by Kensie King
“In the middle of the night?”
“You don’t know what she’s been doing. She’s trying to make me hurt people, Grace. She keeps talking to me, saying horrible things. I don’t want to hear it anymore.”
“This is too much,” Audrey said decisively. “Link needs to rest, not deal with this—or Savannah—right now.”
I gave her a grateful smile, surprised that she was the one who seemed to understand.
“I’ll take you back to work,” Dylan told Grace. He returned his gaze to me. “Are you sure you don’t want me to take you home?”
I opened my mouth, but Gage was already shaking his head. “You hit your head. You could have a concussion. Someone needs to stay with you—” He bit off his next words as everyone stared at him. “Sorry, Link. Do what you need to do.”
The surge of protectiveness I saw in his eyes warmed me more than the blanket. But then he turned and walked out of the room.
“Vampires,” Grace said with a roll of her eyes. “So temperamental. No offense, Audrey.”
Grace came over to squeeze my shoulder. Dylan did the same, his hand lingering a bit longer.
“I’ll stay for a while to rest,” I said.
“Call if you need anything. I’ll check on you later.”
“Not on my phone, though. It broke in the water.”
A muscle worked in his jaw. I wasn’t sure whether he was thinking he’d have to call Audrey or Gage’s phone to get hold of me or he was thinking about the water at the bottom of the well. But clearly, it didn’t sit well with him.
“I’ll check in,” he said again.
Audrey walked to the door to show them out, and I cushioned my head on the arm of the couch. It was still throbbing in the back and my arm ached all the way down to my wrist, but I was too warm and comfortable to care.
I closed my eyes and thought about Savannah and fire, and wondered if I could heal myself again. If the fire didn’t hurt me, maybe I could fix my arm or my head somehow. But what about Audrey? Could I heal her the same way? Or would my fire hurt her too badly?
Thoughts kept swirling in my mind as I fell into a deep sleep. Savannah was in my dream.
And she was angry.
Chapter 16
You’re mine.
My breath hitched in a sharp gasp as I woke up. I winced when pain shot through my skull.
“Link.” Gage walked over from where he was standing by the fire and sat on the coffee table in front of the couch. “You were dreaming.”
I rubbed the back of my head. “About Savannah.”
He leaned forward. “Let me see.”
“See what?”
“Your eyes. Hold still.”
“Why? Gage.” He took my chin and tipped it up so he could see my eyes. “What are you doing?”
“You might have a concussion.”
“And you can tell by looking at my eyes?”
He nodded. “I took a few classes before I started helping at the rescue center…” He smiled and dropped his hand. “I think you’ll live.”
I rolled my eyes, then grimaced. “I was so worried.”
“And I think you should still see a doctor. Or go the hospital—”
I gave a quiet laugh. “I don’t need a doctor. I need some aspirin.”
“And your arm?”
“Not bad.”
He took my arm and rolled up the sleeve of my shirt. I wanted to tell him he was worse than Dylan but bringing up Dylan right now—or ever—probably wasn’t a good idea. He turned my arm over and looked at the bruise on the back, stretching from my elbow almost the entire way to my shoulder.
His breath hissed in. “Link.”
“Come on, I stabbed you with a letter opener. This is nothing.”
“Not funny,” he said. “I heal faster. The doctor—”
“No, wait. This is a good thing.”
“You’re covered in bruises. This is not a good thing. Especially because I feel like, if I let you out of my sight, you’re going to run off on another dangerous mission and I can’t help you if I don’t know where you are.”
I pushed the blanket aside and tried to get up. Gage stood at the same time, catching me close to his body. Desire, instant and strong, shot straight to my toes.
“Where’s Audrey?” I asked, voice low.
“Resting.”
“How long did I sleep?”
He brushed his thumb on my cheek as his eyes wandered over my face. “A few hours.”
“Gage. I wanted to talk to Audrey, and start to figure this out, and—”
He silenced me with a kiss. His fingers moved into the back of my hair, so gently I could barely feel it. “There will be time for all that. I want you to relax, take it easy for the day.”
“I felt like I was making progress.”
“You are. Stay with me today. Stay the night. I want you close.”
My body throbbed with need, taking away most of the pain for the moment. I was pressed tight against him, and every bit of him was chiseled, toned and hard.
He brushed his lips on my cheek. “I don’t want to hurt you. You have bruises everywhere.” He smiled gently. “Everywhere that I can see.”
“I think I might know how to fix that.”
“Take off your clothes?”
I laughed. “Not that. I mean the bruises.”
“How?”
“Remember the other night when my hand was cut, and I made the fire again by accident?”
He narrowed his eyes. Nodded.
“After that, my hand was healed.”
Gage eased his grip some. “So…what do you suggest? We head out to the garden and you set yourself on fire?”
“You’re right, outside is better.” I started to pull away. “You’ll probably want to keep your distance, though—”
“Link.” Gage pulled me close again. Exasperation coated his voice. “I was being sarcastic. That’s a terrible idea.”
“I’m trying to figure out how to heal Audrey. I need to start somewhere. If I can practice on myself, and figure out what kind of energy I’m channeling, then maybe I can do something for her without having to…you know, set her on fire.”
He winced and dropped his chin.
“See? It’s dangerous.”
“Exactly,” he said. “Which is why you shouldn’t do it.”
“I don’t know what else to do, Gage. I only know one other way to get enough power to help.”
“What’s that?”
I blew out a breath. “Channel energy from an ancestor.”
“You mean, like, get Savannah’s help?”
“Yes.”
“No. No way. She was the reason you fell in the well today, right? You said she pushed you in. Link, you can’t—”
I stepped away from him and folded my arms. “What other options do we have?”
“That’s not going to make things better. It’ll make them worse. Savannah’s a lunatic.”
Flames flared inside of me, a quick flash that made me back away even farther. “Don’t say things like that,” I whispered. “She’s still inside of me. I don’t want her to come back.”
“Shit.” Gage propped his hands on his hips. “She’s completely attached to you.”
I frowned.
“I’m sorry, but I didn’t know how bad it was. Is that why you took off the necklace?”
“Yes.” I reached to the empty spot at my neck.
He lifted his eyebrows. “Now you have nothing to protect yourself from me.”
“I don’t need to protect myself. You’re not going to hurt me. You saved me today.”
His chest moved up and down with a few deep breaths. “Don’t look at me like that, Link. I’m barely keeping my distance here. I want…” He swallowed, glanced to the other side of the room like he might find Audrey there listening to our conversation. “I want you here, in my arms. I want all of you.”
My heart raced. “I want you, too.”
He gave a low laugh.
“Yeah, you’d probably better not say that either.”
My lips curved. “See? Fire is starting to sound like a great idea, isn’t it? Let’s go outside.”
“Are you going to be warm enough? You can use my jacket.”
He got me his jacket and led me out the back door. He kept his hand locked around mine and guided me away from the house and to the garden. The sun heated up the day nicely and I felt it seeping through the dark jacket. I tilted my face to the sky, letting my cheeks warm.
“It’s nice, isn’t it?” Gage asked. “Not a bad place to be stuck for however long we’re stuck here.”
“Audrey’s stuck here now, too, isn’t she?”
He nodded. “But if it helps her, it’s worth it.” He flashed me a smile. “She just has to put up with me in the meantime.”
“Unless we’re all stuck here forever.”
“Would that be so bad?”
My feet were quiet on the grass as we passed a rosebush and stopped by a bench. “I don’t know…I haven’t had time to get used to the idea yet. I’m not—I’ve never really wanted to stay in one place before. I wanted to see everything and do everything and…”
“What?” he asked when my voice trailed off.
My gaze was caught by a blackbird fluttering away. I focused on Gage again. “Nothing. Boring stuff, I guess. You don’t want to hear about it.”
He squeezed my hand. “I want to hear everything about you.”
“Gage.”
He squinted his eyes in the bright sun. “The way I see it, life’s too short to take your time. If Audrey knew she had the rest of her life, she’d jump in and take it with both hands. She’d live, she’d love, she’d have fun. She’d probably be in a relationship now—making the most out of every day. And I want to be like that. I don’t want to miss things or hold back. You’re on my mind all the time, Link, and I like it. I want more. And I’m not afraid it’s going too fast or that I barely know you.”
There was silence between us for a long moment. His words struck my heart, stirred feelings in me I’d been experiencing since my dad died. Life was too short. And I’d been holding back from love—even from the feelings that lead up to it—because I couldn’t be intimate with anyone. Because of the boy I hurt. Because of the fire.
Gage smiled at me. “Now I’ve scared you.”
“No. No,” I said again, more firmly. “I just didn’t know you felt that way.”
“There’s a lot about me you don’t know, Link. My fault mostly.”
“You’re right.”
He laughed.
“I meant about there being a lot about you I don’t know. You’re right. And I want to know more.”
“Good,” he said, tugging on my hand. “Let’s do that instead. Forget the fire.”
“No.” I pulled away from him. “I need to do this.”
He folded his arms. “It’s dangerous.”
“I’ve never set myself on fire before when the flames come. I’ve never hurt myself doing it.”
That didn’t seem to convince him. But I couldn’t go back now. I took off his jacket and passed it over.
“Do you want to keep it on? Are you still cold?”
“I don’t want to burn it.”
“What about your clothes? What if you burn those?”
I thought about this. “That would be embarrassing.”
He scowled. “That’s not what I meant. Though if you want to traipse around my garden naked, I’m fine with it.”
“Keep the jacket close by,” I suggested. “Just in case.”
I steadied my breathing, trying not to get intimidated by Gage standing there watching me. I used Savannah as a catalyst, letting the flames build inside. I concentrated on sending them to my fingertips first.
When the fire shot out and singed the ground, I yelped and jumped back. I glanced at Gage. He was holding out a hand, like he was going to grab me and bring me back in the house.
I laughed. “It’s fine. Just surprised me. I’m still working on controlling it.”
He didn’t look convinced. Just folded his arms and watched as I tried again.
This time I kept the flames confined to my hands. Fire flickered from my fingertips. When I looked at Gage, his mouth was open in wonder.
“Be careful,” he said.
“It doesn’t hurt.”
I felt the heat from the fire on my cheeks, but it was warming me up. It was heating my core and it felt good. I tried to force the flames to move up my arms, and in a moment, they started their slow ascent. Further and further until they were up to my elbows. My skin was tingling.
“Link,” Gage said.
“I’m okay.”
He stepped closer, however, the dark jacket still tight in his hands.
I pushed hard and the flames moved to my shoulders, then raced up my neck and down my back. I gasped, my eyes whipping to Gage’s. My breath caught in my throat as my entire body was engulfed in fire.
Gage hit me hard, tossing the coat over my body. We both tumbled to the ground and the flames went out instantly.
He was patting my arms, my back, everything, and I groaned. “Gage—it’s gone. Stop.”
He yanked off the jacket, breath coming in sharp spurts, and looked at my arms. “Are you okay?”
I couldn’t answer before he was turning me to look at my back, lifting my shirt.
“Gage,” I choked out with half-laugh, pushing his hand away. “I’m not hurt.”
“God.” He flopped over on his back and released a long breath. He rubbed a hand across his eyes. “You were on fire. All over.”
“I know.”
“I didn’t like it.”
I glanced over from where I was propped on my arm next to him. He was staring at the sky, cheeks taut with worry.
“I’m fine,” I assured him.
He grunted a response that I couldn’t make out but didn’t say anything else. Didn’t move.
I rose up to my knees and then straddled Gage where he was at, lying in leaves and grass that was mostly green and lush.
His eyes connected with mine and he grabbed my hips. “Are you sure you’re not hurt?”
I nodded. “Actually, I feel pretty good.”
Placing my hands on his chest, I felt his heart thumping erratically against his ribs. He was looking at me like I was crazy.
“Does this scare you?” I asked quietly. I stared at my hands, where there had just been flames only moments ago. “I mean, you’re a vampire so you can’t judge too harshly, but I understand if this is a little too much—”
“It’s not too much. You’re just…unlike anyone I’ve ever met. The fire, of course, but you’re not afraid of it anymore. It’s who you are. It’s a little terrifying, sure, but it’s amazing, too.”
His words warmed me, made me feel like it was okay to be who I was. That I didn’t have to make apologies for it.
When his hands slid up my arms, I straightened.
“What?” he asked, trying to sit up.
I pushed him back down and he laughed. “It worked,” I said. “I think it worked.”
“The fire healed you?”
This time he did sit up, keeping me settled in his lap. He examined my arm, running his fingers over the skin all the way to my shoulder under my shirt. “It’s gone,” he said quietly. “Your head?”
I felt for the bump in back, but I already knew it wouldn’t be there. I wasn’t throbbing anymore, and I felt rested, energized.
“I just need to figure out how to do that with Audrey.” I nodded, meeting his eyes. “Then maybe I really can help her. She’ll be cured and—”
He kissed me hard, hands on my cheeks to hold me still. When he pulled away, there was hope in his eyes. “Now we just have to figure out how to get rid of Savannah.”
Chapter 17
“So, tell us what happened with the well,” Audrey said.
She insisted on cooking dinner even though I could tell she was tired. She propped her hip
against the counter and tested a noodle.
I glanced at Gage, who was pouring wine into thin-stemmed glasses. He gave me an encouraging nod.
“I woke up in the middle of the night. My Book of Shadows was flipping through pages.” I accepted the wine from Gage with a smile.
Audrey angled her head. “Flipping through pages? On its own?”
I nodded. “It does that sometimes when it’s trying to help me. Obviously, I was trying to figure out a way to stop Savannah.”
“That’s…creepy,” Audrey decided. She sipped her wine. “But helpful. What page did it land on?”
“A part about how destroying a witch’s Book of Shadows severely limits their power.” And for the first time, I considered my Book of Shadows. What would happen if I destroyed it? Would I get a break from the fire? Would I even miss my powers?
Gage stood beside my stool. He reached out to rub his hands on my shoulders, fingers warm on the tight muscles of my neck. “And you thought if you could find Savannah’s Book of Shadows and burn it, she’d leave you alone.”
I shivered at his touch on my neck. “Yes.”
Audrey’s eyes followed Gage’s gesture, her eyes dipping to his hands before they focused on me again. I wasn’t sure how she felt about me and her brother, but I had a feeling she’d tell me if she didn’t like it. “So how did you end up in the well, then?”
“I figured her Book of Shadows was in the cave behind the hotel. That’s where I was going—that’s where I should be looking now.”
Gage squeezed my shoulders. “We’ll have time for that later.”
“I need to figure it out soon. She tricked me. I saw something over by the well. Glowing lights. And when I got close to the opening, she pushed me in—or the wind did, but it was her.”
Gage’s jaw clenched. “She’s playing dirty. What was she trying to accomplish? Killing you?”
I took another sip of wine, shaking my head. “I don’t know. I don’t think so. But she was definitely trying to stop me. And if she was willing to go to that extreme, I think the Book of Shadows really is in the cave.”
Audrey nodded. “You’re probably right.”
“So I need to get out there and find it.”
Audrey turned back to the stove and pulled another spaghetti noodle from the boiling pot. Gage sat next to me on the other tall stool, his eyes like storm clouds. “If she’s willing to throw you in a well, what do you think she’s going to do if you go into that cave?”
