Irresistible Magic (16 page)

“Thank you.” His easy acceptance sparked a fire in my chest, fueling my need to get to Tal. I turned to Allcot once more. “Not five minutes ago, Talisen was attacked. I need you to send someone to his lab or else I’ll be going myself.”

He narrowed his eyes, anger shooting from their clear depths. “You dare make demands, Ms. Rhoswen?”

“I dare, Allcot,” I said, my head spinning with all the anguish and fear coursing through my system. “Talisen is my family. I think you, of all people, would understand the need to protect family.” If I hadn’t known one or both of them would physically stop me from leaving, I would’ve bolted for the door right then.

A slow smile spread over Allcot’s lips, and he leaned once again against his desk. “You’ve got balls, Rhoswen.”

His unconcerned attitude made me bristle. “This is bullshit. I’m not playing games anymore.” Without even glancing at David, I stalked toward the door.

Just as I knew he would, David jumped out of his chair with lightning speed and blocked my way. “You can’t go. It’s not safe.”

“Someone I love is in trouble! I have to go.”

Emotion rolled through those deep, midnight-blue eyes before he could blink the pain away. I’d just told him I loved Talisen.

I reached for the door, but he put his hand out, blocking it from opening. “No,” he said again. “You’re too valuable.”

“So is he!” Argh! I couldn’t even fight back. Not against vamps. This had been a terrible idea.

“She’s correct,” Allcot said in that smooth voice. “He is valuable and is under my protection.”

I spun to stare at him, my mouth hanging open.

“Your fae and I came to an agreement. You’ll know I honor my commitments, Rhoswen.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a black iPhone and held it out to me.

My hand shook as I took it from him.

“Read the last two messages.”

I glanced down and my heart all but stopped.

Allcot:
The fae has been attacked. Find him ASAP
.

Harrison:
Yes, sir
.

Hope crashed through me, followed by all-encompassing rage. Allcot had been playing me the whole time.

Chapter 12

That bastard Allcot. Who played games with people when they were clearly in distress? Maybe I could get Phoebe to dust him when this was all over.

David studied my reflection in the rearview mirror. “Are you okay?”

“Just peachy.” I stared out the privacy-tinted window from the back seat and willed David’s phone to buzz.

We were headed back to the house to wait for news from Harrison and to form a plan for meeting Tal’s attacker if Harrison came up empty. Allcot, thank the Goddess, was stuck at Cryrique until the sun went down. He was an old vampire who didn’t have to sleep during the day, but he couldn’t go out in the sunlight.

“Harrison will find him,” David said.

David’s confidence did little to reassure me. How would he even know where to start looking? The houses and trees went by in a blur. I didn’t want to think about what Harrison would find if he did manage to find Tal. David pulled the car into the long driveway of Allcot’s house and parked, but he didn’t get out. He sat there, the muscle in his jaw pulsing. “I’m sorry for Father’s behavior.”

I met his conflicted eyes in the rearview mirror. “He’s a controlling, egotistical douche.”

He grimaced. “Yes, I suppose that’s what you’d see.”

“It’s what everyone sees.” I pushed the door open and ran in the house, straight for David’s sitting room where I’d last left Phoebe and Link. She was sitting cross-legged on his couch, the laptop closed.

I sank to my knees on the floor in front of her. “Tal’s been hurt.” My voice wobbled.

Her head snapped up. “What do you mean?”

I couldn’t stop the tears. They fell in a hot stream as I forced out, “I called him…someone…I heard the attack.”

“Son of a bitch! What are you doing
here
?” She jumped to her feet, ready to take action.

“Harrison went after him.” I sniffed. “If we go we could bring even greater danger to him.”

She huffed. “Not if I have ten minutes to make us over.”

I shook my head sadly. “Phoebs, we got our asses kicked today. I don’t know who’s after Tal. All I know is I was at Allcot’s office when it happened. I had no way to get to him.”

She put a comforting arm around my shoulder and squeezed. “Any word from Harrison?”

I shook my head. “What if he can’t find him?”

“He will.” She crossed the room to where her duffle bag of disguises sat. In three minutes flat, she was made up into a college-girl research assistant. “I’m going anyway. Harrison is only one guy. He’s going to need backup if there are more than two people who took Tal. You coming with?”

“Yes.” There was no question. If she was going, I was going. Danger be damned. I couldn’t sit here and do nothing while Talisen suffered. I opened David’s door and whistled. Link bounded out in Shih Tzu form, appearing as good as new. “Am I glad to see you, bud.” He wiggled and pressed against me.

The three of us headed downstairs. I paused, poking my head into the kitchen. The maid from earlier was standing next to the house chef, discussing the schedule. “Have you seen Davidson?”

“He’s in Allcot’s study.”

I took off at a run, no longer willing to wait for anyone. I burst through the door and found David behind his father’s desk, his fingers flying over a keyboard. “Phoebe and I are going after him. I can’t wait here. I won’t. I know you said it’s dangerous if we go, but it’s too dangerous for Talisen if we don’t.”

David studied me. “There’s no talking you out of this?”

I shook my head stubbornly. “I’m going wherever Phoebe goes.”

He pursed his lips in thought, then stood. “I’ll drive.”

Something constricted in my chest and I was pretty sure it was my heart exploding. No matter what the deal was with Allcot, David was on my side, even when it came to Talisen.

Link and I piled into the back of his car while Phoebe took the front seat. Her straight blond hair, studious-looking glasses, and professional makeup made it hard even for me to tell it was her without looking twice. I put on my mousy-brown wig and the wire-rimmed glasses once again. I’d lost the sweater earlier, but Phoebe had found another one. I’d tied the arms around my shoulders to hide my wings. It would be easy to discard if I needed to fly.

David took off, speeding his way toward the university. Minutes later, he pulled up in front of the science building Talisen worked in.

“Have you heard from Harrison yet?” I asked as Phoebe and I got out of the car. Link was staying with David for now. Hopefully they both behaved and I didn’t come back to a vamp-wolf smackdown. Wolves don’t care much for vamps and vice versa.

He pursed his lips and shook his head.

Phoebe leaned in his window, waving her hands animatedly as if she were telling him a story. But what she really said was: “If you don’t see us back here in five minutes, come in after us and bring Link.”

“Got it.” David nodded and pulled away to park in the student lot. Idling at the curb would draw too much attention.

“Ready?” Phoebe asked me.

No. My palms were slick with sweat and my heart was beating erratically to the point I thought it might explode into a million pieces. But nothing was going to stop me from going in that building. Not if Talisen was in there. “Ready,” I said, my voice thick with emotion.

She straightened, clearly steeling herself as she eyed me. “You sure you’re up for this?”

“Yes,” I said defensively and then swallowed my fear.
Please, Goddess, give me strength.
“I’m fine. Let’s do this.”

She gave me a curt nod and led me to the front of the building. Our timing was perfect. Phoebe caught the door as a student strolled out, saving us from having to produce a campus keycard we didn’t have.

I cleared my throat and forced myself to recite the script she’d made me memorize. “How long will the study take?”

“Not long. Thirty minutes or so.” She smiled at some passing students, playing her role to the hilt. When we got near the lab I knew Talisen worked in, I paused to tie my shoe and gave her a slight nod. The laces slipped from my shaking fingers. I stood, pressing my hands to my thighs, trying for some semblance of control.

“Here we are, Ms. Roberts.” She clutched the knob and turned. A slight frown tugged at her lips. Locked.

I shifted to block her from prying eyes. Then she whispered, “
Invado
.” Brilliant white light shot from her fingertips, surrounding the knob. She gave me a triumphant smile and pushed the door open.

It was handy to have a witch around. The reality of what we could be walking into made my limbs heavy, and I forced myself to move forward. Talisen was still alive. He had to be. Images of Beau lying lifeless in my mother’s lavender fields flooded my memories. Squeezing my eyes tight as if that would shut them out, I clutched the edge of the door until my hand cramped.

“Ms. Roberts?” Phoebe asked, still in character. My eyes flew open and I realized I was still holding the door ajar. “Are you ready?”

“Umm, yeah. Sorry.” I released the door. It closed with a soft click.

Phoebe zapped it with her magic once more, probably fixing the lock she’d manipulated, and then flipped the deadbolt. Grabbing my hand, she squeezed. “We’re going to find him.” Magic crackled in her palms as she scanned the room. “Check the office.”

Without hesitation, I spun and headed to the small room in the corner a few feet from the door. No light shone through the small office window. I knocked. No answer.

“Professor?” I said as I opened the door.

The small office was in disarray. Paperwork, books, and binders were scattered everywhere, but no one was inside.

“Empty,” I called as I headed into the main workroom and whipped off the sweater I’d worn to hide my wings. I fluttered a few feet off the floor for a better view.

“Tal? You here?” Phoebe called out. I held my breath, but there wasn’t an answer.

The lab was set up with four rows of workstations. Phoebe pointed to the one closest to the windows. “You start there.” Then she nodded to the row in front of her. “I’ll check this one out. We’ll meet in the middle.”

I nodded, thrusting my wings. A sense of control washed over me. Flying always gave me strength.

Ambient light filtered through the windows, bouncing off the white countertops. In sharp contrast to the office, everything gleamed, not a beaker out of place. Had Talisen been somewhere else when I’d called?

“Anything?” I asked Phoebe, who was moving slower, more meticulously, than I was. She was looking for clues. I was looking for Talisen.

“Not yet.” She bent down, her head disappearing behind the counter, and I thought I heard her mutter something to herself.

Frowning, I rounded the corner and worked my way through the next row, and then the next, my wings fluttering faster and more frantically with each stroke. “He’s not in here.” A physical pain tore through my chest with the realization.

She popped up from where she’d been crouching down. “I’ve found something.”

I froze, my mind racing. “What?”

Her eyes went soft with pity.

“Phoebs? What is it?” I’d forgotten to keep myself elevated. My feet touched the floor and I started to run. When I got to her side, she held me back.

“It’s nothing conclusive. He may have accidentally cut himself.”

I glanced at the cabinet and my stomach rolled. Blood was smeared across the white doors. The thick crimson fluid had dripped down to form a small pool on the tile. This was no small cut. I reached out to touch it, but she grabbed my hand.

“No, Wil. It’s evidence.”

“But I’ll be able to tell if it’s his.” My tone was low, tormented, filled with anguish. Just one touch and I’d know for sure. Pure frustration had me clenching my fists as I glared at Phoebe for standing in my way.

She held her hand up, pulled out her phone, and tapped a message. Then she hit another button and pressed the phone to her ear. “I need an investigation team.…Yes.…Suspected fae attack.”