Irresistible Magic (19 page)

David’s two-story Victorian sat in the middle of three recently cleared lots. His house was smack in the middle of Mid-City, a section of New Orleans that had been hit pretty hard by hurricane Katrina. Shortly after the storm, vampires had taken over the area, buying up multiple lots and building on only one to ensure privacy.

No lights were on and the place had an eerie, deserted feel to it. The one and only time I’d been inside, he’d said he hadn’t been there in over a week. Did he really spend most of his time at Allcot’s mansion? There were a lot of pretty vamps there. An unexpected dart of jealousy sparked in my chest. Dammit, not that again. I tamped down the emotion. This was purely business.

David pulled the car into the carport at the back of the house. “Wait here. I’ll do a sweep to be sure the area is clean.”

I sat back and closed my eyes. “Okay.”

Link stood on my lap, his ears pitched forward, on high alert. “Hear anything, buddy?”

His eyes tracked David’s path, then after a moment he relaxed and settled against me.

“Guess not.” His reaction was good enough for me. Without waiting for David, I pushed the door open and headed for the back door.

David caught up to me on the porch. “What happened to waiting for me in the car?” he asked with an air of irritation.

“I’m not helpless, David,” I snapped. “There’s a reason Link goes everywhere with me.” I waved a hand at my dog, who was sitting peacefully at my feet. “He has very good hearing.”

He glanced at Link, who would be in full-on wolf form if there was anything remotely resembling a threat, and inclined his head in acknowledgment. “Fair enough.”

Once inside, I headed through the kitchen, down the hall, and into his book-lined study. David followed me and paused in the doorway.

I sat at his desk and lifted the cover of his laptop. “Do you mind? I want to do a reverse phone number check on the local numbers in Tal’s phone.”

Walking toward me, he shook his head slowly. “You’ll probably want something a little more powerful than a straight Internet search.”

I quirked an eyebrow.

He smiled and I stiffened. Were those…? Oh crap. His vamp fangs were poking out.

David took a step back. “What’s wrong?”

I clutched the base of my neck, unconsciously covering my exposed skin. “Uh…nothing. I was wondering if you’d eaten recently.”

His brow furrowed, then recognition dawned in his eyes as his tongue ran along the edge of his teeth. “Shit,” he mumbled. “Sorry, it’s been a few days, but nothing I can’t handle.” He clamped his mouth shut and reached over me to grab the laptop. A few keystrokes later, he put it back on the desk. “Try this site.”

The banner read
Investigation Services after Dark
.

“A supernatural investigation agency?” I tried my best to not stare at his lips and the teeth that were poking out again.

He nodded. “They have access to private information you won’t find doing a simple search. Put in however much information you have and they’ll get back to you within fifteen minutes with what they know. If the information looks promising, upon your request they’ll search deeper.”

“And they’re on Allcot’s payroll?”

David sighed at the accusation in my tone. “Yes. They have a contract with Cryrique.”

I shook my head. “How can I trust them as a source if they’re likely to filter information?” Everyone knew anyone who worked for Cryrique stayed loyal to Cryrique. Whoever ran this investigation service wouldn’t reveal anything that would be considered sensitive information concerning the vamp organization.

“Dammit, Willow!” David snagged the computer, logged on to the investigation website, and started typing. “First of all, Father isn’t involved with your friend’s abduction. There isn’t anything to hide. Second, I’m logging you into my account. Send him whatever you want and I guarantee you’ll get unfiltered results.” He shoved the laptop back in my direction and then stalked toward the door. He paused, glancing back at me. Those tiny fangs were peeking out again and his eyes smoldered with something resembling dark desire.

Everything about him right at the moment unsettled me, and my wings trembled with nervous energy. “What do you want from me?”

“You could try trusting me again.”

He disappeared so fast I didn’t even see him move. I only heard the soft click of the door closing. My heart started to race. I wasn’t sure I could ever give him what he asked for. Yet, here he was, trying to protect me and was giving me the tools to find another man and bring him home safely. I could try to be more grateful. It wasn’t his fault all of this was happening.

Ugh! Why the hell had he chosen to turn vamp? It didn’t make any sense to me. He was still the same person he had been, only now he had a hardness, an edge, he hadn’t had before. The gentle sweetness was no longer on the surface, though it was still there, buried under his marbled persona. And the complete trust I’d had in him was gone. My heart said one thing while my brain screamed run. Run as far and as fast as possible. But to where? The Void? My mother? No. The Void couldn’t be trusted either. And my mother was already under Allcot’s protection. That left Phoebe, and she was already knee-deep in the middle of this nightmare. Where was she right now? Tracking down Tal’s professor? Did she have a lead? She didn’t know my phone was dead and I couldn’t call her for fear her phone had been bugged.

She’d find me when she had news. I was sure of it. There was nothing to do but track Tal’s contacts. I fished his phone out and scrolled through his numbers again. After carefully relaying the phone numbers and names, I submitted the information to David’s investigator.

Less than ten minutes later, the laptop pinged with a message.

Elissa Meyers—Graduate Student—twenty-three. The message listed a last known address.

Wolfman—Phone registered to one William O’Conner. Included were his last two known addresses.

I tapped out a message asking for a more in-depth investigation, marking it Urgent—Top Priority.

“Link, let’s go.” I snapped my fingers and went in search of David. The house was decorated with a mix of eighteenth-century antiques and tasteful modern furniture. Despite the warmth of the Southern landscape paintings and the soft lighting, the place seemed cold, empty. More like a museum. There was no real life in the gorgeous house. The emptiness took up residence in my soul and made me shiver.

I searched the entire house for David until the last place left to look was the master bedroom. Knocking on the partially open door, I pushed it open to find him crossing the room, shirtless. “David?”

He paused, his dark blue eyes piercing me with his intense stare. “What are you doing in here?”

My mouth went dry at the sight of his plum-red chest. I forced a swallow. “Your chest is worse. How did that happen?”

He glanced down at himself and scowled. “It’s not worse. I took a scalding shower.” He turned his equally burnt back to me and disappeared into his closet.

My fists clenched into tight balls. He was lying. His hair wasn’t damp. There wasn’t any gleam of water droplets. Not to mention his defensive attitude didn’t make any sense. What in the world was going on?

Something must have gone wrong with the transformation into a daywalker and he didn’t want to tell me. But why?

David reappeared, wearing a long-sleeved Henley shirt, all evidence of his affliction covered.

“What’s going on? Your skin isn’t normal. Please, David. If something went wrong with the transformation, we have to figure out a way to fix it.”

His face went blank. “The transformation?”

I huffed. “To daywalker. Your skin…it’s not right. Something’s wrong. When did this start? Maybe you should eat.” My muscles tensed at the suggestion. The one and only time a vamp had drank from me, it had been like fire in my veins. I would not be the sacrificial blood donor. There were licensed human donors he could use if need be.

“Nothing’s wrong. I told you, I spent too much time in the sun. I’m sure my skin will heal the next time I sleep. And I’m not hungry.” But his eyes stayed glued to my neck.

“Don’t worry about my delicate sensibilities,” I said sarcastically. “We can stop at Katrina’s on the way.”

His eyebrows shot up. “The blood bar?”

“Yes, the blood bar. You don’t think I’m going to feed you, do you?”

He started to chuckle, but the action quickly turned into outright laughter.

I placed my balled fists on my hips and glared. “What’s so funny?”

“You.” He cast an appreciative glance down my body, making me even more irritated. “The last thing I’d ever expect is for you to play the role of donor. Come on, Wil. You have to realize I know you better than that.”

I stepped back, feeling foolish. “Of course you do.”

“Besides, I already told you I don’t need to eat.”

Exasperated, I shook my head in disbelief. “Don’t you think it might help you heal faster?”

“It might. But I’m fine. Stop worrying. Now, where do you think we’re going?”

“Uptown.” I waved a piece of paper containing the addresses of Elissa Meyers and William O’Conner. “Tal’s contacts. We need to find out if they have the elixir.”

He shoved his hands in his jeans pockets, which I’d come to recognize as a universal sign of opposition in the entire male population. “I’ll contact Harrison. He can check them out.”

I rolled my eyes and stalked out.

David followed, not saying a word until I entered the kitchen and headed for the back door. “What are you doing?”

“Going to check on these leads. We have about fourteen hours. I’m not wasting one more minute.”

Link, sensing my urgency, shifted into wolf form. Once I had the door open, he lunged outside. “You’re welcome to join us. Otherwise, we’ll meet you back here.”

David crossed the room and wrapped his hand around the edge of the door. “How do you think you’re going to get there?”

I plucked his spare keys from where they hung on the wall. Holding them up, I smiled.

He pursed his lips and nodded. “I see.”

His apparent acceptance made me nervous. This wasn’t how David usually operated. He was much more brooding and bossy.

“That’s it? You’re not going to try to stop me?”

“No.”

“Okay then.” I turned to go, but the door slammed closed and David backed me up against the door, trapping me in place. “Hey!” I yelped. “You just said you weren’t going to try to stop me.”

“This isn’t me trying.” His voice was low and gravelly as he leaned in, his cool breath tickling my ear. “I get that you want to do everything possible to help your friend, but we both know he wouldn’t want you to do anything to put yourself in danger on his behalf.”

I turned my head and glared. “You’re not doing this because of what Tal wants.”

“No,” he said roughly. “I’m doing this to protect you. I don’t really give a damn what your friend would want. But you do.”

I placed both hands on his chest and pushed him with everything I had. Surprised, he stumbled back, but quickly found his footing and once again pressed his palms to the door, using his frame to trap me within.

“I’m not your prisoner,” I spat. Hot anger rushed to my head. How dare he treat me as if I was one of his minions? “Back up. Now, David.”

“Or what?”

“Or whatever this is”—I waved a hand, indicating the two of us—“this partnership or questionable friendship, is over. I don’t take orders from you. Or Allcot.”

He straightened and stepped back, giving me the space I needed. “Questionable friendship?”

The flash of vulnerability in his eyes was so slight I almost missed it. It moved a tiny piece of me. I took a deep breath. “Look, I appreciate your help and all Allcot has done for Carrie and Beau, but I don’t appreciate the orders. I can make my own decisions. And right now, my decision is to do anything in my power to help Tal. Either you’re with me or you’re not.”

A howl came from the other side of the door, followed by scratching. Link had lost his patience. I raised an eyebrow in question. “What’s it going to be, Laveaux?”

Silence stretched between us. It was only when Link howled again that David spoke. “My apologies, Ms. Rhoswen. Of course I’ll help in any way I can as long as your wolf calms down.”

Pleased I’d finally won an argument with him, I grinned and twisted the knob. Pulling the heavy door open, I said, “Cool it, Link. We’re coming.”

David followed me out, and while Link had stopped howling, it didn’t stop him from snarling in David’s direction. I had to stifle a laugh. It’s not like he didn’t deserve it with his latest display if dominance.

“Call off your wolf,” David said evenly, clearly trying to keep from having an altercation.

I snapped my fingers. “Link, stop.”

He snarled one last time before falling in step beside me. That was Link. He was feeding off my emotions. And while David and I had called a truce, I was still more than irritated at his behavior. I swallowed the frustration and forced myself to remain levelheaded. We had research to do.

Chapter 15