“As fun as that sounds, I’ll have to take a rain check. I’ve got places to be and people to see. None of whom include you.”
His nostrils flared like an angry bull about to charge, and he shook his head then kept right on shaking it.
“No, I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying right here until you remove this.”
That could be a problem. I didn’t want him lingering in my apartment while I took on the rest of the supernatural world. Being worried about what traps or charms he was planting while I questioned witches was not how I wanted this evening to go.
“You’re not staying here,” I told him.
He lifted his chin. “I am. I’m not moving until you give me what I want.”
“This isn’t a demonstration. It’s not a tree you can hook yourself to protest the unfairness of the world. This is my home and if I say you’re not staying, you’re not staying.”
“Try and make me.”
What was he? A child? Oh, I forgot. He was a grown man in a teenager’s body. Perhaps his mind had reverted to the age of his body. That might explain this little game of his.
He smirked at me, confident that I was out of options.
My eyes narrowed; I smirked back.
He’d picked the wrong opponent. My sister would attest to that. I was the queen of bad decisions when someone tweaked my tail on my own territory.
I advanced on him, his smile disappearing quickly.
Heh, heh. Want to pull this stuff in my house when he didn’t have access to his power? We’d just see who came out on top.
He backed away. “What are you doing? Stop.”
Not so tough without those powers. No lightning bolts to send blistering pain down all of my nerve endings. No green lights to nip at me when I didn’t do what he wanted.
“I’m warning you.”
He jumped over the coffee table, putting it between the two of us. I walked one way and he walked the other. I switched back and he circled in the opposite direction.
What were we? Children playing ring around the rosy? Enough of this.
I stepped up and over, grabbing him by the arm before he could run. I hauled him to the door with him batting at me and struggling to get away. For a big bad sorcerer, he wasn’t overly good at the physical stuff. It was kind of refreshing to be the one with all the strength for once. Usually I was so outclassed in terms of power both magical and physical.
He jerked hard, ripping his arm out of my hold. “Alright, I get it. What’s your big rush anyway?”
“I told you, I have places to be and people to see.”
He got a crafty look on his face. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with those spooks going missing all over the city.”
“What makes you say that?”
He shrugged. “Your penchant with involving yourself in trouble.”
I narrowed my eyes. “I recall last time that trouble could be laid right at your door.”
“You would have gotten involved anyway. I just sped up the process.”
Sped up the process? He’s the reason I almost got eaten by a dead man, not to mention he was the driving force behind the vampires finding out about my existence. If not for him, I wouldn’t be in my current predicament of having to locate an heir for my sire to turn. I was guessing at my sire’s goal but it was an educated guess.
“Let me thank you for that kindness.” I flicked his ear.
“Ow.” He covered the abused ear. “What was that for?”
