Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble Page 9

  “Who invited you?”

  “Your friend Bella,” I snapped. The purple edges of his aura flared up at the mention of Bella.

  “Bollocks!”

  I hadn’t imagined he’d be thrilled to see me, but this apparent disinterest hurt. “You don’t have to babysit me, Rand; you can go off and do whatever it was you were doing. I realize you didn’t invite me, but I was invited all the same.”

  His expression softened. “I didn’t mean to sound as if I’m not happy to see you, Jolie. I am. But I’m worried about your being here. Bella invited you, so everyone would know who you are.”

  I shifted, scanning the crowd. “Why would she care if everyone knows who I am?”

  He stepped closer to me, blocking the crowd from view. “To ensure you won’t be able to return to your normal life. If you’re known in this society, your powers will be known. Well, for all practical purposes, they already are. News of your reanimating Jack spread like wildfire. I made a deal with Bella so you could go about living your life, and now I find you in the middle of the lion’s den.”

  “A deal with Bella?” I asked, wishing someone would sit me down and fill me in.

  Rand sighed as if the story would be a long one, but he must’ve known I’d demand answers. Grabbing my hand, he led me down a hallway into a bedroom. He closed the door behind me and motioned for me to take a seat on the bed. My thoughts immediately turned to our near kiss and I blushed like an idiot.

  Rand didn’t seem to notice. He paced the room, his hands on his hips. “I hoped I could spare you from all of this, but it appears that’s not possible now. Bella…”

  “Wants to unite all otherworldly creatures, and so far she’s just succeeded with the vampires.”

  He nodded. “I see that bloody bastard Sinjin discussed it with you. Yes, that’s so. Anyway, it’s Bella’s wish to unite all the non-human species.”

  “Why?” I interrupted.

  He cupped his hands behind his head and exhaled. “It’s a good plan in theory. There’s too much warring between the legions—that is the vampires kill the weres and the weres kill the fairies, and so on. Bella believes we would be much more powerful if we…”

  “Could all just get along?” I inted, regretting the cliché and overused statement, but it just seemed to fit. “But for what purpose?”

  Rand sighed and stopped in front of me. “Do you recall when I told you witches and warlocks are a dying breed?”

  I nodded as he continued.

  “About three centuries ago, a group of humans discovered a band of vampires and witches in the woods of Gratz, Austria. The humans attempted to escape, but the vampires defeated and fed on them, leaving them for dead. But some of them weren’t dead and they survived the attack.”

  “Did they turn into vampires?” I interrupted.

  “Not exactly. It’s not possible to turn into a vampire unless you drink the blood of a vampire at the same time he drinks your blood. Anyway, somehow vampire blood did make its way into some of the humans and although it wasn’t enough to turn them into vampires, it gave them extra strength and the quickness of a vampire. They became what we call Lurkers, humans who seek to destroy all otherworldly creatures. And their population has increased over the years. Now, they’re the biggest threat to our existence.”

  And my existence. The thought wasn’t a pleasant one.

  “So, Bella wants to unionize to defeat these humans? What’s so wrong with that?”

  “In theory, it’s all fine and good, but Bella is not the ideal candidate to lead such an effort. She’s out for herself and would take advantage of the position it would put her in.”

  I nodded, feeling the situation was finally making sense. “So, how do I figure in this?”

  “She wants to give everyone reason to join her. You’re that perfect reason.”

  Well crap and a half, this couldn’t be good. “Why?”

  He shook his head, annoyed I wasn’t following him. “There wouldn’t be any bad blood between the creatures if you can bring back all their dead. In a way, we’d all start from scratch again, no harm done. That and it replenishes the union. No beings would ever need to die.”

  “Strength in numbers.”

  “Yes, so when news spread of Jack, I went to Bella, and I made an agreement with her. She was to leave you alone. I told her you weren’t as strong as I’d thought and that I did the majority of the reanimation myself. Clearly, she didn’t believe me.”

  My shoulders slumped, and I stared straight ahead, looking at everything, but seeing nothing. “So, that’s why Bella invited me to this party?”

  “Yes, she wants to announce that you’re now working for her.”

  My mind spun like a roulette wheel, and I wished I’d never agreed to come here. “Are you on her team?”

  He shook his head. “No, I haven’t yet agreed to anything. I was quite surprised to receive the invitation here tonight. I can only surmise Bella wanted to show me how many have alreadyjoined her ranks to entice me to her side.”

  “I see.”

  “Having you here tonight was much more important to her than having me join her legion, though. You’re the newest and most valuable addition to the unionizing efforts. And now that you’ve shown your face, you can’t return to your old life.” There was a finite sadness to his voice.

  I couldn’t bridge the idea that my being here wouldn’t allow me to return to my former life. “I’m not a prisoner. I can just walk away and go back home.”

  His smirk wasn’t an encouraging one. “And she would come for you. An ability like yours won’t be ignored.”

  Clearly, he was upset, and I still didn’t know enough of why he was upset to be truly upset myself. “You said to Sinjin that I was just a new witch.”

  He shook his head and stepped back. “He knows I was trying to protect you. This couldn’t have been any worse. I’m going to have words with Bella.”

  “Well I could decline the offer.”

  He laughed as he shook his head. “You don’t understand, Jolie, you have no choice. Our society isn’t like yours. There’s no freedom of choice or democracy. And now if you don’t have a protector, you’ll be forced to join her union.”

  I had no idea what he was talking about. God, it sounded like the mob or something. “A protector?”

  He sat next to me, which was a relief because I was getting tired of watching him pace. “There are rules in this society, Jolie. Rules I haven’t explained to you and hoped I wouldn’t have to. I wanted you to return to your old life until you could decide if you wanted to give it up for this one. Now, it seems the choice has been made for you.”

  “I don’t understand,” I said, my voice so thick, it barely made it out of my mouth.

  “If you don’t have a protector in this society, then you have no one to champion you. You’d be forced to join ranks with Bella.”

  Forced? This was sounding worse and worse. “How does a protector, as you call it, make any difference?”

  He stood and started pacing again. “If you have an employer, or a protector, then you’re safe. Bella wouldn’t be able to force you into her union if someone else has already unionized you. If she wanted you for a particular job, she’d have to go through your employer.”

  This made a little more sense, but I didn’t understand how an employer, as he called it, had anything to do with it. “So, just for the sake of argument, why would it be so bad for Bella to be my protector, since she wants to do so?”

  “She’s a greedy, selfish bitch.” He paused and ran an agitated hand through his hair. “I didn’t want to tell you because it’s so horrible…”

  My heart forgot to beat for a few seconds. “Go on.”

  “Once I retured Jack to Bella, and she realized she’d now have to assume responsibility for her father, she killed him on the spot.”

  “She did what?!”

  “She would kill you as soon as look at you.”

  My stomach churned as if I�
��d swallowed a gallon of sour milk. How anyone could kill her own father was beyond me. Okay, so working for Bella was not an option. “Why couldn’t I just say I’m working for you?”

  He shrugged and didn’t quite meet my eyes. “I’ve always been on my own, I’ve never been protected by anyone, nor have I ever offered protection. I’m not certain I’d be the best alternative. I’ve not agreed to join Bella, but I’m not enough of a threat yet for her to try to convince me.”

  “If you aren’t protected then how come no one comes for you?”

  “I’m very powerful, and it would be no easy feat to get me to bend to someone’s will. I answer to no one.”

  To some his comment may have sounded arrogant, but there was no conceit in his gaze, just honesty. And I believed him. But powerful warlock or not, it was his fault I was in this mess in the first place. So he hadn’t invited me to this party, but he’d invited the attention of other people who might wish me harm. As far as I was concerned, he was the first wrongdoer in this tangled web.

  “I’m sorry about all this, Jolie,” he said, as if sensing my thoughts.

  I stood and started for the door, needing to escape. Rand was at my side instantly. “Can we leave?” I asked, my lips tight.

  He nodded and opened the door when Bella, dressed as Cleopatra, appeared in the doorway. I stepped back, right into Rand’s hard chest. He sidestepped me and let’s just say I was glad I wasn’t Bella with the look he gave her. Something cross between wishing her dead and wanting to do the deed himself.

  “Well isn’t this the warm little reunion?” she asked while looping her arm through Rand’s. He straightened, clearly uncomfortable. I couldn’t understand why he didn’t just shrug free of her. Rand didn’t take crap from anyone... right? Something was up.

  “I’ll have words with you later,” he whispered to her.

  She just smiled and swept her eyes over me, making me feel as if I were withering in her stringent gaze. It was at that moment that I realized I hated her. Not so much for forcing me into a life I was in no way prepared for, but for her smugness. And for the way she threaded her arm through Rand’s—that burned me like all the fires of hell.

  “I’m glad you came to my little party, Jolie. You were my honored guest, you know?”

  I was done with pleasantries. “Your honored guest? I haven’t heard it described like that. In fact, I’d more accurately describe it as your honored prisoner.”

  She laughed and with a wave of her braceleted wrist, threw aside my anger as if it were day old bread. “Yes, the party was in honor of you. It would’ve been such a shame had you not shown up. But, alas, I thought our handsome pirate here might cause you to reconsider.” She patted Rand’s expansive chest.

  I blushed at the insolence of the comment and dropped my gaze. She’d known all along I’d come. I felt so naive—so stupid. I’d fallen for her plan as pretty as you please. All it required was Rand as the bait. My injured pride rebelled against the stupidity of my blind desire, which had gotten me into this problem in the first place. Life was so much easier when all you had to worry about was your cat.

  “You had no right inviting her here, Bella,” Rand said between tight lips.

  She trailed her fingers down his chest, and a new wave of anger visited me. Why did he allow her to touch him? Why didn’t he pull away from her? Clearly, he hated her—it was written all over his face.

  “Oh, I had every right, Rand. She wasn’t under anyone’s protection so I wanted to graciously extend my own.”

  Rand stepped away from Bella, his aura looking like it would attack her if he didn’t. Then it dawned on me that he must’ve been trying to preserve the truce between them.

  “That’s where you’re wrong, Bella, she’s agreed to be under my protection.”

  I tried to keep the shock from my face. Wasn’t he just saying he worked alone? I didn’t get a chance to ponder it further—Bella’s aura grabbed my attention as it vibrated with the same violet Rand’s did when he was angry.

  “You offer no protection, Rand, you’re a renegade as everyone knows,” she spat between gritted teeth as I waited for a forked tongue to accompany the statement.

  “I’ve offered her protection, and she’s accepted. She and I will be working together. I think it fair as I’m truly responsible for discovering her.” He smirked, satisfaction drenching his smile.

  Bella’s nostrils flared, and her chest went up and down like a ship on a stormy sea. If it was possible for someone to burst, she was well on her way. “Is this true? Has he offered to vouch for you?”

  So, now I had the choice to ally myself with Bella who seemed to be possessed by the devil or Rand who had problems of his own. Still, Rand hadn’t murdered his own father…that I knew of. “Yes, it’s true. He offered, and I accepted.”

  Bella gave me a look that said she would enjoy peeling off my skin, layer by layer. Luckily, she didn’t attempt it and, instead, turned on her heel and walked away. Her hips swayed as if to say she’d have the last word.

  “I’m sorry, Jolie, but you’re involved in this lifestyle now. I hope you’ll be able to forgive me as we’re going to be working together very closely,” Rand said, his voice low and exhausted.

  I couldn’t help but think of the irony of the situation. I wanted nothing more than to work closely with Rand but not like this. “So, are you telling me I can’t go back to my old life? What about my shop, my house, my cat and Christa?”

  He sighed, and I knew it was bad. “I’m sorry,” he said as if that would make it all better.

  It didn’t. “This is ridiculous. I never agreed to any of this.” I’d had enough of being a pawn in this game. These people or whatever you wanted to call them could choose to live their lives according to some doctrine of witches, but I was human and had freedom of choice. I lived in the United States for Christ’s sake!

  “Actually you just did.”

  My fingers curled, my nails biting into the palms of my hand. I tried to breathe in through my mouth and out through my nose, but it did nothing to calm me. I was in a house of otherworldly creatures, no one here was human, and what scared me most was that I was now one of them.

  Well, I wasn’t standing for it. I wasn’t going to allow these creatures to dictate my life. I’d show them what they could do with the situation they were trying to force on me. They said I had no free will, no right to choose, well screw them!

  I didn’t give Rand a backwards glance as I neared the doors. Two enormous men dressed as Egyptian guards, complete with jackal masks, naked chests, and Roman-looking skirts, stepped in front of me, blocking my exit.

  “I want to leave,” I said between gritted teeth.

  “Apologies, but we can’t allow that,” one of them said and panic welled up within me, choking the air from my lungs. They weren’t going to let me leave? Okay, if they wanted to play, we’d play. I focused all my energy on them and willed them to move, forced myself to use the magic Rand had taught me.

  I was rewarded with my magic bouncing off them and roaring back into me. Knocked off my feet, I landed with a thump on my ass. My ridiculously short dress rode all the way up my waist. Thank God, I was wearing boy shorts. I watched the guards’ attention settle on my panties and blushed as I pushed my skirt back in place.

  A hand appeared in front of me, and I glanced up into the face of a very amused Sinjin. I refused his offer and pushed myself to my feet.

  “I suppose I failed to mention that your magic will not work here. There is a spell to prohibit it,” he said.

  I nodded but said nothing as the only thing I could think to say was a few choice curse words. My life was falling apart right in front of me, and there was nothing I could do.

  “Are you alright?” he asked. I could only imagine his concern was anything but real. He probably wanted something from me just like it seemed everyone else did.

  “I’m fine. My ego is hurt, but that’s about it,” I muttered.

  He chuckled. �
�Well, if it makes you feel any better, I do not suppose anyone was concerned with your fall, they were more concerned with your pink lace knickers. I, myself, quite enjoyed the spectacle.”

  I frowned. “Are all vampires so…sexual?”

  He laughed. “We are considered a randy group, I suppose. But, then you could say that of all otherworldly creatures. Wherea humans tend to ignore their primitive, baser needs, we relish them.”

  Great and now, I was among this noble group. The thought made me ill.

  “Sinjin, leave her alone, she’s spoken for,” Rand said, stepping between the two of us.

  “The boffin has returned,” Sinjin faced me with a sigh. I didn’t know what a boffin was, but the remark made me smile all the same.

  “Randall always making his presence known when he is least wanted. I know she is spoken for—Bella marked her as her own.”

  Rand smiled with purpose. “I’ve marked her for my own.”

  I swear a growl accompanied the statement.

  Sinjin frowned, shifted and glanced at me. “That cannot be, Bella said the party is in honor of the new witch.”

  Rand stepped closer to the vampire, their muscular chests practically touching.

  “I bloody well found her, therefore I have rights to her, and I’ve exercised those rights. If you want something from her, you must go through me.”

  I didn’t know if I wanted to shout or hit one of them. I felt like the maiden being fought over by two primitive idiots. “I was just leaving,” I said and tried to push past them.

  Rand’s hand clamped down on my arm like a vice. Before I could resist, he maneuvered me away from Sinjin.

  “Let go of me,” I said, ready to battle him.

  “You don’t understand what you’re now involved in, Jolie. These aren’t friendly people here—they’re vampires, werewolves and demons that would kill you as soon as look at you.”

  Okay, that did the trick. I guess I hadn’t been thinking properly. I wanted out and that feeling was greater now more than ever. I didn’t belong here—I wasn’t like them. I might have unexplained powers, but that didn’t make me like them—I was innocent and wanted to stay innocent.