“I had to fake it—just so you’d press that hot body against me one more time.”
“You’re a sick bastard,” I replied, shocked.
“I’m serious. Date me. You’re the hottest, sexiest, girl I’ve ever met.”
“Too bad. Guess you’re just going to have to fake it with your girlfriend. I have a date with Seth, now.” Pushing away from him, I got up and crawled out of the ring, only to be mauled by Frankie who was there with another guy.
“You did it! You did it!” he shouted, throwing his arms around me. “You just made me a couple hundred bucks.”
“Glad you got something out of it,” I said, forcing a smile. I couldn’t feel good about the win now that I knew Jett had thrown the match. Glancing around, I saw Seth approaching.
“You wanna get out of here?” There was a grim set to his features. He knew what Jett had done. I could see it on his face.
I nodded. “I have a date,” I said to Frankie. “I’ll see you at school tomorrow, okay?”
“Sure thing. Have fun and I want to hear all the deets.”
Smiling, I turned and followed Seth through the crowd of congratulatory people as we pushed our way outside.
“He threw the match,” Seth said, once we were safely inside his vehicle.
“Yep.” I confirmed, annoyed.
“What was he saying to you in there?”
I hesitated. I knew Seth and Jett were best friends, and didn’t think it was fair for me to say anything that I knew would drive a wedge in between them. But I also wanted to be honest with Seth.
“Maybe it would be better if I just kept that to myself.” I picked at imaginary lint on my clothes.
“Did he threaten you?” he asked sharply, his eyes narrowing, shining hard and glittering like ice.
I sighed heavily. “No, nothing like that. He asked me out, actually.”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s true. He said he’d never been so turned on his life. That was right before he proceeded to hump me in front of everyone.”
“I’m going to kill him,” Seth said menacingly, his jaw set hard.
“No, you aren’t. Regardless of how it happened, I still technically won. You’re going to take me to dinner, now, because I’m starving.”
“Sorry.” He started the engine. “It gets under my skin, though. He knows damn well that I want to date you.” Gulping, he stared at me as if he hadn’t meant to say that part out loud. “I mean . . . I have no claim to you. We just met . . . but I was hoping that maybe . . . you know since we were hitting it off so well . . .”
“Relax, Seth. I get it. Just please take me to eat some yummy food. That’s all that matters. Afterward, you can get your “revenge” by dating me. Of course, I’d also enjoy dating you without the whole revenge thing.”
He chuckled. “I just want to date you.”
“Then keep asking.”
“I will. He’ll keep asking, too, though.”
“And I’ll keep saying no.”
“What about other guys? After tonight, they’ll start asking you out, I’m sure.”
I laughed. “You’re the only one I see beating down my door at the moment. I say let’s just take things one date at a time and we’ll address those other things when, and if, they come up.”
He shook his head and stared at me, admiration written clearly on his face. “I’ve never met anyone like you.”
“Good. I like being original.”
Laughing, he turned the car, heading away from downtown Salem. “I’m thinking we’ll drive into Boston to eat. We have plenty of time before you need to be home and I’m pretty sure all the places around here will be crowded with people who were at The Ring.”
“Do with me what you will. As long as there is food, I’m all yours.” Wow. That came out sounding a lot sexier than I’d intended.
Wisely, he didn’t comment; but I did noticed how tightly his fingers were wrapped around his vintage steering wheel. While I wasn’t sure exactly what was going on, something was clearly eating him.
Chapter Seven
“You know, you’re pretty nice after you’ve been fed,” Seth said with a laugh, bumping one of his shoulders into mine. His hands were stuffed back into his pockets as we walked through the park, together.
“Yeah, my family teases me about it all the time. They say I get “hangry.”
“Hangry?”
“Hungry, and angry because I’m hungry.” I laughed. “What can I say? I like food. If I don’t get to eat on a regular schedule, I get cranky.”
“Does your anemia cause you to be that way? Maybe you have low blood sugar, or something, too. I hear that can make people feel bad.”
I shrugged. “I’m pretty sure that isn’t it. I just like food. I’m healthy as a horse.”
“How can you be sure?” he asked, staring at me with concern.
Glancing around the park, I checked to make sure we were alone; but I still pulled Seth closer to a thick stand of trees and shrubbery.
“Taking me back here to seduce me?” Seth teased, and I couldn’t help my blush.
“Well, that wasn’t my original intention.” I smiled.
“Damn. That would’ve been awesome.” He returned my smile, his eyes twinkling brightly in the soft glow of the streetlights.
Staring at his lips, I bet he was right. I had to remind myself of what I’d been about to do. “Actually, I was going to prove that I’m healthy as a horse.”
“And how do you plan to do that?”
“By telling you I know your secret.”
A guarded expression crossed his features. “What secret?”
“The same one I have,” I replied. Raising my hand, I cupped it in front of me and commanded the flame inside me to appear there. “I’m a witch.”
Seth took a step backward, staring at me. “How . . .?” He glanced around warily and I distinguished the flame, not needing it now that my point had been made. “How’d you know that I am?”
Oh, shoot. This part was going to be more complicated. “You want to go back and sit in your car, where we can talk more privately?”
“That’s probably wise.” Offering me his arm, without removing his hands from his pockets, I slipped mine near his elbow and allowed him to guide me back toward the vehicle. “I have to say, this is something I didn’t expect.”
“Me, neither. My dad moved us here, hoping we would blend in with the history and culture in Salem. We knew there were many different sects of witches, here, and felt like we wouldn’t stick out so much.”
“There are several witch families, meaning those who are like us, living in the area.”
“Really? Anyone else I know?”
Seth grunted. “Maybe two or three.”
“Really? Who?”
“Let’s get in the car first.”
I had to admit, I was more than excited to find out there were others like us here. It made me feel more . . . normal, somehow, and normal was rare in my life.
Seth led me to the car and opened it. Once I was seated, he closed the door and joined me on the other side. “Tell me how you knew about me.” He pushed, again.
“Okay. But I need you to keep an open mind and hear me out, all the way, before you jump to any conclusions. All right?”
“I’ll do my best, if you do the same for me.”
“Deal,” I replied, wiping my suddenly sweaty hands on my jeans. “Here goes.” I stared into his eyes. “My dad . . . well, he’s a demon. But he’s not a bad one.” I continued in a rush before he could speak. “He was turned against his will and he’s been fighting the conversion ever since. He hates it. He’s been working with a doctor friend of his and they’ve even invented a synthetic blood so he doesn’t have to drink from a live source.”
Surprisingly, Seth didn’t seem too shocked. “Well, I think it’s safe to say that your dad just became even more frightening to any guy who wants to date you. The fact that he could literally tear my head off and dr
ink my blood is slightly intimidating.”
Laughter escaped me. I couldn’t help it. “I’m pretty sure he has no desire to do anything like that . . . ever.”
“Oh, I bet he’d reconsider if I brought you home . . . how’d he put it . . .‘different from how I found you’.”
“That was a very special kind of threat—pertaining specifically to . . .” I trailed off, suddenly feeling self-conscious.
“Oh, I think I’m pretty sure I know exactly what he’s referring to. So he knows, for a fact, that you’re still a virgin?”
“Only because I’ve never been around anyone who could change that status.”
“Got it. So he’s training his sights in on me?”
“Most definitely . . . at least he will if you have plans to stick around.” I could practically see the wheels turning in his head. I wished I could hear what he was thinking.
Seth glanced at me. “I was planning to stick around—at least for longer than this. I just wasn’t aware that if you and I became an item that sex with you might get me killed.”
“Is that a deal breaker for you then?”
“I don’t know.” I could see the truth of his statement in his eyes and was surprised it wounded me as deeply as it did.
“So, I’m guessing you’re not a virgin then, if no sex is a deal breaker for you. It’s just as well that I found out now, huh? My dad has always warned me about guys who are simply after one thing.” I knew I was lashing out at him, but I couldn’t seem to help myself. Obviously, I’d misjudged his character.
“Kenna, you’ve misunderstood what I meant.”
“Then please, enlighten me.”
“In answer to the first part of your question . . . no, I’m not a virgin. I haven’t been in quite a while. I’ve had several steady girlfriends I’ve slept with, and even a few one night stands on occasion, since I was fourteen.”
Wow. He’d been sexually active for four years already. I really didn’t want to hear about all his conquests.
“The reason I say I don’t know if this is a deal breaker for me is because I’m not used to holding myself back when I have a girlfriend. I’m not going to lie. I like you a lot. I find you extremely attractive and I’d love to keep dating you and see where this would go.” He grinned slightly. “Plus, I’ve never dated another witch before. It could be fun. I just don’t want to die doing it.”
“So, let’s stick to our previous plan . . . we can date. Let’s take it slow and see where it goes. Besides, after tonight, you may decide that you want nothing to do with me.”
“I highly doubt that. In fact, since I met you, all I seem able to think about is you.”
“That’s because you’ve only known me for one day. I’m still the new shiny plaything. It’ll wear off,” I teased.
Smiling softly, he shook his head; and slowly reaching out, he gently brushed my cheek with his thumb. “I don’t think this kind of attraction will wear off that easily.”
Leaning into his embrace, I savored his touch, closing my eyes.
“Go out with me. Tomorrow.” It wasn’t really a question, more of a command.
I opened my eyes. “My parents would probably die if I went out on a date two nights in a row. I think they’d rather visit with you and get to know you better before they’ll agree to let me go out with you, again. Plus, they might like to hear about the other witches in the area. How about you come to my house for dinner tomorrow night, instead? Then they can get to know you better and it will help my dad ease up on you a bit.”
Dropping his hand away from me, Seth sighed. “I’d love to come to dinner, but I honestly advise against telling your dad about any other witches, besides me, for the moment, at least.”
“Why not?”
“Because, the other witches I said you might know are the Blackstone’s. Jett is a warlock, but his parents are demon witches. And in spite of the popular business they run, they aren’t exactly the best sort of people.”
Immediately, my mind snapped straight to Jett’s aura and suddenly all the nasty, muddy colors I’d seen there made perfect sense. “They drink from him, don’t they?” I asked, sorrow washing through me. Seth nodded.
“They also use his uncontaminated blood for the rituals in their coven.”
“Coven?” I squeaked the word out. “There is a full demonic coven in Salem?”
Seth slowly nodded. “I only know about it because they’ve been trying to recruit me.”
Well, shit. That explained the funky flecks on Seth’s aura, too. “And you want to join?”
He shrugged. “I’ve considered it. Jett makes it sound so . . . enticing.”
“So he wants to be converted?”
“Desperately. He’s been begging his parents for years, but they refuse because they need him in his current state. Is it true what he says? That demons are much more powerful than their counterparts?”
“My dad is the most powerful warlock I’ve ever heard of. Mom says he was extremely powerful before his conversion, but even more so after. So yeah . . . it’s true.”
“I can’t even imagine what that would be like.”
“Then don’t imagine it. It’s dangerous. Both of my parents have had terrible, terrible things happen to them because of it. Things you couldn’t believe.” I was feeling desperate. “Promise you’ll get to know my dad, and even talk to him about being a demon, before you decide to do anything.”
“You aren’t going to tell him?”
I shook my head. “No. You trusted me with a secret. I will keep it as long as I don’t believe you’re a danger to yourself.”
“So you wouldn’t want to be a demon?”
“Never!” I replied vehemently. “Even though my dad has learned control, it has come at a very great price. I’d never risk my family that way.”
Silence filled the car as Seth stared out the window for several long moments.
“Are you part of a coven?” he finally asked.
“No. My parents were initially part of my family’s coven in my mom’s hometown. When everything went down with my dad, he left the coven and joined with a demon one.”
“Really?” Seth sounded surprised and I nodded.
“My mom said it was awful. The coven brainwashed him and tried to get him to kill her on several occasions so they could steal this special power called the Awakening, which had been bound to the cells of my parents during an earlier ritual. As long as both of my parents were alive, no one else could use that power.”
“And your dad actually wanted to kill your mom?”
I sighed. “It was much more complicated than that. My dad actually died during his demonic conversion—killed by his grandmother during a ritual in which she used his blood to try and steal the Awakening for herself. But it didn’t work because my mom and her coven killed the demonic coven before the ritual was finished. The Awakening split—half of it going into my dad, and the other half of it went into my mom. Because the Awakening strengthens power and gives longevity, it brought my dad back to life; but it restored and rebuilt all the demonic cells inside him as it did so, completing his conversion in the process. So, when he rose again, he was a demon, with no memory of my mom.”
“That’s crazy! I can’t even imagine what that’s been like for her.”
“It wasn’t easy. He eventually regained his memories and joined her in the fight against other demons. There were several close calls for them, and they lost many of their coven and loved ones in the process.”
“So, it’s pretty safe to say that even though your dad is demonic, he hates all demons.”
“That is the complete and total truth. If he found out about Jett’s family, he’d move us out of here so fast we wouldn’t know what hit us.”
“I think you’re right.”
“I’d seriously be a prisoner in a cabin in the woods for the rest of my life. My dad is terrified of his family being exposed to any more of those creatures.”
“Jett’s family k
eeps things pretty low key. I know that most people around here have no clue there even is a demonic coven in Salem. They’re pretty refined and in control.”
I gave a wry laugh. “According to my mom, those are the worst kind. The ones who can actually think through the bloodlust—and figure out how to rule it—are usually the most cunning and dangerous.”
“That bastard,” Seth said suddenly, catching me completely off guard.
“What do you mean?”
“Jett. He knows, doesn’t he? That son of a bitch already knows.” Seth dragged a hand through his sandy blond hair before slamming his fist against the steering wheel.
“Sorry. I’m not following.”
“Don’t you get it? He knows what you are. Somehow he already knows. I wonder if his parents scented you when I took you there for lunch? Or if there is some way he can tell himself? I knew there was a reason he threw the fight. He’s trying to pull you closer.”
Honestly, this revelation frightened me. Knowing that a demonic coven might have their sights set on me made my heart flutter like a turkey in a pen on Thanksgiving Day. Would they try to come after me? Would they try to convince me to join them like they were doing to Seth? Or would they leave me alone if they knew my dad was like them?
At least I knew how to fight. If I was ever cornered, all it would take is one quick mental call to my dad and all I’d need to do is fight long enough for him to get there. I could do that easily. Jett was the one I was most concerned with. He’s the one I’d see all the time.
“I have no idea why Jett would want anything to do with me,” I said.
Seth let his gaze travel slowly over me. “I do.”
More silence.
“So where do we go from here?”
“I think I’ll take you up on that dinner invitation.”
“How will that help?”
“If your dad can get to know me better, he will trust me more. The more he trusts me, the more I can be with you. The more I’m with you, the more I can help to protect you.”