them. “She said she was leaving.”
Rafe wrapped his arm tight around Moira’s waist, holding her up. She was shaking and trying to regain her strength.
“I never want to see you here again,” the woman told them both.
Without another word, Rafe walked out with Moira.
Rain poured on them as they exited the building. Rafe took off his trench coat and put it around Moira. “I’m fine,” she said, breathless.
“Like hell.” He waved his arm toward where Grant watched from the corner.
Grant’s car squealed down the street.
“It was her.” Moira took a deep breath and began to regain her strength. “She was the source of all the darkness. It surrounds her, like a cloak. Radiating from her. She has a black soul, empty. It’s already been sold.”
Grant slammed on the brakes and Rafe put Moira in the backseat. “I’m going back for Carter.”
“What happened?” Grant demanded of Moira as Rafe ran back inside the club. Rafe couldn’t hear her answer.
Rafe had his knife in hand by the time he faced the bouncer at the Defiance entrance. Was this supposed criminal informant of Carter’s one of the blonde’s coven? Had he tipped off the witch that they were here?
“I’m getting my friend out,” Rafe said, holding the knife to the bouncer’s throat.
The guy nodded and didn’t try to stop him. Rafe ran down the long hall, fearing that the seven minutes he’d left Carter alone with the dark-haired woman was seven minutes too long. They’d attacked their weakest link, the person who didn’t understand what they truly faced.
Rafe didn’t see Rex or the blonde who had attacked Moira. And at first, he didn’t see Carter. All eyes were on Rafe, but he was focused and pushed past the crowd. They parted. Some were magicians, but most were harmless.
Baphomet is coming.
A chant started in his head. A voice he almost recognized, but couldn’t place.
Hurry, get out, Baphomet is coming!
Carter wasn’t at the table where Rafe had left him. He scanned the dance floor, didn’t see the cop, then quickly searched the room.
Carter was on a small couch on the far side of the room, Leather Girl all over him. Rafe ran over and pulled her off with more strength than he intended. He saw blood on her mouth and blood on Carter’s neck. His eyes were closed, a dumb grin on his face.
“You’re too late,” the girl said. She licked her lips and looked at the table.
Two empty shot glasses coated in red. Rafe picked one up and smelled. Blood.
“What did you do to him?” he asked taking a step toward her.
“Fuck you.” She spat at him, but Rafe averted his face. Her blood-tinged saliva hit his cheek. He rubbed it up with his sleeve and yanked Carter up.
“Hey, Rafe. Isn’t she hot?” He had a dopey smile on his face. He was not only under a spell, but he’d been poisoned.
Rafe didn’t argue, but dragged Carter out of the club. No one tried to stop him. Which told him that Carter was as good as dead.
o0o
Nearly an hour later, Grant stepped out of the hospital’s emergency room to where Rafe and Moira waited outside, under an awning to keep dry. Rafe had given Moira his trench coat, and now she needed it. But she wasn’t going to leave before they knew if Carter was going to be all right.
Moira said, “How is he?”
“They don’t know,” Grant said. “It would help if we knew what he was poisoned with.”
“No one will believe magic,” Moira said.
“If they pumped his stomach, he should be okay,” Rafe said. “It was either foxglove or bloodroot. Possibly belladonna, but either way, getting it out of his system and monitoring him should do it.”
“I told the doctor food poisoning, and they’re going to shut down the club until they can get the health department in, but dammit! This wasn’t supposed to happen!” Grant glared at them. “What happened? I want the truth.”
“The owner of the club is Rex,” Moira said. “I don’t know his last name. His girlfriend or whoever she was, is in the photograph from the camp. Where is it?”
Grant reached into a thin file and pulled it out.
Moira picked her out immediately. “Her.”
“Tessa Standler? She’s seventeen.”
“No. She’s at least ten years older.”
“Maybe she’s her sister.”
“It was her. I’m certain.”
Grant was skeptical, but said, “I need physical proof.” He turned to Rafe. “You promised this wouldn’t happen—you were supposed to watch out for Carter.”
“I was, but Moira was in trouble.”
Moira didn’t know what exactly had happened. “It was a draw,” she said. “I couldn’t get away, she couldn’t get at me.”
Rafe disagreed. “She was draining you, Moira, and you didn’t see it. She’s a psychic vampire. She doesn’t need your blood, she feeds on your energy.”
Maybe Rafe was right. Whatever had happened, Moira hadn’t experienced it before.
“What now?” she asked.
“I’m taking you both back to your hotel. Do not leave until you hear from me.”
Chapter Eight
As soon as they walked into the hotel room, Moira began checking their protections against black magic and demons. Rafe closed the door and grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around to face him.
“I’m—”
She wanted to ask him how he knew, but there was a dark cloud over Rafe’s face and then he was kissing her. His fingers pressed firmly into her bare shoulders, just short of hurting, and his lips where fierce, devouring her mouth with a desire she didn’t expect.
Who was she kidding? All night, from the minute Grant picked them up at the hotel until they left the hospital several hours later, Rafe had been watching her with his bottomless blue eyes—watching her closer than necessary.
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