I let my eyes flutter closed. “No. That’s only when the other power overcomes me. You know, I vaguely remember that happening with the fire when I first learned to use it. Well, not like that, but I remember feeling the fire rage through me, and having the uncontrollable desire to burn everything down. Just burn it all down. I just remembered that when I was wrestling with my magic earlier. My mom had a way of talking me through it. I can’t remember how, though. I was never in my right mind.”
“We will figure it out.” Darius zipped past the office building. The security guard, who hadn’t moved much since we’d walked past earlier, blinked in our direction. He didn’t even unhook his thumbs from his belt.
“How are you on blood?” I asked, then wanted toknife myself. “I didn’t mean to ask that.”
“I do not need blood, but I long to revel in your body. Stay with me today.”
Nowas on the tip of my tongue, but it wouldn’t exit my mouth. I’d spent so much time fighting to keep from losing myself to the demon, to that cold power, that I didn’t have any energy left to fight the allure of the vampire. I didn’t even want to.
He set me down next to the car and opened the door before handing me into the seat. He filled the driver’s seat a moment later, and then we were on our way.
“They’ll notice the car rolling through,” I said as I put on my seatbelt.
“By the time they check it out, we’ll be gone.”
It turned out we were both right. The guard started as we drove along the road, moving much faster than the posted speed limit, but no one had shown up by the time we’d loaded up the mages.
“Why’d you put up a more intensive invisibility spell?” I asked in confusion as Darius turned back to the road. We’d forgotten about Penny’s car.Oops.
“Penny’s magical fire wouldn’t have burned much of that place before someone noticed the fire.” Callie massaged her thighs.
“It seemed a lot stronger before I saw Reagan’s fire. I’d love to speak with your cousin, Reagan,” Penny said.
We passed a security truck, and the driver slammed on his brakes when we zoomed by.
“He’s a recluse,” I said, rubbing my eyes. “He lives in a shack in the woods. I only see him once every so often. He just randomly sends me spells to try out.”
“Maybe the next time you get some, you could let me know?” she asked hopefully.
“Yeah, sure. If I do. Who knows, he might be dead.”
A grin curled Darius’s lips as he pulled into the employee parking lot.
We said thanks and goodbye to Penny (and Callie and Dizzy promised they’d call her) before pulling away. She got into her car and pulled out behind us so quickly that one might’ve thought she was a vampire herself. Clearly she didn’t want to get caught by the security guard who was patrolling around, looking for us.
“Give me a moment,” Darius said as the security truck pulled across the road in front of us.
I watched in vague fascination as Darius exited the car, put on the jets, ripped the door of the security truck open, and bit the driver. That hot jab of emotion pierced my chest, and I looked away. This was getting out of hand.
When he entered the car a moment later, his eyes lingered on my face.
“What’s up?” I asked, not meeting his stare.
“I saw your expression just now. You are losing the battle, as I have. You are realizing thatforeverbetween us would be the unbreakable bond humans speak of, but could never fully understand.”
“No,” I said, and crossed my arms. Why did he turn me into a juvenile with my responses?
“I don’t like the sound of that, young lady.” Callie leaned toward us.
“I was only wondering why you bit him instead of just knocking him out,” I said, trying to dig myself out of this sudden hole I’d found myself in. Callie and Dizzy would find a way to kill Darius if they thought my mind was lost to him.
“This will be a positive experience he won’t quite believe,” Darius responded. “He will be less likely to share news of it.”
“We should get going before someone else comes,” Dizzy said, peering out his window. “I hope there aren’t any cameras. You didn’t kill him, did you, Darius?”
“I didn’t, no.” Darius’s gaze lingered on mine for a moment longer before he turned back to the wheel.
The rideback to the hotel was quiet as everyone decompressed. Darius parked out front and helped Dizzy and Callie out of the car before holding out his arm for me. He didn’t insist on carrying me, thankfully, even though I leaned heavily on him. When walkingthrough the lobby, a dapper-looking man in a tailored suit glided up to us.
