Irresistible Magic (39 page)

Frowning, I glanced away. I wasn’t at all sure he would. It was classic Talisen to walk away when things became too complicated, and that’s exactly what he’d done. Mom moved to my other arm. The gel wasn’t doing much for the bruising, but it was taking the pain away and that was good enough for now. “I thought you were supposed to be hiding out with Allcot?”

“I was.” She peeled back my covers and coated my bare calves. “One of Eadric’s contacts spotted Asher at the airport. He got on a plane headed to Argentina. Eadric had someone follow him. Asher is now in Rio. And as far as anyone can tell, all his people have been apprehended. Everyone is safe for now.”

A weight seemed to lift off my heart.
Safe for now.
“Does that mean life will be back to normal for a while?”

“That’s what it looks like.”

I stared up at the lush green leaves of my oak. “You’ve been here almost a week. When do you have to go back?” There was a tremor in my voice I couldn’t quite ignore.

Mom reached over and smoothed a lock of hair behind my ear. “Not until I’m sure you’re okay, sweetie.”

The unexpected tenderness in her tone made my eyes well with tears. “I’ve missed you,” I choked out.

Mom chuckled. “You spent the summer with me. You can’t miss me that much.”

I caught her worried gaze and wondered if she was thinking of my physical or mental state. “I meant I miss this interaction. This honesty. It seems…Well, since Beau, it’s been too hard to talk.”

Mom’s eyes misted and she pulled me into a gentle hug. “You’re right, baby. It has been hard. But I’m here for you for as long as you need. I can stay. I just have to make a few arrangements back home.”

She’d have to get someone to run her nursery. And we both knew that person was likely Talisen. He’d do it, no matter how upset he was with me. “Just for a little while?”

“However long it takes,” Mom said. “I’ll make the arrangements tomorrow.”

Chapter 30

By three o’clock the next day, I was exhausted. I pushed up my long sleeves, no longer caring if any of my employees noticed my bruises, and stood next to the air-conditioner vent in my office. Between the healing ointment and my oak, the pain had all but vanished, but my bruises hadn’t gone anywhere.

Link raised his head from his place on the floor and let out a low whine.

“I know, buddy.” He was still stuck with the cone of shame. “If you wouldn’t chew on your stitches, I could let you out of that thing.”

He lowered his head, the cone resting between his paws.

I sat down next to him. “Aren’t we a pathetic pair?”

He stared up at me with his amber puppy-dog eyes. His silky hair slipped through my fingers as I pet him.

I was getting ready to head back to my lab when my phone buzzed with a text message. I’d been careful to keep it charged just in case I heard from Talisen. I grabbed the phone and my heart skipped a beat. It
was
from Tal.

I’m sorry.

How was I supposed to answer that? And what exactly was he sorry for? Leaving? Hurting me? Or that our short-lived romance hadn’t worked out?

I stared at the readout for a long moment, then typed
Me, too
.

The minutes ticked by. No response. After a half hour passed, I scowled in disgust.
I’m sorry
? That was it? I wasn’t doing the text message thing again. I’d had my fill after the Dear Jane text I’d gotten from David last spring. In total frustration, I touched Tal’s number and waited for him to pick up.

Voice mail. Dammit.

I sucked in a breath. “Tal, it’s Willow. Although I was glad to get your text, I think we need to talk. Please call when you’re ready.” I hit End and slumped down.

At the mention of Tal’s name, Link lifted his head and was now looking at me expectantly.

“Sorry, dude. He abandoned us both.”

The office started to close in around me. My chest started to burn as if I couldn’t get enough oxygen. The message from Tal had only reopened the wound I’d been nursing since the day he’d left. Silence would’ve been less cruel. “We’ve gotta go.” I grabbed Link and without letting Tami know, we burst out of my private entrance.

Ten minutes later, we were curled up in my bed under the oak. I took Link’s cone off, and clutching my silent phone, I snuggled against his small body. Sadness overwhelmed me, but my eyes stayed dry. All I felt was a sense of loneliness and despair. Tal wasn’t coming back. He couldn’t even bring himself to talk to me. And even if he did, I wasn’t sure I could forgive the fact that he’d run after everything that had happened. He hadn’t even given me a chance to explain. There was no way I would’ve left him. Our relationship had ended before it had really even started. The worst part, the part that made my heart hurt the most, was that he was my best friend. And I was positive I’d just lost him.

Link pressed his little body closer to mine. I buried my face in his silky fur and closed my eyes. I focused on the darkness and prayed for oblivion. It wasn’t long before I was pulled under.

***

“Willow?”

“Hmm?” I rolled over, wincing at the ache in my crooked neck. Link shifted and he vibrated with a low growl.

“It’s time to go. We have to be at the Arcane in less than fifteen minutes.”

I placed a hand on Link. “Shh, it’s okay, Link. It’s just David.”
David?
What was he doing here? I jerked up into a sitting position and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. “What’s going on? How…? I mean why…?”

David grinned at me. “You’re really out of it.”

“I was asleep.”

“I can see that.” He held out a hand. “Let me help you down.”

Tentatively, I took his hand. “What are you doing here?”

“Picking you up.” He pulled me into his arms. “After yesterday, I figured it would be easier if I drove you. That way you won’t have to worry about driving home, no matter what tests they run.” He set me down on my feet and I felt myself smile.

“That was thoughtful.”

His midnight-blue eyes softened, but he didn’t say anything.

I glanced at the clock. “Give me five minutes to get Link situated and I’ll be right down.”

David nodded and retreated down the stairs. How had he gotten in? If Phoebe was home, she would’ve come to wake me up. I decided it didn’t matter. I trusted David and his presence seemed to fill the emptiness inside me.

“Just a few more days,” I told Link as I fastened the cone around his head. “Then your tail will be all fixed up.” He whimpered and curled up at the foot of the oak tree.

He looked so pathetic I picked him up and flew him to the bed. Then I pushed the button so the makeshift elevator was ready should he need to climb down. I kissed his neck and promised I’d be home soon. Downstairs, David was waiting for me near the front door.

“Thank you,” I said.

“Anytime.” His eyes lit with humor and my cheeks warmed. If he didn’t stop doing nice things for me, I was going to owe him my firstborn.

***

Over the next two weeks, we fell into the same pattern. I worked in the morning at The Fated Cupcake, came home to take a nap, and then went with David to the Arcane building. Every night I came home bruised, pricked, and utterly battered. The first week Mom had come to check on me each night, bringing the magic ointment. Between the hibiscus cupcakes I’d concocted and the ointment, I was healing well enough. A certified healer still would’ve been much faster and far more efficient, but my routine was working for me.

Except for the night the Void decided it was time to test what would happen if a vampire fed from me. In my weakened condition, I hadn’t lasted more than a few moments once the vampire broke skin. I’d passed out almost immediately.

This particular night, David had been scheduled to feed right after the other vamp, so he’d been in the room. And when I woke up, I’d never heard him sound so angry.

“Look at what you’re doing to her,” he said, seething. “Do you ever deem it necessary to check on her health?”

“David,” I said weakly, holding a palm to my neck. Blood was trickling down my neck from Zac’s bite.

He wrapped his arm over my shoulders and pulled me close. “What do you need?”

“Sleep.” I hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in over two weeks. Not since before we’d started the testing.

“Then let’s go.” He tugged me toward the door, despite the fact we still had two hours scheduled that evening.

“Mr. Laveaux, may I remind you of the contract?” the director said.

“You can remind me of anything you damned well please. But nothing is going to stop me from taking her to bed.”

My cheeks burned. I knew what he meant, but everyone else was already speculating the status of our relationship. His statement had added a lot more fuel to the fire.

“She needs to recover before you do anything else,” David continued. And damned if they didn’t all back down.

“Let’s go.” David tugged me close but didn’t pick me up, much to my relief. I was weak enough and he was already casting me as a damsel in distress. It wasn’t exactly the image I wanted to convey to my colleagues. “She’s taking a few days off,” David said.

The director eyed us both and I was sure by the hard set of her face she was going to argue. But then she gave us a short nod. “Fine. It’s Wednesday today. Take the next two days and the weekend. We’ll resume on Monday.”

“Really?” I said, not daring to hope she was serious.

“Yes, we need to start compiling results anyway.”

“Thank you.” I leaned into David for support as he guided me toward the door.

The early-October night air was cool on my skin and I shivered. David ran his hand down my arm as if to warm me. I laughed and smiled up at him. “You’re a vampire.”

“So?”

“You don’t have any body heat.”

He chuckled, then his lips morphed into a devilish grin. “I’m pretty sure I could heat you up if I put my mind to it.”

“I can’t believe you’re flirting with me when I’m an inch away from passing out again.” My tone was teasing, but my heart skipped a beat. Dammit, if I didn’t enjoy the exchange.

He slid his hand to rest on my hip. “Just trying to keep you awake.”

His words warmed me all over. The blood loss must’ve messed with my common sense. Yeah. That was it.

He tucked me into his silver Mercedes, and once I was sitting, my entire body went limp. I slumped against the window and closed my eyes.

The other door shut with a soft click. “Willow?”

“Hmm?”

David reached over and squeezed my hand. “You okay?”

“Just tired.” I was exhausted. Physically. Mentally. Emotionally. Between the lab tests and running The Fated Cupcake, my mind and body had turned to mush. But added to that, I’d stayed glued to my iPhone, waiting and praying for a phone call from Talisen. Other than the one text, I hadn’t heard from him at all. He’d never returned my call.

I couldn’t even say I was mad. Not anymore. No, I was hurt and resigned. My life was too much for him to handle. Or more likely, the decisions I’d made regarding David and Allcot were too much for him to handle. And the thing was, I didn’t feel guilt or regret over saving either of them. I’d do it again with no second thoughts. For David. Sure, he was a vampire. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t a good man. One who would do whatever it took to protect those he loved, including me. And he’d been there for me when no one else was. In fact he was here for me now, when Tal wasn’t.

Why did he have to turn vamp? Right. To protect me. Suddenly I didn’t care that he’d turned. All that mattered was that he was my friend. And I was his.

“Wake up, sleepyhead,” David said.

My eyes popped open. Lights glowed from the living room windows of my house. “Looks like Phoebe’s home already.”

David jumped out of the car, and like always, he came around and pulled my door open for me. I wobbled as I climbed out.

“Steady there,” he said, holding my hand.

“I’ve got it.”

He stepped back, giving me my space.