A Witch Among Warlocks: The Complete Series Box Set Page 29

  And then—

  Rayner turned into a monster. Grabbing the man, pinning him down, fangs in his neck. The other man didn’t expect this. Panic, dread, attempts to scream for help that went unanswered as Rayner bit him.

  Now you belong to me, Mr. Fletcher, and you will find her.

  My breathing was choked. I had mostly forgotten my own turning. I was pretty drunk. Or maybe I just blocked it out. As my memories flashed back to Rayner attacking the other man, I remembered that terror and helplessness as I realized what was happening to me. I had also screamed for help, but I was very far from home.

  There was a knock on the door. “Montague?” Charlotte asked. “Alec wants to know where the corkscrew is.”

  I could tell by the way she said it that what she really meant was, Hey, are you okay?

  I forced myself back together and opened the door. “I’m fine.”

  Her nose wrinkled as if I didn’t look that convincing. “You sure? You look extra pale right now. Was the blood not kept at an FDA approved temperature? Should I be worried about the salami?”

  “Just the memories again.” I shook my head. “I’m fine.”

  “You should talk about it,” she said. “That always helps. You don’t have to deal with secret tormented vampire stuff.”

  I know why vampires are always tormented, I thought. Memories. Loneliness. I knew that Charlotte and Alec would die and leave me just like Lisbeth. How many years before that really sunk in? “When Lisbeth died, Rayner lost it. He went to some guy—a warlock, maybe—trying to find out if she’d been reincarnated. And when the guy wouldn’t cooperate he turned him into a vampire. Really…vivid, violent shit.” I shrugged it off. “But it’s fine. I’ll feel better once we’re out on the water.”

  Her eyes lingered on me, concerned. She adjusted my collar. “That’s probably true. Water is a healing element, right?”

  “Yes.”

  As we left the house, it was late afternoon. Soon the sun would go down and I could take off my hat. I had never been a hat man so I was counting the minutes. I took Charlotte past the night market. The focal point of St. Augustine was the tree-lined plaza, a long rectangle of criss-crossed paths and monuments. In the human world, it was no longer a market, but in the magical world, its purpose remained. During the day people sold produce in the market building, but at night true Ethereals—seelie faeries and angels and shapeshifting beings—came to sell magical wares: tinctures and potions and strange ingredients from far corners of the magical world. Overlooking the plaza was the Hotel Scheherazade and Cathedral Basilica on one side and Trinity Church and the Hotel Cordova on the other side, along with smaller shops and buildings. On the human side, the site of the Scheherazade Hotel was a six-story bank building.

  Charlotte’s eyes were wide as she took in the sights. From this vantage point, we could also see the bridge guarded by two of the Ethereal guardians who took the form of lions.

  “Why are there—lions?” she asked. “In the human world aren’t they statues?”

  “Yes, the humans paid homage to our lions. I guess the builder was a warlock. Or maybe it’s just a coincidence. They say Ponce de Leon was a warlock with a lion familiar. He came here trying to find the Fountain of Youth.”

  “Where is the Ladies’ College?” Charlotte asked.

  “It’s just down there,” I said. “The warlock college is in the old Ponce de Leon Hotel and the witches’ college is in the old Alcazar.”

  “Ooh, so the students get to knock boots around here,” she said.

  “Every person on the street is a gossip, so they still have to be discreet, but it is better than our situation,” I said. “Well, not ours. Our situation is just fine. But every other poor sucker at our school.”

  Home wasn’t quite what it used to be, though. Since I was turned I didn’t spend much time here. I spent my summer at the Haven in vampire therapy, then it was off to university, and I spent winter break with Charlotte.

  I was a vampire now. Not exactly welcome. I was one wrong move away from being banished to Sinistral. I saw some people crossing themselves after I walked by, whispering prayers. How welcoming.

  But I couldn’t blame them. I knew what had happened to Rayner. He was all right as long as his tie to his old life remained: the woman he loved. Once she was gone…the monster emerged as Rayner attacked an innocent man.

  I just needed to get all that off my mind. I led the way to my uncle’s boat. He said I could make use of it all summer, and I was definitely going to take him up on it. The only other way to get to the beaches was to walk or take a carriage, but the sailboat was more fun.

  Plus, it was the perfect spot for privacy with Charlotte. There was a cozy bedroom below decks. I had already stocked the place up with fresh flowers, wine, clean sheets and fluffy pillows. Of course, that was before Alec talked me into letting the fox have her first.

  As I lifted the sails, I had a flash of seeing Rayner, hungry and desperate and full of passion.

  Good things come to those who wait, Silvus. When we find her, I will allow you to claim her as your own, as you are mine.

  And then—

  The dark-haired girl caught between them. Lisbeth, Rayner said. You are my Lisbeth. The girl, pleading in French as the two vampires stripped off her clothes and sank their fangs into her wrists.

  First he was murdering Silvus and now they were both taking some French girl. Was this French girl Lisbeth’s reincarnation? Was it any better if she was? And damnit, why was I getting hard over the memory? I wasn’t some monster. I would never turn anyone else. I wouldn’t follow Charlotte into her next life and drink her blood.

  “Have you got this?” Alec asked me. “Do we need any wind?”

  “I think we’re good. The sea witches have a permanent current going to steer you in the right direction.”

  “Why are you fanged out? Didn’t you eat at the house?”

  “I was thinking about the…very private bedroom on this boat.”

  “Mm.” Alec looked back at Charlotte, who had just called Firian onto the boat. They were cracking up over something. She had put on a swimsuit but was still wearing a huge sweater over it. I’d never seen so much of her legs. Her legs were pale from being bedridden all spring, but they were still the most gorgeous thing I’d ever seen. It just showed off her veins more. Which were the strange sort of things you started thinking when you were a vampire.

  “Harris was right. She does have a nice ass,” Alec said, flapping the front of his shirt. “Damn, I made it through freshman year. I can make it through three more.”

  “That’s your plan? No sex through all of school?”

  “I have to, Monty. I want to be taken seriously. Once I lose myself in her, that’s it for me.”

  The sun was setting. I lit the old lanterns that hung on the ship, providing a soft light to the deck and cabin. When you were in the parallel world, beyond the town there was no development, nothing but palm trees and marshes cast in an eternal fog, turning dark against the brilliant red and gold sunset. If you went too far, god knows where you’d end up. Our boat hugged the coast, heading out for the sea witch settlements on the island. Quite a few other boats were following the same general path; it was like a water highway.

  “Guys—guys. You know how Firian manifests his own clothes?” Charlotte sputtered. “And he doesn’t always know how they’ll turn out?”

  “I thought I would show up in tacky tourist wear and this is what my brain made,” Firian said, throwing up his arms.

  “That is…impressive,” Alec said. “I see how you were aiming for several different statements.”

  Firian’s shirt was neon tie-dye with a picture of a very weird looking Garfield the cat wearing a backwards baseball cap and riding a shark like a surfboard. It said “TOO COOL FOR BEACH”. Firian put his hand behind the mouth of the Garfield and said, “Kill…me…”

  I made this stupid familiar a love nest for Charlotte, and he shows up in that.


  “Firian, can we talk?” I said.

  “I guess I’m not too cool to talk,” he said, shrugging and ducking into the cabin like he already knew I meant in private. Firian had this graceful, languid way of moving that seemed as arrogant as Harris in its own way. Familiars were not usually that invested in the world of witches and warlocks. They were devoted to their own witch, but besides that, they could leave any time and were fiercely independent creatures.

  That was how I saw him. A…creature. I didn’t hate him. But he wasn’t human at all, and it was strange to me that he wanted to be here.

  Still, I had to admit, a familiar would take very good care of Charlotte for her first time. I trusted him with her more than anyone. More than Alec. More than myself. “Firian,” I said. “There’s a very nice bedroom on the boat below decks. I’ve prepared it for you and I urge you to take advantage of it.”

  Firian looked like he was expecting something else. Then he got prickly again. “So you can get on with it, I suppose. Appease me.”

  “Alec and I don’t just want to have sex with her. We really—” I frowned. “You’re entwined with her, so I’m trying to make this work with you too.”

  “You really like her,” Firian finished the words that I struggled to say under his unblinking, golden stare. “What are you planning? Is only one of you going to have a public relationship? Or are you going to come out with this eventually and tell everyone you’re mating her like bond brothers even though you have no magical reason to do so?”

  “I could ask you the same thing about whatever you’re doing,” I said.

  “I’m aware,” he said, tapping the captain’s chair. “None of this will ever be accepted by anyone.”

  “Yeah, well…”

  “I don’t need my relationship with her to ever be public,” Firian said. “I have no family or friends or job. I’m just hers. Presumably, you and Alec have something to lose.”

  Who is Lisbeth!? the French girl cried.

  You. You’re my Lisbeth. I’ll make you remember, if it takes a hundred years…

  I want to go home…

  You won’t, once you remember me, my love. Rayner had her alone now, peeling down her dress to suckle her plump breasts. Her cheeks turned bright pink and she didn’t stop him but maybe she was too scared.

  “Feelings don’t follow those rules,” I said. “It’s overwhelming. It hits you and you’d kill to keep it. Well—not literally.” I was getting lost again, and Firian was arching a brow at me.

  As I looked out, I saw someone looking out at me from one of the smaller boats, caught in the light of a lantern. A tall man with dark blonde hair and high cheekbones, cold eyes, a demon’s smile.

  Rayner?

  I started, moving to the window to get a closer look, but the boat seemed to have vanished.

  I was seeing things. The memories, haunting me.

  At least, I hoped I was.

  “I thought I saw Harris,” I said, explaining away my reaction.

  “I’m not surprised,” Firian said. “So…to get to the point, you’re saying there’s a love nest below decks and we can have it?”

  “Yes.”

  “Is there a lock on the door?”

  I nodded. “I’ll take the long way around. Go for it.”

  “Give me five minutes,” he said.

  Chapter Seven

  Charlotte

  “I could get used to boat life,” I told Alec, as we watched the sunset over the palms, even as I wondered what Firian and Montague could possibly be talking about alone.

  “It is beautiful. I should have brought my sketchbook. Pastels, maybe.”

  “I didn’t know you do landscapes. I thought you just painted magical stuff.”

  “This would just be for fun. The other stuff could be a career if I can perfect artistic spells. So far I’m not that great at the magic part. Better at the actual painting.”

  “You couldn’t just be a normal artist?”

  “That…wouldn’t be as likely to pay good money,” he said. “My family is well-off but I don’t want to be seen as the artist bum of the Lyrman clan.”

  “Well, won’t your magic improve once we’re…involved?”

  “Yeah,” he said, glancing over my legs.

  “You seem pretty sweaty in that t-shirt,” I said. “You might feel better without it.”

  “Aren’t you trouble,” he said with a sly grin. “I’m not going to tempt you. Not yet.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “You look like you’re already about to crack.”

  “I doubt Master Blair would remove the spell on me anyway. Anyway, why do you ask? Who’s cracking?”

  “We don’t have to have sex,” I said. “But if I can’t even feel your touch for the next three years…”

  He put his hands on the railing behind the bench where I was sitting. “Once you feel my touch, you’re going to want more. And so am I. If I really care about you, I can resist. You need to focus on getting your powers back and helping your mom, right?”

  “Oh, nice try, but I can multitask like nobody’s business.”

  Montague wandered over and looked at the water. He definitely seemed troubled by something lately. I wondered what, exactly, was going on in his head and how intense the memories were. Enough that he seemed to be in another world, at least. Coming home had to be bittersweet for him.

  “So, Harris is following us,” Alec said.

  “You’ve seen him?”

  “He’s on that yacht.”

  “That’s just a sailboat.”

  “I thought any boat becomes a yacht when someone like Harris is on it,” Alec said. “I don’t know. I’m a mountain man. What is a yacht, then?”

  “Maybe you’re right.” Montague studiously ignored the sailboat/yacht. “Hey, Charlotte, you look cold. There’s a heater down in the cabin. You might want to warm up before we get to the beach.”

  “I’m okay.” I stood up and stretched, trying to show off how normal I felt. “I like the view.”

  “You’ll see the view many more times.” He put his hands on my shoulders and spun me toward the cabin door.

  “Hey…” But when I looked back to protest, I realized what was going on. “What’s happening?”

  “I think you know,” he said, his voice soft as a caress.

  “Is Firian down there? Is Firian going to try to get busy with me while wearing a knockoff Garfield t-shirt?”

  “Just go.” He gave my ass a little nudge-smack.

  I yanked my sweater down over my bikini bottom, glaring at him before I went down a few steep steps. I was skeptical about losing my virginity on the first night on a sailboat. To Firian. While Montague and Alec were up there talking or brooding or fantasizing or whatever. They’re just rushing me into it. How about a night in one of those fancy hotels or something? Jeez.

  The interior of the sailboat reminded me of a camper; cramped with a tiny kitchen and bench, but it was very swank with lustrous dark wood and brass in art deco curves. Tiny lights were strung all around and on the table was a spread of fancy decorated truffles and a bottle of wine. Music fit for a dreamy 1980s music video was playing softly in the background, although I had no idea where it came from.

  And Firian was sitting at the table, wearing a suit and tie, his long legs poked out into the walkway.

  “Oh…it’s nice down here,” I said.

  “It is,” Firian said, standing up, his head slightly bent when it brushed the ceiling.

  “You look very nice,” I said. “I would have dressed up if…” I trailed off. “I mean, are we actually doing this?”

  “It’s been one year since I finally got to introduce myself to you properly,” he said. “But it’s been longer than that since you became my MMORPG partner. And it’s been…a very long time that I’ve been living near you. Watching and waiting and hoping that some day…” He paused. “I don’t know if kids can fall in love. Is it creepy if they do?”

  “You’ve already been sta
lking me since I was a baby, so I think we’re well past creepy.”

  “I was protecting you and doing my job,” he said. “But this part…isn’t my job.” He put one arm at the small of my back and drew us closer, then lifted my chin with a tender hand, meeting my lips for a kiss that quickly deepened. “This part…is in defiance of my job.”

  Firian made me feel as if this random moment had, in fact, been something we’d been building up to all our lives. Maybe I liked it better than a fancy hotel after all. We’d always remember this.

  “Are those magical truffles?” I asked.

  “Yep. And faery wine.”

  “I’m not really a wine drinker.”

  “You’ll like this,” he said.

  He handed me a glass. I took a sip. Okay. Of course it was delicious. It tasted like a whole garden of flowers was condensed into one taste. “Oh…wow.”

  He still had his arm around me, his skin warm, reminding me that he was real, no matter how strange and inhuman he seemed when he started conjuring things out of the air. He fed me a truffle. If the wine was good, the chocolate was mind-blowing, but I knew it had no substance, and as soon as I tasted it I wanted more and more.

  “Some things can’t be satisfied,” he said. “But there are other ways in which everything I give you is very real. I wanted to remind you of the difference.”

  “Sometimes I think I control you,” I said. “And sometimes I feel as if I should be a little afraid of you.”

  “Sounds about right,” he said. “Despite that, I am…yours. All yours.”

  We kissed again, one of his hands taking mine while the other slipped under my sweater, skin to skin, although still chastely—for now. The boat rode over a swell and I bumped into him. Not entirely on accident. His arms twined and tightened around me, steadying me. In the dim light, the reddish hints in his hair were muted to a tawny color but his eyes still caught strange golden colors in the lantern light.

  “Master Blair is wrong to take your magic away,” he said. “You are just the right person to continue his rebellion. My brave, beautiful Charlotte.”

  The compliments made me shake my head, but I liked them too. I was glad that even after the attack and my sickness through the spring, he still wanted me to keep fighting. “With you by my side,” I said.